Evolution

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When Large Birds Disappear, Rainforests Suffer

A century after toucans and toucanets disappeared from patches of Brazilian jungle, trees have evolved to have smaller, weaker seeds

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Scientists Finally Pinpoint the Pathogen That Caused the Irish Potato Famine

DNA analysis of 166-year-old potato plant leaves has revealed the disease strain that caused the starvation of millions

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Solving an Alligator Mystery May Help Humans Regrow Lost Teeth

A gator can replace all of its teeth up to 50 times--learning what triggers these new teeth to grow may someday keep us from needing dentures

Helpless babe or capable professional navigator?

Baby Weddell Seals Have the Most Adult-Like Brains in the Animal Kingdom

The newborn seal pups possess the most well-developed brains compared to other mammals, but that advantage comes with a cost

How many unborn brothers and sisters did this sand tiger shark devour to be here today?

Baby Sand Tiger Sharks Devour Their Siblings While Still in the Womb

This seemingly horrific reproduction strategy may be a way for females to better control which males sire her offspring

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Why Women Like Deep Voices and Men Prefer High Ones

We find different pitches attractive because of the body size they signal—and a touch of breathiness is crucial to take the edge off deep voices in men

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Which Primate Is the Most Likely Source of the Next Pandemic?

To help anticipate the next outbreak of an emerging infectious disease, scientists scrutinize our closest relatives in the animal kingdom

The rare coealacanth’s genome is slowly evolving—and contrary to prior speculation, it probably isn’t the common ancestor of all land animals.

DNA Sequencing Reveals that Coelacanths Weren’t the Missing Link Between Sea and Land

The rare fish's genome is slowly evolving—and contrary to prior speculation, it probably isn't the common ancestor of all land animals

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What Makes Rain Smell So Good?

A mixture of plant oils, bacterial spores and ozone is responsible for the powerful scent of fresh rain

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Why Geckos Don’t Slip Off Wet Jungle Leaves or Hotel Ceilings

A surface's ability to attract and repel water heavily influences the degree to which a gecko can cling overhead, new research shows

Polar bear-brown bear hybrids like this pair at Germany’s Osnabrück Zoo are becoming more common as melting sea ice forces the two species to cross paths.

Brown Polar Bears, Beluga-Narwhals and Other Hybrids Brought to You by Climate Change

Animals with shrinking habitats are interbreeding, temporarily boosting populations but ultimately hurting species' survival

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Video: This Lizard-Inspired Robot Can Scamper Across Sand

It's a product of the emerging field of terradynamics, which studies the movement of vehicles across shifting surfaces

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Untangling the Mysterious Genetic Tentacles of the Giant Squid

Contrary to prior speculation about the elusive creatures, all giant squid belong to a single species and they all share very similar genetics

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Prehistoric Human Skull Shows Signs of Inbreeding

A 100,000-year-old skull has a hole that reflects genetic mutations from inbreeding—likely a common behavior for our ancestors

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Do Drone Pilots Deserve Their Own Medal?

It’s never been easy, but drones and cybersystems are making it more difficult than ever to decide which servicemen are deserving of what

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Prehistoric Birds May Have Used Four Wings to Fly

A study of fossils of prehistoric birds suggests two sets of wings—one set on the creature's hind legs—helped avians stay aloft

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Science Shows Why You’re Smarter Than a Neanderthal

Neanderthal brains had more capacity devoted to vision and body control, with less left over for social interactions and complex cognition

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This 33,000-Year-Old Skull Belonged to One of the World’s First Dogs

A new DNA analysis confirms that an ancient skull found in a Siberian cave was an early ancestor of man's best friend

The research drew upon theromgraphic images of the penguins collected in the wild.

How Emperor Penguins Survive Antarctica’s Subzero Cold

The birds' plumage is even colder than the surrounding air, paradoxically insulating them from heat loss

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Nitpicking the Lice Genome to Track Humanity’s Past Footsteps

Lice DNA collected around the planet sheds light on the parasite's long history with our ancestors, a new study shows

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