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Superior Navigation Secret to Humans’ Success?
Greater spatial intelligence may have given modern humans an edge over Neanderthals, a new study proposes
May 02, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
24 New Lizard Species Discovered, Half Close to Extinction
The discoverer of the world's (then) smallest frog, snake and lizard does it again with new species of Caribbean skinks
May 01, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
How Do Birds Find Their Way Home?
Birds must be geniuses because they use quantum mechanics to navigate
May 2012 |
By Laura Helmuth
What is Killing the Tasmanian Devil?
The island’s most famous inhabitant is under attack by a diabolical disease
May 2012 |
By Abigail Tucker
Make Way for the African Penguins
Few places let you get as close to the raffish birds—many of which are endangered—as South Africa’s Robben Island
May 2012 |
By Charles Bergman
A Human Evolution Summer Reading List
As you plan for summer vacation, don't forget to pack one of these recent reads on Neanderthals, human origins, new fossils or the first people in the New World
April 30, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Rare Sighting of All-White Orca Whale
Earlier this week, photos were released of an extremely rare killer whale off the eastern coast of Russia
April 27, 2012 |
By Joseph Stromberg
Meat Helps Human Populations Grow
A new study links eating meat to shorter periods of nursing, allowing women to bear more children
April 25, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Snoozing Chimps Offer Glimpse of Hominid Sleeping Habits
Most chimpanzees build tree nests when it's time to go to bed, but some prefer sleeping on the ground; the same was probably true for early hominids
April 23, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
The Top Seven Human Evolution Discoveries in Kenya
For more than 40 years, fossil hunters in Kenya have been excavating a treasure trove of hominid fossils, including a few species found nowhere else
April 18, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
A New Aquatic Ape Theory
Wetlands and lake shores may have been important oases for early hominids, providing our ancestors with reliable food supplies and encouraging the evolution of upright walking
April 16, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Four Species of Homo You've Never Heard Of
Homo helmei is just one of several obscure species of our own genus that are represented by a few fossils that don’t fit neatly into existing hominid species
April 11, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Mrs. Ples: A Hominid with an Identity Crisis
In confirming the sex of one of the most iconic hominid fossils, researchers are helping explain the great physical diversity in Australopithecus africanus
April 09, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
Dinosaur Egg Hunt
A well-timed analysis suggests that non-avian dinosaurs, not the Easter bunny, are the best candidates for laying the candy eggs hidden away on lawns
April 06, 2012 |
By Brian Switek
The Earliest Example of Hominid Fire
New research reveals hominids were building fires one million years ago, pushing back the origins of controlled fire by more than half a million years
April 04, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
New Hominid Fossil Foot Belonged to Lucy’s Neighbor
A 3.4-million-year-old fossil foot shows that early hominids had more than one way of walking around
April 02, 2012 |
By Erin Wayman
How Titanoboa, the 40-Foot-Long Snake, Was Found
In Colombia, the fossil of a gargantuan snake has stunned scientists, forcing them to rethink the nature of prehistoric life
April 2012 |
By Guy Gugliotta
The Fight to Save the Tiger
The great cat is disappearing throughout its range because of habitat loss and illegal hunting, but an innovative scientist in India may have discovered a way to avert extinction
April 2012 |
By Phil McKenna
A Debate Over The Best Way to Protect the Tiger
Experts battle each other over a $350 million plan to keep the tiger from becoming extinct
April 2012 |
By Phil McKenna
Edward O. Wilson’s New Take on Human Nature
The eminent biologist argues in a controversial new book that our Stone Age emotions are still at war with our high-tech sophistication
April 2012 |
By Natalie Angier
