Mammals
The Sperm Whale's Deadly Call
Scientists have discovered that the massive mammal uses elaborate buzzes, clicks and squeaks that spell doom for the animal's prey
December 2011 |
By Eric Wagner
Strange Animal Models of Human Evolution
What do sea otters, wolves and capuchin monkeys reveal about our hominid ancestors?
November 30, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
The First Americans
Archaeologists once thought the Clovis people were the first to live in the New World, but mounting evidence suggests humans arrived in the Americas thousands of years earlier
November 28, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Were Neanderthals Victims of Their Own Success?
A new archaeological study shows how Neanderthals' ability to adapt to changing climates may have led to the species' eventual extinction
November 22, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
What’s in a Name? Hominid Versus Hominin
You may have noticed that our ancestors are increasingly called hominins, which is the result of researchers revising how they classify primates
November 16, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Taking a Southern Route Out of Africa
Mounting genetic, archaeological and geological evidence suggests humans may have migrated out of Africa along a southern route: across the Red Sea and into southern Arabia
November 14, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
A Hominid Dictionary
Hominids have complicated names, but their scientific monikers are less mysterious when their Latin, Greek and African roots are decoded
November 09, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Computers Are Good Fossil Hunters
New technology is allowing researchers to narrow their searches for places where ancient hominids were likely to have lived, traveled and left fossils
November 08, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Secrets of a Lion’s Roar
Not all cats roar, but those that do fascinate us with their mysterious and frightening sounds
November 03, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Modern Humans Once Mated with Other Species
Genetic studies reveal that some modern humans carry DNA from extinct hominid species, evidence of ancient interbreeding
November 02, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
What In The World Is A Kinkajou?
It's a carnivore, though it mostly eats fruit. It has a prehensile tail, but it's not a primate
November 01, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Defending the Rhino
As demand for rhino horn soars, police and conservationists in South Africa pit technology against increasingly sophisticated poachers
November 2011 |
By Richard Conniff
Humans Evolved Big Brains to Be Social?
Some scientists think humans and other primates evolved big brains in response to the social challenges of living in large groups
October 31, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Bat Killer Confirmed
The Geomyces destructans fungus causes deadly white-nose syndrome in bats
October 27, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Best Places to See Hominid Bones Online
It's hard to find hominid bones in museums, but it's easy to see them on the Internet
October 26, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Neanderthals: Made for Mountaineering?
Neanderthals' short legs made them well-suited for walking in mountain environments
October 24, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
How A Carnivore Survives On Bamboo
New research finds that the giant panda may get some bacterial help to digest its bamboo diet
October 19, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Earliest Known Artist’s Studio
The discovery of a 100,000-year-old art studio in Africa hints at when modern human behavior emerged
October 19, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
How Africa Became the Cradle of Humankind
A fossil discovery in 1924 revolutionized the search for human ancestors, leading scientists to Africa
October 17, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Chimps Shouldn’t Be Entertainers
A new study provides evidence that seeing chimps in commercials makes us care less about them as a species
October 13, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
