The skull of Australopithecus sediba

Top 10 Hominid Discoveries of 2011

A look back at the year’s most important and fascinating finds in the field of human evolution

Cats and earthquakes were popular subjects this year.

Top Ten Science Blog Posts of 2011

Cats, zombies, earthquakes, chickens—our readers have an eclectic taste

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How to Turn a Dinosaur Into a Bird

Two classic bits of animation beautifully visualized the evolution of birds from dinosaurs

A young echidna in Coles Bay, Australia

What In The World Is An Echidna?

This spiky monotreme can be found in Australia and New Guinea

An articulated Iguanodon hand on display at London’s Natural History Museum

A Mysterious Thumb

What did Iguanodon use its big thumb spikes for—stabbing attackers, breaking into seeds, or possibly stripping foliage from branches?

When it came time to pick a 2011 Christmas tree ornament, the choice was clear - I needed a dinosaur.

Deck the Halls With Dinosaurs

Given their probable diet of conifers, I’m surprised there aren’t even more holiday sauropods in the Christmas tree mix

A composite image of S106, from the Hubble Space Telescope and Japan's Subaru Telescope

A Holiday Angel Among the Stars

The star-forming region Sharpless 2-106 bears a certain resemblance, particularly during this time of year

An early 19th century representation of Megalosaurus at the Crystal Palace gardens. Thomas Henry Huxley's work gave dinosaurs a much more bird-like look.

Huxley’s Apocryphal Dinosaur Dinner

Fossil lore says 19th century naturalist T.H. Huxley realized that birds were dinosaurs when he carved into a Christmas turkey, but what really happened?

If you don't want to show an misformed Moon on a Christmas card, a full moon is a safe option

That Moon On Your Christmas Card

An astronomer finds that depictions of the Moon on Christmas cards, wrapping paper and books is often wrong

A reconstruction of Patagonykus. The newly-described Bonapartenykus was a close relative of this dinosaur.

Eggs and Enigmatic Dinosaurs

Paleontologists have found the bones of a new dinosaur with eggs nearby, but how do we know whether the bones and eggs go together?

A giant bust of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian

The Human Evolution World Tour

Hominid enthusiasts can see the highlights of human evolution at evotourism destinations around the world

Reindeer have a few strategies for keeping cool (courtesy of flickr user much ado about nothing

How Rudolph Keeps A Cool Head

Reindeer have several strategies for releasing heat when they get too hot

Mistletoes evolved the ability to grow not on the roots of trees, but instead on their branches.

Mistletoe: The Evolution of a Christmas Tradition

Why does this parasitic plant remind us of romance?

An Allosaurus threatens a Stegosaurus at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Where the Dinosaurs Are

Ready for a dinosaur road trip? We have a list of top dinosaur “evotourism” destinations just for you

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Evolution, A Book That Turns Science Into Art

See examples of these beautiful photographs of animal skeletons in our image gallery

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Hitchcock’s Primeval Birds

Paleontologist Edward Hitchcock was one of the first dinosaur track experts, but why did he insist that birds left the footprints?

This ancient rock painting from Zimbabwe depicts a person smoking out a beehive.

Humans, the Honey Hunters

Energy-rich honey may have helped hominids evolve big brains

Aspen trees in Colorado

What Was Killing the Aspens?

Scientists determine it was lack of water, not food, that was responsible for sudden aspen decline

A Suarophaganax (left) harries an enormous Diplodocus at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

A Comedy of Dinosaur Errors

If any dinosaur has a tortured history, it’s the giant predator Saurophaganax

In this image from December 15, 2011, Comet Lovejoy appeared to be headed towards sure destruction in a collision with the Sun

A Comet’s Close Call

Scientists predicted that Comet Lovejoy would collide with the Sun

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