Evolution

How the Giraffe Got Its Long Neck: It Happened in Spurts

New fossils resolve this lengthy debate

A Letter About Darwin’s Belief in God Just Sold for Nearly $200,000

Just 41 words long, it provides a missing link for historians who have long wondered what the naturalist thought about religion

Ancient Cats Drove Ancient Dogs to Extinction

The rivalry runs deep

Here’s Why Chimps and Humans Look So Different

Thank genes for the lack of family resemblance.

It's OK, buddy. We're here to help.

Domestication Seems to Have Made Dogs a Bit Dim

Thanks to their relationship with us, dogs are less adept at solving tricky puzzles than their wolf relatives

The fossils, encased in rock and sediment, were collected from marine rocks that date to around six million years ago before the Isthmus of Panama formed and a seaway connected the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

New Species of Ancient Dolphin Shows How the Animals Moved From Seas to Rivers

The newly discovered fossil gives scientists a fresh glimpse into the evolution of ocean life

Putting Eyeballs on Billboards Might Help Stop Crime

The feeling of being watched makes human change their behavior, even if it comes from a poster.

"Flatties" might be more aptly nicknamed "fliers" for their ability to glide to safety should they lose their grip in tree canopies.

Gliding Spiders Found Falling From Tropical Trees

Flat-bodied spiders that live in the rainforest strike a Superman pose to take control of their free-falls

Engineers at Cambridge University created a robot that could build and improve on other robots, in an artificial form of natural selection.

Watch a Robot Evolve

It's the mother of all robots

Humans Evolved to Be Moved by Art

New research shows that while people respond to art for very different reasons, the ability to be moved in the first place is universal

Corythomantis greeningi frogs carry potent venom in their pouts.

What’s the Difference Between Poisonous and Venomous Animals?

The first known venomous frogs, discovered in Brazil, raise some basic questions about toxic biology

The Science Behind Dogs' Goofy Greetings

Why do dogs go nuts when their owners get home? The answers lie in their DNA and brains

Bully or Bystander? It Could Be in the Genes

New study says bullying may be nature, not nurture

Elephants are complex communicators.

How Elephants and Songbirds Are Helping Humans Communicate

In this Generation Anthropocene podcast, social animals show scientists how to trace our evolution and improve interactions

A mother rhino breastfeeding her baby

Why Mammals Have a Monopoly On Milk

It all started with an egg

One series of photographs in particular is exciting for the unique perspective. It was taken from an angle no one had seen before. “In his camera lens you can see the back of Clarence Darrow, and you can see the face of William Jennings Bryan,” historian Marcel Chotkowski LaFollette says.

The Scopes Trial Redefined Science Journalism and Shaped It to What It Is Today

Ninety years ago a Tennessee man stood trial for teaching evolution, a Smithsonian archives collection offers a glimpse into the rich backstory

New research suggests hawkmoths, like the one pictured above, slow down their brain's ability to process light in order to see at night.

Hovering Hawkmoths Slow Down Their Brains to See in the Dark

The insects’ night vision appears to be finely tuned to the movement of their flower food sources

The attack on a female tourist should serve as a reminder that lions are not only wild animals, they're perceptive predators.

Yes, Lions Will Hunt Humans if Given the Chance

The tragic attack at a South AFrican park serves as a reminder that lions are predators and humans are prey

Chimpanzees Can Learn to Cook

Given a microwave-like tool, chimpanzees become chefs

An artistic reconstruction of the Regaliceratops peterhewsi, the newly discovered Triceratops cousin with a built-in crown.

The 'Hellboy' Dinosaur, a New Cousin of Triceratops, Is Fossil Royalty

The horned dinosaur wears a built-in crown and offers evidence of many more undiscovered species in North America

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