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Evolution

This shot of a statue from the Louvre is one of the least-shocking anus-related image we came up with.

New Research

Science Is Still Unclear About the Evolutionary Origin of the Anus

A newly published scientific review attempts to “get to the bottom” of how animals acquired what some might call the most indecent part of the body

A scanning electronic microscope image of the 600 million-year-old sponge-like fossil

New Research

One of the Oldest Known Animals Is This Tiny, Ancient Sponge

A new fossil find pushes back the start of the evolution of multicellular animals

Luna moths - arguably the most spectacular moths in North America - deflect bat attacks with their ornate wing tails.

New Research

Luna Moths’ Gorgeous Wings Throw Off Bat Attacks

Spinning twin tails at the end of moth wings garble bats’ sonar cries, causing the winged predators to miss the tasty mark

The results of agriculture changed our mouths, but not completely for the better.

New Research

Before Agriculture, Human Jaws Were a Perfect Fit for Human Teeth

The emergence of agricultural practices initiated major changes to the jaw structure of ancient humans, leading to dental problems we still experience

New Research

There’s a Big Rift in Opinion Between Americans And Scientists

New study shows that citizens and scientists only agree some of the time

The Wrists of Birds Reveal Evolution Undoing Itself

Contrary to earlier claims, a new study shows that evolution may be reversible

New Research

One Orangutan Has Learned to Sound Just Like Us

This defies scientists’ former assumption that great apes just couldn’t learn new calls

New Research

Ancient Dogs Likely Arrived in America Thousands of Years After Humans

New research on dog DNA shows that they migrated to the new world much later than initially thought

New Research

Ants Usually Turn Left While Exploring

It’s a sinister version of human’s tendency towards right-handedness

Researchers found that human joint-bone density remained pretty high until recently in our evolutionary history, around the same time that humans began switching from hunting and gathering to farming.

Switching to Farming Made Human Joint Bones Lighter

A more fragile skeleton evolved about 12,000 years ago, probably driven by a shift from hunting to agriculture

Aspidoscelis neavesi, a species unlike any other.

Cool Finds

This New Lizard Species Evolved in a Lab

The novel reptile shows that hybrids can indeed lead to viable species, but not by the normal reproductive route

Beware of this meat-eating Albertosaurus on the Royal Tyrrell Museum plaza.

Canada

Want to Excite Your Inner Dinosaur Fan? Pack Your Bags for Alberta

Canada’s badlands are the place to see fantastic dinosaur fossils (and kitsch)—and eye-opening new evidence about the eve of their fall

New Research

Scientists Finally Figure Out the “Big Bang” of Bird Evolution

The genomes of 45 birds contributed to the most in-depth bird evolutionary tree ever created

A humpback whale in waters off southern Oman.

New Research

Humpback Whales in the Arabian Sea Have Been Isolated for 70,000 Years

Conservationists want this particular population of humpbacks to be classified as critically endangered

Scientists found deliberate scratching on a fossil Pseudodon, likely an engraving made by Homo erectus at Trinil in Indonesia.

New Research

Zigzags on a Shell From Java Are the Oldest Human Engravings

The early human Homo erectus also made the oldest known shell tools half a million years ago

Galapagos sea lions laze on the beach.

Trending Today

A Major Galapagos Conservation Foundation Is Running Out of Cash

A fight over selling souvenirs on the Galapagos is threatening conservation efforts

Why Do Humans Have Thumbs?

There’s a never-ending stream of theories about Homo sapiens’ most important digit

Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) fight. Infanticide in baboons is driven by a mating structure built on male competition.

Why Some Mammals Kill Babies of Their Own Kind

Male mammals that commit infanticide developed the behavior in response to their species’ mating style

Bill Nye enthusiastically greets students and faculty at Cal State Fullerton in California earlier this year.

Bill Nye on the Risks of Not Debating With Creationists

Bill Nye the Science Guy has a book out on evolution. Here’s what he has to say

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Cool Finds

Left-Handed People Have Less Specialized Brains

Diversity means flexibility, even if being left-handed can be super annoying

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