evolution
‘Origins’: Humans have been shaped more by Earth’s evolving geography than by genetics
In astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell's newest book, Origins: How the Earth Made Us, he outlines how geology has shaped human evolution ...
Can we teach evolutionary biology without making students ‘choose between their faith and evolution’?
Michael Reiss, a professor of science education at University College London and an Anglican Priest, suggests that “we need to ...
Why did sex evolve? It may protect against rare cancers, researchers suggest
In an essay published in the journal PLOS Biology, scientists presented a theory which they say could answer a 50-year ...
Were hominids making stone tools 2.6 million years ago? Controversy greets discovery
Discoveries in East Africa of what may be the oldest expertly sharpened stone implements suggest that early members of the ...
‘Evolution in action’: How ancient humans developed a mutation to protect against diabetes
An ancient mutation that spread through humans after the advent of cooking may protect people against high blood sugar and ...
Dinosaur hike: How a Montana family found a ‘nearly complete’ T. rex
“It was right over there, just a bit of it sticking from the earth that caught my eye,” [Kathy] Wankel ...
Inside the brains of Neanderthals: Were they capable of ‘symbolic and abstract thinking’?
We know from the archaeological record that much of Neanderthal hunting, foraging, and toolmaking behavior was quite similar to that ...
Environmental DNA offers glimpses of the ‘ancient world in a few grains of sand’
Somewhere in a remote cave in western Georgia, a few dozen miles east of the Black Sea shore, scientists on ...
400,000-year-old teeth suggest Neanderthals and humans split much earlier than thought
Our distant cousins just got a little more distant. A new study suggests that modern humans and our closest relatives, the Neanderthals, ...
Mining ‘extremely hostile environments’ for keys to new drugs, tech breakthroughs
Many scientists have been investigating the planet’s countless extreme environments, on the hunt for molecules that will inspire the next ...
Why conservatives should embrace evolution ‘as a jewel’ of modern Western civilization
It is a crowning achievement of Western civilization and a rejoinder to the modern myths of the Left ...
How did this bird evolve into existence again after disappearing 136,000 years ago?
The Aldabra white-throated rail, a flightless bird that lives on its namesake atoll in the Indian Ocean, doesn’t look like ...
Video: Robot dinosaurs show us how flight evolved
Modern birds are believed to have evolved from certain types of dinosaurs, and the transitional species Archaeopteryx sits neatly in ...
DNA sequencing reveals complicated evolution of peanuts, staple crop grown on 64 million acres worldwide
According to the USDA, farmers around the world grow 44.9 million metric tons of peanuts on more than 64 million ...
Have we finally identified humanity’s direct ancestor? Controversial claim challenged
Humans evolved from a group of ape-like hominins known as Australopithecine, but scientists aren’t [sure] which species is our direct ...
How culture shapes the evolution of our genes
The well worked out examples of the impact of human culture in re-shaping our own evolution are riveting, I think ...
Was our brain growth kick-started by ancestors scavenging bone marrow from animal carcasses?
A new theory challenges assumptions about when and how our ancestors altered their behaviors to boost brainpower ...
‘Ancient lion’: Meet the largest carnivore we’ve ever discovered
Twenty-three million years ago, a giant carnivore larger than any modern-day lion or polar bear stalked sub-Saharan Africa, according to ...
Redefining the Neanderthal: Were they more sophisticated than we thought?
A new body of research has emerged that’s transformed our image of Neanderthals. Through advances in archaeology, dating, genetics, biological ...
Purebred? How humans invented the modern concept of ‘dog breeds’
Modern purebred dog breeds were created in Victorian Britain ...
Were the Denisovans a collection of 3 different species?
A new study using genetic data is offering an intriguing new look into the history of the Denisovans, revealing them as a ...
When culture clashes with science: Teaching evolution to Tibetan monks
“We believe that we came into existence when an ogress mated with a monkey. Is that possible?” The question comes ...
‘Evolution in action’: How did this common gut bacteria turn lethal?
For three decades, the deadly bacteria sat in cold storage. Normally, Enterococcus faecalis lives harmlessly in the human gut. One particular strain, ...
People may have lived in Australia for 120,000 years—twice as long as we thought
Extensive archaeological research in southern Victoria has again raised the prospect that people have lived in Australia for 120,000 years ...
How the evolution of our ability to run marathons ‘made us human’
Let’s call it the “running made us human” hypothesis: According to some scientists, distance running was key to our ancestors’ ...
Is one genetic mutation responsible for human endurance?
Studies suggest that a mutation caused humans to lose function of the CMAH gene two to three million years ago—around ...
North Dakota fossil site may be ‘most sensational’ glimpse of final minutes of dinosaur reign
Sixty-six million years ago, an immense asteroid smacked into what is now the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, triggering global devastation ...
