All Around the World, Caring for Family Is What Motivates People Most
International study including 27 countries shows people prioritize loved ones over everything else. Across the globe, caring for loved ones is what matters most. But,…
Evolution News
These Fierce Predators Have Incredible Vision and a Newly Discovered Brain Region to Process It
How mantis shrimp make sense of the world: Researchers traced neural connections in a newly discovered brain region of mantis shrimp, gaining new insights into…
Today’s Large Crocodiles Were Created by Climate Change
What does the term crocodylian bring to mind? A big reptile with a chomping jaw? Crocodylians are the 27 species of crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and…
Genetic Data From 1.77 Million-Year-Old Rhino Tooth Could Solve Some of the Biggest Mysteries in Evolution
New research on ancient rhino tooth could unlock evolution mysteries. Researchers from the University of York were involved in a project to extract original proteins…
This 100 Million-Year-Old Snake Had Legs, but Cheekbone Provides Critical Insight Into Evolution
An ancient snake’s cheekbone sheds light on evolution of modern snake skull: 100-million-year old legged snake fossil provides critical insight into how the heads of…
Recently Discovered Parasitic Wasp Is Enemy of Serious Alien Pest in North America
While a mention of the British movie and music star is missing in its description, the species — named Idris elba — might prove to…
Charismatic Little Hawaiian Duck Is Threatened With Genetic Extinction
The endangered Hawaiian duck, or koloa, the only endemic duck remaining on the main Hawaiian Islands, is threatened with genetic extinction due to interbreeding with…
Hunting and Ivory Trade Likely Drove Icelandic Walrus to Extinction
An international collaboration of scientists in Iceland, Denmark, and the Netherlands has for the first time used ancient DNA analyses and C14-dating to demonstrate the…
Scientists Cracked the Case of Why Octopuses of the Same Species Can Look Totally Different
Deep beneath the ocean’s surface, surprisingly cute warty pink octopuses creep along the seafloor. But not all these octopuses look alike. While we humans love…
How Mammals’ Complex “Frankenstein’s Monster” Backbones Evolved
Mammals’ backbones are weird. Compared to other four-legged animals like reptiles, mammal spines are a complex mix of sections of differently-shaped bones. Our Frankenstein’s monster…
Is Evolution Predictable? Important Implications for the Way We Undertand Life on Earth
An international team of scientists working with Heliconius butterflies at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama was faced with a mystery: How do…
Lifelike Chemistry Created by Pioneering Research on Origin of Life
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have cultivated lifelike chemical reactions while pioneering a new strategy for studying the origin of life. The work is far from…
Lichens Are Way Younger Than Scientists Thought – Likely Evolved Millions of Years After Plants
You’ve probably seen a lichen, even if you didn’t realize it. If you’ve ever meandered through the forest and wondered what the crusty stuff on…
In a Twist of Fate, Ant Expert Discovers Distinct New Species in His Own Backyard
Jack Longino is a global ant expert and has traveled the world documenting and discovering ant species. But for his latest discovery, he didn’t need…
Finding Nemo’s Cousins: Meet the Little Fish That Can See UV Light
The fish made famous in Finding Nemo can see ultraviolet (UV) light and may use it as a ‘secret channel’ to find both friends and…
What Caused Neanderthal Extinction and Were Our Human Ancestors to Blame?
Complex disease transmission patterns could explain why it took tens of thousands of years after first contact for our ancestors to replace Neanderthals throughout Europe…
Jaw-Some Wombats: Flexible Jaws May Help Wombats Survive Change
Flexible jaws may help wombats better survive in a changing world by adapting to climate change’s effect on vegetation and new diets in conservation sanctuaries….
Experiment Creates an Essential Component of Life – Finds Deep Sea Vents Had Ideal Conditions for Origin of Life
By creating protocells in hot, alkaline seawater, a University College London-led research team has added to evidence that the origin of life could have been…