#Evolutionary

A remarkable fossil discovery in Colombia is challenging how scientists understand major evolutionary changes in Earth's history. Researchers uncovered an incredibly diverse ancient marine ecosystem where giant reptiles, sharks, and other creatures…

I've always found goosebumps interesting because they seem like such a strange reaction for the human body to have. We can get them from listening to music, experiencing a powerful emotion, remembering something, or even hearing a particular sound.…

The genus Picea (spruce) is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere and is a dominant component of boreal and montane forests. Understanding the evolutionary processes that have shaped diversification and regional differentiation across the…

A new study has pieced together the evolutionary history of terrestrial animals on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), offering a comprehensive picture of how the distinctive fauna of the "Third Pole" took shape over millions of years.

Evolutionary changes in a key protein synthesis enzyme, isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IleRS), may help bacteria fine-tune how quickly proteins are made, report researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan; the University of Zagreb Faculty of Science,…

Our planet is covered in ants. Researchers now say their ascendance escalated 66 million years ago, powered by retrovirus-like “jumping genes.”

A focus on the gene alone has become outdated. Books that capture the complexity of life deserve centre stage.

I'm learning about Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and how we can use statistical tests (e.g. chi-squared) to compare observed allele frequencies with those expected under the null hypothesis of HWE.…

A bizarre, cyclops-like creature from nearly 600 million years ago may hold the key to how your eyes—and even your sleep cycle—evolved. Scientists have discovered that all vertebrates, including humans, trace their vision back to a single light-sensitive…

A pioneering project led by researchers from the University of Stirling and the Max Planck Institute has opened the door for new insights into the evolutionary origins of human intelligence, by compiling the largest dataset of great ape cognition…

Ducks with corkscrew penises, fish changing sex – what do we really know about sex and reproduction on Earth? Less than we think, reveals a mind-boggling new book. Elle Hunt explores

The Amazon molly, which reproduces asexually, has survived—and thrived—at least 10 times longer than predicted by evolutionary theory