evolution

A single amino acid substitution in a protein causes increased neuron production in the frontal lobes of humans compared to Neanderthals—a tiny difference that could have given our species a cognitive edge, researchers say.

A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.

Most animals can’t pass on mutations that arise spontaneously throughout their lives—but Elkhorn corals can.

The findings will likely help elucidate the effects of chromosome fusions, which can cause disease but have also contributed to evolution.

3D modeling of 7 million-year-old hominin bones hints at bipedality occurring earlier than previously thought.

Frogs invest in cognitive capacity to avoid predators—up until there are too many hungry snakes around for the evolutionary strategy to pay off.

Pet dogs produce a larger volume of tears when they are reunited with their owners than with acquaintances, possibly because of surging oxytocin levels—findings that could be the first evidence of emotional crying in nonhuman animals.

The paleoanthropologist was widely celebrated for his unmatched ability to find and identify fossils.

The simple act of chewing gum can raise the body’s metabolic rate by as much as 15 percent, a study finds.

A strange layer in the fossil record contains evidence that fern populations exploded following the mass extinction that ended the Cretaceous period. Scientists want to know why.

A paper argues that the evolutionary loss of a thin vocal membrane in the larynx may have facilitated oral communication.  

Research traces the evolution of a gene variant that reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, finding that it originally evolved in response to infectious bacteria.

Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.

Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.

A study suggests that several species of brown algae may have independently evolved to express both sexes simultaneously, and it’s likely that female algae evolved male traits—not the other way around.

Several mechanisms contribute to the increased transmissibility of this SARS-CoV-2 variant.

Researchers mapped ear canal shape to body temperature to predict when ancestors of mammals first became endothermic.

The findings mean that penguins may struggle to adapt under rapid climate change, researchers say.

Today’s extinction rates are sky-high. But scientists debate if that’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth is undergoing a mass extinction event—or whether that’s even a helpful designation.

Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. But occasionally, extinction rates have surged far beyond usual levels, driving mass extinction events that have reshaped the trajectory of life.