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evolution

Illustration of a human and Neanderthal skull side by side.
Mutation Linked to Difference Between Human and Neanderthal Brains
Dan Robitzski | Sep 9, 2022 | 5 min read
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.
Two donkeys interacting at the Copenhagen Zoo in Denmark
Science Snapshot: Pin the Domestication on the Donkey
Lisa Winter | Sep 8, 2022 | 1 min read
A genomic analysis reveals that humans domesticated donkeys more than 7,000 years ago.
Brown coral in shallow water branching upward with blue fish in front. 
Corals Upend Longstanding Idea About Genetic Inheritance
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Sep 1, 2022 | 4 min read
Most animals can’t pass on mutations that arise spontaneously throughout their lives—but Elkhorn corals can.
Karyotype with most chromosomes in blue, one in red and green. 
Researchers Fuse Mouse Chromosomes in Scientific First
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 25, 2022 | 4 min read
The findings will likely help elucidate the effects of chromosome fusions, which can cause disease but have also contributed to evolution.
Various primate 
Science Snapshot: An Arm and A Leg
Lisa Winter | Aug 24, 2022 | 1 min read
3D modeling of 7 million-year-old hominin bones hints at bipedality occurring earlier than previously thought.
Green frog in trees with green leaves
For Frogs, Bigger Brains Mean Worse Camouflage
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 23, 2022 | 3 min read
Frogs invest in cognitive capacity to avoid predators—up until there are too many hungry snakes around for the evolutionary strategy to pay off.
A black dog with tearful eyes looks at the camera
Dogs Cry Tears of Joy: Study
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 22, 2022 | 6 min read
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.
Elderly African man smiling
Famed “Turkana Boy” Discoverer Kamoya Kimeu Dies
Lisa Winter | Aug 19, 2022 | 3 min read
The paleoanthropologist was widely celebrated for his unmatched ability to find and identify fossils.
Woman with buns and blue sweater chewing gum, smiling, and stretching it out of her mouth.
The Energetic Cost of Chewing May Have Shaped Hominin Evolution
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 17, 2022 | 4 min read
The simple act of chewing gum can raise the body’s metabolic rate by as much as 15 percent, a study finds.
Ferns bounced back much faster than other plants after the meteor impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Why Did Ferns Persist When All Other Plants Perished?
Amanda Heidt | Aug 15, 2022 | 6 min read
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.
Woman and baby chimpanzee face to face, as if they were talking to each other
Could a Less Complex Larynx Have Enabled Speech in Humans?
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | Aug 11, 2022 | 4 min read
A paper argues that the evolutionary loss of a thin vocal membrane in the larynx may have facilitated oral communication.  
Artist&rsquo;s rendition of multiple <em>Neisseria gonorrhoeae</em>, the bacteria that causes gonorrhea, depicted as two spheres stuck together, each covered in tendrils.
Gonorrhea-Blocking Mutation Also Protects Against Alzheimer’s: Study
Holly Barker, PhD | Aug 5, 2022 | 4 min read
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.
Close up of ant mandible
Science Snapshot: The Need for Speed
Viviane Callier | Aug 4, 2022 | 1 min read
Understanding the biomechanics of the trap-jaw ant could help humans build better, faster robots.
Male common fruit fly (Drosophila Melanogaster) - about 2 mm long - sitting on a blade of grass with green foliage background
The Sex Appeal of Symmetric Songs
Mary Bates | Aug 1, 2022 | 5 min read
Female fruit flies assess the physical symmetry of male suitors through the songs they sing, a study claims.
A gametophyte of the brown alga <em>Desmarestia dudresnayi</em> that has both male and female reproductive structures
Meet the Algae That Went from Male/Female to Hermaphroditic
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 1, 2022 | 2 min read
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.
metallic-looking illustration of coronavirus structure
How the Omicron Subvariant BA.5 Became a Master of Disguise—and What It Means for the Current COVID-19 Surge
Suresh V. Kuchipudi, The Conversation | Jul 26, 2022 | 4 min read
Several mechanisms contribute to the increased transmissibility of this SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Artist’s rendering of an early mammal called a mammaliamorph
Warm-Bloodedness in Mammals May Have Arisen in Late Triassic
Andy Carstens | Jul 21, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers mapped ear canal shape to body temperature to predict when ancestors of mammals first became endothermic.
Ad&eacute;lie penguin family
Penguins Are Among the World’s Slowest-Evolving Birds: Study
Catherine Offord | Jul 19, 2022 | 2 min read
The findings mean that penguins may struggle to adapt under rapid climate change, researchers say.
Dinosaur Fossil (Tyrannosaurus Rex) Found by Archaeologists
Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction?
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 10+ min read
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.
Illustration of creatures from today&rsquo;s crisis
Infographic: A Look at the Big Five Mass Extinctions
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 4 min read
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.
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