Biology (Page 27)

A guide to life, on Earth and beyond, including the top news about plants, animals, and physiology.

Latest in Biology

young women kissing

We might have started kissing to share chewed up food (and other delicious facts about smooching)

By Erin Blakemore

two fish side by side with one poking a bone into the other, but in a sexy way

This ancient bony fish was a sexual pioneer

By Rachel Feltman

Azawakh dog in the forest.

Meet the Azawakh, the latest breed to enter the Westminster Dog Show

By Sara Kiley Watson

White dog on blue background

Did humans truly domesticate dogs? Canine history is more of a mystery than you think.

A graceful orange cat with a long tail walking on green grass

Most humans don’t have tails. So why do we have the bones for it?

a tiny organism with four nubbin legs

These tiny living robots could help science eavesdrop on cellular gossip

African grey parrot.

For some African grey parrots, sharing is caring

By Sara Kiley Watson

A Spanish-American family photographed in New Mexico in 1940.

DNA tests can’t tell you your race

By Jack Herrera

Homo erectus skull

The ‘granddaddy’ of all early hominins walked on Earth a lot longer than we thought

By Sara Kiley Watson

Baboon making sounds

Monkey mouth sounds could push the evolution of speech back by 27 million years

By Thomas R. Sawallis & Louis-Jean Boë/The Conversation

a meteorite in space

Meteorite-eating microbes could help us look for alien life

By Charlie Wood

Stentor roeselii cells

These single-cell organisms don’t need brains to make up their minds

By Sara Kiley Watson

Why do some animals engage in same-sex sexual behavior? The better question is… why not?

Why do some animals engage in same-sex sexual behavior? The better question is… why not?

In 1964, Popular Science answered ‘stupid’ questions about what you eat

In 1964, Popular Science answered ‘stupid’ questions about what you eat

By Popular Science, November 1964, by James Berry

A stomach full of food, a balloon

Is it possible to eat so much that your stomach explodes?

By Tom McNamara

A controversial new study claims Botswana may be the origin of modern humanity

A controversial new study claims Botswana may be the origin of modern humanity

We may finally know why we can’t regrow limbs like newts and toads do

We may finally know why we can’t regrow limbs like newts and toads do

An experiment hinted at Martian life in the ’70s. So why did we stop looking?

An experiment hinted at Martian life in the ’70s. So why did we stop looking?

By Charlie Wood

The asteroid collision that changed life on Earth forever—without killing the dinosaurs

The asteroid collision that changed life on Earth forever—without killing the dinosaurs

By Birger Schmitz/The Conversation

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones

Motion sickness is proof that your body is functioning as evolution intended

Motion sickness is proof that your body is functioning as evolution intended

By Spencer Salter/The Conversation

Evolution doesn’t work the way you think it does

Evolution doesn’t work the way you think it does

By Quentin Wheeler, Antonio G. Valdecasas & Cristina Cánovas/The Conversation

Some viruses can actually protect our health

Some viruses can actually protect our health

By Cynthia Mathew/The Conversation

This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds

This three-foot-tall parrot proves New Zealand is the mecca of giant weird birds

By Sara Chodosh

This ancient predator had claws like rakes and a body like a spaceship

This ancient predator had claws like rakes and a body like a spaceship

The weirdest things we learned this week: Feminist butter sculptures and America’s first favorite pastime

The weirdest things we learned this week: Feminist butter sculptures and America’s first favorite pastime

By Popular Science Team

Everything you need to know about shark bites

Everything you need to know about shark bites

By Gavin Naylor/The Conversation

Gorillas can be cliquey, too. Here’s what that says about our own social lives.

Gorillas can be cliquey, too. Here’s what that says about our own social lives.

By Marion Renault

The weirdest things we learned this week: virgin births, composted humans, and naked South Pole scientists

The weirdest things we learned this week: virgin births, composted humans, and naked South Pole scientists

By Popular Science Team

Natural selection can’t explain this bug’s bizarre horn

Natural selection can’t explain this bug’s bizarre horn

Scientists are still straightening out the history of zebra stripes

Scientists are still straightening out the history of zebra stripes

By Donavyn Coffey

Scientists are putting antibiotics into the ocean—on purpose. And it’s our only hope.

Scientists are putting antibiotics into the ocean—on purpose. And it’s our only hope.

Hitting snooze confuses your brain more than waking up

Hitting snooze confuses your brain more than waking up

By Steven Bender/The Conversation

highveld mole rat droptail ant

The naked mole rat’s furry cousin also feels no pain

By Sara Chodosh

Europeans looked down on Neanderthals—until they realized they shared their DNA

Europeans looked down on Neanderthals—until they realized they shared their DNA

By Angela Saini

Ancient fungi may have laid the groundwork for complex life

Ancient fungi may have laid the groundwork for complex life

By Katie Field/The Conversation

San Francisco sourdough

The secret to San Francisco’s famous sourdough: bug poop

By Charlotte Druckman

This ancient sea creature had 45 tubular tentacles and will haunt your dreams

This ancient sea creature had 45 tubular tentacles and will haunt your dreams

By Kaitlin Sullivan

Four-legged whales once straddled land and sea

Four-legged whales once straddled land and sea

By Jan Hoole/The Conversation

These Chinese fossil deposits shed light on an explosive period in evolution

These Chinese fossil deposits shed light on an explosive period in evolution

By Jan Zalasiewicz and Mark Williams/The Conversation

Warblers live longer with a little child-rearing help from their friends

Warblers live longer with a little child-rearing help from their friends

By Eleanor Cummins

Human animal humanimal hand swan feeding

Rethinking what sets humans apart starts with asking if we’re special at all

By Adam Rutherford

Clearwing butterfly toxin species photograph award winning

Megapixels: This butterfly’s wings are transparently toxic

By Eleanor Cummins

close-up of a zebra

How a zebra’s stripes put bloodthirsty flies into a tailspin

By Jessica Boddy

Charles Darwin wrote enough one-liners to fill a burn book

Charles Darwin wrote enough one-liners to fill a burn book

By Eleanor Cummins

A macaroni penguin takes a little snooze on a rock.

Penguins may have islands to thank for their diverse looks

By Jessica Boddy

fluorescent flying squirrel

MEGAPIXELS: These flying squirrels fluoresce hot pink, and no one knows exactly why

squirrel in the snow

Do wild animals hate being cold in winter?

By Bridget B. Baker/The Conversation

Veoneer driving facial recognition mood

Artificial intelligence thinks your face is full of data. Could it actually unmask you?

By Eleanor Cummins

Face to face with the sloth

Sloths aren’t the picky eaters we thought they were

By Jan Hoole/The Conversation

iss view from atlantis space shuttle

Good news: space bacteria (probably) aren’t evolving to destroy us

holiday pregnancy test

Like other animals, humans have a breeding season—and it’s right now

By Micaela Martinez and Kevin M. Bakker/The Conversation

Finding opioid alternatives in cone snail stings

Finding opioid alternatives in cone snail stings

By Kyle Dickman

Too impatient to meditate? A mild shock to the scalp could help.

Too impatient to meditate? A mild shock to the scalp could help.

By Dana G. Smith

Ferrara Church Santa Maria de Vado

Every work of art has its own microbiome. Most could use a probiotic.

By Eleanor Cummins

gecko running water

It turns out geckos can run on water—and this adorable video shows how

By Sara Chodosh

Early humans hooked up with other species a whole bunch

Early humans hooked up with other species a whole bunch

By Neel V. Patel

Whoa, dinosaur eggs looked more dope than we thought

Whoa, dinosaur eggs looked more dope than we thought

By Jillian Mock

Behold the mighty elephant bird, blindly crashing through the Madagascan forest

Behold the mighty elephant bird, blindly crashing through the Madagascan forest

By Sara Chodosh

Did a gigantic bird really eat a Neanderthal child?

Did a gigantic bird really eat a Neanderthal child?

By Jillian Mock

The evolutionary mystery of goosebumps

The evolutionary mystery of goosebumps

By Elaina Hancock

Adult mouse with two mothers

Scientists just created healthy mice with same-sex parents

This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry ‘rewards a revolution based on evolution’

This year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry ‘rewards a revolution based on evolution’

By Jillian Mock

Octopuses trip on ecstasy the same way we do

Octopuses trip on ecstasy the same way we do

By Charlie Wood