Evolution

The latest science on how life has adapted and changed over generations—and how new species come to be.

Latest in Evolution

Frozen surface of Lake Enigma
Environment

Life discovered lurking under Antarctica’s frozen Lake Enigma

By Andrew Paul

a siberian husky sits in the snow. it has piercing blue eyes and its ears are perked up
Science

Humans gave dogs treats 12,000 years ago, new archeological evidence suggests

By Laura Baisas

The anglerfish species Lophius piscatorius.
Science

Anglerfish are so much more than just their dangly bioluminescent lures

By Laura Baisas

brain scans in pink, blue, and yellow
Environment

Humans may have big brains thanks to our gut

By Laura Baisas

a long piece of fossilized dinosaur poop on the ground
Science

200-million-year-old dinosaur poop and vomit reveal a lost Jurassic world

By Laura Baisas

An illustration of the amygdala, shown in red. It is a part of the brain’s limbic system and plays a key role in processing emotions.
Health

‘Was I awkward?’ What overthinking after a party has to do with your ‘lizard brain’

By Laura Baisas

A mother and calf West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in Crystal River, Florida.
Environment

Florida’s famous manatees were originally tourists

By Laura Baisas

Marine fossils found at Neanderthal cave site
Science

Neanderthals may have enjoyed collecting tchotchkes—just like us

By Andrew Paul

stone walls separating several small houses in ireland
Science

Scottish, Irish, and Northern English better at detecting fake accents

By Laura Baisas

An illustration of two Skiphosoura bavarica in flight.
Science

New pterosaur species sliced through the air with a sword-like tail

By Laura Baisas

a small bird with black, gray, and white, plumage solves a puzzle in a lab
Environment

Immigrating great tits learn from their new neighbors

By Laura Baisas

x-ray scans of early human skulls. the teeth are colored red, green, orange, blue, and purple to show the differences among them
Science

These 1.77-million-year-old teeth could help demystify human childhoods

By Laura Baisas

an elephant in a zoo enclosure holds a yellow hose in its trunk and uses the hose as a shower
Science

Watch a clever elephant use a hose to get clean

By Laura Baisas

Chimpanzee playing a number-based game on a touch screen
Science

Like humans, chimps often perform tasks differently when crowds are watching

By Andrew Paul

Illustration of a terror bird standing by river
Science

Meat-eating terror birds could grow up to 12 feet tall

By Andrew Paul

a tadpole swimming
Environment

A rock in Argentina turns out to be the oldest tadpole fossil ever found

By Laura Baisas

Thalattosuchian skulls. Showing the semi-aquatic species (A and B), and the fully aquatic metriorhynchid (C).
Science

Why don’t we have deep sea crocodiles?

By Andrew Paul

An illustration of Lomankus edgecombei. This arthropod lived about 538 to 485 million years ago in dark and low-oxygen environments.
Environment

450-million-year-old arthropod found preserved in fool’s gold

By Laura Baisas

Silhouette of a loving couple hugging and kissing at sunset on the beach.
Environment

The origins of kissing may have a lot to do with body hair

By Andrew Paul

a rider in a headless horseman costume rides by yellow fall leaves
Environment

The Headless Horseman shares her secrets

By Laura Baisas