Evolution (Page 12)

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

Latest in Evolution

three domesticated foxes

The genes that turn wild animals into pets

By Neel V. Patel

How jumping genes hijack their way into the next generation of babies

How jumping genes hijack their way into the next generation of babies

Hurricanes may have made these lizards better huggers

Hurricanes may have made these lizards better huggers

Dogs spread across the Americas alongside humans. Then they got eaten.

Dogs spread across the Americas alongside humans. Then they got eaten.

Earth from space

Earth’s first animals probably triggered a change in climate

By Neel V. Patel

Descended testicles: DNA study drops new hints on secrets of low hanging glands

Descended testicles: DNA study drops new hints on secrets of low hanging glands

By Neil Adams/The Conversation

We’re really bad at making babies

We’re really bad at making babies

By Amy Schellenbaum

We haven’t been giving Neanderthals enough credit

We haven’t been giving Neanderthals enough credit

By Annemieke Milks/The Conversation

A Tyrannosaurus rex

Why it would have been impossible for a T. rex to stick out its tongue

You are disgusting in so many ways. Scientists just outlined six of them.

You are disgusting in so many ways. Scientists just outlined six of them.

By Neel V. Patel

Octopuses are not aliens, but boy are they a bunch of beautiful weirdos

Octopuses are not aliens, but boy are they a bunch of beautiful weirdos

By Sara Chodosh

green blooded lizard

Green bones, green hearts, can’t lose: these lizards survive with toxic green blood

These animals spend their whole lives waiting to have sex, and then they die

By Sara Chodosh

A man raises his eyebrows

Humans may have a surprising evolutionary advantage: Expressive eyebrows

By Mary Beth Griggs

A new study on whales suggests Darwin didn’t quite get it right

A new study on whales suggests Darwin didn’t quite get it right

Hunting regulations are forcing animals to change in all sorts of ways

Hunting regulations are forcing animals to change in all sorts of ways

By Sara Chodosh

Otters are too small, whales are too big, and seals are just right

By Sara Chodosh

Platypus milk might save us from bacterial infections, and that’s not even the best thing about them

Platypus milk might save us from bacterial infections, and that’s not even the best thing about them

By Sara Chodosh

hispaniola solenodon

These animals have nipples on their butts and that is not the most fascinating thing about them

By Sara Chodosh

A primer on the primal origins of humans on Earth

A primer on the primal origins of humans on Earth

By Mary Beth Griggs

Let’s talk about Charles Darwin’s sexy theory of selection

Let’s talk about Charles Darwin’s sexy theory of selection

By Eleanor Cummins

Watch beetles shoot hot chemicals from their butts to escape toad bellies

Watch beetles shoot hot chemicals from their butts to escape toad bellies

By Jessica Boddy

Google wants to use naked mole rats to conquer death

Google wants to use naked mole rats to conquer death

This human-sized penguin isn’t even the largest ancient penguin we know about

This human-sized penguin isn’t even the largest ancient penguin we know about

By Rachel Feltman

Yetis are real, they just also happen to be Himalayan brown bears

Yetis are real, they just also happen to be Himalayan brown bears

By Sara Chodosh

offering daisies

From an evolutionary perspective, does it make any sense to be nice?

By Eva M. Krockow, Andrew M. Colman, and Briony Pulford for The Conversation

T. rex arms, wiggly beluga heads, and tentacle-nosed moles: smart evolution sometimes looks stupid

T. rex arms, wiggly beluga heads, and tentacle-nosed moles: smart evolution sometimes looks stupid

By Sara Chodosh

We just found the king of all extinct giraffe cousins, and it’s very goofy looking

We just found the king of all extinct giraffe cousins, and it’s very goofy looking

By Sara Chodosh

Great tits aren’t the only things evolving to adapt to humans. Here are 12 others.

Great tits aren’t the only things evolving to adapt to humans. Here are 12 others.

By Sara Chodosh

Yes, your dog is making puppy eyes at you

Yes, your dog is making puppy eyes at you

By Sara Chodosh

A frog couple has sex. The male is yellow.

These frogs might change color to avoid confusion during orgies

By Ellen Airhart

A brief history of origin theories

By Mary Beth Griggs

The biological proof that humans are still evolving

The biological proof that humans are still evolving

By Sara Chodosh

Look at the mysterious ‘dragon booger’ found in Vancouver’s Lost Lagoon

Look at the mysterious ‘dragon booger’ found in Vancouver’s Lost Lagoon

By Sara Chodosh

The terrifying way fire ants take advantage of hurricane floods

The terrifying way fire ants take advantage of hurricane floods

By Ellen Airhart

How goldfish use booze to get through a hard winter

By Rachel Feltman

The earliest airborne mammals may have glided among the dinosaurs 160 million years ago

The earliest airborne mammals may have glided among the dinosaurs 160 million years ago

By Aparna Nathan

Ancient infant ape skull Nyanzapithecus alesi

A 13 million year old skull could show us what our ancestors looked like

By Sara Kiley Watson

Sorry, but New Zealand really needs to kill these adorable rabbits

Sorry, but New Zealand really needs to kill these adorable rabbits

By Sara Chodosh

You have a lot to teach your grandkids, and that might explain menopause

You have a lot to teach your grandkids, and that might explain menopause

By Aparna Nathan

Derpy pug in blanket

We still don’t really know where dogs came from

By Sara Chodosh

Tardigrades could probably survive the otherwise complete annihilation of life on Earth

Tardigrades could probably survive the otherwise complete annihilation of life on Earth

By Rachel Feltman

Grandma’s insomnia might be a product of evolution

Grandma’s insomnia might be a product of evolution

By Aparna Nathan

Baby squirrels are less likely to die if they’re born early

Baby squirrels are less likely to die if they’re born early

Bonobo ladies get to choose their mates and boy oh boy are they picky

Bonobo ladies get to choose their mates and boy oh boy are they picky

By Sara Chodosh

DNA may finally find a family for strange creatures that stumped Darwin

DNA may finally find a family for strange creatures that stumped Darwin

By Rachel Feltman

The oldest fossils of our species just got older

By Rachel Feltman

Dogs and wolves both get sad when you don’t treat them fairly

Dogs and wolves both get sad when you don’t treat them fairly

By Sara Chodosh

How the Galapagos cormorant forgot how to fly

How the Galapagos cormorant forgot how to fly

By Mary Beth Griggs

Whales today are bigger than ever before. Now, we know why.

Whales today are bigger than ever before. Now, we know why.

By Mary Beth Griggs

Scientists tweaked natural mutations to create a better tomato

Scientists tweaked natural mutations to create a better tomato

By Kendra Pierre-Louis

Hopping parrotlets could teach robots how to fly

By Mary Beth Griggs

colorful bird feathers

How we finally figured out the color of dinosaur feathers

By Richard O. Prum

western spotted skunk

Ancient climate change drove the evolution of this adorable hand-standing skunk

By Mary Beth Griggs

New study asks how your favorite doggos came to be

By Rachel Feltman

As mountains grow, they drive the evolution of new species

As mountains grow, they drive the evolution of new species

Suck it, sponges: Marine jellies were the first animals to evolve

Suck it, sponges: Marine jellies were the first animals to evolve

By Sara Chodosh

These monkeys avoid sick friends by sniffing their poo

These monkeys avoid sick friends by sniffing their poo

By Rachel Feltman

Plagued by predators in the sea, these fish are moving onto land

Plagued by predators in the sea, these fish are moving onto land

By Mark D. Kaufman

Introducing the world’s oldest plant-like fossil

Introducing the world’s oldest plant-like fossil

By Mary Beth Griggs

female dance moves

These dance moves are scientifically proven to be sexy

Carnivorous plants aren’t as cool as you think

By Sara Chodosh

Life on Earth exploded, but meteorites didn’t start the party

Life on Earth exploded, but meteorites didn’t start the party

By Mark D. Kaufman

To understand the evolution of menopause, just look at family drama—in killer whales

To understand the evolution of menopause, just look at family drama—in killer whales

By Rachel Feltman