Evolution

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

Latest in Evolution

An adult elephant walks with two juvenile elephants.

Environment

Scientists may have figured out why elephants exhibit complex emotions Scientists may have figured out why elephants exhibit complex emotions

By Laura Baisas

An ostrich inspects eggs in a nest.

Environment

Troodons laid eggs in communal nests just like modern ostriches Troodons laid eggs in communal nests just like modern ostriches

By Laura Baisas

A juvenile Edmontosaurus disappears into the enormous, lipped mouth of Tyrannosaurus.

Science

Scaly lips may have hidden the T-rex’s fearsome teeth Scaly lips may have hidden the T-rex’s fearsome teeth

By Laura Baisas

A baby song thrush bird looks up from the forest floor.

Environment

Postmortem poop can teach us a lot about the avian gut microbiome Postmortem poop can teach us a lot about the avian gut microbiome

By Laura Baisas

The parking lot outside a Buc-ee’s store in Temple, Texas.

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A 15-million-year-old beaver was just named after an iconic convenience store A 15-million-year-old beaver was just named after an iconic convenience store

By Laura Baisas

Desert daisy tricks male flies with sexy evolutionary deception

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Desert daisy tricks male flies with sexy evolutionary deception Desert daisy tricks male flies with sexy evolutionary deception

By Laura Baisas

A white-tailed jackrabbit in it's winter white fur.

Environment

Jackrabbit’s color-changing fur may prepare them for climate change Jackrabbit’s color-changing fur may prepare them for climate change

By Laura Baisas

Ankylosaur in blue floatie and life vest riding the ocean waves. Prehistoric trees and a full moon are in the background. Illustrated.

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Why dinosaurs were terrible swimmers Why dinosaurs were terrible swimmers

It’s still a mystery how snails ended up scattered around the globe

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It’s still a mystery how snails ended up scattered around the globe It’s still a mystery how snails ended up scattered around the globe

By Thom van Dooren/MIT Press Reader

An illustration of Thylacosmilus atrox, an extinct marsupial with giant canine teeth,

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With bulging eyes and a killer smile, this sabertooth was an absolute nightmare With bulging eyes and a killer smile, this sabertooth was an absolute nightmare

By Laura Baisas

A Wedge-tailed Eagle, a large vulture native to Australia.

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An extinct 10-foot-long eagle could pick up kangaroos with its terrifying talons An extinct 10-foot-long eagle could pick up kangaroos with its terrifying talons

By Laura Baisas

Red and speckled blue and black poison dart frog looking up from a light green leaf

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Poisonous animals probably took their sweet time developing unappetizing bright colors Poisonous animals probably took their sweet time developing unappetizing bright colors

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

This dinosaur’s record-breaking neck defies the laws of nature

Science

This dinosaur’s record-breaking neck defies the laws of nature This dinosaur’s record-breaking neck defies the laws of nature

By Sara Kiley Watson

Gorillas like to scramble their brains by spinning around really fast

Environment

Gorillas like to scramble their brains by spinning around really fast Gorillas like to scramble their brains by spinning around really fast

By Sara Kiley Watson

Fungus gnat on a white flower petal

Environment

Flies evolved before dinosaurs—and survived an apocalyptic world after the Permian extinction Flies evolved before dinosaurs—and survived an apocalyptic world after the Permian extinction

By Sara Kiley Watson

A warm of bees on a honeycomb.

Environment

Older bees teach younger bees the ‘waggle dance’ Older bees teach younger bees the ‘waggle dance’

By Laura Baisas

This fossilized ‘ancient animal’ might be a bunch of old seaweed

Science

This fossilized ‘ancient animal’ might be a bunch of old seaweed This fossilized ‘ancient animal’ might be a bunch of old seaweed

By Sara Kiley Watson

A white-bellied woodstar hummingbird flying. Their colorful throat feathers are believed to help them find a mate.

Environment

This hybrid hummingbird’s colorful feathers are a genetic puzzle This hybrid hummingbird’s colorful feathers are a genetic puzzle

By Laura Baisas

An illustration of Hyneria udlezinye, a large, predatory fish, with smaller fish in the Waterloo Farm ecosystem in South Africa about 360 million years ago.

Environment

A gator-faced fish shaped like a torpedo stalked rivers 360 million years ago A gator-faced fish shaped like a torpedo stalked rivers 360 million years ago

By Laura Baisas

A woma pythron, a large, nocturnal species of snake on the ground by a piece of wood.

Environment

Snakes can actually hear really well Snakes can actually hear really well

By Laura Baisas

An artist’s impression of two theropod species discovered by scientists at the University of Southampton in 2021, Ceratosuchops inferodios and Riparovenator milnerae.

Science

What was going on inside of this spinosaur’s brain? What was going on inside of this spinosaur’s brain?

By Laura Baisas

Two orca whales swim in the ocean with mountains in the distance.

Environment

Raising male offspring comes at a high price for orca mothers Raising male offspring comes at a high price for orca mothers

By Laura Baisas

An uncooked brown crab sitting among among seaweed and water.

Science

Neanderthals caught and cooked crabs 90,000 years ago Neanderthals caught and cooked crabs 90,000 years ago

By Laura Baisas

A wolf-like puppy surrounded by other puppies tries howling.

Environment

Do domesticated dogs howl back at wolves? Do domesticated dogs howl back at wolves?

By Laura Baisas

A fossilized fish brain alongside of a penny for size comparison.

Science

Scientists find 319-million-year-old fossilized fish brain Scientists find 319-million-year-old fossilized fish brain

By Laura Baisas

Artist's reconstruction of Ignacius dawsonae surviving six months of winter darkness in the extinct warm temperate ecosystem of Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada.

Environment

These primate ancestors were totally chill with a colder climate These primate ancestors were totally chill with a colder climate

By Laura Baisas

Two long, dark, Koh Tao worm salamanders on a swampy soil

Environment

One wormy Triassic fossil could fill a hole in the evolutionary story of amphibians One wormy Triassic fossil could fill a hole in the evolutionary story of amphibians

By Laura Baisas

A chimpanzee holding out its hand.

Environment

Adolescent chimpanzees might be less impulsive than human teens Adolescent chimpanzees might be less impulsive than human teens

By Laura Baisas

Adult zebra shark swims in a tank at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago

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A virgin birth in Shedd Aquarium’s shark tank is baffling biologists A virgin birth in Shedd Aquarium’s shark tank is baffling biologists

By Laura Baisas

Five fossil specimens including extinct trilobites.

Environment

Trilobites may have jousted with head ‘tridents’ to win mates Trilobites may have jousted with head ‘tridents’ to win mates

By Laura Baisas

A small lizard called the Puerto Rican crested anole sits on a human-made fence.

Environment

When these reptiles became city lizards, it changed their genes When these reptiles became city lizards, it changed their genes

By Laura Baisas

‘Snowball Earth’ was crushing and cold. What animals could survive it?

Environment

‘Snowball Earth’ was crushing and cold. What animals could survive it? ‘Snowball Earth’ was crushing and cold. What animals could survive it?

By Chris Baraniuk / Hakai Magazine

Zebrafish swimming in an aquarium.

Environment

A primitive part of the zebrafish brain helps them find their way home A primitive part of the zebrafish brain helps them find their way home

By Laura Baisas

A young orangutan in a tree.

Environment

Why do humans talk? Tree-dwelling orangutans might hold the answer. Why do humans talk? Tree-dwelling orangutans might hold the answer.

By Laura Baisas

An illustration of adult and young of the ichthyosaur species (Shonisaurus popularis) chasing ammonoid prey 230 million years ago, in what is now Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park in Nevada.

Science

Millions of years ago, marine reptiles may have used Nevada as a birthing ground Millions of years ago, marine reptiles may have used Nevada as a birthing ground

By Laura Baisas

Giant gray cat snuggling a child with black hair in an orange sweater to show their cat-human bond. Illustration.

Environment

Your cat is probably more attached to you than you think Your cat is probably more attached to you than you think

By Brandon Keim

a young male chimp eating in a tree

Science

Foraging in trees might have pushed human ancestors to walk on two feet Foraging in trees might have pushed human ancestors to walk on two feet

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

A reconstructed image of Ramsayia, alongside a modern day wombat.

Science

Giant wombats the size of small cars once roamed Australia Giant wombats the size of small cars once roamed Australia

By Laura Baisas

Large fossilized fragments of free swimming arthropods

Science

Newly discovered fossils give a whole new meaning to jumbo shrimp Newly discovered fossils give a whole new meaning to jumbo shrimp

By Laura Baisas

The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard

Environment

The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard The last Tasmanian tiger’s remains were finally found—in a cupboard

By Laura Baisas

The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190

Environment

The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190 The tortoise, the myth, the legend: Jonathan turns 190

By Laura Baisas

This dinosaur dove like a duck

Science

This dinosaur dove like a duck This dinosaur dove like a duck

By Laura Baisas

Artist’s impression of Cryptovaranoides when it was alive

Science

A key to lizard evolution was buried in a museum cupboard for 70 years A key to lizard evolution was buried in a museum cupboard for 70 years

By Laura Baisas

The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes

Science

The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes The newest member of the T. rex family has piercing eyes

By Laura Baisas

Ancient army ant

Environment

Eyeless army ants chomped their way through Europe millions of years ago Eyeless army ants chomped their way through Europe millions of years ago

By Laura Baisas

Kimberella fossil

Science

Oldest evidence of digested plants in a roughly 575-million-year-old creature’s gut Oldest evidence of digested plants in a roughly 575-million-year-old creature’s gut

By Laura Baisas

A giant prehistoric salamander

Science

These pleasantly plump salamanders dominated the Cretaceous period These pleasantly plump salamanders dominated the Cretaceous period

By Laura Baisas

Big ancient turtle

Science

Gigantic fossils hint at super-sized 7,000-pound sea turtle Gigantic fossils hint at super-sized 7,000-pound sea turtle

By Laura Baisas

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals

Science

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals

By Laura Baisas

Bellairsia gracilis

Science

A Scottish fossil is helping scientists fill the gaps in the lizard family tree A Scottish fossil is helping scientists fill the gaps in the lizard family tree

By Laura Baisas

varying sizes of argonaut egg cases are lined up

Science

Argonaut octopuses are enigmatic—down to their self-made ‘shells’ Argonaut octopuses are enigmatic—down to their self-made ‘shells’

By Helen Bradshaw

a lioness with a mane

Science

The rare case of a lioness with a mane The rare case of a lioness with a mane

By Lauren J. Young

Volcano belching lava and gas above ocean to represent Great Oxygenation Event

Science

Geologists are searching for when the Earth took its first breath Geologists are searching for when the Earth took its first breath

Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills

Science

Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills Our long childhoods could be linked to food-gathering skills

By Laura Baisas

Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes

Science

Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes Billions of years ago, Mars may have been bustling with climate-changing microbes

By Laura Baisas

a colorful illustration of two bipedal dinosaurs

Science

This pterosaur ancestor was a tiny, flightless dog-like dinosaur This pterosaur ancestor was a tiny, flightless dog-like dinosaur

By Laura Baisas

Water droplets rising from Iceland's Skogafoss waterfall.

Science

Here’s how life on Earth might have formed out of thin air and water Here’s how life on Earth might have formed out of thin air and water

By Laura Baisas

Diver holding animal skull

Science

Below Madagascar, cave divers surface secrets of the past Below Madagascar, cave divers surface secrets of the past

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome

Health

Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome Nobel Prize in medicine awarded to scientist who sequenced Neanderthal genome

By Laura Baisas

Husky dogs pulling a sled in a snowy landscape

Science

How the logic of ‘winter selection’ shaped centuries of bad science How the logic of ‘winter selection’ shaped centuries of bad science

By Joseph L. Graves Jr.

Kid in lavender shirt stretching toy orange slime out with hands

Science

The slimy history of human beings and mucus The slimy history of human beings and mucus

By Omer Gokcumen / The Conversation

Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding

Science

Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding Skull research sheds light on human-Neanderthal interbreeding

By Laura Baisas

a semi-translucent fish with a tadpole-shaped body and small flecks of red and yellow

Environment

Biofluorescent snailfish brave Arctic waters with built-in antifreeze Biofluorescent snailfish brave Arctic waters with built-in antifreeze

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

a black and white ghostly image of a jumping spider hanging by a thin silk strand in a sleep-like state

Science

Jumping spiders might be able to sleep—perchance to dream Jumping spiders might be able to sleep—perchance to dream

By Lauren J. Young