Evolution

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

Latest in Evolution

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

This ancient bony fish was a sexual pioneer

By Rachel Feltman

Azawakh dog in the forest.
Animals

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

By Sara Kiley Watson

White dog on blue background
Animals

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

By Kat McGowan

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

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

By Molly Glick

Natalie Andrewson illustration
Animals

If monkeys could speak, they’d probably be trolls

By Jessica Boddy

How birds got their groove
Animals

See how birds change their tunes to fit their surroundings

By Marion Renault

African grey parrot.
Animals

For some African grey parrots, sharing is caring

By Sara Kiley Watson

Homo erectus skull
Biology

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

By Sara Kiley Watson

Baboon making sounds
Animals

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

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

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

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

By Grace Wade

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

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

By Kat Eschner

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

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

By Kat Eschner

The weirdest things we learned this week: moving corpses, birth control placebos, and the story behind the hymen
Biology

The weirdest things we learned this week: moving corpses, birth control placebos, and the story behind the hymen

By Popular Science Team

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

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

By Birger Schmitz/The Conversation

How some fish are adapted to thrive after catastrophic hurricanes
Animals

How some fish are adapted to thrive after catastrophic hurricanes

By Thomas J. Kwak and Alonso Ramirez/The Conversation

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones
Biology

Panic might be triggered by signals from your bones

By Kat Eschner

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

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
Biology

Evolution doesn’t work the way you think it does

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

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

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
Animals

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

By Kat Eschner

Everything you need to know about shark bites
Animals

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.
Animals

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

By Marion Renault

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

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

By Daniel Milo

Scientists are still straightening out the history of zebra stripes
Animals

Scientists are still straightening out the history of zebra stripes

By Donavyn Coffey

highveld mole rat droptail ant
Animals

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
Biology

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
Biology

Ancient fungi may have laid the groundwork for complex life

By Katie Field/The Conversation

Scientists caught chimps smashing tortoises like walnuts for future snacking
Animals

Scientists caught chimps smashing tortoises like walnuts for future snacking

By Lydia Luncz, Alexander Piel, and Fiona Stewart/The Conversation

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

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

By Kaitlin Sullivan

Four-legged whales once straddled land and sea
Animals

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
Archaeology

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
Animals

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

By Eleanor Cummins

Human animal humanimal hand swan feeding
Animals

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

By Adam Rutherford

Clearwing butterfly toxin species photograph award winning
Animals

Megapixels: This butterfly’s wings are transparently toxic

By Eleanor Cummins

close-up of a zebra
Animals

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
Biology

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

By Eleanor Cummins

A macaroni penguin takes a little snooze on a rock.
Animals

Penguins may have islands to thank for their diverse looks

By Jessica Boddy

fluorescent flying squirrel
Animals

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

By Rob Verger

squirrel in the snow
Animals

Do wild animals hate being cold in winter?

By Bridget B. Baker/The Conversation

Veoneer driving facial recognition mood
AI

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

By Eleanor Cummins

Face to face with the sloth
Animals

Sloths aren’t the picky eaters we thought they were

By Jan Hoole/The Conversation

iss view from atlantis space shuttle
Biology

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

By Kat Eschner

holiday pregnancy test
Biology

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

By Micaela Martinez and Kevin M. Bakker/The Conversation

gecko running water
Animals

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
Biology

Early humans hooked up with other species a whole bunch

By Neel V. Patel

Whoa, dinosaur eggs looked more dope than we thought
Biology

Whoa, dinosaur eggs looked more dope than we thought

By Jillian Mock

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

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

By Sara Chodosh

Did a gigantic bird really eat a Neanderthal child?
Biology

Did a gigantic bird really eat a Neanderthal child?

By Jillian Mock

Why do we get goosebumps?
Ask Us Anything

Why do we get goosebumps?

By Elaina Hancock

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

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
Animals

Octopuses trip on ecstasy the same way we do

By Charlie Wood

Humans are natural runners—and this ancient gene mutation might have helped
Biology

Humans are natural runners—and this ancient gene mutation might have helped

By Jillian Mock

Why do we think tiny things are cute?
Biology

Why do we think tiny things are cute?

By Dana G. Smith

Researchers found proof of Neanderthals reproducing with other species
Biology

Researchers found proof of Neanderthals reproducing with other species

By Neel V. Patel

“Survival of the laziest” may help some species avoid extinction
Biology

“Survival of the laziest” may help some species avoid extinction

By Luke Strotz/The Conversation

Reports of Homo erectus’ laziness are ‘moronic’
Archaeology

Reports of Homo erectus’ laziness are ‘moronic’

By Anna Brooks

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution owes more to his garden than the Galápagos
Biology

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution owes more to his garden than the Galápagos

By Ben Garrod/The Conversation

three domesticated foxes
Animals

The genes that turn wild animals into pets

By Neel V. Patel

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

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

By Kat Eschner

Hurricanes may have made these lizards better huggers
Animals

Hurricanes may have made these lizards better huggers

By Kat Eschner

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

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

By Lexi Krupp

Earth from space
Biology

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
Biology

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
Biology

We’re really bad at making babies

By Amy Schellenbaum

Explore Science

Announcements
Archaeology
Ask Us Anything
Biology
Dinosaurs
Physics
Popular Science Videos
Science Fiction
Space
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week