Generalized constructal law shows that evolution doesn’t apply only to biological things
A law of physics that explains why larger animals live longer and travel further can be extended to the simplest…
How climate change created the modern dog
Appearing in Nature Communications, a new study of dog fossils suggests that the evolutionary path of whole groups of predators…
Key element of human language discovered in Australian bird
Stringing together meaningless sounds to create meaningful signals was previously thought to be the preserve of humans alone, but a…
How evolution shaped our idea of the perfect butt
New research from The University of Texas at Austin sheds light on today’s standards of beauty, attributing modern men’s preferences…
Male genetic diversity strangled by wealth and power
Genetic researchers have discovered an extremely dramatic decline in male genetic diversity between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, while in…
Evolutionary biology could reveal a universal basis for morality
Recent developments in science appear to indicate that the emergence of life in general and perhaps even rational life, with…
How long can our technological civilization last?
By combining the Earth-based science of sustainability with the space-oriented field of astrobiology, two astrophysicists are attempting to answer questions…
Scientists uncover biggest-ever flying bird
The fossilized remains of an extinct giant bird with a wingspan of 24 feet place the creature above theoretical upper…
Algae turn quantum coherence on and off
A team of researchers has discovered how algae that survive in very low levels of light are able to switch…
New type of avian flu found in Antarctic penguins
An international team of researchers has identified a previously unknown avian influenza virus in a group of Adelie penguins from…
Mug shots from DNA possible, say scientists
DNA can already tell us the sex and ancestry of unknown individuals, but now an international team of researchers is…
Camouflage or bright colors? What’s better to live long and prosper?
In nature, bright colors are signals that scream, “Don’t eat me!” But how did prey species evolve these characteristics? Now,…
Modern crops’ lack of adaptability threatens global food chains
Using the largest dated evolutionary tree of flowering plants ever assembled, new research suggests how plants developed traits to withstand…
Gene expression altered with meditation
Previous studies have shown that meditation can trigger changes in the brain and body but the biological mechanism for these…
Mechanical gears seen in nature for the first time
Gear mechanisms, previously thought to only exist in man-made machines, have also evolved in nature, according to scientists who say…
Revealing cancer’s deep evolutionary roots
A new way to look at cancer – by tracing its evolutionary roots to the dawn of multicellular life more…
Torturous terrain behind human bipedal evolution?
Archaeologists at the University of York say challenging terrain could have been the driving force behind our earliest ancestors leaving…
Evolution making women taller, thinner
In many places around the world, people are living longer and are having fewer children. But a new study in…
Rapid evolution tied to environmental change
Environmental change can drive hard-wired evolutionary changes in animal species in a matter of generations, report ecologists from Ume� University…
Epigenetics might explain evolutionary puzzle of homosexuality
Epigenetics – how gene expression is regulated by temporary switches, called epi-marks – appears to be a critical and overlooked…
Human intellectual abilities in decline, claims geneticist
An intriguing new hypothesis published in the journal Trends in Genetics suggests that we are losing our intellectual and emotional…
Gene mutation behind African migration also responsible for modern health woes
The brain-boosting genetic mutation that allowed primitive man to migrate across the African continent is over-represented in modern-day African Americans…
Birds are baby dinosaurs, say Harvard scientists
Birds and dinosaurs are more closely related than previously thought, say scientists who claim that modern birds are, essentially, living…
Worrying and intelligence evolutionarily inseparable
Anxiety and excessive worry, traits that are usually viewed as maladaptive, appear to have co-evolved with the attribute that is…
Hoarding may have led to human bipedalism
Detailed observations of chimpanzees indicate that upright walking may have emerged millions of years ago as an adaptation to be…
Bee thrill-seekers reveal evolutionary importance of novelty
One-in-20 honey bees are thrill seekers, say University of Illinois entomologists who have identified distinct patterns of gene activity in…
Caveman cook calorie kerfuffle corrected
Despite our preoccupation with all things gastronomic, surprising little is known about how food preparation affects the energy it supplies…
Men 2% funnier than women
A University of California study by psychologist Laura Mickes has found that men are funnier than women, but not by…
Awfulness of poverty ensured global spread of class system
Evolutionary biologists at Stanford University have been pondering why most cultures have a class structure instead of being egalitarian. The…
Women: they don’t make ’em like they used to
A study of 16th century European skulls by North Carolina State University researchers has found that women are beginning to…