Evolution
Why Do Humans Sing? Traditional Music in 55 Languages Reveals Patterns and Telling Similarities
In a global study, scientists recorded themselves singing and playing music from their own cultures to examine the evolution of song
Some Dinosaurs Evolved to Be Warm-Blooded 180 Million Years Ago, Study Suggests
Researchers studied the geographic distribution of dinosaurs to draw conclusions about whether they could regulate their internal temperatures
Earth's Magnetic Field Nearly Collapsed 600 Million Years Ago. Then, Weird and Complex Life Evolved
A new study suggests more solar radiation reached Earth while the magnetic field weakened, leading to a rise in oxygen that drove an explosion of multicellular organisms during the Ediacaran Period
Dice Snakes Fake Their Own Deaths With Gory, Poop-Filled Theatrics
When attacked by a predator, the reptiles can play dead with convincing detail, employing blood and feces for the show
Chicago Museum Unveils the 'Most Important Fossil Ever Discovered': the Feathered Dinosaur Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx provided the missing link between dinosaurs and the avians of today, serving as critical evidence for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution
In a First, an Orangutan Healed His Own Wound Using a Known Medicinal Plant
The primate named Rakus chewed up yellow root and applied it to an open facial wound, closing the sore within days
How Intelligent Was T. Rex? Scientists Suggest the Dinosaurs Were Like 'Smart, Giant Crocodiles'
A new paper refutes the idea that T. rex was as brainy as a baboon, furthering the debate on the extinct reptile's intellect
Paleontologists Unravel Secrets of 'Enigmatic' 33-Foot Prehistoric Shark After Fossil Discovery
Scientists didn't know much about Ptychodus, an ancient shark genus, because its remains were usually just fragments. Now, complete fossils reveal its body shape and hunting habits
Male Bonobos, Close Human Relatives Long Thought to Be Peaceful, Are Actually Quite Aggressive, Study Suggests
The new research found bonobos were three times more likely than chimpanzees to commit an act of physical aggression
Why Do So Many Beetle Species Exist?
Diet played a key role in the evolution of the vast beetle family tree
Two New Species of Killer Whale Should Be Recognized, Study Says
A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchers
Why Did Seals and Sea Lions Never Commit to a Life Fully at Sea?
While whales moved from living on land to an existence immersed in water, pinnipeds embraced an amphibious lifestyle
Daddy Longlegs Have Four Extra, Hidden Eyes, Researchers Say
The new discovery could help scientists unravel the mystery of how the arachnids evolved across some 537 million years
Whales That Go Through Menopause Live Longer and May Help Care for Grandchildren
Alongside humans, five species of toothed whales are known to experience menopause. A new study suggests they evolved the trait to increase their lifespan
For Most Mammal Species, Males Actually Aren't Larger Than Females, Study Finds
New research upends a long-held theory that male mammals tend to be bigger than their female counterparts
'Strange' New Prehistoric Bird Discovered in China and Named for David Attenborough
The proto-bird lived some 120 million years ago and did not have teeth—a trait more similar to birds of today than to birds of its time—sharpening scientists' understanding of avian evolution
Fossil Hunter Discovers Gigantic Crab in New Zealand—a New, Extinct Species
The massive creature is 8.8 million years old, and its modern descendants in Australia can grow to be the weight of a human toddler
Why Don’t Humans Have Tails? An Old Genetic Mutation Could Explain Why Monkeys, but Not Apes, Have the Extra Appendage
Scientists have pinpointed a genetic change that might have led the ancestors of humans to lose their tails
A Serpentine 'Explosion' 125 Million Years Ago Primed Snakes for Rapid, Diverse Evolution
Researchers say an evolutionary "singularity" led to several small, quick changes in snake species, from legless bodies and flexible skulls to chemical-sensing abilities
Scientists Discover How Some Whales Can Sing While Holding Their Breath Underwater
Baleen whales have evolved unique voice boxes essential for song, a new study finds—but these low-frequency vocalizations must compete with the noise of humans' ships
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