Evolution

A humpback whale in waters off southern Oman.

Humpback Whales in the Arabian Sea Have Been Isolated for 70,000 Years

Conservationists want this particular population of humpbacks to be classified as critically endangered

Scientists found deliberate scratching on a fossil Pseudodon, likely an engraving made by Homo erectus at Trinil in Indonesia.

Zigzags on a Shell From Java Are the Oldest Human Engravings

The early human <em>Homo erectus</em> also made the oldest known shell tools half a million years ago

Galapagos sea lions laze on the beach.

A Major Galapagos Conservation Foundation Is Running Out of Cash

A fight over selling souvenirs on the Galapagos is threatening conservation efforts

Why Do Humans Have Thumbs?

There’s a never-ending stream of theories about Homo sapiens’ most important digit

Chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) fight. Infanticide in baboons is driven by a mating structure built on male competition.

Why Some Mammals Kill Babies of Their Own Kind

Male mammals that commit infanticide developed the behavior in response to their species' mating style

Bill Nye enthusiastically greets students and faculty at Cal State Fullerton in California earlier this year.

Bill Nye on the Risks of Not Debating With Creationists

Bill Nye the Science Guy has a book out on evolution. Here’s what he has to say

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Left-Handed People Have Less Specialized Brains

Diversity means flexibility, even if being left-handed can be super annoying

A common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) isn't as scary as its name might suggest.

Seven Vampires That Aren’t Bats (Or Bela Lugosi)

From flying frogs to deep-sea squid, meet some of the other nosferatu of the animal kingdom

The Pope Would Like You to Accept Evolution and the Big Bang

The Roman Catholic Church is pro-evolution and Big Bang, but with a twist

A group of great tit birds (Parus major) perch on a dead tree stump during a snowfall in Poland.

Ten Species That Are Evolving Due to the Changing Climate

From tropical corals to tawny owls, some species are already being pushed to evolve—but adaptation doesn’t guarantee survival

Invaders From Cuba Force Florida Lizards to Quickly Evolve (Or Get Out)

In just 15 years, green anoles changed their behavior and evolved bigger, stickier toes to escape alien competitors

To be or not to be human? That's a question some scholars still feel is up for debate when it comes to Homo floresiensis.

Ten Years On, the Flores “Hobbit” Remains an Evolutionary Puzzle

Why was the 2004 unveiling of a small hominin dubbed <em>Homo floresiensis</em> such a big deal?

A pair of fuzzy alpaca.

Why the Alpaca Has No Humps

The camel cousin evolved fluff instead of fat because it was able to linger in an evolutionary slow lane, suggest newly sequenced genomes

An artist's impression of an antiarch mating scene.

A Very Ancient Group of Jawed Fish Were Having Surprisingly Intimate Intercourse

Many fish later ditched this clumsy method in favor of external fertilization

Monarch butterflies catching the sun on an oyamel tree in a Mexican overwintering site.

Five Surprises That Emerged From Monarch Butterfly Genomes

Sequencing 101 butterfly genomes has revealed a few of the monarch's secrets, including some keys to its epic annual migration

We Evolved Unique Human Faces So We Could Tell One Another Apart

Human face shape is more variable than other parts of the body

A model of Spinosaurus, based on data published in Science today, gets rock star treatment at a National Geographic photo shoot. A feature story, including the image above, will appear in National Geographic's October issue.

Meet the Mighty Spinosaurus, the First Dinosaur Adapted for Swimming

A mysterious mustachioed man helped paleontologists piece together the life story of the long-lost, semi-aquatic “Egyptian spine lizard”

Sugar gliders, marsupials native to Australia.

Adorable Portraits Put Nocturnal Animals in the Spotlight

A new photo book showcases animals we humans rarely see—while a new study says we may have more in common with night-dwellers than thought

Cyclists Inspecting Ancient Petroglyphs, Utah, 1998: Texas-based photographer Terry Falke captures several of the exhibition's themes in this image of cyclists examining petroglyphs and bullet holes in a stratified rock face by the side of the road in Utah. "You’ve got the ultimate strata, which is man-made, so the idea is that we are impacting, we’re leaving our mark on the Earth over time as well," says Talasek.

What Does "Deep Time" Mean to You?

An art exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences offers perspective on our geological past and future

Matt Dean (left) and Jim Dines (right) analyzed pelvic bones of whales and dolphins from 29 different species.

Promiscuous Whales Make Good Use of Their Pelvises

Hips don’t lie: Whale pelvic bones are not vestigial but instead evolved to help the marine mammals maneuver better during sex

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