Archaeological excavation at Ain Boucherit, Algeria.
Mathieu Duval
Ancient stone tools found in what is now Algeria show early humans likely spread across Africa more rapidly than first thought.
‘Amphy’ has features of both simple and more complex forms of life – and so can help us understand important steps in evolution.
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The marine creature amphioxus allows scientists to explore some of the steps that took place as simple creatures evolved to become complex animals.
Modern life is weakening your bones.
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Analysis of bones from over hundreds and thousands of years ago suggests that our skeleton today is more fragile than that of our ancestors.
Yes, we’re still evolving.
watchara/Shutterstock
Natural selection isn’t the only factor deciding human evolution.
A member of a rare group of 410-million-year-old jawless fishes from Australia meets a mate.
along the shoreline (artist’s impression).
Nobumichi Tamura
New research shows shallow, near-land seas similar to Bass Strait were critical in the early days of fish evolution. These are the waters we need to protect now to ensure ongoing biodiversity.
Roop Dey/Shutterstock
An Ig Nobel Prize-winning study suggests we need to rethink why imitation evolved.
Tom Ratz
New research into beetles shows larvae are stronger and grow better when raised by two parents working together than a single parent working alone.
Evolution is not just for living beings.
mmatee/Shutterstock.com
Artificial intelligence research owes a lot to biology and chemistry.
Some Harlequin ladybugs, Harmonia axyridis , have black elytra with two large red spots. Others have two additional red spots backwards, or are decorated with a dozen small red spots. Conversely, there are ladybugs with red elytra, decorated with 20 black spots. All these ladybugs belong to the same species.
B. Prud’homme, J. Yamaguchi
Where do the pretty colours of the harlequin ladybug come from? A single gene draws the colour patterns of this familiar insect.
A three-banded clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris ) navigates the anemones of the Andaman Coral Reef, India.
Ritiks/Wikipedia
Our children all know the little clownfish Nemo, star of the Pixar film. But why does he have three stripes, rather than one or two? Developmental and evolutionary biology are revealing the answer.
Frances Arnold, George Smith and Gregory Winter have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Ill. Niklas Elmehed/ Nobel Media
The 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to work on how to use the principles of evolution to create new medical treatments and renewable fuels.
Birds and mammals use feathers and fur for staying warm and dry – but for other purposes too.
from www.shutterstock.com
Finding a mate is of course essential to produce the next generation. And feathers and fur play key roles in making sure that happens.
Evolution and the art of motorcycle development, now that’s an interesting connection.
Shutterstock/The Conversation
Travel from Perth to Melbourne and every kilometre you go represents 100 million years of life on Earth. So let’s take a ride, on a motorcycle of course.
Paul Hudson/Flickr
Nimble-fingered Neanderthals went about their daily business in a similar way to modern humans.
Running around like a…
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There was once a chicken called Miracle Mike who lived for 18 months without a head: it’s all to do with nerves.
‘D'you come here often?’
Mirko Rosenau
Are pretty blue and gold stripes more important than being a bold little swimmer?
A 3D model of the skeleton of a European polecat. Penis bone (baculum) is highlighted in pink.
Charlotte A. Brassey
Our study used innovative 3D scanning and engineering-inspired computer simulations to understand the evolution of the penis bone in some mammals.
On average, women tend to behave more submissively than men.
Tam Wai/Unsplash
In evolutionary terms, it’s better to be at the bottom of the hierarchy than to be dead – and that’s why submissive behaviours still persist in us humans. Even if we don’t like it.
Andrew Pontzen, Fabio Governato/Wikimedia Commons.
Our brain cells do look a lot like a map of the universe – but that doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.
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Most animal groups adopted their shapes quickly but some kept evolving.