Viruses have gotten a bad rap for the many illnesses and pandemics they’ve caused. But viruses are also genetic innovators – and possibly the pioneers of using DNA as the genetic blueprint of life.
Academic rigour, journalistic flair
Articles on Evolution
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As you’re walking through city streets on your way to work, school or appointments, you probably feel like you’re taking the most efficient route. Thanks to evolution, you’re probably not.
A recent discovery of a sponge fossil may be the oldest known animal fossil, extending the evolutionary timeline by hundreds of millions of years.
Fossilized comb jellies, or ctenophores, are rare because the creatures are almost completely soft-bodied. Rare fossil finds are helping us learn more about ancient animals and evolution.
Archaehierax sylvestris, whose remains have been unearthed in the arid South Australian outback, was the apex predator in a lush prehistoric forest filled with marsupials and waterfowl.
The researchers found tooth shape varied, depending on the types of food a carnivore regularly bites into – in much the same way we choose a kitchen knife depending on what we’re cutting up.
Differences between male and female skulls in some species of gibbon may shed light on how our extinct ancestors lived.
‘Shape shifting’ animals are evolving to deal with heat – by changing the size of their ears, tails, bills and other appendages.
Plants use their flower colours for ‘brand recognition’ among insects - but also work together to attract more pollinators.
Many small animals make their teeth and claws from a smooth blend of proteins and heavy elements. These materials can form very sharp tools that make it possible to cut tough substances using tiny muscles.
A 2015 paper on chicken virus evolution is being taken out of context and used to fuel fears about COVID-19 vaccines. Its lead author aims to clarify the science in hopes of saving lives.
Evolution explains why the Delta variant spreads faster than the original Wuhan strain. It explains what we might see with future variants. And it suggests how we might step up public health measures.
Corals in the Persian Gulf are tough - they can withstand temperatures that would kill corals elsewhere. And there’s good news: it’s easy to cross-breed their heat-tolerance genes into other corals.
How have snakes evolved venom fangs so many times in their evolutionary history? Research suggests it’s due to a structure called ‘plicidentine’ in their teeth that can evolve into venom grooves.
It’s not just issues like climate change and vaccines that pose problems for conservative thinkers – it’s the way science itself is conducted.
A wide range of animals seem to have a grasp of numbers – but humans hold the trump card.
They can open jars, use tools, remember instructions and attack on command. But they’re still not the smartest cephalopod in the sea…
Warm-blooded fish can swim 1.6 times faster than their cold-blooded relatives.
Both men and women play a role in perpetuating attitudes toward sex that are hypocritical and logically inconsistent.
Jackals appeared and established themselves in Africa in at least the last five million years. These animals have evolved and adapted to the changing environment, allowing them to survive.
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Top contributors
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John Long is a Friend of The Conversation.Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Scientia Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Academic Lead of UNSW's Grand Challenges Program, UNSW
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Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW
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Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University
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Mark Elgar is a Friend of The Conversation.
Professor of Evolutionary Biology, The University of Melbourne
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Senior Researcher in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Adjunct Research Associate, Monash University
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Evolutionary Ecology, Griffith University
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Associate Professor, RMIT University
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Susan Lawler is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate Professor, Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University
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Professor of Earth System Science, UCL
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Research Associate in Evolutionary Biology, Flinders University
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Emeritus Professor, University of Cape Town
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Senior Lecturer in Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Bath
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Assistant Professor of Integrative Biology & Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University
