Fire has been viewed as the main protagonist in creating Africa’s iconic savannas. However, new research shows that browsing animals created savannas millions of years before fire became important.
A new exhibition at MONA, curated by scientists, explores the biological and evolutionary origins of art. The show is spectacular - but it offers an overwhelmingly male perspective.
A wax figure of Charles Darwin, whose theories about species have influenced science for centuries.
Jose Manuel Ribeiro/Reuters
Humans have an innate interest and ability in naming biologically meaningful entities, or species. Taxonomy, then, vies for the title of world’s “oldest profession”.
Bonobos are separated from chimpanzees by the River Congo, but they share more genes than we thought.
Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters
The two species mated 500,000 years ago, leaving a genetic mark to this day. This knowledge could help save them from extinction.
Qilinyu, shown here front and top left, with its kin Entelognathus and small worm-like conodont animals swimming in the background.
Dingua Yang/Inst. Vertebrate Palaeontology & Palaeoanthropology
In part two of our podcast on rebooting, we explore what would happen if humanity was wiped out, take a look at a political comeback in France, and get a taste of a revamped US institution.
Humans have invented many technologies to survive better – spears, pots, calculators, even language. With language, however, the raw material used to fashion the technology is the human body itself.
It may make sense for intelligent aliens to have two eyes and ears on one head, and to walk upright. But other particulars – including their colour – are more open to speculation.
Humpbacks can use their fins as weapons against killer whales.
Michael Dawes/Flickr
Humpback whales have been spotted fending off killer whales from attacking other species. But this kind of interspecies altruism raises an evolutionary conundrum.