Evolution news
Of microorganisms and man: First large-scale test confirms Darwin's theory of universal common ancestry
More than 150 years ago, Darwin proposed the theory of universal common ancestry (UCA), linking all forms of life by a shared genetic heritage from single-celled microorganisms to humans. Until now, the theory that makes ...
May 12, 2010 |
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Time in a bottle: Scientists watch evolution unfold
A 21-year Michigan State University experiment that distills the essence of evolution in laboratory flasks not only demonstrates natural selection at work, but could lead to biotechnology and medical research ...
Oct 18, 2009 |
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Humans were once an endangered species
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City in the U.S. have calculated that 1.2 million years ago, at a time when our ancestors were spreading through Africa, Europe and Asia, ...
Jan 21, 2010 |
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Darwin's theory of gradual evolution not supported by geological history, scientist concludes
Charles Darwin's theory of gradual evolution is not supported by geological history, New York University Geologist Michael Rampino concludes in an essay in the journal Historical Biology. In fact, Rampino notes that a more ...
Nov 09, 2010 |
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Modern men are wimps, according to new book
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new book claims even modern athletes could not run as fast, jump as high, or have been nearly as strong as our predecessors.
Oct 21, 2009 |
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Biologists find that red-blooded vertebrates evolved twice, independently
(PhysOrg.com) -- Nature, in all its glory, is nothing if not thrifty.
Jul 27, 2010 |
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Mass Extinctions, Ancient Viruses May Hold Clues to Life’s Origins
(PhysOrg.com) -- Mass extinctions occur repeatedly, though irregularly, throughout Earth’s history, and occasionally these extinctions have been devastating to life on our planet - or have they? Extinction ...
Apr 03, 2009 |
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Evolution of the appendix: A biological 'remnant' no more
The lowly appendix, long-regarded as a useless evolutionary artifact, won newfound respect two years ago when researchers at Duke University Medical Center proposed that it actually serves a critical function. ...
Aug 20, 2009 |
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Evolution may take giant leaps
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study of thousands of species of plants and animals suggests new species may arise from rare events instead of through an accumulation of small changes made in response to changes in ...
Dec 11, 2009 |
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Are brains shrinking to make us smarter?
Human brains have shrunk over the past 30,000 years, puzzling scientists who argue it is not a sign we are growing dumber but that evolution is making the key motor leaner and more efficient.
Feb 06, 2011 |
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Scientists watch evolution in action
(PhysOrg.com) -- The yellow-bellied three-toed skink (Saiphos equalis) is one of only three reptiles known to have different methods of reproduction in different places. In the coastal areas of New South ...
Sep 06, 2010 |
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Complete Neanderthal genome yields insights into human evolution and evidence of interbreeding
After extracting ancient DNA from the 40,000-year-old bones of Neanderthals, scientists have obtained a draft sequence of the Neanderthal genome, yielding important new insights into the evolution of modern ...
May 06, 2010 |
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Professor examines the complex evolution of human morality
(PhysOrg.com) -- Although the question of what makes humans different from other animals doesn't have a single obvious answer, one seemingly conspicuous human trait is morality. Darwin, in his book The Descent of Man, an ...
May 19, 2010 |
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New hypothesis for human evolution and human nature
It's no secret to any dog-lover or cat-lover that humans have a special connection with animals. But in a new journal article and forthcoming book, paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman of Penn State University ...
Jul 20, 2010 |
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Mother of all humans lived 200,000 years ago
The most robust statistical examination to date of our species' genetic links to "mitochondrial Eve" -- the maternal ancestor of all living humans -- confirms that she lived about 200,000 years ago. The Rice University study ...
Aug 17, 2010 |
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