Last update:
Evolution news
Largest known Mesozoic crocodyliform egg clutch discovered in Brazil
In a study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, researchers Dr. Giovanna M. X. Paixão and her colleagues analyzed the fossilized remains of three Upper Cretaceous egg clutches. One of these clutches, totaling ...
How evolution shapes color diversity in coral reef fish
Why does a Caribbean angelfish sometimes resemble its Indo-Pacific cousin, even though they have never lived in the same ocean? Why do coral reefs harbor such a wide range of stripes, spots and patterns? A study conducted ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2026
0
0
Microbial ancestor of complex life was more sophisticated than previously thought, studies suggest
Our single-celled ancestor lived in a world without plants, animals or oxygen-rich oceans. Yet, this seemingly simple microorganism took the first steps toward complex life. From this ancestor emerged all multicellular (complex) ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2026
1
1
Flipped chromosomal segments drive natural selection, Atlantic silversides study shows
When a species lives in two distinct types of habitats, individuals with traits better suited to each habitat will thrive and reproduce, naturally selecting descendants with those traits. But what about mobile aquatic species ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2026
0
0
Why woodpeckers rarely get rattled: Skulls built to control rotation, not cushion blows
Woodpeckers are well known for striking tree trunks with remarkable force and precision. These birds deliver thousands of high-speed impacts per day, generating mechanical loads that would destabilize the skulls of most other ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 5, 2026
0
0
Scientists clock a driving factor in the evolution of error correction
All complex biological systems—like the DNA, RNA and proteins constantly being copied and built within our cells—are prone to errors. That means as life evolved to be more elaborate, it also had to evolve error-correcting ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2026
0
0
Evolution of new physical traits in mollusks has declined and grown more predictable over time
Paleobiologist Geerat Vermeij is enthralled with mollusks. Their shells line the surfaces and fill the cabinets and drawers in his office on the second floor of the Earth and Planetary Sciences Building at UC Davis. But Vermeij's ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 4, 2026
0
0
Ctenophore research points to earlier origins of brain-like structures
New 3D reconstructions of a key sensory organ in ctenophores reveal an unexpected structural and functional complexity. The findings suggest that an elementary brain may have already appeared in our most ancient relatives, ...
Evolution
Mar 4, 2026
0
0
Oldest known bony fish fossils uncover early vertebrate evolution
A research team led by Profs. Zhu Min, Lu Jing, and Zhu You'an from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences published two back-to-back cover stories in the ...
Evolution
Mar 4, 2026
0
1
Did the first human ancestor originate in the Balkans? New fossil shows evidence of bipedalism
Walking on two legs has long been considered a milestone in human evolution and one of our most defining characteristics. Until now, researchers assumed that the first humans originated in Africa and that bipedalism developed ...
Evolution
Mar 4, 2026
0
4
Chimps' love for crystals could help us understand our own ancestors' fascination with these stones
Crystals have repeatedly been found at archaeological sites alongside Homo remains. Evidence shows that hominins have been collecting these stones for as long as 780,000 years. Yet, we know that our ancestors did not use ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 4, 2026
7
8
Jackdaw chicks listen to adults to learn about predators
Jackdaw chicks learn about predators by listening to adults, new research shows. Scientists played recordings of predator calls to chicks in their nests—and paired the sounds with either adult jackdaw "alarm" calls or "contact" ...
Evolution
Mar 3, 2026
0
0
Brain structure volume linked to increased social tolerance in macaques
Researchers have found that the size of the amygdala—a region of the brain involved in processing emotions—could be linked to social tolerance in macaque monkeys. Their research, published today in eLife, is described ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 3, 2026
0
4
Left-handed people may have a psychological edge in competition
Left-handers are more competitive than right-handers, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports. The findings may help explain why left-handedness has persisted throughout evolution despite the ...
Did plants nearly wipe out all marine life on Earth—twice?
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Thomas Algeo has been studying the planet's five major mass extinctions since the Ordovician Period, when global sea levels were much higher than today. In a paper published in Nature ...
Evolution
Mar 3, 2026
0
2
Tiny Purgatorius fossils in Denver Basin hint at early primate spread southward
New minuscule fossils of Purgatorius, the earliest-known relative of all primates—including humans—have been unearthed in a more southern region of North America than ever before, and the breakthrough is providing paleontologists ...
Evolution
Mar 3, 2026
1
0
'Plug-and-play'—how plants steal genetic shortcuts to survive
Plants are fast-tracking their own evolution by "plugging in" genetic code stolen from their neighbors, according to new research that reveals the secret to their own successful genetic engineering. The study, led by Catherine ...
Evolution
Mar 2, 2026
0
0
Paleontologists investigate how life entered and adapted to the deep sea
The deep sea is a dark, cold place. It's just a few degrees above freezing, subject to immense pressure, and beyond the reach of the sunlight needed for photosynthesis. The life that does survive in such a hostile place must ...
Evolution
Mar 2, 2026
0
0
'Old Mother Goose' challenges a 14-million-year lineage story in New Zealand
The discovery of a rare fossil goose in an ancient Central Otago lake shows the evolutionary history of Aotearoa New Zealand birds is much more dynamic than once thought, a University of Otago–Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka researcher ...
Evolution
Mar 2, 2026
0
0
Leopards adapted to South Africa's Cape so successfully that they're genetically unique
Animals of the same species don't always look the same. From birds with different beak shapes to mammals that vary in size or color, populations living in different places can often look very different.
Evolution
Mar 1, 2026
0
1
More news
Why do female caribou have antlers? Arctic study points to nutrition
How the echolocation of bats has shaped their skulls
Other news
Large area MoS₂ reduces energy loss in magnetic memory films
Meet 'Tous'—an entirely new genus of mammal
