Last update:
Evolution news
Some rays flash decoy eyes while others never do, as evolution's hidden trade-off comes into focus
From butterflies to peacocks, bold circular "eyespots" are among nature's most eye-catching patterns. But why do they appear in some animals and not others? A new study of skates and rays finally provides an answer—and it ...
Evolution
21 hours ago
0
9
Giant octopuses may have ruled the oceans 100 million years ago
Today's octopuses are intelligent, remarkably flexible animals that lurk in reefs, hide in crevices, or drift through the deep sea. But new research suggests that their earliest relatives may have played a far more predatory ...
Evolution
Apr 23, 2026
0
200
Life's earliest proteins may have folded into complex shapes with far fewer amino acids
How did the earliest life on Earth build complex biological machinery with so few tools? A new study explores how the simplest building blocks of proteins—once limited to just half of today's amino acids—could still form ...
Evolution
Apr 23, 2026
0
18
Neanderthals may have shared key DNA for complex language, reshaping when human speech began
In a first-of-its-kind finding, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care discovered that specific genetic sequences have an outsized impact on humans' language abilities and that these sequences evolved before humans ...
Evolution
Apr 23, 2026
0
159
Promiscuity and parental behavior in birds are driven by demographics, not the other way around
New research shows that variation in mating behaviors, parental care and differences in ornamentation of the sexes in bird species is driven by demographics rather than vice versa. An international team of researchers from ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 22, 2026
0
17
Turning four into two: How duplicated genomes become diploid again
Genome duplication probably gave biodiversity a decisive evolutionary boost. A Chinese-German research team led by Axel Meyer from the University of Konstanz has now investigated the early phases of the process known as rediploidization. ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
0
10
Ancient amber reveals a true bug equipped with claws, a highly unusual feature
Amber from the Kachin region of Myanmar has preserved a wealth of fossils, offering insights into the diversity of the Cretaceous fauna of a 100-million-year-old forest ecosystem. The site continues to yield previously unknown ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
0
178
Chalk-stream salmon could become an official sub-species
Chalk-stream salmon should be officially classified as a sub-species, new research suggests. Scientists from the University of Exeter and INRAe (France) carried out detailed genetic testing of salmon from 42 rivers in England, ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 22, 2026
0
7
For 74,000 years, one ancient killer quietly dictated where early humans could survive across Africa
Increasing evidence suggests that our species emerged through interactions between populations living in different parts of Africa, rather than from a single birthplace. Until now, however, most explanations for how those ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
0
3026
Both bonobos and dolphins form unexpected alliances with 'outsiders'
Cooperation is a pillar of human society, promoting an exchange of skills and knowledge between different individuals and social groups. Humans typically do not only cooperate with their own family, friends and members of ...
A vast Indigenous American genome map exposes lost migrations, ancient ancestry and more than a million new variants
Research into human genomic diversity has a number of applications in biomedicine, evolution, and history. However, many populations have historically been underrepresented on the human genomic map. This is the case of Native ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
2
145
Wild apple genes still shape modern fruit, and that could matter for climate-ready crops
Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with international partners, have uncovered new insights into how apples became the fruits we know today, showing that their evolution has been shaped by continuous exchange ...
Evolution
Apr 22, 2026
1
7
Getting the jump on evolution: Cane toads adapt at speed
A new study comparing invasive cane toads in Japan and Australia has found substantial changes in body size and shape have developed much more rapidly than suggested by long-held ideas of the pace of evolution. Researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2026
0
93
Breathing new life into an ancient mystery: Unlocking the trilobite's respiratory secrets
For more than 270 million years, trilobites were among the most successful and diverse creatures on Earth, with over 22,000 known species spanning the Paleozoic Era. Yet, despite their abundance in the fossil record and their ...
Evolution
Apr 21, 2026
0
48
Penguin muscle map reveals how waddles and underwater 'flight' both work
Penguins may look charmingly awkward on land, but new research shows their bodies are finely tuned for powerful, efficient movement both on land and underwater. A team of anatomists from Midwestern University, in collaboration ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2026
0
11
Crabs' iconic sideways walk evolved from common ancestor, study suggests
Researchers have provided new insights into the evolutionary origin of sideways walking in crabs. Their study, published today as a Reviewed Preprint in eLife, presents the largest comparative dataset on crab locomotion to ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2026
0
22
Mosses and thale cress share the same leaf growth principles, despite 400 million years of separate evolution
A study published in Science Advances shows that, in moss and the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, commonly known as thale cress, leaf formation relies on very similar cellular dynamics, with growth concentrated at their ...
Plants & Animals
Apr 21, 2026
0
7
Missing link in evolution of ancient fish found in 150-year-old museum specimen
A new species of coelacanth has been identified from a 150-year-old fossil housed at London's Natural History Museum. Former University of Portsmouth paleontology student Jack L. Norton located the coelacanth, which provides ...
Evolution
Apr 21, 2026
0
231
Flowering in the city: The bumblebee connection
Why are flowers so different from one another? Much of the answer lies with pollinators: Their preferences and morphologies have helped generate an exceptional diversity of flowers in terms of shape, size, color and scent, ...
Evolution
Apr 20, 2026
0
20
Ant supergene reveals surprising twist in evolution of social behavior
In the spring, ants are once again hard at work. Beyond their everyday presence, ants are also key model organisms in cutting-edge evolutionary genetics research, helping scientists understand how social behavior and cooperation ...
Evolution
Apr 20, 2026
0
15
More news
If birds are fancy dancers, are they smarter, too?
One of the world's rarest mice is adapting to climate change
Other news
High-resolution imaging shines light on nanoscale nuclear organization
Bipartisan-cited science is rarely used by policymakers, study finds
Natural-language AI helps chemists design molecules step by step
Machine learning identifies catalyst 'sweet spot' for greener urea from waste gases
Video shows that sunbirds suck, while hummingbirds don't
Genomic tool untangles how microbes spread—even when they look almost identical
Extra sets of chromosomes may help aggressive tumor cells spread, study finds
Why delaying climate action now means higher seas by 2100
