Related topics: species · genes · plants · evolution

New study sheds light on the evolution of animals

A study led by the University of Oxford has brought us one step closer to solving a mystery that has puzzled naturalists since Charles Darwin: when did animals first appear in the history of Earth? The study, "Fossilization ...

Scientists estimate sea kelp generates $500 bn a year

Undersea kelp forests generate some $500 billion in fishing revenue and other benefits while absorbing five million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, scientists estimated in a study published Tuesday.

Sexual selection: Why do females prefer ornate male signals?

Sexual selection provides an answer to the existence of lavishly ornate signals in animals, but not to the question of why such signals are attractive—for example, why do females prefer the extravagant plumage of peacocks? ...

Scientists discover hidden crab diversity among coral reefs

The Indo-West Pacific is the largest, most biodiverse marine ecosystem on Earth, and many of the species it supports have comparably wide ranges. Writing in The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin noted that "… many fish ...

Drying process could be key step in development of life

One-hundred fifty years ago, Charles Darwin speculated that life likely originated in a warm little pond. There, Darwin supposed, chemical reactions and the odd lightning strike might have led to chains of amino acids that, ...

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