Scientific American: Evolution

An Evolutionary 'Big Bang' Explains Why Snakes Come in So Many Strange Varieties

Jack Tamisiea — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 20:00:00 GMT

Snakes saw a burst of adaptation about 128 million years ago that led to them exploding in diversity and evolving up to three times faster than lizards

'Living Fossil' Lizards Are Constantly Evolving--You Just Can't See It

Donavyn Coffey — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:45:00 GMT

New research into the “stasis paradox” challenges the rules of evolution

New 'Chicken from Hell' Discovered

Kyle Atkins-Weltman, Eric Snively, The Conversation US — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 15:00:00 GMT

A newly identified “chicken from hell” species suggests dinosaurs weren’t sliding toward extinction before the fateful asteroid hit

Robotic Dinosaur Tests How Dinos (and Birds) Got Wings

Meghan Bartels — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 16:00:00 GMT

Scientists built a robotic dinosaur to terrify grasshoppers, all in hopes of understanding how truly pathetic wings could offer prehistoric animals an evolutionary advantage

A Comic Guide to the Evolution of Ancient Cells into Complex Brains

Tim Vernimmen, Maki Naro, Knowable Magazine — Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

“The anus was a prerequisite for intelligence” said one biologist

How Does the World's Largest Seabird Know Where to Fly?

Joseph Polidoro — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Wandering albatrosses navigate thousands of miles using “the voice of the sea.”

Did Neurons Evolve Twice?

Cara Giovanetti — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 11:45:00 GMT

Tracing the history of the earliest animals offers clues to whether the birth of the neuron was a one-time event

The 6 Most Intriguing Things We Learned about Pet Cats and Dogs This Year

Lori Youmshajekian — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 12:30:00 GMT

In 2023 we learned that cats really are choosing to ignore humans and that—despite dogs getting all the glory when it comes to retrieving prowess—cats want to play fetch, too

Eyeless Cave Spiders Can Still 'See' the Light

Jack Tamisiea — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 23:45:00 GMT

Some species of cave-dwelling spiders lack eyes but still maintain the ability to sense light, which likely protects them from the arid environments at the sunny mouths of caves

Podcasts of the Year: What Better Gift for the Holidays Than a Monstrous Mystery?

Jeffery DelViscio, Flora Lichtman — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:00:00 GMT

We’re looking back at 2023 for our favorite podcast shows and one about the largest bird to ever fly the skies just flew to the top of the list.