evolution
These Vaginas Evolved to Fight the Penis, Not Accommodate It
The study of genitals has historically ignored female parts. Now that that's changing, it's revealing an evolutionary competition between penis and vagina.
Evolution Keeps Repeating Itself. Scientists Are Starting to Understand Why
Species that aren't closely related can look identical thanks to a bizarre trick of evolution. A new study reveals part of the mechanism for creating nature's unrelated twins.
Birds Used to Be Freakin’ Huge
From giant penguins to super-tall parrots, human-sized birds used to roam the earth. What happened to them?
Darwin’s Finches Are In Danger Because a Parasite Is Changing Their Mating Song
By deforming their beaks, an introduced parasite is causing two finch species to hybridize, changing the course of their evolution.
This Bird Went Extinct and Then Evolved Into Existence Again
"We know of no other example in rails, or of birds in general, that demonstrates this phenomenon so evidently.”
This Preserved Millipede Lived 99 Million Years Ago Alongside Dinosaurs
The millipede is only 8.2 millimeters long, making it an “an extreme case of miniaturization.”
500-Million-Year-Old Worm ‘Superhighway’ Found Hidden in the Mountains
A fossilized ecosystem offers new evidence for life that once existed in seemingly uninhabitable places.
This Jelly’s Butthole Only Appears When It Poops
“No anus or anal pore in any other animal is like this.”
Scientists Dressed Horses Like Zebras to Figure Out Why They Have Stripes
The experiment aimed to resolve the longstanding debate over the evolutionary purpose of zebra stripes.
Earth's Magnetic Field Almost Collapsed 565 Million Years Ago
Our planet's core probably started solidifying in the late Ediacaran period, which recharged the magnetic field in the nick of time.
The Introspective Parts of Our Brains Are Getting Out of Shape
Researchers call it "hurry sickness": The more we overload our schedules, the more we strengthen the task-oriented network of the brain.