Billions of cicadas are about to emerge from underground in a rare double-brood convergence

The last time that these two groups of cicadas emerged from underground together, Thomas Jefferson was president.

Chris Simon, Senior Research Scientist of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut • conversation
today ~11 min

Horses lived in the Americas for millions of years – new research helps paleontologists understand the fossils we’ve found and those that are missing from the record

Horse fossils are abundant and widespread across North America. Scientists often use their long history to illustrate how species evolve in response to a changing environment.

Bruce J. MacFadden, Distinguished Professor and Director of Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), University of Florida • conversation
March 27, 2024 ~9 min


Why did modern humans replace the Neanderthals? The key might lie in our social structures

Neanderthals and humans may have been equally smart and skilled, but some evidence points to humans living in larger groups.

Nicholas R. Longrich, Senior Lecturer in Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences at the University of Bath, University of Bath • conversation
March 26, 2024 ~8 min

It’s a myth that male animals are usually larger than females – new study

Does size matter? In the animal kingdom, yes.

Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
March 13, 2024 ~6 min

Losing their tails provided our ape ancestors with an evolutionary advantage – but we’re still paying the price

Many evolutionary changes also come with costs.

Laurence D. Hurst, Professor of Evolutionary Genetics at The Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath • conversation
Feb. 28, 2024 ~7 min

Bacteria can develop resistance to drugs they haven’t encountered before − scientists figured this out decades ago in a classic experiment

The Nobel Prize-winning Luria−Delbrück experiment showed that random mutations in bacteria can allow them to develop resistance by chance.

Qi Zheng, Professor of Biostatistics, Texas A&M University • conversation
Feb. 22, 2024 ~7 min

Men become less fertile with age, but the same isn’t true for all animals – new study

Understanding how the ageing of sperm works in other animals is more important than ever as human male fertility is in decline.

Regina Vega-Trejo, Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Evolutionary Biology, University of Oxford • conversation
Feb. 14, 2024 ~8 min

We’ve found out how earless moths use sound to defend themselves against bats – and it could give engineers new ideas

The ermine moth’s wing structures are fascinating because they rely on a mechanism we teach our engineering students to avoid

Rainer Groh, Senior Lecturer in Digital Engineering of Structures, University of Bristol • conversation
Feb. 6, 2024 ~8 min


Newly identified prehistoric pterosaur will help us understand evolution of flying reptiles

The Isle of Skye has a rich palaeontological heritage, so perhaps it’s no surprise scientists made an important discovery there.

Paul Barrett, Individual Merit Researcher, Natural History Museum • conversation
Feb. 6, 2024 ~7 min

Could dinosaurs be the reason humans can't live for 200 years?

Our mammal ancestors evolved to compete with dinosaurs but may have lost something in the process.

Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, Chair of Molecular Biogerontology, University of Birmingham • conversation
Dec. 20, 2023 ~7 min

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