Flowering plants survived the dinosaur-killing asteroid – and may outlive us

The fossil record tells conflicting stories about what happened to flowering plants after the asteroid.

Jamie Thompson, Postdoctoral Evolutionary Biologist, University of Bath • conversation
Sept. 13, 2023 ~8 min

How does fever help fight infections? There's more to it than even some scientists realize

The heat and chills that come with fever are not only uncomfortable but also metabolically costly. Increased body temperature, however, can make all the difference when you’re sick.

Joe Alcock, Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico • conversation
Sept. 11, 2023 ~8 min


Wildfires have wreaked havoc this summer – these plants were prepared

Climate change is making fires more frequent and severe in the Canary Islands, pushing plants to their evolutionary limit.

Mark Chapman, Associate Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Southampton • conversation
Sept. 7, 2023 ~6 min

It's reassuring to think humans are evolution's ultimate destination – but research shows we may be an accident

We may have become the most complex living creature in part by accident and replication of error.

Marcello Ruta, Senior Lecturer, Life Sciences, University of Lincoln • conversation
Sept. 5, 2023 ~8 min

How did plants first evolve into all different shapes and sizes? We mapped a billion years of plant history to find out

Plants have not lost their capacity for innovation over the years, finds new study.

Sandy Hetherington, Plant Evolutionary Biologist, The University of Edinburgh • conversation
Sept. 4, 2023 ~7 min

How do flies find every stinky garbage dumpster? A biologist explains their sensory superpower

Flies often beat out competitors for food because of their specialized sensing organs called antennae.

Christine Picard, Associate Professor of Biology, Indiana University • conversation
Sept. 4, 2023 ~6 min

The evolutionary reasons humans love pets – and nine benefits of having one

It’s not just cats and dogs – we often feel a deep emotional bond with small animals like rabbits and guinea-pigs too.

Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine, University of Lincoln • conversation
Aug. 8, 2023 ~6 min

How some fish learned to hide behind others to hunt – new research

Trumpetfish are the first known predator to hide behind another animal when hunting.

Sam Matchette, Research Associate in Marine Behaviour , University of Cambridge • conversation
Aug. 7, 2023 ~5 min


Cats first finagled their way into human hearts and homes thousands of years ago – here's how

Natural selection changed just 13 genes to separate your Felix and Fluffy from their African wildcat ancestor.

Jonathan Losos, William H. Danforth Distinguished University Professor, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis • conversation
Aug. 3, 2023 ~10 min

Male rhesus macaques often have sex with each other – a trait they have inherited in part from their parents

Most of the males in a Puerto Rican monkey colony engaged in homosexual activity, a new study reveals.

Vincent Savolainen, Professor of Organismic Biology, Imperial College London • conversation
July 13, 2023 ~7 min

/

25