Evolution: features that help finding a mate may lead to smaller brains

Males and females differing in body size is a common outcome of sexual selection.

Benjamin Padilla-Morales, Postdoctoral Researcher of Bioinformatics, University of Bath • conversation
March 19, 2025 ~7 min

We modelled how early human ancestors ran – and found they were surprisingly slow

There has been much debate over the years as to exactly how “Lucy” walked.

Tom O'Mahoney, Senior Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University • conversation
March 12, 2025 ~7 min


New research shows bigger animals get more cancer, defying decades-old belief

Evolution walks a tightrope between body size and cancer prevalence

George Butler, Career Development Fellow in Cancer Evolution, UCL • conversation
March 6, 2025 ~7 min

How evolution might explain impatience

Human minds were shaped in a different world to the one we live in today.

Daniel Read, Professor of Behavioural Science, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick • conversation
Feb. 28, 2025 ~5 min

Why did life evolve to be so colourful? Research is starting to give us some answers

If evolution had taken a different turn, nature would be missing some colours.

Jonathan Goldenberg, Postdoctoral Researcher in Evolutionary Biology, Lund University • conversation
Feb. 17, 2025 ~8 min

Evolving intelligent life took billions of years − but it may not have been as unlikely as many scientists predicted

Humans evolved late in Earth history. While this timing inspired the conclusion that humanlike life is a cosmic improbability, a new study pushes back.

Jennifer L. Macalady, Professor of Geoscience, Penn State • conversation
Feb. 14, 2025 ~10 min

How the human neck became a locus of power, beauty and frailty

The neck’s vitality and vulnerability are rooted in a quirky evolutionary history.

Kent Dunlap, Professor of Biology, Trinity College • conversation
Feb. 10, 2025 ~7 min

Red squirrels fed on peanuts have weaker jaws – here’s why that matters for conservation

The findings echo Charles Darwin’s research with finches nearly two centuries ago.

Philip Cox, Associate Professor in Anatomy, UCL • conversation
Jan. 15, 2025 ~6 min


Twins were the norm for our ancient primate ancestors − one baby at a time had evolutionary advantages

Twins are pretty rare, accounting for just 3% of births in the US these days. But new research shows that for primates 60 million years ago, giving birth to twins was the norm.

Jack McBride, Ph.D. Student in Anthropology, Yale University • conversation
Dec. 16, 2024 ~8 min

Ferns’ ability to evolve ‘backward’ offers insights into the meandering path of evolution

Evolution is often depicted as a steady forward march from simple to complex forms. But new research shows that certain ferns can evolve ‘backward.’

Jacob S. Suissa, Assistant Professor of Plant Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee • conversation
Dec. 13, 2024 ~9 min

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