Scientists can't agree on when the first animals evolved – our research hopes to end the debate

Charles Darwin knew the evidence from fossils contradicted evolution. Researchers are still trying to work out the problem today.

Ross Anderson, Research Fellow in Palaeobiology, University of Oxford • conversation
Oct. 13, 2023 ~6 min

How morbid curiosity can lead people to conspiracy theories

The answers lie in early human evolution.

Coltan Scrivner, Behavioral Scientist, Arizona State University • conversation
Oct. 11, 2023 ~7 min


Wild plants may edit their genomes in the same way we make GM crops – and it could be crucial to evolution

Recent study investigated how fast genes are being transferred between distantly related species.

Pauline Raimondeau, Postdoctoral Associate in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University • conversation
Oct. 9, 2023 ~7 min

Female animals teach each other to choose unusual males – new research

A new study modelled how a game of snog, marry, avoid, may play out in the animal kingdom.

Louise Gentle, Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Oct. 3, 2023 ~7 min

Tropical climates are the most biodiverse on Earth − but it's not only because of how warm and wet they are

A new study reveals how the geography of global climates influences the rich patterns of species diversity in an ever-changing world.

Dave Roberts, Professor Emeritus of Ecology, Montana State University • conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 ~8 min

The first dog-fox hybrid points to the growing risk to wild animals of domestic species

Scientists had thought a ‘dogxim’ was impossible until one was discovered in Brazil

Jacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent University • conversation
Sept. 28, 2023 ~7 min

Kindness has persisted in a competitive world – cultural evolution can explain why

Ancient religious customs have accelerated the evolutionary process of humans becoming more cooperative.

Jonathan R Goodman, Researcher, Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge • conversation
Sept. 25, 2023 ~7 min

How ducks, geese and swans see the world – and why this puts them at risk in a changing environment

Our airspace has only started to become cluttered recently – many birds are struggling to navigate through it.

Jenny Cantlay, PhD Candidate in Avian Sensory Ecology, Royal Holloway University of London • conversation
Sept. 22, 2023 ~7 min


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

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