Plants May Have Survived Earth’s Massive Extinctions by Doubling Their Genome
Image in public domain. When the world goes bad, some plants do something astonishing. They can’t run or…
It Uses Its Finger Like A Woodpecker’s Beak
With rodent teeth, bat-like ears and a woodpecker-inspired hunting strategy, this primate may just be one of evolution’s…
Scientists Just Exposed a 300 Million-Year-Old Fossil Mistake
A reconstruction drawing of Pohlsepia mazonensis. Credit: Dr. Thomas Clements, University of Reading The “world’s oldest octopus” was…
Meet The Worm That Hunts With A Slime Cannon — A Biologist Explains
This unassuming worm hunts with a self-assembling slime net. Here’s what scientists have uncovered about its biology, behavior…
Shockingly Powerful Giant Octopuses Ruled the Seas 100 Million Years Ago
Ancient octopuses may have been giant predators that ruled the seas. Fossilized jaws show they had crushing bites…
Scientists Discover Evolution’s 120-Million-Year-Old “Cheat Sheet”
Different species, separated by millions of years, may still follow the same genetic blueprint, suggesting evolution is less…
Scientists Unearth Remarkable 150-Million-Year-Old Stegosaur Skull
Illustration of Dacentrurus armatus. Credit: Adrián Blázquez / Fundación Dinópolis A newly discovered stegosaur skull from Spain is…
100,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Fossils in Poland Reveal Unexpected Genetic Connections
Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were an extinct group of archaic humans who lived across Europe and western Asia until…
Meet The Eel That Generates 800V — A Biologist Explains How It Doesn’t Electrocute Itself
At first glance, the electric eel’s abilities feel implausible. But upon a closer inspection, we find a precise,…
It’s The Size Of A Golf Ball
This unassuming octopus pairs bacterial chemistry with evolutionary efficiency to deliver one of the most powerful defenses in…
Scientists Discover Plants “Scream” – We Just Couldn’t Hear Them Until Now
New research suggests that plants under stress release ultrasonic sounds that can travel through the air, potentially carrying…
Why Are Humans The Only Animals That Cook Their Food? An Evolutionary Biologist Explains
The human ability to cook may seem ordinary, but it marks one of the most important evolutionary turning…