Multilevel selection is a controversial concept originally proposed by Darwin. A new study found evidence for it in the wild in a group of marmots scientists have been observing for more than 60 years.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

26.03.2025

Amid a tropical paradise known as ‘Lizard Island,’ researchers are cracking open evolution’s black box – scientist at work

A decade of fieldwork is revealing how one of biology’s fundamental principles works in real time.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

25.03.2025

What makes the human brain unique? We compared it with monkeys and apes to find out

Advances in technology are making it easier to explore this question.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

22.03.2025

How dramatic daily swings in oxygen shaped early animal life – new study

Environmental stress in evolution can be reframed as a powerful engine of innovation, not simply a barrier to survival.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

20.03.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

15.03.2025

Western Europe’s oldest human face discovered in Spain

The bone fragments belong to an extinct species of human who lived 1.4 million years ago.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

13.03.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

07.03.2025

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

Evolution walks a tightrope between body size and cancer prevalence

The Conversation - Automotive industry

01.03.2025

How evolution might explain impatience

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

The Conversation - Automotive industry

26.02.2025

Smart is sexy – new study on fish doing puzzles hints intelligence partly evolved via sexual selection

A better brain might help an animal find more mates, have more sex, and eventually have more babies.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

19.02.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

19.02.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

19.02.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

19.02.2025

Hard bites and slow songs: How beak size affects the singing and evolution of songbirds

Researchers have discovered that massive beaks and strong bites hinder the velocity of beak movement in songbirds. The musical differences that result may have consequences for evolution.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

16.01.2025

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

14.01.2025

Surveillance tech is changing our behaviour – and our brains

A new study shows that simply knowing we are being watched can unconsciously heighten our awareness of other people’s gaze.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

13.01.2025

Beyond Evolution: Alfred Russel Wallace’s critique of the 19th century world

Wallace’s legacy extends far beyond evolution. He is one of the world’s earliest global environmentalists.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

10.01.2025

New research reveals why sabre-toothed predators evolved their deadly teeth

The long, sharp, blade-like canines found in many extinct predators evolved at least five times throughout history.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

09.01.2025

World-first study reveals the mysteries of the desert-dwelling marsupial mole

Scientists have traced the evolutionary heritage of marsupial moles and explained how they evolved unique adaptations that help them survive beneath the sand.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

02.01.2025

Mind-bending, body-snatching, blood-sucking: parasites are bizarre yet vital for life on Earth

An ecologist shares his passion for parasites. From their vital roles in nature, to strange super powers and extraordinarily complex life cycles, parasites are natural wonders worthy of protection.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

23.12.2024

Interactive: What Earth’s 4.54 billion-year history would look like in a single year

The dinosaurs went extinct on Christmas Day.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

17.12.2024

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.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

14.12.2024

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.’

The Conversation - Automotive industry

07.12.2024

Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth − so astrobiologists are coming up with a framework to study how complex systems evolve

A specific set of chemical conditions led to the emergence of life on Earth. But can life emerge from other chemistries?

The Conversation - Automotive industry

30.11.2024

Corals can adapt to warming oceans, but not fast enough – new research

Natural selection won’t keep pace with global warming if the Paris climate agreement isn’t realised.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

26.11.2024

Smaller brains? Fewer friends? An evolutionary biologist asks how AI will change humanity’s future

Evolution could alter or even eliminate some of the human traits we cherish most, changing forever what it means to be human.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

13.11.2024

Corpse flowers and flesh flies: why so many plants and fungi stink like death warmed up

The stench of a rare corpse flower make us retch. But you’re not the target – the plant wants to lure carrion beetles and flesh flies

The Conversation - Automotive industry

13.11.2024

Prime time for cicadas: what a once-in-1,547-year bug population surge tells us about the nature of reality

Three groups of cicadas have emerged together this year for the first time since the fall of the Roman Empire. The reason is pure mathematics.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

13.11.2024

Cacti are surprisingly fragile – and five other intriguing facts about these spiky wonders

Cacti are more complex and mysterious than you might realise.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

11.11.2024

A single atom can change the colour of a bird. These are the genes responsible

New research reveals how parrots and finches develop their extraordinary colours – and shows that evolution is an ongoing process.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

08.11.2024

Plants and animals with bigger genomes grow less efficiently – new research helps explain why they never died out

The size of DNA cells between the biggest and smallest genomes varies by as much as 10,000 times.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

07.11.2024

Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs?

If you’ve ever struggled with chores while your freeloading siblings looked on, you might relate to these tiny insects.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

31.10.2024

Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life

A study has found rocks at the bottom of the ocean can make oxygen.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

25.10.2024

Stoneflies change colour in response to deforestation, suggesting humans can alter evolution – new research

A new study shows that rapid loss of forests has prompted a colour change in stoneflies, caused by a genetic mutation. This means human change to the environment can drive evolution.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

24.10.2024

We discovered a new fossil species of prehistoric fish

Researchers have discovered a new extinct species of coelacanth that lived 380 million years ago.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

21.10.2024

How light helped shape our skin colour, eyes and curly hair

Light helps explains the evolution of our skin colour, why some of us have curly hair, and the size of our eyes. And light still shapes us today.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

08.10.2024

We’ve worked out a way of understanding how microbial communities shape life on Earth

Microbial communities are essential to life, yet their complexity has long puzzled scientists. Now, a new framework aims to unravel how these intricate ecosystems form.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

04.10.2024

Cuffing season: an evolutionary explanation for why people want to settle down for the winter months

Another reason could be men’s testosterone levels increase over the winter months.

The Conversation - Automotive industry

21.09.2024

Rare Florida fossil finally ends debate about how porcupine jaws and tails evolved

Modern North American porcupines are at least twice the size of their southern cousins and have stronger jaws. But how long have they looked that way?

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How viruses blur the boundaries of life

Wild marmots’ social networks reveal controversial evolutionary theory in action

Amid a tropical paradise known as ‘Lizard Island,’ researchers are cracking open evolution’s black box – scientist at work

What makes the human brain unique? We compared it with monkeys and apes to find out

How dramatic daily swings in oxygen shaped early animal life – new study

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

Western Europe’s oldest human face discovered in Spain

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

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

How evolution might explain impatience

Smart is sexy – new study on fish doing puzzles hints intelligence partly evolved via sexual selection

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

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

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

Hard bites and slow songs: How beak size affects the singing and evolution of songbirds

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

Surveillance tech is changing our behaviour – and our brains

Beyond Evolution: Alfred Russel Wallace’s critique of the 19th century world

New research reveals why sabre-toothed predators evolved their deadly teeth

World-first study reveals the mysteries of the desert-dwelling marsupial mole

Mind-bending, body-snatching, blood-sucking: parasites are bizarre yet vital for life on Earth

Interactive: What Earth’s 4.54 billion-year history would look like in a single year

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

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

Extraterrestrial life may look nothing like life on Earth − so astrobiologists are coming up with a framework to study how complex systems evolve

Corals can adapt to warming oceans, but not fast enough – new research

Smaller brains? Fewer friends? An evolutionary biologist asks how AI will change humanity’s future

Corpse flowers and flesh flies: why so many plants and fungi stink like death warmed up

Prime time for cicadas: what a once-in-1,547-year bug population surge tells us about the nature of reality

Cacti are surprisingly fragile – and five other intriguing facts about these spiky wonders

A single atom can change the colour of a bird. These are the genes responsible

Plants and animals with bigger genomes grow less efficiently – new research helps explain why they never died out

Are these tiny insects the world’s most bone-idle bugs?

Deep sea rocks suggest oxygen can be made without photosynthesis, deepening the mystery of life

Stoneflies change colour in response to deforestation, suggesting humans can alter evolution – new research

We discovered a new fossil species of prehistoric fish

How light helped shape our skin colour, eyes and curly hair

We’ve worked out a way of understanding how microbial communities shape life on Earth

Cuffing season: an evolutionary explanation for why people want to settle down for the winter months

Rare Florida fossil finally ends debate about how porcupine jaws and tails evolved

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