Fossils

Coots' nests in Amsterdam are built using discarded plastic, providing a time capsule into the material's use over the past few decades

The oldest collection of mass-produced prehistoric bone tools reveal that human ancestors were likely capable of more advanced abstract reasoning one million years earlier than thought, finds a new study.

The oldest collection of mass-produced prehistoric bone tools reveal that human ancestors were likely capable of more advanced abstract reasoning one million years earlier than thought, finds a new study.

When competition for food is high, both chimps and bonobos sometimes rub their genitals together to cope

We are starting to understand how Greenland sharks can live for centuries without commonly developing tumours

Colossal Biosciences has altered several genes in mice to make them look more mammoth-like, but the company is far from its goal of fully resurrecting woolly mammoths by 2028

Golden-bellied capuchins are usually found in humid forests, but some populations appear to have adapted to life in drier habitats with the help of stone tools

Researchers examined dozens of bird species in museum collections looking for differences in the feathers and bodies between birds that can fly and birds that can't. They found that when birds evolve from a flying ancestor to a new flightless form, the birds' bodies, including the ratio of their wings and tails, change before the feathers do. Insights from this research could help scientists trying to determine whether a fossil bird, or a feathered dinosaur that isn't part of the bird family, was able to fly.

Researchers examined dozens of bird species in museum collections looking for differences in the feathers and bodies between birds that can fly and birds that can't. They found that when birds evolve from a flying ancestor to a new flightless form, the birds' bodies, including the ratio of their wings and tails, change before the feathers do. Insights from this research could help scientists trying to determine whether a fossil bird, or a feathered dinosaur that isn't part of the bird family, was able to fly.

A “smiling” damselfly and shimmering beetle captivated judges in the Royal Entomological Society’s 2024 Photography Competition

Palaeontologist Riley Black is back with a thrilling guide to how animals and plants co-evolved over millennia

When faced with real-life controversy over the thorniest of research topics, we can seek guidance from fiction

Dinosaurs have been stars in Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema. Here are some of their most unforgettable film appearances, which blend spectacle with science

Dinosaurs have been stars in Hollywood since the earliest days of cinema. Here are some of their most unforgettable film appearances, which blend spectacle with science

New research has revealed how massive ancient glaciers acted like giant bulldozers, reshaping Earth's surface and paving the way for complex life to flourish. By chemically analyzing crystals in ancient rocks, the researchers discovered that as glaciers carved through the landscape, they scraped deep into the Earth's crust, releasing key minerals that altered ocean chemistry. This process had a profound impact on our planet's composition, creating conditions that allowed complex life to evolve.

A new study suggests that Neanderthals experienced a dramatic loss of genetic variation during the course of their evolution, foreshadowing their eventual extinction. Examination of semicircular canals of ear shows Neanderthals experienced 'bottleneck' event where physical and genetic variation was lost.

The frozen remains of animals like mammoths, wolves and cave lions offer the most detailed picture yet of the last glacial period

Grey squirrels can actually come in black morphs, which are doing well in one US city because they're less likely to become roadkill

A comparison of 263 species supports the idea that large animals have higher rates of cancer than smaller ones. But the increase is less than expected, suggesting they have evolved ways to lower their risk

When offered a choice of bowls, free-ranging dogs in India tend to approach a yellow one much more than blue or grey