Tails may have disappeared from our earliest ape ancestors due to a genetic mistake.
Articles on Evolution
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All species alive today, from chimpanzees to bacteria, are cousins that each have equally long lineages, rather than ancestors or descendants of one another.
The 2,500 questions that make up the exam are specifically designed to probe the outer limits of what today’s AI systems cannot do.
Wildfire has been an important part of the Earth system for more than 400 million years.
Just one of the many ways the Anthropocene is reshaping life on Earth.
The teeth of white sharks are not static weapons but living records of a shark’s changing lifestyle.
Birds and bees see the world in different ways – and some flowers have evolved to take advantage of the gap in their perspectives.
Scientists have long debated what the purpose of sleep is.
Compared to other great apes, human penises are mysteriously large, hinting they act as a signal to mates.
The red-nosed cuxiu monkey is like no other on the planet.
Reptile armour has a wild backstory.
Scientists have long been confused about ‘missing’ animal fossils.
Wellness culture is an intoxicating cocktail, blending evolved social preferences for health, fertility and social status with the signalling power of social media.
Dogs don’t stockpile food due to anxiety about impending disaster – they’re revealing how their evolutionary past still shapes modern behaviours.
The evolutionary history of human penises is more romantic than you might think.
Is an organism a sum of its parts, or should they be considered as a whole? New research on ferns shows how the way scientists understand evolution affects how they study life.
Humans are not the only animal to kiss.
We are indeed still evolving, though it can be hard to tell because it happens over generations and often involves things you can’t see, such as what foods different people are able to digest.
The humble ‘broken image’ icon has a rich backstory – one connected to early web design, camera culture and our timeless urge to find meaning in the landscape.
Two new studies suggest the story of dogs and their relationship with humans is older and more complex than once thought.
Top contributors
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Scientia Professor of Evolution, UNSW
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Emeritus Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Senior Research Scientist, South Australian Museum; Flinders University
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Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW
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Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath
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Senior Lecturer in Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences at the University of Bath, University of Bath
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Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Monash University
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Associate professor in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University
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Research Associate in the College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University
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Jenny Graves is a Friend of The Conversation.
Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
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Adjunct Research Associate, Monash University
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Mark Elgar is a Friend of The Conversation.
Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology, The University of Melbourne
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Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
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Professor of Earth System Science, UCL