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Evolution

Where Did the Brain Come From?

600 million years ago, the sea sponge had a dream.

September 12, 2023

Elephants Never Forget War

Violence is written in their genes.

August 23, 2023

Wildfires Are Changing Animal Evolution

Adaptations that once saved creatures are now putting them in peril.

Animal Sex Determination Is Weirder Than You Think

Parasites, weather, and luck can play a role in determining whether some animals are male or female.

April 12, 2023

The Spiritual Materialist

How transcendent feelings arise from the forces of Darwinian natural selection.

March 30, 2023

Why Is That Funny?

How evolution made us laugh.

October 19, 2022

The Wizards of Mind Control

How parasites manipulate the behavior of their hosts.

September 7, 2022

Another Path to Intelligence

Octopus brains are nothing like ours—yet we have much in common.

August 17, 2022

The Evolutionary Mystery of Menopause

New studies reinforce the hypothesis that grandmothers fostered our evolutionary success.

August 9, 2022

The Giraffe Neck Evolved for Sexual Combat

Discovery of a previously unknown ancient giraffe species offers a new look into sexual selection and evolution.

June 10, 2022

E.O. Wilson Saw the World in a Wholly New Way

“Did you like the grenade I tossed in their midst?” the biologist asked me.

January 5, 2022