Maybe. The world is always changing, leaving plants and animals everywhere to adapt to new habitats and living conditions. Evolution offers a pathway for life to adapt to these changes, but it takes time. So as human-caused climate change increases the rate at which the environment is changing, the big question is, can evolution keep […]
evolution
Urban lizards have gene mutations that help them adapt to city life
Anole lizards living in three cities in Puerto Rico have mutations in genes linked to immune function, limb and skin development, which may help them thrive alongside humans. Lizards in three cities in Puerto Rico have evolved a similar set of genetic changes to help them adapt to urban life. The Puerto Rican crested anole […]
Building Blocks
From the origins of life to a new approach to pharmaceuticals, Moran Frenkel-Pinter explores the processes and potential of chemical evolution. For as long as she can remember, Moran Frenkel-Pinter has attempted to piece together puzzles both small and large such as how basic things function and how the world works. In a sixth-grade science […]
Scientists Found a Nitrogen-Fixing Seagrass
Adopting a strategy that is all but unheard of in the sea, this seagrass produces an essential nutrient the same way peas do. The meadows of luscious green seagrass that dot coastal regions around the world are gaining recognition as important marine habitats and carbon sinks, but there is still a lot we don’t know […]
Your Brain Pays Attention to Unfamiliar Voices, Even While You Sleep
The findings could suggest it’s possible to learn simple information while snoozing. Even when sleeping deeply you are more aware of what is going on around you than you might realize. New research suggests that the human brain is constantly monitoring its surroundings, including processing sounds, to decide if you need to wake up — […]
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Were in Hedgehogs a Century Before We Used Antibiotics
Study suggests the dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria known as MRSA first evolved naturally. As soon as humans started using antibiotics to fight bacterial infections, the bacteria started evolving ways to fight back. But new research shows that one so-called “superbug” resistant to important front-line antibiotics has been lurking in hedgehogs for more than 200 years, long […]
Female Toads Seek a Good Man – Even if He’s Another Species
New research shows female plains spadefoot toads listen up for the best mate. The one thing about species that most people probably remember from high school science class is that when it comes to sex, they generally stick to their own kind. Hybrids happen, but they are usually thought to be accidental, and the results […]
Change in Diet Sent Snakes Looking for New Chemical Defense Against Predators
Snake species recycles poison collected from its own prey. Keelback snakes are master chemists. These unusual snakes possess glands in their skin that contain heart-stopping toxic steroids to defend against predators. When an attacker tries to eat them, the glands rupture, releasing a mouthful of potentially fatal poison. But these snakes, native to China, Japan […]
Which Evolves Faster, Culture or Biology?
New study presents new way to observe rate at which culture changes. Modern human culture seems to evolve at a dizzying rate. Changes in the media we consume and technology we use often far outstrip our ability to keep up. But there have been few attempts to actually measure this phenomenon. “All we have is […]
Wise elk learn to outsmart hunters and tell apart their weapons
As female elk get older, they also get wiser: they learn how to avoid getting shot by hunters, and appear to adapt their behaviour to the types of weapon the hunters carry. Hunting by humans is known to affect how elk behave, selecting for more cautious behaviours by killing more of the bolder animals. But […]