Evolution : Science World Report

Jul 08, 2014 06:49 AM EDT

Ancient Human Skull Reveals Our Ancestors Had an Inner Ear Like a Neanderthal

After re-examining a 100,000-year-old archaic early human skull found 35 years ago in Northern China, researchers have found the presence of an inner-ear formation that was once thought to only occur in Neanderthals.

Jul 04, 2014 08:28 AM EDT

Archaeopteryx Fossil Sheds Light on the Evolution of Feathers in Birds and Dinosaurs

Paleontologists have uncovered a new specimen of Archaeopteryx that reveals surprisingly and previously unknown features of the creature's plumage.

Jul 04, 2014 07:49 AM EDT

Evolutionary Timeline of Modern Human Traits Linked to Changing Environment

While scientists have recognized modern human characteristics for decades, they are now reconsidering the true evolutionary factors that drove them.

Jul 02, 2014 07:57 AM EDT

Humans May Have Evolved Their Big Brains by Eating and Hunting for Insects

Researchers believe that figuring out how to survive on a lean-season diet of insects may have spurred the development of our bigger brains and higher-level cognitive functions in humans.

Jul 01, 2014 07:51 AM EDT

The Evolution of Human Skin: How Northern Europeans Get More Sun

While one popular theory holds that Northern Europeans developed light skin in order to absorb more UV light to make more vitamin D, a new study calls that idea into question.

Jun 27, 2014 07:10 AM EDT

Scientists Discover How the Shocking Electric Eel Evolved its Jolt to Stun Prey

The electric eel is an unusual creature with the ability to create a potent electric field that it uses to hunt its prey. Now, scientists have uncovered the evolutionary origins of this electric field and have found that the eel's charge actually evolved from a muscle.

Jun 26, 2014 12:35 PM EDT

Monkeys Evolved Unique Faces to Avoid Interbreeding with Close Species

It turns out that Old World monkeys have evolved a clever way to avoid interbreeding with closely-related species. Scientists have found that monkeys possess remarkable differences in facial appearances that act as an efficient barrier to breeding across species.

Jun 24, 2014 10:02 AM EDT

Evolution Might be Repeatable: Clovers Reveal Predisposition to Traits

Can evolution be repeated? That's a good question, and it's one that scientists wanted to find out.

Jun 20, 2014 08:36 AM EDT

Scientists Discover How Cattle and Pigs Evolved Even Toes

When cattle, pigs and other even-toed ungulates evolved, the number of their toes was reduced and transformed into paired hooves. Now, scientists have discovered how this came to be.

Jun 20, 2014 07:24 AM EDT

Skulls Uncovered from 'Pit of Bones' Shed Light on Neanderthal and Human Evolution

Researchers have uncovered a collection of ancient skulls in a cave that have both Neanderthal-derived features and features associated with more primitive humans. The findings shed a bit more light on the history of Neanderthal evolution.

Jun 13, 2014 12:09 PM EDT

Father's Age Impacts Rate of Evolution in Chimpanzees: High Number of Mutations

It turns out that mutation isn't the same for humans and chimps. Scientists have found that the offspring of chimpanzees inherit 90 percent of new mutations from their father, and a low 10 percent from their mother.

Jun 09, 2014 07:25 AM EDT

The Human Face Evolved to be Punched: Fighting and Violence Shaped Our Evolution

Humans may actually be evolutionarily adapted for a bar fight. Scientists have discovered that the human face evolved to take a punch as our ancient ancestors fought over resources and other slug-worthy disagreements.