Evolution : Science World Report

May 07, 2014 08:52 AM EDT

Thick Tooth Enamel Sheds Light on Human Evolution

Thick tooth enamel is part of what makes us human. But why did our teeth evolve like they did? A new study sheds light on how evolution shaped our teeth, one gene at a time.

May 07, 2014 07:41 AM EDT

Oldest-Known Dolphin Skull Sheds Light on Evolution and Origins of Marine Mammals

Scientists have taken a closer look at the oldest species of dolphin and its partial skull, learning a bit more about the evolution of these marine mammals.

May 06, 2014 11:52 PM EDT

Humans and Squid Evolved Same Eyes Using Same Genes

Eyes and wings are among the most stunning innovations evolution has created. Remarkably these features have evolved multiple times in different lineages of animals. For instance, the avian ancestors of birds and the mammalian ancestors of bats both evolved wings independently, in an example of conv...

May 06, 2014 07:27 AM EDT

Species Evolution Throws a Wrench into Predator-Prey Population Cycles with Weird Reversal

It turns out that evolution may have some interesting effects on predator-prey population cycles. Co-evolutionary changes in species may create the appearance that the pretty are actually eating the predators.

May 01, 2014 09:35 AM EDT

Predators Predict Longevity of Birds: Driver Behind Lifespan Evolution Revealed

Longevity differs across species; tortoises can live for over a hundred years while most rodents live for under a decade. Now, researchers have discovered a possible mechanism to explain these differences in longevity.

May 01, 2014 08:29 AM EDT

Human Interactions with Scavengers, Like Vultures, Drove Our Evolution

Our ancient human ancestors may have had more of a relationship with animal scavengers than we thought. Scientists have discovered that interactions that humans had with vultures, hyenas, lions and other scavengers have been crucial in their evolution.

Apr 23, 2014 01:19 PM EDT

How the Black Death Evolved to be So Deadly: The Bacterial Family Tree

The Black Death was one of the most devastating sicknesses to spread across Europe. Now for the first time ever, scientists have studied the Black Death bacterium's entire family tree to understand how some family members evolved to be so deadly.

Apr 23, 2014 09:30 AM EDT

Rainbow Trout Genome Sequenced: New Clues to Vertebrate Evolution

Scientists have mapped the genetic profile of the rainbow trout, a versatile fish whose relatively recent genetic history reveals new clues as to how vertebrates evolved.

Apr 22, 2014 08:37 AM EDT

Evolution of the Barnyard Chicken: Ancient Bone DNA Reveals Rapid Changes

It turns out that the chickens of today are a lot different from the chicken that lives a few hundred years ago. Scientists have taken a look at the DNA from the bones of birds that lived 200 to 2,300 years ago in Europe, and have found that they've evolved drastically since then.

Apr 18, 2014 07:07 AM EDT

First Example of Female Penis Discovered in Insect that has Sex for Up to 70 Hours

A little-known cave insect has called into question about what it means to be female. It turns out that this insect has a rather unusual sex life and that the female is the one with the penis rather than the male.

Apr 17, 2014 07:23 AM EDT

Ancient Fossil Reveals Sharks are Not Living Fossils: Jaw Evolution in Fish

Sharks may not be the living fossils that scientists once thought they were. An ancient fossil has revealed that the living sharks of today are far more advanced in evolutionary terms than once believed.

Mar 11, 2014 12:42 PM EDT