Evolutionary biology

Recent research has shown that the formation of greenalite in ancient oceans played a crucial role in determining the availability of certain metals, such as manganese and molybdenum, which were vital for early life forms. This discovery, made by recreating Archean seawater in the lab, offers new insights into the evolutionary processes of early life.Scientists know very little about conditions in the ocean when life first evolved, but new research published in the journal Nature Geoscience has revealed how geological…

The long-running saga over a Washington woman’s refusal to get treated for tuberculosis might finally be drawing to a close. The woman was released from a local jail late last week, under the condition that she stay isolated at home and complete her course of antibiotics. Should she fail to do so, she could be arrested yet again.Are Big Consumer Facing Tech Companies Redeemable? The Tacoma-Pierce County resident—identified only as V.N. in court documents—has been knowingly infected with the bacterial disease for quite…

We know, we know. It’s not fauna. But this palm has an amazing story of rediscovery. The date species was originally domesticated during the Neolithic, some 7,000 years ago. The dates grown in the region of the Kingdom of Judah, known as Judean dates, were extolled by historians of the day. But by the 19th century, the plant had vanished. Over the past 50 years, however, excavations at the high-altitude Dead Sea site of Masada turned up 1,900-year-old seeds that researchers decided to plant.One of the seeds grew.…

In expansive new research out this week, scientists around the world have started to unravel the genetic secrets behind one of nature’s greatest success stories: mammals. They’ve catalogued and compared the genomes of more than 200 mammal species, including elephants, bats, and humans. Among other things, their findings should help us understand the origins of certain mammalian traits, as well as which species are most at risk of extinction in the future.A Mononykus Hunts In ‘Prehistoric Planet’Mammals aren’t the…

I devoured C.L. Clark’s The Unbroken last year—it was part of the sapphic trifecta that came out in 2021, which also included The Jasmine Throne (Tasha Suri) and She Who Became the Sun (Shelley Parker-Chan). So I am thrilled to be able to reveal not only the cover for the second book in the Magic of the Lost Trilogy,but an exclusive look at the first chapter. C.L. Clark’s The Faithless is going to be incredible, and I’m genuinely delighted to show off this emotionally devastating cover.The rebels have won, and the empire…

The Alcobaça site in Brazil, where skeletal remains were discovered.Photo: Henry Lavalle, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and Ana Nascimento, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoScientists investigating the genomes of ancient South Americans have made a surprising discovery: the presence of DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, two species of humans that are now extinct. The findings complicate our understanding of ancient South Americans and their ancestries.01:25Randall Park's Favorite SuperheroesMonday…

Researchers looked at DNA extracted from the remains of 13 Neanderthals that lived in Asia about 54,000 years ago and found some surprising relationships among them.Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) were a group of hominins that lived alongside and interbred with anatomically modern humans until their disappearance around 40,000 years ago. Recognizable for their barrel chests, stocky builds, and pronounced brows, Neanderthals are thought to have been bred out of existence; most everyone walking around today has…

Mammoth skeletons at auction in 2017.Photo: Rob Stothard (Getty Images)A venture capital firm funded by the CIA has officially placed its bets on bringing back extinct species like the woolly mammoth and the thylacine, according to a public portfolio released this month and spotted by The Intercept.The company is called In-Q-Tel, and its mission (according to its website) is to invest in technologies that bolster the United States’ national security. In-Q-Tel is over 20 years old, but only now have its taxpayer dollars…