Superfast evolution could save Tasmanian devils from extinction
Just a few years ago, the iconic marsupial looked to be on the fast road to extinction – but rapid evolution might rescue it
Eating each other’s faeces helps earwig young survive famine
The odd feeding behaviour may even help keep the young insects together in a primitive form of social living
Domestic dogs may have evolved separately in Europe and Asia
The origin of domestic dogs has split experts into two groups, who say it happened in either Europe or Asia. New genetic evidence suggests both may be right
Orcas are first non-humans whose evolution is driven by culture
Genomes of 50 whales from different social niches reveal that their varying cultures are also genetically distinct
Building blocks of life’s first self-replicator recreated in lab
RNA molecules are thought to be some of the earliest self-replicators that led to life. Now their building blocks have been made to self-assemble in a lab
A Science Journal Invokes ‘the Creator,’ and Science Pushes Back
Twitter Nerd-Fight Reveals a Long, Bizarre Scientific Feud
The battle over parsimony is actually the story of a war between biologists and a scientific society with a reputation for bullying.
The post Twitter Nerd-Fight Reveals a Long, Bizarre Scientific Feud appeared first on WIRED.
Conserving the world’s rarest fish may mean letting it die out
The famous pupfish from Devil's Hole in California may be just the latest in the long cycle of birth – and extinction – of unique fish species in this cave
How Humans Ended Up With Freakishly Huge Brains
Scientists have begun to identify the symphony of biological triggers that powered the extraordinary expansion of the human brain.
The post How Humans Ended Up With Freakishly Huge Brains appeared first on WIRED.
What Yeast Reveals About the Origins of Multicellular Life
A single genetic change and some clever geometry show how single-celled organisms can band together to form cooperative multicellular entities.
The post What Yeast Reveals About the Origins of Multicellular Life appeared first on WIRED.