Evolution & Behaviour
Why so aggressive? Bringing the past into the present
When engaged in a conflict with another, many animals will behave aggressively. We see it in dogs at the dog park, in fish in a fish tanks, in people with bullies at school, and even flies at a garbage bin. However, precisely what motivates an... click to read more
Our ancestors in Africa ate roasted root vegetables 170 thousand years ago
Almost everyone enjoys roasted root vegetables, and our ancestors were no exception. An archaeological team excavated the remains of starchy rhizomes cooked 170,000 years ago in the Border Cave, South Africa. In total, 55 whole charred rhizomes were recovered from the same species - Hypoxis... click to read more
Scrambled frog eggs return to life
When you make scrambled eggs for breakfast, you are probably not expecting any signs of life in the resulting mush, let alone development into chicken embryos. Indeed, it seems common sense that living things are organized structures, and once these structures are jumbled up, life... click to read more
Processions in Palaeozoic seas
What do ants, processionary caterpillars, birds, apes and football supporters have in common? They all exemplify the huge variety of present-day collective and social behaviours. One of the questions puzzling scientists is whether collective behaviour appeared very early in the evolution of animals or more... click to read more
T. rex growing pains: the king of dinosaurs was first a tyrannical teenager
Without a doubt, Tyrannosaurus rex is the most famous dinosaur in the world. Its adult body length of 40 feet, 5-foot-long head, and bone-crushing teeth are the stuff of legend, but we know surprisingly little about its childhood. What did it look like then? How... click to read more
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