Biological Evolution: Unity and Diversity
- Animals
What is a dinosaur?
Scientists have named more than 1,000 species of nonavian dinosaurs. Their legacy lives on in the 11,000-plus bird species alive today.
- Animals
Dinosaurs are still alive. Today, we call them birds
Birds don’t look like the scaly giants of Jurassic World. But fossils are revealing how these modern-day dinosaurs descended from ancient reptiles.
- Fossils
This paleontologist solved a nearly 50-year-old dino mystery
ReBecca Hunt-Foster described what is now the state dinosaur of Arkansas
- Earth
Scientists Say: Lava bomb
An explosive volcanic eruption can shoot a blob of lava into the air. As that blob travels, it cools, creating a dangerous lava bomb.
- Archaeology
Let’s learn about radiocarbon dating
Through the power of radioactivity, carbon dating can reveal the age of many fossils and artifacts.
- Fossils
50 years on, Lucy offers lessons for achieving fossil fame
Since the discovery of Lucy's skeleton in 1974, a catchy name and ongoing scientific debates have kept this human ancestor in the spotlight.
- Animals
Weird? These bat toes can glow greenish-blue
Hairy bristles on the toes of Mexican free-tailed bats fluoresce under UV light. The reason is a mystery.
- Genetics
A protein in sweat may protect people from Lyme disease
That protein stopped the disease-causing bacterium from growing in lab dishes or infecting mice.
- Tech
Bioelectronics research wins top award at 2024 Regeneron ISEF
Three grand-award winners each took home at least $50,000. Hundreds more teens shared more than $9 million in prizes at the international competition.
- Animals
Elusive worm-lizards sport weird, spooky skulls
CT scans of these mysterious creatures turned up bizarre internal features. They could offer clues about amphisbaenians’ largely unknown behavior.
- Genetics
Scientists Say: Genetic Engineering
Genetic engineering involves adding, changing or removing certain pieces of DNA from a living thing to give it desired traits.
- Animals
Among mammals, males aren’t usually bigger than females
In a study of more than 400 mammal species, less than half have males that are heavier than females.
