News
No animal alive today is ‘primitive’ — why are so many still labeled that way?
3+ week, 2+ day ago (535+ words) We humans have long viewed ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. People label other species as "primitive" or "ancient" and use terms like "higher" and "lower" animals. This'anthropocentric'perspective was entrenched in 1866, when German scientist'Ernst Haeckel drew'one of the first trees…...
The best dinosaur discoveries of 2025
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (731+ words) In 2025, the fascination with dinosaurs reached new heights with the discovery of 44 new species, including Zavacephale rinpoche and Istiorachis macarthurae. The year also saw the revival of popular media like Walking With Dinosaurs and Jurassic World Rebirth, alongside record-breaking museum…...
Becoming human in southern Africa: What ancient hunter-gatherer genomes reveal
3+ mon, 1+ hour ago (423+ words) Ancient hunter-gatherers in southern Africa were among the earliest modern humans, with genetic roots tracing back 300,000 years. New genetic research reveals the unique biological adaptations of these groups. Findings offer insights into human evolution and migration patterns. According to the…...
Rare reptiles are moving up mountains as the world warms. They can’t keep doing it forever
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (742+ words) As climate change intensifies, the mountain dragon lizard in Australia is being forced to higher altitudes, a trend that cannot continue indefinitely. New research using fossils and genetic data reveals that these reptiles once had a broader range, but now…...
Saola: Scientists map genome of world’s rarest large land mammal
9+ mon, 4+ week ago (518+ words) An international team of scientists has mapped the genome of the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), the rarest large land mammal in the world.The researchers anal An international team of scientists has mapped the genome of the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), the…...
If we must bring back extinct species, let’s focus on the giant herbivores
10+ mon, 2+ week ago (963+ words) The American genetic engineering firm Colossal Biosciences recently announced to much fanfare it had'de-extincted" the dire wolf, a canine species that wa The American genetic engineering firm Colossal Biosciences recently announced to much fanfare it had'de-extincted" the dire wolf, a…...
Mammals were starting to increasingly live on the ground much before dinosaur extinction event: Study
11+ mon, 1+ day ago (335+ words) Mammals were increasingly starting to live on the ground several million years before the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, according to new r Mammals were increasingly starting to live on the ground several million years before the…...