7 Misconceptions About Evolution
‘Survival of the fittest’ is Darwin 101. But did you know that Charles Darwin didn’t actually coin that phrase? Let’s explore some common myths and misconceptions about evolution.
‘Survival of the fittest’ is Darwin 101. But did you know that Charles Darwin didn’t actually coin that phrase? Let’s explore some common myths and misconceptions about evolution.
We break down some common myths about our early human ancestors—and what makes our species, ‘Homo sapiens,’ so different from them.
From back injuries to difficult childbirth, here are six annoying parts of being human that you can blame on evolution.
Often dismissed as “primitive,” our extinct relatives were surprisingly thoughtful. Some were also cannibals.
These prehistoric members of our genus, ‘Homo,’ occupy different branches of the human family tree.
Scientists have uncovered ancient fossils, prehistoric artwork, and other clues to human evolution. Here are nine of the most revealing discoveries that have changed our understanding of our early ancestors—and ourselves.
Within the last 200 years, we’ve discovered about two dozen species of hominins in Europe, Africa, and Asia—which you can see laid out in this map.
Lucy walked on her own two feet. Scientists weren’t expecting that.
They basically share a genome, but chimps and bonobos have some not-so-subtle differences.
The gorge in northern Tanzania has yielded many of the oldest fossils of humankind, shedding new light on our ancient ancestors.
A fragment of an arm bone found on Flores, Indonesia, suggests that some of our human ancestors were even smaller than we thought.
A fossilized ear bone supports the idea that Neanderthals helped raise the child collectively and altruistically.
They’re both in the camel family and live in South America, but alpacas and llamas aren’t the same species.
The alien-looking, bloodsucking fish have cells that may form the same rudimentary nervous system we have.
The Denisovans went extinct around 30,000 years ago. Scientists are just beginning to unravel their genetic legacy.
Birds are a noisy bunch, and there's a lot of variation when it comes to avian vocalizations.
Eyebrows are the Swiss Army knife of the human face.
Gasping is tied to an innate survival mechanism, hardwired into humans through evolution: the fight-or-flight response.
Why do we even have them? Let's get to the root of the issue.
If you can't resist puckering your mouth when you lick a lemon or snack on Sour Patch Kids, you can thank evolution.
Fans of '90s alternative music may recall King Missile's big single, "Detachable Penis." While the song may have been silly, it turns out than in the animal world, the idea isn't all that bizarre—at least not to the sea slug Chromodoris reticulata.
Chimpanzees share about 98 percent of their genes with humans, but you wouldn't want to invite this side of the family over for dinner.
What do chipmunks eat? Baby birds, occasionally. Do chipmunks hibernate? Yes, but not like bears do.
How many ice ages have there been so far? The same number of ‘Ice Age’ movies that have been released. (Five.)