EVOLUTION

Here‘s the dreaded wisdom tooth doing its thing.

Why Do People Have Wisdom Teeth?

Once essential for early humans, wisdom teeth are now more of a nuisance than a necessity.

The Chimborazo hillstar is native to the Andes of Ecuador and southern Colombia.

Hummingbirds Found Nesting Together in Groups in Surprising First

An ornithologist discovered a hummingbird “hive” in Ecuador‘s High Andes—a major departure for the solitary animals.

Red hair and freckles are two traits partially determined by genes.

13 Facts About Genes

Humans are now known to have between 20,000 and 25,000 genes, but researchers still have much to learn about these small segments of DNA.

Our closest evolutionary cousin, the chimpanzee.

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.

Stenciled human hands in a cave near Rio Pinturas, Argentina, dating from the last ice age.

5 Misconceptions About Early Humans

We break down some common myths about our early human ancestors—and what makes our species, ‘Homo sapiens,’ so different from them.

Foot pain and sprained ankles are just a few of the common problems affecting our ill-adapted feet.

6 Downsides of Human Evolution

From back injuries to difficult childbirth, here are six annoying parts of being human that you can blame on evolution.

A Neanderthal skull against a backdrop of the German valley where the first specimens of the human ancestor were found.

‘Thal Order: 11 Things You Might Not Know About Neanderthals

Often dismissed as “primitive,” our extinct relatives were surprisingly thoughtful. Some were also cannibals.

A 1920 mural by paleoartist Charles Robert Knight depicting Cro-Magnon people painting on cave walls at Font-de-Gaume, France.

Neanderthal vs. Cro-Magnon: What’s the Difference?

These prehistoric members of our genus, ‘Homo,’ occupy different branches of the human family tree.

A replica of the Laetoli footprints discovered in Laetoli, Tanzania; The original footprints were dated to 3.6 million years ago.

9 Fascinating Discoveries that Changed Our Understanding of Human Evolution

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.

The Discoveries of 21 Human Ancestors, Mapped

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.

An artist’s rendering of what Lucy may have looked like in life.

On the Origin of Lucy: How One Extraordinary Fossil Helped Alter Our View of Human Evolution

Lucy walked on her own two feet. Scientists weren’t expecting that.

Chimpanzees vs. Bonobos: What’s the Difference?

They basically share a genome, but chimps and bonobos have some not-so-subtle differences.

Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, the site of humankind's earliest ancestors.

8 Facts about Olduvai Gorge, the “Cradle of Mankind”

The gorge in northern Tanzania has yielded many of the oldest fossils of humankind, shedding new light on our ancient ancestors.

New Fossils Add to Mystery Surrounding the “Hobbit,” Our Smallest Human Ancestor

A fragment of an arm bone found on Flores, Indonesia, suggests that some of our human ancestors were even smaller than we thought.

Detail of a diorama of a Neanderthal mother and child at the Moravian Provincial Museum in Brno, Czech Republic.

Neanderthals Cared for a Child with Down Syndrome

A fossilized ear bone supports the idea that Neanderthals helped raise the child collectively and altruistically.

Alpacas vs. Llamas: What’s the Difference?

They’re both in the camel family and live in South America, but alpacas and llamas aren’t the same species.

Unlovable Sea Lampreys Might Share Our Fight-or-Flight Instinct

The alien-looking, bloodsucking fish have cells that may form the same rudimentary nervous system we have.

A replica of the Denisovan finger bone discovered in 2010.

9 Facts About the Denisovans, Our Mysterious Human Ancestor

The Denisovans went extinct around 30,000 years ago. Scientists are just beginning to unravel their genetic legacy.

Why Do Some Birds Sing, While Others Caw?

Birds are a noisy bunch, and there's a lot of variation when it comes to avian vocalizations.

Why Do We Have Eyebrows?

Eyebrows are the Swiss Army knife of the human face.

Gasping when you're surprised is a quirk of evolution.

Why Do We Gasp When We're Surprised or Alarmed?

Gasping is tied to an innate survival mechanism, hardwired into humans through evolution: the fight-or-flight response.

10 Facts About Wisdom Teeth

Why do we even have them? Let's get to the root of the issue.

Pucker your mouth when you eat something sour? You're not the only one.

Why Do We Make Weird Faces When We Taste Something Sour?

If you can't resist puckering your mouth when you lick a lemon or snack on Sour Patch Kids, you can thank evolution.

Meet the Sea Slug With the Disposable Penis

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.