Gift-giving was practised by early humans in Africa – how it spread and evolved: For many countries around the world, December is an intense, commercialised period of gift-giving. Not just within families but across all sorts of relationships, such as gifts between buyers and service providers. Gift-giving, the act of presenting someone with a gift …
Why we haven’t evolved better knees – new research: fongbeerredhot/Shutterstock The groans of pain as we get up from the sofa or the sound of crunching cartilage when taking the stairs are all too familiar. Many of us look down at our aching knees and curse them – wondering why they seemingly evolved to hurt so …
How Ireland’s Nollaig na mBan evolved from a day off housework to a celebration of women’s achievements: Butsaya/Shutterstock Growing up in west Kerry, Christmas was (and still is) not officially over until after Nollaig na mBan (Women’s Christmas) on January 6 – candles are lit in windows and decorations are not taken down until the …
How the Christmas royal broadcast evolved – from the first reluctant monarch to an enduring queen and a new king: On Christmas Day, many in the UK will pause their festivities at 3pm to watch King Charles give his Christmas message – his second since his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in September 2022. The century-long …
Elephant teeth: how they evolved to cope with climate change-driven dietary shifts: Proboscideans and their tooth structures in various forms across 60 million years of evolution. Illustration by Óscar Sanisidro. Author provided (no reuse) Seeing elephants in the wild is a timelessly awe-inspiring experience. There are only three living species today: the African savannah elephant, …
Scientists can’t agree on when the first animals evolved – our research hopes to end the debate: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock There are estimated to be nearly 8 million species of animals living today, making up the majority of Earth’s documented biodiversity and inhabiting almost all of its environments. However, for most of Earth’s history animals were completely …
How fish evolved to walk – and in one case, turned into humans: 3D rendering of the tiktaalik, an extinct walking fish Dotted Yeti/Shutterstock When you think about human evolution, there’s a good chance you’re imagining chimpanzees exploring ancient forests or early humans daubing woolly mammoths on to cave walls. But we humans, along with …
Most humans haven’t evolved to cope with the cold, yet we dominate northern climates – here’s why: Humans have used technology to adapt to the cold Yvette Cardozo / Alamy Stock Photo Humans are a tropical species. We have lived in warm climates for most of our evolutionary history, which might explain why so many …
How wildlife in ponds has evolved to survive frozen water – and how you can help more animals stay alive: "Great!" Mabel Amber/Pixabay, CC BY-SA When filled with ice-skaters or a clumsy Bambi on a Christmas card, a frozen pond is a merry sight. But spare a thought for the living things trapped below. The …
When did humans first start to speak? How language evolved in Africa: Descendants of the indigenous San people in the Kalahari Desert. Eric Lafforgue/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Image When did humans first begin to speak, which speech sounds were uttered first, and when did language evolve from those humble beginnings? These questions have long fascinated people, …
Crabs have evolved five separate times – why do the same forms keep appearing in nature?: Full size blue crab Charles Darwin believed evolution created “endless forms most beautiful”. It’s a nice sentiment but it doesn’t explain why evolution keeps making crabs. Scientists have long wondered whether there are limits to what evolution can do …
The US and Rwanda: how the relationship has evolved since the 1994 genocide: Rwandan president Paul Kagame speaks during a governance event in the US. Paul Marotta/Getty Images One of the primary points of discussion between Antony Blinken and Rwandan president Paul Kagame in the US secretary of state’s upcoming visit to Kigali will be …
Animals have evolved to avoid overexploiting their resources – can humans do the same?: 'Survival of the fittest' may not function so well in a global society. MaxPixel People have been trying to understand how predators and prey are able to stay balanced within our planet’s ecosystems for at least 2,400 years. The Greek author …
Five ways reindeer are perfectly evolved for pulling Santa’s sleigh: Vladimir Melnikov/Shutterstock We all know that Father Christmas would struggle to deliver presents to everyone around the world without the help of his magical reindeer. But why were they chosen to pull the sleigh rather than any other animal? It turns out that the biology …
Tokyo 2020: How the Paralympics have evolved from rehabilitation to spectacle: In the 57 years since Tokyo first hosted the Paralympic Games, the event – and the sports it comprises – have changed beyond recognition. The Tokyo 1964 Games marked the first time the word “paralympic” was used. At the time, the term described 21 …
Spitting cobras may have evolved unique venom to defend from ancient humans: Spitting cobras use their venom for defence. Stu Porter/shutterstock.com Cobras are fascinating and frightening creatures. These snakes are most well known for their characteristic defence mechanism called hooding, when the sides of their neck flare out in a dramatic display. However, hooding isn’t …
Starfish: rare fossil helps answer the mystery of how they evolved arms: Starfish are one of the most recognisable animals on our planet. Yellowj/shutterstock.com A chance discovery of a beautifully preserved fossil in the desert landscape of Morocco has solved one of the great mysteries of biology and palaeontology: how starfish evolved their arms. Starfish …
A tropical fish evolved to endure rising temperatures – but it may not be fast enough to survive climate change: Zebrafish are small, freshwater fish native to South Asia. Per Harald Olsen/NTNU, Author provided The climate is changing, and heatwaves are becoming more common and intense as a result. For the Great Barrier Reef, the …