Tag Archives: evolution
big brains
For humans, it’s pretty much crucial to be able to manage social interactions. Some scientists think that’s actually why we’re intelligent–that our ancestors evolved big brains because having a big brain meant you could navigate your social world better and … Continue reading
prehistory through…dental hygiene?
Send these Neanderthals to the dentist! For a study published last month in PNAS, an anthropology grad student used dental tools to scrape hardened plaque off the teeth of Neanderthals. She wasn’t trying to help them avoid tooth decay. They’d … Continue reading
how meerkats work
Meerkats are adorable little mongooses that live in the Kalahari Desert in tight social groups. Each group is dominated by a female who does most of the reproducing. Others help raise her pups, even lactating so they can nurse them. … Continue reading
CHON CHON CHON CHON CHON CH CHON
A friend asked if I referenced the CHON movie in my story about the origins of life. I did not. Which is tragic, really – the CHON movie is an absolute classic of science cinema, and for more than a … Continue reading
birds have lice, too
A new study finds that bird lice have evolved cryptic coloration. (What you or I might call camouflage.) Read my tiny story about it here. Sulfur-crested cockatoos are awesome. This is my favorite fact about a trip I took to … Continue reading
museum tourist: Linda Hall Library
When I was in Kansas last weekend, we skipped over the border to Missouri to see a nice exhibit of rare books from the History of Science Collection at the Linda Hall Library. This library is kind of a surprise … Continue reading
turtles taste like chicken
Yesterday I wrote about turtles. Turtles are awesome. Their shell is made of bone. Bone! Ok, the part you actually touch, the outside, is made of – guess what – tortoiseshell. It’s something like horn. But under that, the hard … Continue reading
how to catch a pacu
Yesterday I wrote for ScienceNOW about how piranhas got their pointy teeth. The main thing I learned about piranhas is, really, they aren’t that bad. I talked to two people who have spent a lot of time catching piranhas in … Continue reading