Scientists find skull of enormous ancient dolphin in Amazon
The Guardian » Evolution
by Sophie Kevany
1w ago
Fossil of giant river dolphin found in Peru, whose closest living relation is in South Asia, gives clues to future extinction threats Scientists have discovered the fossilised skull of a giant river dolphin, from a species thought to have fled the ocean and sought refuge in Peru’s Amazonian rivers 16m years ago. The extinct species would have measured up to 3.5 metres long, making it the largest river dolphin ever found. The discovery of this new species, Pebanista yacuruna, highlights the looming risks to the world’s remaining river dolphins, all of which face similar extinction threats in th ..read more
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I discovered thousands of fossils after retiring. Now I’m nearly 80 and still going strong
The Guardian » Evolution
by Heather Middleton
2w ago
I’ve built up a collection from a beach in Weymouth that could help to establish what biodiversity in the UK was like over the course of millions of years All photos by Alexander Turner My interest in fossils began at the age of 10 in my back garden in Glastonbury, Somerset, where I discovered ammonites. With hindsight, it wasn’t beauty that drew me to them, but the magic of discovery. I was drawn in by their sheer age, and the unfathomable nature of the distant past. After my degree in natural sciences in 1965 I wanted to go as far away as I could, so I applied to teach biology in Ghana. It ..read more
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The 280m-year-old fossil reptile that turned out to be a forgery
The Guardian » Evolution
by Kate Ravilious
1M ago
Modern imaging techniques reveal item thought to be well preserved lizard-like fossil is painted carving Generations of palaeontologists have marvelled over a 280m-year-old fossilised lizard-like reptile, Tridentinosaurus antiquus, discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931. Thought to be one of the best-preserved specimens of the species, palaeontologists believed there were even traces of carbonised skin on the surface. Now modern imaging techniques have revealed that this treasured fossil is, in fact, a carving covered in black paint ..read more
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ADHD may have been an evolutionary advantage, research suggests
The Guardian » Evolution
by Nicola Davis Science correspondent
1M ago
Traits associated with the neurodevelopmental disorder could have helped early humans when foraging for food Traits common to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as distractibility or impulsivity, might have been an evolutionary advantage for our ancestors by improving their tactics when foraging for food, researchers have said. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms including impulsiveness, disorganisation and difficulty focusing. While estimates of prevalence have varied, diagnoses have been rising in many countries, including the UK ..read more
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What apes can tell us about the origins of teasing | podcast
The Guardian » Evolution
by Presented by Ian Sample, produced by Joshan Chana, sound design by Tony Onuchukwu, the executive producer is Ellie Bury
1M ago
We all know people who find it hilarious to prod and poke, pinch and tickle, all in the name of fun. But are humans the only ones who like to tease each other? Or are other animals in on the act? Ian Sample talks to Prof Erica Cartmill about her work on apes and teasing and asks, given how annoying teasing is, why do apes, and humans, do it? Watch young great apes tease and annoy their elders here ..read more
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Huge, fearsome … and slender: rethink megalodon body shape, experts say
The Guardian » Evolution
by Nicola Davis Science correspondent
2M ago
Researchers suggest image of prehistoric giant based on proportions of great white shark could be mistaken Huge, fearsome and boasting an enormous pair of jaws, the star of Hollywood’s The Meg left even the movie hardman Jason Statham troubled by its size. Now researchers say the gigantic prehistoric shark megalodon might have been slimmer than previously thought ..read more
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Zoologist Arik Kershenbaum: ‘We all want to know whether animals talk and what they’re saying’
The Guardian » Evolution
by Killian Fox
2M ago
The zoologist on observing animal communication in the wild, why dolphins give one another names, and the high likelihood that humans could converse with aliens Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist at Cambridge University who specialises in animal communication, studying wolves, gibbons and dolphins to “understand more not just about their ecology and conservation, but also about the evolution of our own language”. His first book, The Zoologist’s Guide to the Galaxy, which speculated on alien life, came out in 2020. His new book, Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication, will be ..read more
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Darwin in Patagonia: tracing the naturalist’s route around the foot of South America
The Guardian » Evolution
by Marcio Pimenta, with additional reporting by Caio Barretto Briso
3M ago
Darwin spent more than half of the five years of the Beagle expedition in the most southerly region of Argentina, where his legacy is still vivid Far from the recognisable image of the white-bearded father of modern biology, when Charles Darwin embarked on his expedition into the unknown, he was a young man who had twice disappointed his family. A model of HMS Beagle, the navy ship on which Darwin sailed to South America in 1831 ..read more
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Humans may have influenced evolution of dogs’ eye colour, researchers say
The Guardian » Evolution
by Nicola Davis Science correspondent
3M ago
Dark eyes are more common in domesticated dogs, possibly because we consider this trait more friendly Human preferences for a friendly face may have steered the evolution of canine eye colour, researchers have suggested. Ever since canines were domesticated, some time between 15,000 and 50,000 years ago, humans have selected – whether consciously or not – particular traits in their dogs ..read more
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Sickly sweet: how our sugar-coated cells helped humanity turn illness into evolution
The Guardian » Evolution
by Mark Honigsbaum
3M ago
The molecules that cover our cells have interacted over the ages with our environment and the diseases that plague us – and in the process shaped our progress According to the latest estimates, Covid-19 may be responsible for more than 18 million deaths worldwide. While infectious diseases like this have devastated humanity, it may be wrong to assume they are always antithetical to our survival and flourishing as a species. Otherwise, why would ancient pathogens such as malaria (of the falciparum type), cholera, typhoid, measles and influenza A persist as human-only diseases – and why have we ..read more
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