Female orgasm is evolution’s happy gift
Aristotle was puzzled. Freud had his own ideas. But no one theory has satisfactorily answered the question: Why do women have orgasms? (more…)
Tag Archives: evolution
Why Don’t Turtles Still Have Tail Spikes? Researchers Explain Why Tail Weaponry Is Rare
We’re all familiar with those awesome armored giants of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods – Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus – and their amazing, weaponized tails. But why aren’t similar weaponized tails found in animals living today? In a study covering 300 million years of evolutionary history, researchers from North Carolina State University and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences found four necessary components to tail weapon development: size, armor, herbivory and thoracic stiffness. (more…)
Birth of a New Protein: How Evolution Does More Than Tinker
A UA-led team has found that a protein from a new gene can fold like more ancient proteins, contrary to what had been believed.
A yeast protein that evolved from scratch can fold into a three-dimensional shape — contrary to the general understanding of young proteins — according to new research led by the University of Arizona. (more…)
Bee antennae offer links between the evolution of social behavior and communication
As bees’ social behavior evolved, their complex chemical communication systems evolved in concert, according to a study published June 20 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (more…)
Low level of oxygen in Earth’s middle ages delayed evolution for two billion years
A low level of atmospheric oxygen in Earth’s middle ages held back evolution for two billion years, raising fresh questions about the origins of life on this planet.
New research by the University of Exeter explains how oxygen was trapped at such low levels. (more…)
Warum Affen nicht sprechen
Makaken besitzen anatomische Voraussetzungen für Sprachlaute
Ein internationales Team von Kognitionsbiologen um Tecumseh Fitch von der Universität Wien hat die stimmbildenden Organe – also Kehlkopf, Zunge und Lippen – von Affen genau untersucht und herausgefunden, dass diese weitaus flexibler sind als bisher angenommen. Ihr Fazit: Es liegt nicht an der Vokalanatomie, dass Affen nicht sprechen können, sondern am Gehirn. Ihre Ergebnisse publizieren die Forscher aktuell in der renommierten Fachzeitschrift “Science Advances”. (more…)
The Unfolding Story of the Universe: A Conversation with Mary Evelyn Tucker and Julianne Warren
In their Journey of the Universe project—which includes a film, book, and website—philosopher Brian Thomas Swimme and historian of religions Mary Evelyn Tucker attempt to tell the biggest story ever told: the history of the universe. Through a compelling blend of scientific facts and humanistic inquiry, they move from exploring the formation of the galaxies, stars, planets, and evolution of life on Earth to reflecting on the role of humanity during our current moment of social and ecological challenges. (more…)
Was ist Leben?
Evolution nutzt immer gleiche molekulare Bausteine zur Weiterentwicklung
In der naturwissenschaftlichen Literatur existieren mehr als 200 Erklärungen für den Begriff “Leben”. Ein Forschungsteam rund um den Systembiologen Wolfram Weckwerth von der Universität Wien hat in jüngsten Studien gezeigt, dass grundlegende Schritte der Evolution bei Menschen und Pflanzen sehr ähnlich sind: Energieaufnahme und -verbrauch, ein entscheidendes Merkmal für Leben, basieren auf den gleichen molekularen Bausteinen. (more…)