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neuroscience, evolution

neuroscience, evolution

Primer: Acoustics and Physiology of Human Speech

Philip Lieberman | Jun 30, 2018 | 2 min read

People have a unique anatomy that supports our ability to produce complex language.

New Caledonian Crows Build Tools From Mental Images, Not Lessons

Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 29, 2018 | 2 min read

When it comes to tool making, the birds learn differently than humans.

Human-Specific Genes Implicated in Brain Size

Abby Olena, PhD | May 31, 2018 | 5 min read

Three members of a gene family called NOTCH2NL may have been involved in the evolution of humans’ big cortex.

Sukanya Charuchandra | May 31, 2018 | 3 min read

Genetic adaptations for human brain development also make us vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.

What Made Human Brains So Big?

Ashley Yeager | May 24, 2018 | 2 min read

Ecological challenges such as finding food and creating fire may have led the organ to become abnormally large, a new computer model suggests.

Hibernating Rodents Feel Less Cold

Abby Olena, PhD | Dec 19, 2017 | 3 min read

Syrian hamsters and thirteen-lined ground squirrels are tolerant of chilly temperatures, thanks to amino acid changes in a cold-responsive ion channel.

Insects’ Neural Learning and Memory Center Discovered in Crustaceans

Catherine Offord | Dec 1, 2017 | 4 min read

Aggressive little marine predators, mantis shrimps possess a mushroom body that appears identical to the one found in insects.

How Poison Frogs Avoid Poisoning Themselves

Abby Olena, PhD | Sep 21, 2017 | 4 min read

Amphibians resist their own chemical defenses with amino acid modifications in the sequence for a target receptor.

Understanding the Roots of Human Musicality

Catherine Offord | Mar 1, 2017 | 10+ min read

Researchers are using multiple methods to study the origins of humans’ capacity to process and produce music, and there’s no shortage of debate about the results.

Birds Have Skills Previously Described as “Uniquely Human”

Jef Akst | Dec 1, 2016 | 3 min read

Scientists are enlisting the help of pigeons, parrots, crows, jays, and other species to disprove the notion that human cognitive abilities are beyond those of other animals.