ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
A California coyote above Santa Monica beach
Human Gut Bacteria Show Up in Urban Wildlife
The gut microbiomes of city-dwelling animals, including coyotes, lizards, and birds, show similarities to those found in humans who also live in urban environments.
Human Gut Bacteria Show Up in Urban Wildlife
Human Gut Bacteria Show Up in Urban Wildlife

The gut microbiomes of city-dwelling animals, including coyotes, lizards, and birds, show similarities to those found in humans who also live in urban environments.

The gut microbiomes of city-dwelling animals, including coyotes, lizards, and birds, show similarities to those found in humans who also live in urban environments.

convergent evolution

Pufferfish underwater in ocean
Pufferfish Don’t Need Functional Stomach, Inflate Instead
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 5 min read
The fish use their stomach to swell up to three times their size. Is this why they can’t use the organ to digest proteins?
Cuttlefish, cephalopod, mollusk, mollusca, animal behavior, marshmallow test, cognition, intelligence, evolution
Cuttlefish Delay Gratification, a Sign of Smarts
Asher Jones | Mar 5, 2021 | 8 min read
The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future.
Image of the Day: Brittle Star
Emily Makowski | Nov 20, 2019 | 2 min read
This marine animal looks like a sea star, but don’t be fooled.
Hawaiian Spiders on Different Islands Evolved Same Disguise in Parallel
Catherine Offord | Mar 8, 2018 | 2 min read
In an unusual evolutionary twist, local stick spiders have come up with an almost identical repertoire of color morphs in multiple locations.
Week in Review: October 17–21
Jef Akst | Oct 20, 2016 | 2 min read
Report finds that pathologist involved in anonymous defamation case committed multiple acts of misconduct; growing eggs from stem cells; neutrophils’ role in metastasis; convergent evolution in birds
Many Evolutionary Paths Lead to Same Bird Trait
Anna Azvolinsky | Oct 20, 2016 | 3 min read
Diverse genetic changes lead to remarkably similar hemoglobin adaptations of diverse bird species, a study finds. 
How Plants Evolved Different Ways to Make Caffeine
Ruth Williams | Sep 20, 2016 | 3 min read
Caffeine-producing plants use three different biochemical pathways and two different enzyme families to make the same molecule.
Lightning-Fast Spider Bites
Tanya Lewis | Apr 8, 2016 | 2 min read
Trap-jaw spiders have the fastest, most powerful bite of any arachnid, scientists show. 
Spider and Centipede Venom Remarkably Similar
Bob Grant | Jun 12, 2015 | 2 min read
The predatory toxins employed by animals separated by millions of years of evolution are virtually identical, a study shows.
Similar Strokes
Jenny Rood | Apr 29, 2015 | 1 min read
Physics drove the convergent evolution of swimming in 22 unrelated marine species, a study suggests.
ADVERTISEMENT