Evolution

"We identified three genes responsible for the accumulation of alpha and beta carotene, which make carrots orange," study author Massimo Iorizzo told Newsweek.

Some antivirals work by increasing the rate of mutation in SARS-CoV-2. But could this accelerate the evolution of new, super variants?

The fossil is giving archaeologists important insights into the evolution of birds in the terrestrial ecosystem at the time.

The researchers found that males that had lost one of their legs during development were more likely to become gamma males, at the bottom of the male hierarchy.

Fungi use a special type of cell division called "clamp connection" to prevent the accumulation of cancers.

Periodic blooms in biodiversity have occurred throughout the history of life on Earth. The mechanisms underpinning these cycles were largely unknown, until now.

Of all hair types, tight curls keep the body cool the best, researchers found.

It turns out that our orangutan cousins can make two noises with their voices at once, in a similar way to human beatboxers.

Researchers are "pretty excited" academic Frank Postberg told Newsweek, after finding signs of phosphates, essential for life, on one of Saturn's moons.

Scientists have found that female zebrafish can filter the semen of their mates to only allow the best sperm to fertilize their eggs.

Researchers have found that Neanderthal DNA can affect our development, metabolism and immune systems.

Megafauna like massive elephants were once thought to have gone extinct due to humans arriving, but it turns out we weren't responsible after all.

Researchers documented a virgin birth in an American crocodile—the first time this unusual mode of reproduction has been seen in crocodilians.

The previously unknown dinosaur, named Iani smithi after the Roman god Janus, lived at a time of major change in Earth's climate.

Woylies are critically endangered marsupials that are evolving to be even less adept at avoiding the predators that threaten them.

The eastern hognose is seen writhing dramatically, before lying belly-up on the ground, with its mouth open and its tongue lolling to the side.

The spider's unusual behavior makes it much less appealing to some predators, allowing them to hide in plain sight.

A new study has found that male California sea lions have grown larger over several decades, while females have stayed the same size.

"I thought right away that it looked similar to a shark's tooth, but was confused because it was quite a large size," Rachel Shill Cook told Newsweek.

Since 2018, coyotes with a rare genetic mutation that causes them to have piercing blue eyes have been spotted in certain areas of California.

Scientists have figured out why larger dogs die earlier than smaller dogs, and it may be because we bred them so intensively to be larger.

A surprisingly large number of species can swap from male to female or female to male at some point during their lives based on their environment.

The mother capuchin mother carried the baby for several hours after it died from a fall, having been unable to cling to her back.

The bizarre animal, found in eastern North America, has a strange body part that helps make it one of the fastest foragers in the animal kingdom.

The mass extinction event resulted from the impact of a giant space rock that smashed into the Earth around 66 million years ago.

Researchers found that spiders deep inside caves had nearly entirely lost their eyes, while spiders living at the cave entrances were only partially blind.

Scientists have discovered many new microproteins that are coded for in parts of our DNA previously thought to be empty.

The reason behind this remarkable wound-healing ability is unclear, but researchers think it may have something to do with shark mating.

Nile crocodiles are estimated to be responsible for 200 human deaths every year. Now, researchers have discovered the secret to their unbeatable hunting tactics.

"They are animals so old that finding or bumping into one of them is a privilege," a researcher said.