Evolution
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Complex life on Earth began billion years earlier than previously thought, study arguesFossils from China are said to prove that multi-cellular organisms evolved as early as 1.5bn years ago – but some experts dismiss findings -
How did the giraffe get its long neck? Gene analysis tells a tall storyResearch into the giraffe genome has uncovered genetic variations that could be behind unusual adaptations to neck length and cardiovascular system -
The truth of the tyrannosaurus - podcastAs we continue to discover new species of this huge dinosaur, is our understanding of it changing?
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People with more friends have higher pain thresholds, study suggestsLink between larger friendship circles and high pain thresholds may be down to the way the the brain’s endorphin system has evolved, researchers say
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Evolution makes scientific sense. So why do many people reject it?Child psychology studies have identified a natural human bias toward the theory of intelligent design, and pose a solution: teach evolution earlier
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'Hobbit-like' hominins died out sooner than thought. Were humans to blame?Analysis shows that the diminutive Homo floresiensis, died out at least 50,000 years ago, making competition with modern humans a likely cause
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Spiders' closest relative reveals silky secret of evolutionary successScans of spider-like fossil Idmonarachne brasieri point to the idea that the ability to spin silk has given spiders a leg up in evolutionary terms
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Bark to the future: ice age puppies may reveal canine evolutionStudies on pair discovered perfectly preserved in the Yakutia region in Russia five years ago may provide clues about when dogs were domesticated
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520m-year-old nervous system among oldest and most detailed ever foundRare discovery of fossilised nerve tissue from the shrimp-like Chengjiangocaris kunmingensis offers ‘unique insight’ into arthropod evolution
Lost Worlds Revisited The fabulous fossils of Messel - a colourful world of birds and beetles