Evolution

5 articles

A small, colorful manakin bird with bright plumage perched on a berry-laden branch, showcasing its specialized fruit-eating adaptation.

Life & Biology

Manakins evolved to eat fruit by repurposing umami receptors

A single male manakin can consume its entire body weight in berries in only 1.5 hours.

David Grossman·July 21, 2026

A cosmic vista illustrating the immense timescale of evolution, highlighting Earth's unique journey towards complex life and civilization.

Life & Biology

What Are Major Evolutionary Transitions and How Do They Occur?

Imagine a cosmic clock where the ticks mark major evolutionary leaps.

Marcus Cole·July 15, 2026

The tree of life interwoven with DNA strands and fossil records, symbolizing the evolution of evolutionary theory and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis.

Life & Biology

What is the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis?

In 2014, a prominent article in Nature directly posed the question: 'Does evolutionary theory need a rethink?

David Grossman·July 10, 2026

Abstract representation of complex molecules assembling, symbolizing the core concepts of Assembly Theory and its challenge to defining life and evolution.

Life & Biology

What is Assembly Theory and why does it challenge definitions of life?

A 2023 paper, "Assembly theory explains and quantifies selection and evolution," proposed a new framework for life, but its very title immediately drew criticism for being misleading.

David Grossman·July 9, 2026

Microscopic view of RNA and protein systems, some thriving and others fading, representing the delicate balance of early life and extinction risks.

Life & Biology

RNA protein systems face extinction risks, study reveals

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have precisely mapped the environmental tipping points that determine if a self-replicating RNA-protein system will flourish into complexity or vanish entirely.

David Grossman·June 6, 2026