51��

Skip to content

The yellow blooms of a flowering mustard plant

Life

Plants may form memories using mad cow disease proteins

Prion proteins are infamous for their role in mad cow disease, but they also help yeasts form memories. They have now been discovered in plants

51��

A spectacular landscape of cliffs with a waterfall plunging down to a crater and rocky pinnacles in the background

Earth

Inside the lost cave world of the Amazon's tepui mountains

51��

human Neanderthal

Humans

The 4 genetic traits that helped humans conquer the world

Features

undead artwork

Humans

Meet our hybrid ancestors who kept extinct humans' DNA alive

Features

Abstract picture of ice crystals

Life

Missing building block of life could be made on ice in space

51��

Missing Y chromosome kept us apart from Neanderthals

Humans

Missing Y chromosome kept us apart from Neanderthals

51��

Humans

The truth about migration: How evolution made us xenophobes

Features

migration 2

Health

The truth about migration: We're a stay-at-home species

Features

Aquilonifer spinosus in false colour with several young tethered to either side of it

Life

Extinct animal flew underwater kites made of its own young

51��

James Cook (1728-79) English navigator, witnessing human sacrifice in Taihiti (Otaheite) c1773 during his second Pacific voyage 1772-1775. Engraving from 1815 edition of Cook's Voyages.

Life

Has ritual human sacrifice shaped societies and class systems?

An analysis of 93 Austronesian cultures suggests ritual human sacrifice has played a role in keeping societies less egalitarian. But not everyone is convinced

51��

Life

Eyeless cave shrimp senses light and can live frozen in ice

51��

Life

Small is beautiful: Why a synthetic minimal genome is a big deal

Opinion

Life

The evolution of the nose: why is the human hooter so big?

51��

Life

Darwin's beautiful theory must itself be allowed to evolve

Leader