The question of when animals first evolved is one that has confounded scientists since the time of Charles Darwin. Studying ...

The newly discovered fossil records suggest that mold-like single-cell organisms "set the stage" for the animal kingdom to evolve, the researchers wrote in a new report, published in the journal ...

Our new study reveals a different, often overlooked factor. Daily swings in oxygen levels on the shallow seafloor may have stressed early animals (the ancestors of all animal life today), pushing them ...

Being a scientist is much like being a lawyer. You painstakingly gather evidence to support an argument — though one rooted in the scientific method, not courtroom conjecture. According to new ...

For more than 100 years, biologists have wondered why animals display different types of life cycles. Some species, like humans and most vertebrates, develop directly into a fully formed yet smaller ...

New research suggests animals could have evolved as early as 800 to 700 million years ago, roughly 200 million years earlier than some previous estimates. If so, the first animals may have lived ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Here's why Dickinsonia challenges our previously held ...

It’s easy to focus on the grim aspects, especially when considering the violent ends some animals meet. However, it’s important to remember that this represents only a small part of their existence.

The transition from aquatic to terrestrial life has been one of the most significant evolutionary challenges. This decisive process in the evolution of life on Earth required a profound renewal of the ...

Humans are captivated by the idea of finding life elsewhere in the universe – and even more by the idea that life, if found, might resemble the complex, animal life here on Earth. One of the easiest ...

Kali Holder, a veterinary pathologist at the National Zoo, is motivated by problem-solving and a passionate curiosity about nature. Image: courtesy of Kali Holder When an animal becomes endangered, it ...