Human newborns arrive remarkably underdeveloped. The reason lies in a deep evolutionary trade-off between big brains, bipedalism and the limits of motherhood.

One of the defining features of human evolution is the steady expansion of our brains. New findings suggest this growth may be partly linked to higher levels of estrogen before birth. Surprisingly, a ...

A new wave of scientists argues that mainstream evolutionary theory needs an urgent overhaul. Their opponents have dismissed them as misguided careerists – and the conflict may determine the future of ...

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection transformed biology and continues to guide modern science, from ...

In this computer simulation of a self-replicating structure, the pink square represents the signal to degrade the connection between the "parent" structure (left) and its "offspring" (right). This ...

A new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI-EB) sheds fresh light on one of the most debated concepts in biology: evolvability. The work provides the first ...

The evolution of eukaryotic cells represents one of the most pivotal transitions in the history of life, marked by the emergence of cellular compartmentalisation and increased complexity. Central to ...

The evolution of the lung represents a compelling chapter in evolutionary developmental biology, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic mechanisms and environmental pressures during the ...

1. The environment as a normal agent in producing phenotypes -- 2. How agents in the environment effect molecular changes in development -- 3. Developmental symbiosis: co-development as a strategy for ...

Part I. Selection: Darwin and natural selection -- The group selection controversy -- For whose good does natural selection work? -- Part II. Adaptation: Darwin (and others) on biological perfection - ...

A molecular biologist may have found a new 'rule of biology.' The rule challenges long-held notions that most living organisms prefer stability over instability because stability requires less energy ...