"evolutionary biology"

Humans sleep less than every other primate on record, despite having the biggest brains — biologists call it the human sleep paradox.

You snore because your airway was redesigned for language. That structural trade-off has been with us for 40,000 years.

Why humans have a philtrum, the groove above your lip, explained by an evolutionary biologist — from embryonic face-building to vestigial an...

Every human will, at least once, experience a “head spin.” Not many of us, however, will know the delicate and complex machinery that causes...

Honey badgers became internet legends for seeming fearless, but the real science behind their cobra resistance is even stranger.

A rare deep-sea sevengill shark with unusual patchy coloration was found to be in poor energetic condition, suggesting that even subtle disr...

Humans can only see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum. Here’s why evolution may have intentionally hidden ultraviolet light from...

The uvula is nearly unique to humans among mammals. An evolutionary biologist unpacks competing theories for why we evolved this odd little...

Why do some people get freckles and others don't? A biologist breaks down the genetics, sun exposure and evolutionary trade-offs behind them...

Ever wondered why you sometimes have conversations in your sleep? These are the three leading explanations, according to biology.

That soft little flap of tissue dangling from the bottom of your ear has puzzled scientists for decades. Here’s what we actually know about...

Why do men have an Adam's apple? A biologist explains the puberty hormone surge behind it, the sexual-selection theory and the debate over w...