evolution

Vials with orange liquid in the lab

A relatively simple mixture of chemicals can produce some of the compounds needed to form RNA, UNSW scientists have shown. 

A bat flying

Bats may have lived in caves and used soundwaves to navigate much earlier than first thought.

a bee sits on the petals of a large flower

New research suggests insects have pollinated flowers since the pollen-bearing blooms first evolved more than 140 million years ago.

A tabby cat licks a kitten

Live birth has evolved independently more than 150 times. The underlying biophysical processes all look quite similar, but new research shows they use completely different genetic tools.

Scientist Emma Harding smiles as she works in a laboratory with a pipette

Viral fossils buried in DNA may protect against future virus infections, a new marsupial study suggests.

donald trump swearing in watched by children

According to this theory, our social and political views can be impacted not only by the sex of our children, but also whether we have more male or female relatives.

A sea sponge under water

DNA from the humble sea sponge is shedding light on the "dark matter" that makes up much of our genomes.

House with a face

Face pareidolia – the phenomenon of seeing faces in everyday objects – uses the same brain processes that we use to recognise and interpret other ‘real’ human faces.

woman ageing face

As modern medicine improves, so too does our ability to stave off disease. But can we overcome the most inescapable of afflictions - old age? Researchers around the world are trying to find out.

A flowering plant

New research shows, in a world first, a recreation of the evolution of flowering plants through time - a complete angiosperm 'time-tree'.

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