Ferns have evolved a mutually beneficial relationship with ants, but this happened late in their evolution. A recent study shows that old dogs can learn new tricks.
The bamboo coral Isidella displaying bioluminescence in the Caribbean in 2009.
Sönke Johnsen
Dozens of animals, some on land but many in the ocean, can produce light within their bodies through chemical reactions. Scientists are still trying to understand when and why this trait developed.
Humans aren’t the only animals that have names for each other − and studying animals that use names can teach researchers more about how human names evolved.
Male proboscis monkeys are known for their large, bulbous nose appendages. It’s a strange feature to evolve – with new research shedding light on their unlikely origin story.
You can see this dog’s third eyelid in the corner of its eye.
Shooty Photography/Shutterstock
Symbiosis is so much part of life on Earth that it has shaped the evolution and structure of cells. It’s happening almost everywhere we look, including inside our gut.