Evolution Diary

CORVALLIS, Ore. (…)

LA JOLLA, CA — Although the Galápagos finches were to play a pivotal role in the inception of Darwin’s theory of evolution through natural selection, he had no inkling of their significance when he collected them during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. (…)

The first direct evidence that early Europeans were unable to digest milk has been found by scientists at UCL (University College London) and Mainz University. (…)

“Regressive evolution,” or the reduction of traits over time, is the result of either natural selection or genetic drift, according to a study on cavefish by researchers at New York University’s Department of Biology, the University of California at Berkeley’s Department of Integrative Biology, and the Harvard Medical School. (…)

It’s a mystery why the speed and complexity of evolution appear to increase with time. (…)