Posts Tagged ‘evolution’
The Human Brain Owes Its Existence to a Prehistoric Pandemic
Seven million years ago, the evolution of humans and chimpanzees suddenly split from their common ancestor. New research finds that a retroviral infection inserted viral DNA into the genome of early chimpanzees can account for the enormous increase in size and cognitive power of the human brain. Remarkably, humans and chimpanzees share 98.8 percent of…
Read MoreHow the Tremendous Boost in Brain Power Arose Suddenly in Evolution–The Mystery of Myelin
“Why, if species have descended from other species by fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms?” — Charles Darwin in The Origin of Species. Charles Darwin proposed that evolution is driven by gradual variations in organisms that have survival advantage in a changing environment, but he recognized that new traits often…
Read MoreHumans Are Genetically Predisposed to Kill Each Other
A new study of 1,024 mammal species has determined which animals are the most vicious killers of their own kind. Killer whales perhaps? Pit bulls maybe? For the answer, just look in the mirror.
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