evolution

Researchers agree it’s a long shot, but transmissible cancers could theoretically evolve into independent species. Certain weird parasites might be living proof.

Theories about how animals became multicellular are shifting as researchers find greater complexity in our single-celled ancestors.

Researchers struggle to incorporate ongoing evolutionary discoveries into an animal classification scheme older than Darwin.

Contrary to popular belief, bacteria have organelles too. Scientists are now studying them for insights into how complex cells evolved.

Viruses and other parasites may sync with their host’s biological clock — or reset it — to gain an advantage.

Surviving fragments of genetic material preserved in sediments allow scientists to see the full diversity of past life — even microbes.

For more than six decades, the influential biologist Edward O. Wilson has drawn connections between evolution, ecology and behavior, often sparking controversies inside and outside of science.

Skyrocketing animal diversity a half-billion years ago was linked to spikes and dips in marine oxygen levels, according to a detailed geological study.

The rainbow of pigments that animals use for blood illustrates a central truth of evolution.