Scientists measured lip-smacking by macaques and concluded that's where human language came from. Is that logical? Only if an arbitrary requirement is imposed on scientific explanations.
A new finding shows dogs performing better on one kind of intelligence test than chimpanzees. If evolution teaches that human intelligence is the main trait separating us from other animals, and dogs are smarter than apes, shouldn’t the conclusion be that dogs are closer on the family tree? If not, is it valid for evolutionary biologists to pick and choose the traits that matter?
Here are ten recent discoveries about plants and animals that are surprising and inspiring. Some of them may lead to technologies that can improve our own lives.
Evolution predicts gain of function; genetic entropy predicts loss of function. A gene that helps synthesize Vitamin C provides a test between the two views.