Biology

New discoveries about mitochondria could reshape how we understand the body’s response to stress, aging and illness

Mounting evidence from genome studies indicates that, contrary to received wisdom, our species has undergone profound biological adaptation in its recent evolutionary past

When these energy-giving organelles thrive, so do we

Sunshine may hold healing rays for a variety of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Scientists are turning this surprising discovery into treatments

By physically engineering their environments, megafauna such as dinosaurs curbed fruit seed sizes—a role that now may be filled by humans

Fossilized claw tracks discovered in Australia show that the animal group that includes reptiles, mammals and birds formed earlier than expected

Your orange cat may host a never-before-seen genetic pathway for color pigmentation, according to new studies

Technology has made it easier than ever to quickly find, identify and record birds. But to truly appreciate feathered friends, consider unplugging

Newborn pilot whales have been spotted mysteriously swimming among pods of orcas. Scientists are trying to puzzle out how the pilot whale calves got there and what happened to them

Pugs, Persian cats, and other smushed-face cats and dogs are more similar to one another than they are to the wild animals they evolved from

A new snakebite treatment combines an existing drug with antibodies from a hyperimmune reptile collector, raising both hopes and ethical concerns

In the new book Personhood, historian and law professor Mary Ziegler explores how the push to grant embryos and fetuses full legal rights is reshaping U.S. reproductive health care, research and policy