An excerpt from issue 134 of The Atavist Magazine.
evolution
A Clever New Strategy for Treating Cancer, Thanks to Darwin
Robert Gatenby, a radiologist in Tampa, Florida, is rethinking cancer as a chronic illness: studying the link between cancer and Darwin’s principles and finding a way to “outsmart it rather than carpet-bomb it.”
The Darwinian View of Our Storytelling Species
What the history of folktales reveals about the role storytelling played in human evolution.
On Saving the Cuban Crocodile from American Invasion
“…female Cuban crocs, who might normally struggle to find a mate from their own small population, suddenly encounter exotic suitors of an appealing size and shenanigans ensue.”
Civilization Was Supposed to Make Our Lives Better, Right?
Cultivating crops led to permanent settlements, but also greed and exploitation. Was it all worth it?
Evolution and Chill: Survival Is No Longer Just About Competition
Scientists are taking a second look at the effect of cooperation on evolution.
‘When Neanderthals Disappeared From Here, We Became the Sole Inheritors of Our Continent’
In Gibraltar, science writer Gaia Vince discovers that analyzing the genetics of ancient humans means changing ideas about our evolution.
What Does It Mean To Be Human?
How much of your DNA is Neanderthal? In Gibraltar, Gaia Vince analyzes the genetics of ancient humans.
What Would Happen if Life on Earth Started Over Again?
At Nautilus, science reporter Zach Zorich examines the following question: If the world began again, would life as we know it exist? In science and evolution, this is a discussion of convergence vs. contingency. Scientists like Richard Lenski, an evolutionary biologist at Michigan State University, are conducting experiments in the lab to test out their […]