Global Warming Shrinking Sheep

(NEWSER) - Global warming is changing the face of the planet, and a key panel estimates that a quarter of the world's species will die out—but a few organisms are already evolving to survive in a hotter world. In the past few years Scottish sheep have become smaller, while species of birds and plants are moving to cooler climes up mountains and away from the tropics. Carl Zimmer, writing for Yale's green blog Environment 360, details how evolution can move far more swiftly than Darwin had foreseen. More»

They pass on vital knowledge to help societies thrive

(NEWSER) - Middle aged? Don't get down on yourself: You're the "pinnacle of evolution," according to a Cambridge scientist. Middle age is a period "not of decline but of development," says David Bainbridge. Humans are unusual in that they remain healthy well beyond their child-bearing years. They have long helped societies flourish by acting as "super-providers," passing on survival knowledge and traditions, whether they have their own kids or not. More»

Governor's trust in his instincts reminiscent of George W. Bush: Richard Cohen

(NEWSER) - Rick Perry officially burst onto the presidential scene just days ago, but he already "clings to an ice floe of diminishing credibility," writes Richard Cohen in the Washington Post : Perry has quickly established himself as "intellectually unqualified to be president," most pointedly when he sided with the 2% of climate experts who question global warming. Trouble is, such beliefs aren’t just "silliness"—they reveal a deeper flaw with Perry as a candidate. His views on climate change don’t come from his examination of the science; they stem from ideology. More»

(NEWSER) - Facing broad new US regulations on emissions, big business wants to put the science behind global warming before a judge, the Los Angeles Times reports. “It would be evolution versus creationism,” says an executive for the US Chamber of Commerce, which is pushing the idea of a public hearing. “It would be the science of climate change on trial.” More»

Feathered displays may have been about finding mates, not climbing trees

(NEWSER) - Among paleontologists, one of the big battles has long been over why dinosaurs originally evolved wings: Did they start gliding down from trees, or need extra propulsion when running? According to a new study, the first wings were all about impressing the ladies—it was sexual selection that let bigger-winged dinos have more hatchlings, the Telegraph reports. More»