At about a pound and a half, Mahakala omnogovae was certainly a cute dinosaur. But cuteness is not why paleontologists traveled to the remote ends of Mongolia to find it. It’s part of a much bigger story.

Paleontologists have known for a while now that birds evolved from one group of dinosaurs called theropods–the two-legged beasts that include the likes of Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor. But precisely which lineage of theropods birds belong to has been the subject of a lot of debate. These debates, like all debates in science, are fueled by uncertainty. Paleontologists can base their arguments only on the fossils they have already pulled out of the ground. So when a new dinosaur turns up, it provides an opportunity to give these arguments a fresh look.

Continue reading “Dinosaurs: Beyond Cute” →

I think he may be under the influence.

If not, thanks.

Okay–narcissism stops…now. 

Originally published September 6, 2007. Copyright 2007 Carl Zimmer.

Earlier this summer my cover story on the meaning of life (or, at least, “life”) came out in the July/August issue of Seed. Now, at long last, the Seedsters have posted the story online. Read it here. 

Originally published September 5, 2007. Copyright 2007 Carl Zimmer.

“I’m an evolutionary biologist who investigates the evolution of sperm form, sperm-female interactions and sperm competition. So…yeah, it’s pretty much about sperm. Wanted to bring the concept of the homunculus to life, as all illustrations of it have always been rather cartoonish.” —Scott Pitnick, Syracuse University

The science tattoo collection now has 56 images. See the full set at flickr. Any more illustrated lurkers out there?

Originally published September 5, 2007. Copyright 2007 Carl Zimmer.

Driving home at the end of the long weekend, I was amazed to see a tree here and there along the road with a touch of orange in its leaves. Fall already. And with fall comes another team of scientists to puzzle over why leaves change color.

I’ve been following this story for four autumns now, both in the New York Times, and in a series of blog posts (one, two, three, and four). It began with a simple question from one of the great evolutionary biologists since Darwin. William Hamilton argued that it takes a lot of energy for autumn leaves to produce the brilliant pigments that make fall so beautiful. Why bother, Hamilton asked.

Continue reading “When Brilliant Isn’t Brilliant” →