Most people know Jane Goodall, who died Wednesday, as a silver-haired conservationist who chatted with Stephen Colbert and gave speeches to the United Nations in defense of nature. For scientists, however, it’s the young Jane Goodall who followed wild chimpanzees for weeks at a time who endures as an icon.

“There will always only be one Jane Goodall,” said Michael Tomasello, an expert on the origin of language at Duke University.

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About 360 million years ago, our fishy ancestors moved from water to land. Along the way, their fins turned into feet, with toes. And hundreds of millions of years later, the front pair evolved into hands.

To understand this profound evolutionary transformation, scientists have spent decades studying the fossils of extinct fish that sported limb-like fins. They have also compared the embryos of modern-day fish and land vertebrates to understand how their fins and limbs develop.

Continue reading “How Did Hands Evolve? The Answer Is Behind You.” →

The Lasker Awards, which honor fundamental discoveries and clinical advances that improve human health, were given on Thursday to scientists for discovering hidden complexity in cells, new states of biological matter, and a potent treatment for cystic fibrosis.

The prizes are named for Mary and Albert Lasker. Ms. Lasker was an advocate for medical research, and her husband is sometimes referred to as the father of modern advertising. The prizes are among the most prestigious in medicine, and scores of Lasker winners have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize. Recipients in each category share a $250,000 prize.

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In a message on social media that baffled many scientists, President Trump questioned the effectiveness of the Covid vaccines and demanded that the makers prove that they work.

“Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Others disagree!”

Continue reading “Trump Wants Proof That Covid Vaccines Work. It’s Easy to Find.” →

Charles Darwin unveiled his theory of evolution in 1859, in “On the Origin of Species.” But it took him another 12 years to work up the courage to declare that humans evolved, too.

In “The Descent of Man,” published in 1871, Darwin argued that humans arose from apes. And one of the most profound changes they underwent was turning into upright walkers.

Continue reading “Uncovering the Genes That Let Our Ancestors Walk Upright” →