At first glance, this mammal looks like a horse gone terribly wrong. But, in reality, Chalicotherium is far from a botched ...

The humble rodent “thumb” may not seem like an obvious window into evolution, but its keratinized tip – the unguis (hoof, claw, or nail) – turns out to reveal striking insights into rodent history and ...

Researchers (left to right) Gordon Shepherd, Anderson Feijó, Lauren Johnson, and Rafaela Missagia, working in the Field Museum’s mammal collections. Picture a squirrel eating an acorn. It’s holding ...

The legions of squirrels breaking into backyard bird feeders benefit from a surprising trait developed over millions of years—tiny hands with four claws and a human-looking thumbnail. This combination ...

The human brain is a greedy organ. It gulps energy, demands constant upkeep, and somehow grew far larger (relative to body size) than the brains of any other primate. Scientists have always wondered ...

Gut Microbes may have helped fuel the evolution of large human brains, shaping brain metabolism and gene activity, new ...

Subterranean rodents occupy an exceptional ecological niche characterised by elaborate burrow systems and unique physiological adaptations. Their underground habitat, with its stable but challenging ...