There are more than 400,000 known beetle species - and perhaps one million more species left to discover. This makes beetles one of the most diverse groups of animals on Earth. However, the causes for their extraordinary diversity are widely debated. Many claim that herbivory... click to read more

The genomes of all organisms are constantly under attack from a variety of sources, including the everyday effects of solar and ionising radiation together with chemical and oxidative insults. However, there are also more specific threats to our genomes like those that posed through invasion... click to read more

Look out your window, and you might see the broad leaves of a mulberry tree or thin needles of a pine. Perhaps you have an orchid on your windowsill and have noticed the extravagant curves of its petals. All these shapes emerge from the same... click to read more

Complex life on Earth requires oxygen. Understanding how oxygen levels have evolved on our planet can provide an insight into our own evolution and the possibility of complex life evolving elsewhere. Current theories suggest that Earth's O2 levels have risen three times over its 4.5... click to read more

In a famous cartoon, a fish morphs slowly into a human as it forsakes water for dry land. With sly humor, this doodle actually captures a pervasive narrative of evolutionary history: the oceans are life's cradle, with life gaining the continents only later. Seemingly, the... click to read more