Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 01, 2012 — Whales are relatively new to the ocean. Fossil evidence allows evolutionary biologists to trace the whale's transformation from land mammal into air-breathing ocean dweller. Today's whales still carry a legacy of their landed past in a vestigial pelvis, femur, and other typical anatomical traits. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager dig into a big topic.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Oct 18, 2012 — Not all evolutionary change is good. Genetic changes can be neutral or harmful, as well as beneficial. And some change can be both, conferring benefit when a single copy of a gene is present, and causing a life-threatening disease when copies are inherited from both parents. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager roll the dice on evolution.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Feb 16, 2012 — We think of evolution as moving in a linear progression from the sea to the land. But some creatures, such as whales and dolphins, clearly adapted to the land, then returned to the sea. Dr. Curt Stager and Martha Foley talk about convergent evolution.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 10, 2011 — Mutants are neither the creepy brain domes of science fiction, nor the smart-mouth turtles of the cartoons. Mutations arise all the time from environmental exposure to mutagenic substances and from imperfections in cellular reproduction. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk change--genetic change.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 03, 2011 — What draws the line between one species and another? New species are said to diverge when mutations occur that make it impossible to interbreed. Sometimes it's not much -- case in point: humans and chimpanzees. Curt Stager tells Martha Foley the key difference came when two short chromosomes in the chimp joined to form one long chromosome in humans.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Jun 16, 2011 — Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager study the evolution of birds and discover that some unlikely species are very closely related.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, May 19, 2011 — Dr. Curt Stager and Martha Foley discuss plants that have outlived the animals they co-evolved with.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Sep 02, 2010 — All creatures breathe in some fashion, but how the job gets done has changed from fish to amphibian to reptile to mammal. Curt Stager and Martha Foley chart the evolution of animal respiration.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Jul 22, 2010 — Why would a heavy fur cape, like a lion's mane, be appropriate on a tropical savanna? As with male fashion in humans--it appears the that the lionesses of the Serengeti like it--the thicker and darker, the better. Martha Foley and Dr. Curt Stager talk hair.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Oct 15, 2009 — From the bones of their fins to the free-floating and functionless pelvis, the bodies of cetaceans show clear signs of having once lived on land. Why go back to the sea? Dr Curt Stager and Martha Foley examine the tale of the whale.  Go to full article