The human ability to cook may seem ordinary, but it marks one of the most important evolutionary turning points in our species’ history.

New research by Smithsonian scientists suggests that preferences for certain sounds might be evolutionarily conserved ...

The bright colors of butterfly wings, the sweet aromas of flowers, and the euphonious melodies of songbirds all evolved as ...

Your taste in music may feel unique, but there may be something more biologically innate driving your acoustic choices: A new ...

Photograph of three male zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis), whose mating calls were used as part of the study. Credit: Raina Fan. The bright colors of butterfly wings, the sweet aromas of flowers ...

Why do humans have language and other animals apparently don't? It's one of the most enduring questions in the study of mind and communication. Across all cultures, humans use richly expressive ...

Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: With more than 100,000 people in need of an organ transplant in the U.S. alone, scientists have turned toward perfecting human-animal chimeras as a ...

Charles Darwin theorized that a sound, smell or color that's attractive to one species can be preferred by others too. A new study finds humans and animals do share preferences for certain sounds.