Insects

An unexpected mechanism allows wasps to rapidly co-opt genes for new toxic functions.

A definitive explanation for why plants evolved spines remains elusive, and human biases compound the problem.

The biologist Joan Strassmann discusses cooperation in social insects, how amoebas can teach us about competition, and why the definition of “organism” needs an overhaul.

The biologist Nancy Moran has spent a career investigating the surprising nature of symbiosis, a phenomenon in which two species can appear to merge into one.

By comparing the genomes of social and solitary bees, scientists hope to uncover the basis for communal behavior.

Knowing the rules behind ant-made structures could help scientists understand how other complex systems emerge in nature.