Magazine
November-December 2014
November-December 2014
Volume: 102 Number: 6
The discovery of a living species of coelacanth, a lobe-finned fish recognized as an important transition in vertebrate evolution, was a surprisingand exciting find in 1938, because the fish was already widely recognized in the fossil record. Hailed as a living fossil, even thoughthere has never been any fossil find of the two extant species of coelacanth, it is native to waters around Indonesia and in the Indian Ocean.Although fossil and extant coelacanths look strikingly similar, they do not demonstrate an absence of evolution. In “The Evolutionary TruthAbout Living Fossils,” Alexander J. Werth and William A. Shear relate the unseen evolution of living fossils and discussthe definition and usefulness of this term, first coined by Charles Darwin. The image on the cover shows a face-to-face encounter between acoelacanth off the coast of South Africa and the renowned diver and naturalist Laurent Ballesta. (Photograph by Laurent Ballesta.)
In This Issue
- Agriculture
- Art
- Astronomy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Communications
- Computer
- Engineering
- Environment
- Ethics
- Evolution
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Policy
- Sociology
- Technology
The Evolutionary Truth About Living Fossils
William A. Shear, Alexander J. Werth
Evolution
Appearances to the contrary, no species is exempt from selection, even when changes are difficult to detect in the fossil record.
Curious Chemistry Guides Hydrangea Colors
Henry Schreiber
Biology Chemistry
The blooms’ varied hues trace back to both soil pH and the right additives. Could different combinations produce new tints never seen in nature?
Estrogen in Men
Erik Wibowo, Richard J. Wassersug
Biology Chemistry
Estradiol, the most common form of estrogen, is often called a female hormone, but men produce it too. Insight about its role comes from unusual sources.
The Statistical Crisis in Science
Andrew Gelman, Eric Loken
Ethics Policy
Data-dependent analysis—a “garden of forking paths”— explains why many statistically significant comparisons don't hold up.