Notebook

  1. Animals

    Snail shell creates blue iridescence with mineral

    Mollusk shines blue using calcium compound rather than organic molecule.

    By Vijaysree Venkatraman
  2. Anthropology

    People moved into rainforests much earlier than thought

    People lived year-round in rainforests well before previous estimates, an analysis of teeth excavated in Sri Lanka suggests.

    By Bruce Bower
  3. Animals

    Hummingbird may get promoted

    Not just a subspecies: A flashy, squeaky hummingbird should become its own species, ornithologists argue.

    By Susan Milius
  4. Genetics

    Protein comparisons proposed in 1960s for tracking evolution

    In 1965, two scientists spotted molecular signatures of primate divergence. The tool became widespread for studying evolution – and one researcher’s career ended in crime.