Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The ostrich is the tallest bird that inhabits the planet ...

The complex, geometric colour patterns of many animal bodies have important roles in behaviour and ecology. The generation of certain patterns has been the subject of considerable theoretical ...

A study reveals how the Wingless signalling pathway shapes the embryonic intestine of the Drosophila fly, activating a mechanism involved in calcium transport. The finding redefines the role of ...

A SKYDIVING ant has won the accolade of being the only wingless insect known to be capable of controlled flight. Scientists found that when they tossed worker canopy ants out of a tree they gracefully ...

Patterning of the embryo — the process by which asymmetrically organized cell types and organs are generated from a single cell to make up an individual — is controlled by a surprisingly limited ...