Each winter, red hind groupers gather under the full moon, grunting low-frequency calls to attract mates and defend territory. But a 12-year underwater audio archive – one of the most extensive ever for a reef fish – reveals those calls are changing. Courtship sounds are fading, aggressive grunts are surging, and spawning patterns are shifting – potential signs of deeper population changes. These underwater signals aren’t just fish talk – they’re vital clues, helping scientists track change simply by listening.

Humans have long viewed themselves as the pinnacle of evolution, labeling other species as “primitive” or using terms like “higher” and “lower” animals. Modern evolutionary biology and genomics debunk these myths, showing there is no hierarchy in evolution. All species alive today, from bacteria to chimpanzees, are cousins with equally long lineages, rather than ancestors or descendants. Terms like “living fossils” misalign with our understanding of evolutionary trees and life’s diversity. Kevin Omland’s new book, Understanding the Tree of Life, challenges these outdated notions, offering a clearer view of evolution’s complex, interconnected history.