PALEONTOLOGY

Fossilised stomach reveals sauropod dinosaur’s final meal

Since the late 19th century, sauropod dinosaurs (long-necks like Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus) have been almost universally regarded as herbivores, or plant eaters. However, until recently,...

Early apes evolved in tropical forests disturbed by fires and volcanoes, fossil find suggests

Great apes began to diverge from other primates about 25 million years ago, according to eastern African fossil records. Though it would take another...

Triassic reptiles took 10,000 mile trips through ‘hellish’ conditions, study suggests

The forerunners of dinosaurs and crocodiles in the Triassic period were able to migrate across areas of the ancient world deemed completely inhospitable to...

Paleontologists identify closest-known ancestor to Tyrannosaurs

Paleontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur, Khankhuuluu, which is being described as the closest-known ancestor to the giant Tyrannosaurs. The finding by an...

Ancient fossils show how the last mass extinction forever scrambled the ocean’s biodiversity

About 66 million years ago—perhaps on a downright unlucky day in May—an asteroid smashed into our planet. The fallout was immediate and severe. Evidence shows...

Fossils show colonies of reptiles lived communally 250 million years ago

A fossilized colony of small burrowing reptiles that lived some 250 million years ago was recently found in South Africa. It's the first time...

First named pterosaur from Japan sheds light on ancient flying reptiles

A team of researchers from Japan, China, and Brazil have discovered a new species of pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Japan, marking the...

How herbivore communities remained remarkably resilient for 60 million years despite extinction and upheaval

From mastodons to ancient rhinos and giant deer, large herbivores have been shaping Earth's landscapes for millions of years. A new study, published in...

Wasp lookalikes from 33 million years ago fooled ancient birds too

New fossil shows that precise wasp mimicry in hoverflies evolved far earlier than previously thought—and wasn't shaped by modern birds. Děčín, Czech Republic—A newly discovered...

Nearly complete dinosaur skull reveals a new sauropod species from East Asia

A team led by China University of Geosciences has described a new species of sauropod, Jinchuanloong niedu, from a partial skeleton and nearly complete...

Scientists find new markers to identify species from fragments of fossilized bone

What happened to all the megafauna? From moas to mammoths, many large animals went extinct between 50 and 10,000 years ago. Learning why could...

Ancient Patagonian fossil sperm whale may have been active predator, reanalysis indicates

A recent study, published in Papers in Palaeontology, discusses the reanalysis of the only known Idiorophus patagonicus specimen. After a nearly 130-year scientific slumber, the...

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