Scientists discovered that Komodo dragons' serrated teeth are tipped with iron, giving them razor-sharp cutting edges. This unique feature may provide clues about how carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex killed and ate their prey.
A new study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln examines fossil records going back 66 million years, tracking changes in mammalian ecosystems and species diversity. The research reveals that following the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, mammalian communities experienced a surge in functional diversity for 10 million years.
The newly discovered dinosaur Fona shares anatomical features with burrowing animals and has preserved fossils in a manner that suggests it spent time underground. The species' small size and fragile bones are often found in bundles, indicating that it likely buried itself to escape predators.
A newly discovered fossil, Gaiasia jennyae, reveals a giant salamander-like creature that was a top predator in the ice age before dinosaurs. The creature's unique features, including its toilet seat-shaped head and interlocking jaws, suggest it was an ambush predator.
Scientists discovered nine new species of fossil grapes in Colombia, Panama, and Peru, spanning from 60 to 19 million years old. The oldest fossils found in the Western Hemisphere support a connection between the grape family's evolutionary journey and the mass extinction event.
Scientists found that ammonite diversity flourished in Earth's oceans for over 350 million years before dying out with dinosaurs. New research shows their fate was not set in stone, but rather the result of regional changes in speciation and extinction rates.
The newly discovered Lokiceratops rangiformis is a massive horned dinosaur found in the badlands of northern Montana. It boasts two enormous blade-like horns on its frill, as well as an asymmetric spike, making it one of the most ornate species ever found.
A 246 million-year-old nothosaur vertebra was discovered on New Zealand's South Island, shedding new light on early sea reptiles from the Southern Hemisphere. The find reveals that these marine reptiles originated near the equator and rapidly spread to other regions, challenging long-standing hypotheses about their migration patterns.
A team from the University of Bristol has made a significant discovery at Lavernock Point, revealing early Welsh dinosaurs lived on a tropical lowland beside the sea. The fossils found include those of placodonts, coelacanths, and dinosaur remains, providing insights into the evolutionary history of these species.
A new study suggests that some dinosaurs, such as theropods and ornithischians, may have developed endothermy around 180 million years ago. This adaptation allowed them to be highly active and sustain activity over longer periods, leading to faster growth and increased offspring production.
A new study challenges previous claims that dinosaurs like T. rex were exceptionally intelligent, finding their brain size and neuron counts to be unreliable estimates of intelligence. The researchers argue that relying on single lines of evidence, such as neuron counts, can lead to misleading interpretations.
A new study by University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers challenges the long-held scientific principle that animals in high-latitude climates are larger than their relatives in warmer climates. The study found that Bergmann's rule applies only to a subset of homeothermic animals and ignores other climatic variables.
A study found that early Mesozoic animals, including dinosaurs, grew quickly around 230 million years ago. This feature is not unique to dinosaurs but was shared by several non-dinosaur reptiles as well.
A frozen chunk of a bird's genome has rewritten the understanding of the bird family tree, revealing that most birds were misclassified due to suppressed recombination. Scientists discovered that one section of the genome behaved unusually, leading to incorrect groupings and a more complex tree.
Five Triceratops dinosaurs lived and died together, according to new research. The team's findings suggest that these prehistoric creatures formed a migratory group, with one researcher hoping to receive his PhD title soon.
A new study refutes previous research suggesting Spinosaurus was an aquatic pursuit predator, highlighting methodological flaws and low accuracy of phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis. The researchers provide guidelines for future studies to use with caution when applying this methodology to limited datasets.
Paleontologists have discovered a new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the age of dinosaurs. This finding highlights a dramatically different ocean ecosystem to what we see today, with numerous giant top predators eating large prey.
A new species of fossil bird, named Imparavis attenboroughi, has been discovered in northeastern China and is the first of its kind to evolve toothlessness. The bird's unique wing bones suggest it may have had strong wing beats and could have foraged on both trees and ground.
Fossils of pony-sized duckbill dinosaurs in Morocco reveal a new species, Minqaria bata, with anatomy resembling European species. The discovery suggests that duckbills swam or floated across open water to colonize North Africa.
Scientists discovered a common trait among flying birds, including the number of primary feathers, to determine their evolutionary history. The finding provides clues about dinosaur flight and may inform debates on its origins.
The Komodo Dragon's teeth develop and replace rapidly, with up to five replacement teeth per position in its jaws. This allows it to quickly respond to prey capture or injury, making it an ideal model for studying theropod dinosaur life history and feeding strategies.
The first dinosaurs were faster and more dynamic than their competitors, maintaining a wider range of running styles. This adaptability allowed them to diversify and thrive after the end-Triassic mass extinction, leading to their success on Earth for so long.
Researchers used a robot dinosaur named Robopteryx to test the hypothesis that small dinosaurs flapped their primitive wings to scare prey. The results showed significant positive associations between the use of proto-wings in display behavior and the likelihood of grasshoppers fleeing.
A team of scientists proposes the 'flush-pursue hypothesis', suggesting that small dinosaurs with proto-wings used a similar strategy to birds, displaying contrasting plumage on wings and tails to trigger prey escapes. This idea is rooted in field-ornithological studies and neurobiological research on birds.
A breakthrough discovery has found a well-preserved juvenile Gorgosaurus skeleton with stomach contents that provide insight into the diet and ecological niches of Tyrannosauridae as they grow. The findings suggest that juvenile tyrannosaurs primarily preyed on small dinosaurs, differing from their adult counterparts.
A new study published in Science Advances challenges the long-held theory that a meteorite was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs. Researchers from McGill University and around the world found evidence of massive volcanic eruptions in Western India, which may have triggered a global drop in temperature and made life diffic...
A new fossil assemblage in Brazil has added to the complexity of classifying silesaurid phylogeny, a family of dinosauriforms that lived during the Triassic period. The study suggests that these animals were part of the evolutionary history of dinosaurs, but their classification remains uncertain due to ambiguous anatomy.
A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from Mongolia has provided insights into the sleeping behavior of non-avian dinosaurs. The discovery suggests that these ancient creatures may have slept in a similar position to modern birds.
A recent scientific study explores the bite marks left on ancient bones of sauropod dinosaurs like Diplodocus and Brontosaurus by carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. The study found that 68 sauropod bones from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation bear unmistakable bite traces attributed to theropods.
A recent simulation study suggests that giant dinosaur carcasses could have been a key food source for Jurassic predators like Allosaurus. The researchers found that scavenging large carrion was more profitable than hunting, indicating that carnivores in such ecosystems might have evolved specialized traits to exploit these resources.
A new modeling method powered by interconnected processors removed human bias from the debate over dinosaurs' demise. The study suggests that the outpouring of climate-altering gases from the Deccan Traps alone could have been sufficient to trigger global extinction, consistent with volcanic eruptions contributing to the mass extinction.
A new sauropod dinosaur species, Garumbatitan morellensis, was discovered in the Iberian Peninsula. The fossil remains found in Sant Antoni de la Vespa exhibit unique characteristics, including a morphology similar to modern sauropods from the Late Cretaceous.
Researchers discovered that dinosaur feathers originally had a similar protein composition to those of modern birds, contradicting earlier findings. The study used X-rays and infrared light to analyze 125-million-year-old feathers from dinosaurs and early birds, revealing the presence of beta-proteins in ancient feathers.
New research reveals similarities between dinosaurs and birds in terms of protein composition in their feathers. Analysis of fossil feathers from Sinornithosaurus and Confuciusornis showed beta-proteins, similar to those found in modern bird feathers.
Scientists discovered a new species of small plant-eating dinosaur, Vectidromeus insularis, on the Isle of Wight, which is the second member of the hypsilophodont family found on the island. The discovery suggests that Europe had its own distinct family of small herbivorous dinosaurs, unlike those found in Asia and North America.
A new study found that flowering plants suffered some species loss but became the dominant type of plant after the mass extinction event. They adapted through various seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms, genomic duplication, and innovative photosynthesis methods.
A 265-million-year-old fossil discovery in Brazil yields the oldest and largest known predator in South America, predating the rise of dinosaurs. The exquisitely preserved Pampaphoneus biccai had a skull over 40cm long and sharp canine teeth adapted for capturing prey.
Two new species of primitive carnivorous dinosaurs, belonging to the Abelisauridae family, have been discovered in Morocco. The findings suggest that dinosaurs thrived in North Africa until their mass extinction by an asteroid 66 million years ago, providing a diverse picture of African dinosaurs from the end of the age of dinosaurs.
A new study found that the apex predator Saurosuchus had a weaker bite force than previously thought, equivalent to modern gharials. This suggests that it may have fed only on soft flesh and not been able to crush bones, unlike later dinosaurs.
A new species of armored reptile, Mambachiton, shows that the precursor to dinosaurs and pterosaurs had bony plates on its backbone, indicating that armor was ancestrally present in bird-line archosaurs. The loss and re-evolution of armor is an important aspect of dinosaur evolution.
A rare fossil discovered in China's Liaoning Province reveals a dramatic moment when a carnivorous mammal attacked a plant-eating dinosaur, challenging the view that dinosaurs had few threats from their mammal contemporaries. The well-preserved fossil shows the mammal gripping the jaw of the larger dinosaur and biting into its ribs.
A new study reveals humans' ancestors co-existed with dinosaurs for a brief period before the K-Pg mass extinction. The research used fossil data to estimate placental mammal evolution and diversification rates after the asteroid impact.
A 225-million-year-old Brazilian fossil provides the oldest evidence of air sacs in dinosaurs, which enabled these creatures to grow into giants. The discovery sheds light on how these structures evolved over time, contradicting previous assumptions about their development.
A newly discovered plant-eating dinosaur, 'Iani', holds the key to understanding environmental changes during the mid-Cretaceous period. The fossil's presence in North America suggests that this species may have been one of the last survivors of a once-thriving lineage.
A new species of dinosaur, Iani smithi, has been discovered in Utah's Cedar Mountain Formation, providing insights into how dinosaurs weathered ecological change during the mid-Cretaceous period. The discovery suggests that several major groups of dinosaurs survived into the early Late Cretaceous despite the changes.
Researchers at the University of Southampton discovered a British dinosaur tooth that doesn't match any known spinosaur species, revealing hidden diversity in the region's Wealden Supergroup. The study confirms that distinct and distantly related spinosaur types lived in southern England during Early Cretaceous times.
Researchers have confirmed that 107-million-year-old pterosaur bones are the oldest found in Australia, providing insights into these flying reptiles' lives among dinosaurs. The fossils belonged to two different individuals, including a juvenile pterosaur and a larger species with a wingspan over two metres.
A study by Lund University researchers reveals that visual perspective taking, a crucial social skill, originated in the dinosaur lineage around 60 million years ago. This finding challenges the prevailing view that mammals drove the evolution of complex cognition.
A new paper reveals that Henry Hilton, Central Park's Treasurer and VP, was behind the order to destroy life-size models of dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures in 1871. The destruction was part of a struggle for control of New York city following the American Civil War.
A new Adelphi University study provides insights into how sauropod dinosaurs achieved their record-breaking sizes over time. Researchers found that sauropods reached their exceptional sizes early in their evolution and that with each new sauropod family to evolve, one or more lineages independently reached superlative status.
Researchers from Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County have discovered evidence of a symbiotic relationship between Cretaceous dinosaurs and feather-feeding beetles. The study found that the beetles fed on the feathers of theropod dinosaurs during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 105 million years ago.
A research team from Germany, Austria, Canada, and the USA analyzed Troodon eggshells using a new method, revealing that they were produced at temperatures of 42°C and 30°C. The findings suggest that Troodon females laid eggs in communal nests, similar to modern ostriches.
Researchers discovered that theropod dinosaurs, including T. rex and Velociraptor, had scaly lips similar to those of lizards, contradicting popular depictions. The study found that dinosaur teeth were not unusually large and were comparable in size to modern lizard teeth when adjusted for skull size.
A new study reveals that theropod dinosaurs had their large teeth completely covered by thin, scaly 'lips' when their mouths were closed. This finding challenges long-held depictions of these iconic predators and could have significant implications for our understanding of dinosaur dental anatomy and biomechanics.
A team of Swedish and Norwegian palaeontologists has discovered remains of the earliest known ichthyosaur on the remote Arctic island of Spitsbergen. The discovery pushes back the origin and early diversification of ichthyosaurs to before the beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs.
A study of fossilized bones from Brazilian species found that hollow bones with air sacs enabled dinosaurs and pterosaurs to become larger, as they circulated more oxygen and stayed cooler. This trait evolved independently in different groups, including sauropods, herrerasaurids, and birds.
Researchers discovered that some predatory dinosaurs used their claws for digging or display, contrary to previous assumptions. The study focused on two groups of theropod dinosaurs, the alvarezsaurs and therizinosaurs, which had unusual claws that were previously unknown to have a function.
Researchers found no relationship between growth rate and body size in theropod dinosaurs, with some giants growing slowly and smaller ones rapidly. This study opens the door to future investigations into how animals regulate their growth.
Researchers found that smaller dinosaurs grew rapidly, while larger ones grew slowly, challenging the idea that growth rate determines body size. The study also discovered that changes in growth timing can impact traits such as offspring size and susceptibility to predators.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo found that a specialized wing structure called the propatagium evolved in non-avian dinosaurs, paving the way for modern birds to fly. The discovery, based on statistical analyses of arm joints, helps fill gaps in knowledge about bird flight origins.