Articles tagged with Paleontology
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 controversy in the 1920s pitted American paleontologists against emerging Chinese scientific nationalists over the ownership of fossils. The Americans claimed that fossils were universal and could be exported, while the Chinese argued that they should be viewed as local, contingent property.
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.
A new study quantifies the impact of great fossil sites on our understanding of evolutionary relationships between fossil groups, discovering that the Gobi Desert's well-preserved lizard record shapes understanding more than any other site. The study's findings highlight the importance of exceptional fossil preservation in shaping our ...
Scientists have found polyene pigments in fossilized snail shells that are 12 million years old, providing the world's first evidence of intact pigments in fossils. The discovery was made possible by analyzing the pigments using Raman spectroscopy and sheds new light on the chemical composition of ancient organisms.
Researchers discovered human fossils and artifacts at Ilsenhöhle in Ranis, Germany, indicating that Homo sapiens arrived in cold northern latitudes before Neanderthals disappeared in southwest Europe. The analysis of ancient DNA and zooarchaeological findings suggests that humans consumed a diverse range of animals during their stay.
A new species of tyrannosaur, Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis, has been identified as the closest known relative of Tyrannosaurus rex. Analysis suggests it lived between 71 and 73 million years ago, five to seven million years before T. rex.
A team of researchers, led by Jordan Crowell and Stephen Chester, used modern CT scan technology to analyze the only known preserved picrodontid skull, revealing that they are not closely related to primates. The study highlights the importance of revisiting old specimens with updated techniques to examine them.
Researchers have found evidence that Nanotyrannus lancensis is a separate species from Tyrannosaurus rex, with narrower jaws, longer legs, and bigger arms. The new analysis suggests these animals were nearly full-grown when they died, with estimates suggesting they reached 900-1500 kilograms and five metres in size.
Researchers have discovered that insect larvae already used various anti-predator strategies, such as spines, hairs, and camouflage, in the Cretaceous period. These findings provide insights into the evolution of defense mechanisms in insects and shed light on the ongoing biodiversity crisis.
A new study has shed light on the convergent evolution of defensive enrollment in arthropods by analyzing 3D-preserved trilobite soft tissues. The fossils, which date back to the Ordovician Period, show that trilobites used a unique mechanism to protect their vulnerable soft tissues with their hard exoskeletons.
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.
Researchers have discovered lipid fossils in ancient rocks, providing clues about the evolution of life. The findings suggest that a shift in animal feeding strategies occurred around 1.6 billion years ago, with some species abandoning phytosterol production as they obtained this nutrient from algae.
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.
Researchers uncover 10 new trilobite species in Thai sanctuary, shedding light on Cambrian-Ordovician period and connecting Thailand to parts of Australia. The discovery helps date the age of fossils and better understand global geography.
The discovery of a new early Jurassic dinosaur species, Qianlong shouhu, reveals that the first dinosaur egg was likely leathery and relatively small. The study also found that the transition in egg morphology occurred early in theropod dinosaur evolution.
Frogs from the genus Eleutherodactylus are geologically the oldest Caribbean vertebrates to be found in Florida. They arrived in North America much earlier than previously thought, with evidence suggesting they reached the peninsula through overwater dispersal on flotsam or other buoyant debris.
Researchers have successfully engineered a soft robotic replica of a 450-million-year-old marine organism, pleurocystitid, to better understand its biomechanical factors and locomotion. The study introduces the field of Paleobionics, which uses Softbotics to explore evolution and animal design.
Researchers discovered two extremely rare fossil lampreys from the Jurassic of northern China, shedding new light on lamprey evolution. The study revealed that these ancient creatures had a feeding apparatus strikingly similar to that of living pouched lampreys, which are flesh-eating species.
The new species of mosasaur, named after the Norse sea serpent Jormungandr, is estimated to be around 24 feet long and has a mosaic of features seen in two iconic mosasaurs. The discovery sheds light on the evolutionary history of these aquatic lizards and provides new insights into their relationships with other reptiles.
A nearly intact fossilized bat skull discovered in a 50-million-year-old cave has provided crucial insights into the evolution of bats and their use of echolocation. The find, part of an analysis published in Current Biology, suggests that early bats may have used a form of echolocation similar to that employed by modern species.
A new study reconstructs the well-preserved skull of Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, a key fossil in understanding great ape and human evolution. The researchers found that the species shares similarities with both fossilized and living great apes, but also has distinct facial features not found in other Middle Miocene apes.
The discovery of a complete Anachlysictis gracilis skeleton in Colombia provides new insights into the species' weight, estimated at around 23 kg, and diet as a hypercarnivore. The fossil's analysis suggests it preyed upon small mammals, such as marsupials and rodents, and possibly primates.
Researchers discovered early Cambrian microfossils preserving introvert musculature of cycloneuralians, a group of animals that include roundworms and horsehair worms. The preserved musculature consists of four groups of muscles, differing from basal animals in terms of topology.
Researchers found preserved molecular fragments of the pigment phaeomelanin in 10-million-year-old frog fossils, which could help reconstruct ancient animal colors. This discovery may be a first step towards understanding the evolution of toxic phaeomelanin.
A new study found that mammals and their relatives that survived challenging times made it because they had newer, more novel characteristics. These findings challenge the conventional wisdom of mammal evolution, suggesting that having new traits can be key to succeeding in the aftermath of a catastrophe.
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.
Researchers have extracted ancient DNA from Caribbean parrots, revealing two species were more widespread and diverse in the past. The study helps explain how parrots became the world's most endangered group of birds, with many island populations gone extinct.
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.
A 455-million-year-old fossil fish provides a new perspective on how vertebrates evolved to protect their brains. The ancient jawless fish has a unique skull with separate cartilages encasing the brain, filling a gap in the evolutionary history of the vertebrate skull.
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of Scaphopoda, a rare and understudied mollusk group. The study provides new insights into early Molluscan evolution, resolving a long-standing debate on the phylogenetic placement of Scaphopoda.
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.
A new species, Fujianvenator prodigiosus, exhibits a bizarre assembly of morphologies shared with other avialans, troodontids, and dromaeosaurids. The discovery provides insight into the early evolution of birds and their ecological adaptations.
Researchers have discovered fossils of ravens living alongside early humans in Beijing, dating back over 100,000 years. The findings suggest that ravens were resilient to climate change and provide valuable insights into the impact of environmental changes on bird populations.
A team of researchers used CT scanning to reveal the soft anatomy of a 500-million-year-old fossil, Kylinxia. The discovery provides insight into the evolution of arthropods and their head structure.
A 2020 excavation at Auckland's Mangere Wastewater Treatment Plant yielded an unprecedented 266 fossil species, including the world's oldest known flax snails and extinct sawshark spine. The discovery provides valuable insights into New Zealand's geological history.
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 large-scale fires in an ecosystem made increasingly vulnerable by climate change and human impacts led to the extinction of two-thirds of Earth's large mammals in Southern California. The findings, based on radiocarbon chronology of fossils from the La Brea tar pits, suggest that fire was the primary cause of reg...
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.
Proeboscideans evolved tooth changes in response to vegetation changes and climate change in East Africa. The earliest true elephants developed highly specialized high-crowned molar teeth around 7 million years ago, adapted to grass-rich diets.
Researchers discovered the largest known single dinosaur track site in Alaska, dubbed 'The Coliseum', which contains layer upon layer of prints preserved in rock. The site provides a unique record of multiple species of dinosaurs thriving in Interior Alaska nearly 70 million years ago.
Paleontologists discovered a tiny fossil mammal that thrived in Arctic conditions 73 million years ago. The 'ice mouse', weighing only 11 grams, likely weathered four months of winter darkness and freezing temperatures.
A study published in PLOS ONE has discovered parasite eggs in a 200-million-year-old coprolite from Thailand, providing insight into the life of an ancient aquatic predator. The discovery is significant, as it is one of only a few known examples of nematode eggs preserved within the coprolites of Mesozoic animals.
A team of researchers from China and the UK has discovered that a group of ancient marine reptiles used whale-like filter feeding methods 250 million years ago. The Hupehsuchus skull shows adaptations similar to baleen whales, including grooves and notches along the jaws.
Researchers uncover thousands of small-bodied fossils in southwestern Manitoba, revealing connections to fossil localities in South Dakota and Kansas. The discovery supports the existence of a three-part vertebrate community zonation for the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway during the early to middle Turonian time period.
A team of scientists led by University of Alaska Fairbanks geology professor Sarah Fowell are collecting samples from beneath the sea floor to learn about vegetation and climate of region 25,000 years ago. The project will be shared via digital and social media channels.
The fossil discovery provides the earliest known evidence of birds consuming leafy greens from flowering plants. Analysis of microscopic residues in a 120-million-year-old bird skeleton reveals that Jeholornis was an herbivore, not a predator.
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.
Researchers discover two new sabertooth species, Dinofelis werdelini and Lokotunjailurus chimsamyae, in a global analysis of Langebaanweg fossils. The study reveals a diverse range of environments in Africa, with Machairodonti cats suggesting open grasslands and Metailurini cats indicating forested areas.
New research by University College Cork scientists finds that pterosaurs had nurturing parental style but only in larger species. The study suggests that smaller pterosaurs did not practice parental care due to the limitations of egg size.
A new species of ancient alligator, Alligator munensis, is described from a fossilized skull in Thailand. The species is closely related to the Chinese alligator and has unique features such as a broad snout and large tooth sockets, suggesting it ate hard-shelled prey.
A new study reveals that Megalodon, the iconic extinct shark, was not as fast as believed but had a mega-appetite that explained its gigantism. The discovery of tiny scales found in rock pieces surrounding fossil teeth suggests that Megalodon used its warm-bloodedness to promote visceral food processing and absorb nutrients.
Scientists have discovered the first known Jurassic vertebrate fossils in Texas, filling a significant gap in the state's fossil record. The fossils belong to a plesiosaur, an extinct marine reptile that roamed the region about 150 million years ago.
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirms that the Megalodon shark was warm-blooded, with a body temperature estimated at around 27°C. This discovery provides empirical evidence for the extinct species' internal heat production, shedding light on its biology and ecological role.
A 50-million-year-old katydid fossil found in Colorado reveals exceptionally preserved internal organs, including a testicle and digestive tract. The fossil belongs to the genus Arethaea and provides new insights into the evolution of this group of insects.
Researchers discovered that the early avian bauplan was shaped by natural selection driven by powered flight, with forelimb evolution constrained to basic 'blueprint' needed for flight. The study found avialan-like limb proportions established earlier in forelimbs than hindlimbs in theropod history.
Researchers from Japan discovered that firebrats, an old insect lineage, have a midgut epithelium derived solely from yolk cells. This finding suggests the involvement of bipolar formation likely originated in Pterygota rather than Dicondylia.
A new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment reveals that several distinct spinosaur groups inhabited Cretaceous Britain. The analysis of a British spinosaur tooth shows that these groups did not all live at the same time, but rather inhabited the region over more than 15 million years.
Researchers studied bivalve evolution during the Cambrian Explosion and found they branched out slowly compared to other groups. The study suggests that the slow start may have been due to the absence of a key adaptation, such as an enlarged gill, which allowed them to filter out plankton from water.
A new fossil discovery shows that a tiger-sized, saber-toothed creature called Inostrancevia migrated 7,000 miles to occupy a vacant ecosystem before going extinct. The arrival of this top predator indicates its vulnerability and serves as an analogue for modern apex predators facing extinction due to human activities.