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Paleontology & Fossils news
New fossil species sheds light on divergent life-history strategies in early land plants
The initial radiation of vascular land plants, evidenced by increases in both diversity and morphological disparity during the Silurian and Devonian periods, is considered plant terrestrialization, which can be seen as the ...
Evolution
Jan 17, 2025
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Isotopes in early South African hominin teeth show they ate little meat
A team of climate geochemists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand and Princeton University has found evidence that early hominins living in South Africa ate a mostly vegetarian diet. ...
'Serrated blade' stuck in rock on UK beach is ancient sea creature tooth, experts say
A "serrated blade" found sticking from a rock in the United Kingdom has been identified as a "nearly perfect" prehistoric shark tooth, experts say.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 15, 2025
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Conquest of Asia and Europe by snow leopards during the last Ice Ages uncovered
An international team of scientists has identified fossils of snow leopards for the first time. The discovery has allowed them to trace the evolutionary history of the species during the Quaternary period and to propose how ...
Evolution
Jan 15, 2025
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128
DNA study shows extinct moa consumed colorful truffle-like fungi in New Zealand
A team of environmental scientists at Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, in New Zealand, the University of Adelaide and the University of Auckland has found that the now-extinct flightless bird moa once consumed the colorful, ...
Paleontologists discover a new species of North African predatory dinosaur in archived images
SNSB and LMU Paleontologists have identified a new species of predatory dinosaur from the Cretaceous period in North Africa, about 95 million years old. What makes this discovery so special is that the original fossil from ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 15, 2025
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192
Apex predators in prehistoric Colombian oceans would have snacked on killer whales today
Predators at the top of a marine food chain 130 million years ago ruled with more power than any modern species, McGill research into a marine ecosystem from the Cretaceous period revealed.
Ecology
Jan 13, 2025
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68
Fossil discovery sheds light on the early evolution of animal nervous systems
An international team of scientists has uncovered a fascinating piece of the evolutionary puzzle: how the ventral nerve cord, a key component of the central nervous system, evolved in ecdysozoan animals, a group that includes ...
Evolution
Jan 10, 2025
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133
New research refutes notion that prehistoric kangaroos ran out of food due to specialized diets
Prehistoric kangaroos in southern Australia had a more general diet than previously assumed, giving rise to new ideas about their survival and resilience to climate change, and the final extinction of the megafauna, a new ...
Ecology
Jan 9, 2025
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How ancient flying reptiles ruled the skies: Study uncovers pterosaur tail structures that enhanced flight capabilities
Scientists have long puzzled over how pterosaurs became the first vertebrates to master flight. Some pterosaur species, such as the Quetzalcoatlus were the largest known animals to ever take to the skies, with wingspans of ...
Evolution
Jan 9, 2025
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Fossil killifish: New findings reveal unforeseen diversity
Killifish, or egg-laying toothcarps, are known for their ecological adaptability and species diversity. Two families of killifish exist in Europe today: the highly species-rich Aphaniidae and the relatively species-poor Valenciidae, ...
Evolution
Jan 9, 2025
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69
The extreme teeth of saber-toothed predators were 'optimal' for biting into prey, study reveals
Saber-toothed predators—best known from the infamous Smilodon—evolved multiple times across different mammal groups. A study titled "Functional optimality underpins the repeated evolution of the extreme 'saber-tooth' ...
Evolution
Jan 9, 2025
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Scorching climate drove lampreys apart during Cretaceous period, DNA and fossil record reveal
A new study finds that one of the hottest periods in Earth's history may have driven lampreys apart—genetically speaking. The work could have implications for how aquatic species respond to our current changing climate. ...
Evolution
Jan 8, 2025
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157
Herbivore or carnivore? A new toolbox for the study of extinct reptiles
Evolution has resulted in the development of both herbivores and carnivores—but how? What type of food did extinct vertebrates eat? And how can we gain insight into the diets of these creatures? In living animals, we can ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 8, 2025
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Discovery of 'Punk' and 'Emo' fossils challenges our understanding of ancient mollusks
Researchers have unearthed two fossils, named Punk and Emo, revealing that ancient mollusks were more complex and adaptable than previously known.
Evolution
Jan 8, 2025
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118
Dinosaurs may have roamed the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously thought
How and when did dinosaurs first emerge and spread across the planet more than 200 million years ago? That question has for decades been a source of debate among paleontologists faced with fragmented fossil records.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 8, 2025
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Fossil study reveals oldest-known evolutionary 'arms race'
A study led by researchers at the American Museum of Natural History presents the oldest known example in the fossil record of an evolutionary arms race. These 517-million-year-old predator-prey interactions occurred in the ...
Evolution
Jan 3, 2025
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254
Discovery of rare new fossil sheds light on New Zealand's extinct dolphin-like reptiles
Ichthyosaurs were reptiles that swam in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs. They evolved separately around 250 million years ago, possibly from a crocodile-like ancestor, to resemble fish and modern dolphins.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 2, 2025
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Major new footprint discoveries on Britain's 'dinosaur highway'
In a stunning find, researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham have uncovered a huge expanse of quarry floor filled with hundreds of different dinosaur footprints, creating multiple enormous trackways.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jan 2, 2025
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New dinosaur, Archaeocursor asiaticus, hints at early Gondwana to Laurasia migration
A newly identified dinosaur from southwestern China is revealing what appears to be the earliest-diverging ornithischian dinosaur in Asia. A multi-institution investigation in China has introduced the world to Archaeocursor ...
More news
New study reconstructs the skull of ancient Cretan hippo
Fossil treasure chest: How to preserve the geoheritage of South Africa's Cape coast
Extremely rare baby mammoth found in Siberia
New York man finds mastodon jaw while gardening in his backyard
World's oldest mammalian ancestor discovered in Mallorca
Mysterious plant fossil belongs to a family that no longer exists
What bone scans reveal about a tiny crocodilian from the Jurassic era
Thylacoleo the fossil lion makes a roaring comeback
New species of ancient fish may be smallest known vertebrate fossil in Queensland's history
Other news
Why you should (not) get a dog: The pros and cons of dog ownership
How lift-net fisheries affect cetacean ecology in Kaimana, Indonesia
Unlocking auxin: The tiny hormone with big implications for crops
Using infrared heat transfer to modify chemical reactions
Triassic reptile with unusual jaws named as a new species
Tyrannosaur teeth discovered in Bexhill-on-Sea with help of retired quarryman
Rare whitefly fossils found in New Zealand shed light on ancient forest life
Fishy fossil find points to possible polar bear ancestry for Scottish bears
How HIV cracks the lock to the cell nucleus
Simultaneous techniques help determine the form of disordered proteins
RNA's biophysical behavior offers new insights into X chromosome inactivation
Mystery mounds reveal the history of water on Mars
