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Paleontology & Fossils news
Melanosome patterns in Mesozoic mammals suggest they had dark, uniformly dull fur coloring
An international team of paleontologists, geoscientists and biologists has found via analysis of melanosome patterns in fossilized Mesozoic mammals, that they most likely had dark, uniformly dull fur coloring. In their paper ...
Dinosaur tracks, made 140 million years ago, have been found for the first time in South Africa's Western Cape
Dinosaurs have captured people's imagination ever since their bones and teeth were first scientifically described in 1822 by geologist and paleontologist Gideon Mantell in England.
Paleontology & Fossils
23 hours ago
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DNA and 90 million-year-old pollen fossils reveal new insights into evolution of Asian tropics
In a new study published today in Science, researchers from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), together with global partners, combine results from two newly discovered prehistoric palm fossils with DNA from global ...
Evolution
23 hours ago
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We modeled how early human ancestors ran—and found they were surprisingly slow
Imagine the scene, around 3 million years ago in what is now east Africa. By the side of a river, an injured antelope keels over and draws its last breath. The carcass is soon set on by hyenas, who tussle with a crocodile. ...
Evolution
Mar 13, 2025
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Rare aardvark trace fossils discovered in South Africa
A recent study published in Quaternary Research describes the discovery and identification of possible aardvark tracks and burrow sites in Pleistocene aeolianites on the South African Cape coast.
Terrestrial 'life oasis' from end-Permian mass extinction period discovered in China
A new study reveals that a region in China's Turpan-Hami Basin served as a refugium, or "life oasis," for terrestrial plants during the end-Permian mass extinction, the most severe biological crisis since the Cambrian period.
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 12, 2025
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Archaeologists uncover the oldest known partial face fossil of a human ancestor in western Europe
A fossil of a partial face from a human ancestor is the oldest in western Europe, archaeologists reported Wednesday.
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 12, 2025
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Wind turbine remains may be among 'most surprising' fossils for far future generations, paleontologists say
Many of today's everyday items are destined to become fossils after millions of years, but scientists have suggested that some of the most surprising of them might be wind turbine blades.
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 12, 2025
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'Old stump' spotted by deer hunter is actually a mammoth tusk, Texas researchers say
Will Juett had doubts when a hunter told him they'd found something on the 02 Ranch even more rare than a trophy buck. An ancient fossil, the hunter said, a piece of a long-dead beast.
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 12, 2025
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Unnoticed for decades, dinosaur footprints at Australian school reveal ancient secrets
A trove of fossilized dinosaur footprints has been found on a slab of rock gathering dust inside an Australian school, scientists said on Wednesday.
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 12, 2025
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Triassic Life: An overview of ancient amphibians, crocodile relatives, early dinosaurs and mammalian ancestors
The Triassic is one of the most important periods in the evolution of life on Earth. After one of the greatest mass extinctions 252 million years ago, not only the dinosaurs but also many other groups of terrestrial tetrapods ...
Evolution
Mar 11, 2025
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A 62-million-year-old skeleton sheds light on an enigmatic mammal
For more than 140 years, Mixodectes pungens, a species of small mammal that inhabited western North America in the early Paleocene, was a mystery. What little was known about them had been mostly gleaned from analyzing fossilized ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 11, 2025
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Fossil evidence found of humans domesticating avocados 7,500 years ago
A team of anthropologists and evolutionary biologists affiliated with several academic institutions in the U.S., working with a colleague from the Smithsonian Institution, has found evidence of humans domesticating avocados ...
Megalodon's body size and form uncover why certain aquatic vertebrates can achieve gigantism
A new study provides many new insights into the biology of the prehistoric gigantic shark megalodon (megatooth shark), which lived nearly worldwide 15–3.6 million years ago. Paleobiology professor Kenshu Shimada of DePaul ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 9, 2025
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A longer, sleeker super predator: Study paints more accurate picture of megalodon's true form
The megalodon has long been imagined as an enormous great white shark, but new research suggests that perception is all wrong. The study finds the prehistoric hunter had a much longer body—closer in shape to a lemon shark ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Mar 9, 2025
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Tooth size in South American sea lions reflects historical shifts in population abundance
A new study published in PeerJ reveals that the teeth of South American sea lions (Otaria byronia) hold valuable clues about past population dynamics. Researchers from the Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos, the ...
Ecology
Mar 8, 2025
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Plants struggled for millions of years after the world's worst climate catastrophe, scientists reveal
A team of scientists from University College Cork (UCC), the University of Connecticut, and the Natural History Museum of Vienna have uncovered how plants responded to catastrophic climate changes 250 million years ago.
Plants & Animals
Mar 6, 2025
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New fossil discovery of an early human relative reveals that it walked upright, just like humans
Paranthropus robustus was a species of prehistoric human that lived in South Africa about 2 million years ago, alongside Homo ergaster, a direct ancestor of modern people. Fossils of Paranthropus robustus are found in abundance ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2025
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Ancient DNA reveals 6,000 years of the lives of Antarctic penguins
Analysis of sedimentary ancient DNA has illuminated 6,000 years of the lives of Adélie penguin colonies on Antarctica's Ross Sea coast, showing how animals in the region responded to climate and environmental change events ...
Ecology
Mar 5, 2025
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Ancient amphibians bounced back from Earth's greatest mass extinction by exploiting freshwater prey, study suggests
Ancient frog relatives survived the aftermath of the largest mass extinction of species by feeding on freshwater prey that evaded terrestrial predators, University of Bristol academics have found.
Ecology
Mar 4, 2025
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More news
Eocene mudflat fossils reveal ancient waterbird foraging behaviors and four new species
Digitization as the key to processing colonial natural history collections
Utah dig site reveals increased diversity of fossilized eggshells
How paleontologists are uncovering dinosaur behavior
A 380-million-year-old fossil 'fish' from Scotland has been discovered in Australia
New sauropod species from Romania transforms understanding of dinosaur island life in Europe
The origin of feathers remains a mystery
Carnivorous dinosaurs thrived in Australia 120 million years ago, new fossils show
New Australian dinosaurs and the oldest megaraptorid fossils in the world
Other news
Wild barley genomics research paves the way for climate-resilient crops
France finds smuggled dinosaur teeth in parcels bound for Italy
Underwater fossil bed discovered by collectors preserves rare slice of Florida's past
CeSPIACE: A broad spectrum peptide inhibitor against variable SARS-CoV-2 spikes
Tapuy rice wine fermentation yields possible anti-aging superfood
Koalas in Queensland show unique immunity to deadly retrovirus
Scientists imitate a bacterium's eating habits to unravel common stomach bug
Weighing in on a Mars water debate: Analysis challenges previous findings
