The Jurassic is a geologic period of the Mesozoic Era spanning approximately 201.3 to 145 million years ago, bounded by the end-Triassic and end-Jurassic extinction events. It is subdivided into Early, Middle, and Late epochs, each characterized by distinct stratigraphic formations and faunal assemblages. The Jurassic is marked by high global sea levels, extensive shallow epicontinental seas, and active plate tectonics associated with the breakup of Pangea. Biostratigraphically, it is defined using index fossils such as ammonites, while chronostratigraphic frameworks integrate radiometric dating, magnetostratigraphy, and chemostratigraphy to refine temporal resolution and global correlations.
A near-complete skeleton found on the UK's Jurassic Coast has been identified as a new and rare species of ichthyosaur—a type of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the ancient oceans.
Paleontology & Fossils
Oct 10, 2025
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New research has uncovered a species of hook-toothed lizard that lived about 167 million years ago and has a confusing set of features seen in snakes and geckos—two very distant relatives. One of the oldest relatively complete ...
Plants & Animals
Oct 1, 2025
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107
A research team led by Prof. Huang Diying from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) has identified three species of Jurassic orthopterans—an insect group that includes ...
Evolution
Sep 5, 2025
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296
In a recent study, a research team led by Martin Ebert from the Ludwig Maximilian University and Adriana López-Arbarello from the Unidad Ejecutora Lillo examined fossil fish specimens of the family Caturidae housed in various ...
Paleontologists have identified a new species of ancient marine reptile from Germany's world-renowned Posidonia Shale fossil beds, expanding our understanding of prehistoric ocean ecosystems that existed nearly 183 million ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Aug 4, 2025
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You are what you eat, it turns out—even if your last meal was 150 million years ago.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 24, 2025
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What did long-necked dinosaurs eat—and where did they roam to satisfy their hunger? A team of researchers has reconstructed the feeding behavior of sauropods using cutting-edge dental wear analysis. Their findings, published ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 18, 2025
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Researchers from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Columbia University, along with their collaborators, have analyzed sediments from the terrestrial Sangonghe Formation ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 2, 2025
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40
Paleontologists have identified a new ancient reptile from the Solnhofen limestone slabs, thanks to a chance discovery. A Ph.D. student recently found the counterpart of the original fossil at the Natural History Museum in ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 2, 2025
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141
Pterosaurs, which dominated the skies of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, first evolved to take to the air in warm and humid conditions during the Late Triassic, a new study suggests.
Evolution
Jun 18, 2025
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