We've reconstructed Melbourne's 200-year-old forests
Have you ever wondered what your Melbourne suburb looked like before all the streets and houses?
Environment
Aug 28, 2026
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Research news on paleogeography
Paleogeography is the scientific study and reconstruction of past geographic configurations of Earth’s surface, including the distribution of continents, oceans, mountain ranges, basins, and depositional environments through geologic time. It integrates data from plate tectonics, stratigraphy, paleomagnetism, sedimentology, paleontology, and geochronology to infer past positions and movements of tectonic plates and associated paleoenvironments. Paleogeographic reconstructions provide essential boundary conditions for paleoclimate modeling, basin analysis, sediment routing systems, and biogeographic studies, enabling quantitative assessment of how changes in Earth’s surface configuration have influenced climate systems, ocean circulation, biodiversity patterns, and the formation and distribution of natural resources.
Fish DNA in Ozark streams reveals region's complex geologic history
My students and I encountered a mystery. We were partnering with the Missouri Department of Conservation to monitor for fish presence and abundance in the Missouri Ozarks. We visited half a dozen rivers and streams across ...
Ecology
Aug 24, 2026
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10
Ocean time travelers return with secrets of the Great Barrier Reef
A team of Australian researchers has woven together modern science and Indigenous knowledge to reveal new insights into the evolution, history and future of the southern Great Barrier Reef. The 24-day voyage, led by The University ...
Ecology
Aug 20, 2026
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7
Lost 'mega-escarpment' across ancient USA may explain Grand Canyon's missing billion years
Scientists have found evidence that a colossal cliff stretching thousands of kilometers across ancient North America may have exposed the heart of the Grand Canyon nearly a billion years before it was carved by the Colorado ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 18, 2026
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390
A new species of Ice Age toad discovered at La Brea Tar Pits: The spadefoot toad Spea labreae
For the first time, researchers have discovered a new species of extinct amphibian from Ice Age Los Angeles at La Brea Tar Pits: a spadefoot toad they have named Spea labreae. Only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian ...
Ecology
Aug 5, 2026
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297
Curiosity Mars rover discovers field of honeycomb textures
As NASA's Curiosity rover recently began climbing a Martian valley nicknamed "Valle Grande," it sent back images that were a familiar sight to mission scientists: honeycomb-like textures called polygonal fractures, each about ...
Planetary Sciences
Jul 29, 2026
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376
Danish fish fossil cliffs set to gain UNESCO status
Two Danish coastal cliffs where paleontologists have uncovered 55-million-year-old fossils of prehistoric wildlife are likely to gain World Heritage status as UNESCO's committee meets in South Korea.
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 22, 2026
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21
New web tool maps fossil locations across ancient continents in seconds
Calculating a fossil's position throughout geological history is a complex process. In paleontology and other disciplines, determining a location in the past is a challenge that requires refined computational tools to process ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Jul 20, 2026
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131
Black Sea waters reshaped Eastern Mediterranean circulation 11,000 years ago
A new study led by the University of Barcelona reveals that freshwater exported from the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea triggered major environmental changes across the Eastern Mediterranean.
Earth Sciences
Jul 16, 2026
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16
Ancient rocks reveal Earth's past warm periods were cooler than thought
Earth's temperature has been much cooler in the past than previously thought, meaning it could be moving toward the warmest it's ever been.
Earth Sciences
Jul 9, 2026
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