Following in the Steps of a Peculiar Protomammal
Five-toed tracks found in Argentina revise what paleontologists thought about a strange group of animals called dicynodonts.
Stories by Brian Switek
Fossil Whale Bones Record Prehistoric Shark Bites
Bitten bones offer insights into the feeding behavior of large megatooth sharks
How Sea Dragons Carved Up the Prehistoric Oceans
Fossil teeth of marine reptiles reveal a connection between ancient oceans and our own
Up to the Neck in Plesiosaurs
An exceptional skeleton offers new clues about how plesiosaurs moved their necks.
Spinosaurus Was a Terrible Swimmer
This famous dinosaur wasn't very skilled in the water, after all
The Rise and Fall of the Shark-Toothed Dinosaurs
Carcharodontosaurs were the world's most impressive carnivores before the big tyrannosaur takeover.
When Protomammals Ruled Earth
A new study changes our understanding of how ancient forest collapse changed the course of life on Earth
Stocking the Mesozoic Salad Bar
A new study estimates how much vegetation was needed to keep giant dinosaurs fed
The Jurassic's Big 5
If you could travel back to the time of the Morrison Formation, these are the dinosaurs you'd see
Digging into Pterosaur Diets
Despite almost two centuries of study, we're still just getting to know these flying reptiles
Early Primates Groomed with Claws
Fossils found in Wyoming help refine our understanding of when early primates switched claws for nails
Raptors of a Feather
Trackways from China throw further support to the idea that Velociraptor-like dinosaurs were sometimes social
What Did Dinosaur Tongues Look Like?
Despite their diversity in size and shape, most dinosaurs probably had very similar tongues
Paleo Profile: The Wine Lizard
An exceptionally preserved fossil lizard is named after one of southern Italy's wines
Terrible Teeth Reveal How Dinosaurs Chomped
Big or small, the teeth or carnivorous dinosaurs were adapted to a particular method of shredding flesh
Paleo Profile: The Stardust Beast
A mammal from the age of dinosaurs is named after one of David Bowie's personas.
Paleo Profile: The Nonsense Beetle
A fossil beetle enclosed in amber carries an unusual name
A Bite out of Time
A dinosaur's rib shows evidence of a traumatic encounter with a carnivore
A Tiny Reason for Big Dinosaurs to Gather Together
Transmission of essential bacteria might have given herbivorous dinosaurs an additional reason to form herds
Is This Going to Be a Stand-Up Fight, Sir, or Another Sloth Hunt?
Ice age tracks show how humans harassed giant ground sloths
