How Dinosaurs Chewed without Cheeks
A unique anatomical setup helped some herbivorous dinosaurs crunch through their Cretaceous world
Stories by Brian Switek
Sawback Turtle Gets a New Look
Fossils from Alabama revise the reconstruction of an ancient sea turtle
The Lost World of Prehistoric Parasites
Paleontologists are still searching to uncover the deep history of nature's hitchhikers.
Delicate Fossil Bird Reveals Prehistoric Plumage Patterns
A new analysis gives the fossil bird Confuciusornis an updated look.
Bitten Bone a Sign of a Cretaceous Snack
A damaged frill bone allows us to revisit a brief moment in prehistoric time
Dinosaurs Had Birdlike Lungs
A new study proposes that all dinosaurs shared a basic lung anatomy which may have given them an evolutionary edge
The Secret to Dinosaur Hip Shape
A new analysis asks whether eating plants or different ways of breathing influenced the shape of dinosaur hips
Dinosaur Highlights a Jurassic Mystery
A new study of Sarahsaurus revises what paleontologists thought about how long-necked herbivores showed up in North America
The Problem with Ice Age Overkill
A new study highlights a communication breakdown in sciences concerned with ice age extinction
New Titleholder for the Largest Bird of All Time
A reassessment of ancient bones has revealed a new identity for the largest bird to walk the Earth
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.
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
