
Mystery of Darwin's "Strange Animals" Solved
An analysis using ancient collagen protein could permit the study of fossils older than DNA allows

Mystery of Darwin's "Strange Animals" Solved
An analysis using ancient collagen protein could permit the study of fossils older than DNA allows

Brian J. Ford's Aquatic Dinosaurs, 2014 Edition
Via bizarre and unexpected circumstances I recently* found myself secretly and furtively attending a lecture by Brian J. Ford. Ford is a British author and researcher who dabbles widely in matters of science and science communication.


Duck-Billed Dinos Gave T. rex a Run for Its Money
Hadrosaurs could outrun tyrannosaurusesbecause of the layout of the herbivores’ tail muscles

Fight at the Museum: Confronting Visitor Biases
Midway through the school year, parents and teachers are starting to plan (and fundraise) for winter and spring field trips. Among the most popular destinations is the science museum.

Birds Roost on New Evolutionary Tree
In a massive first-of-its-kind whole-genome analysis involving 48 bird species, researchers have created a new avian evolutionary tree. Steve Mirsky reports

How Fake Fossils Pervert Paleontology [Excerpt]
A nebulous trade in forged and illegal fossils is an ever-growing headache for paleontologists

`Proto-Ichthyosaur' Sheds Light on Fish-Lizard Beginnings
Regular readers will know that I have a major interest in ichthyosaurs, the so-called fish-lizards of the Mesozoic (see links below). As you'll know if you keep your finger on the pulse of Mesozoic reptile news, last week saw the publication of a really interesting new animal from the Lower Triassic: the Chinese `proto-ichthyosaur' Cartorhynchus [...]

Mammals Might Have Slept Through Dino Destroyer
The ability to engage in extended hibernation might be what saved ancestral mammals from extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period. Karen Hopkin reports

Fern Frozen in Time by Volcanic Flow Reveals Stunning Detail
It defies belief, but a 180 million year old fern fossil unearthed in Sweden is so exquisitely preserved that it is possible to see its cells dividing.

The "Shanklin Croc" and the Dawn of the Tethysuchian Radiation
Hey, Darren, how's it going with that plan to discuss all the fossil crocodylomorph groups? Huh? Well, ha ha, it ain't going so well… goddam life getting in the way of my blogging.

Deforestation Threatens Newly Identified Bird in Brazil
Discovering a new species isn't always as easy as saying “Look, there’s a new species!” In the case of a rare bird recently identified in Brazil, it took about 20 years for scientists to gather enough evidence to classify it as a new species.

Submarine Tapirs, Sidewinding Anacondas and Other Unusual Animal Behaviors
Here are some amazing things that me and my friends have been talking about lately. They all concern fascinating discoveries or insights into unusual aspects of tetrapod behaviour.