SA Special Editions

Fish-shaped reptiles called ichthyosaurs reigned over the oceans for as long as dinosaurs roamed the land, but only recently have paleontologists discovered why these creatures were so successful

New fossils and DNA analyses elucidate the remarkable evolutionary history of whales

By analyzing previously overlooked fossils and by taking a second look at some old finds, paleontologists are providing the first glimpses of the actual behavior of the tyrannosaurs

The world's fourth-largest island divulges fossils that could revolutionize scientific views on the origins of dinosaurs and mammals

Their excellent night vision and apparent warm blood raise a question: Could they have survived icehouse conditions at the end of the Cretaceous period?

Australian mammals were not all as cute as koalas. Some were as ferocious as they were bizarre

Mongolia's Gobi Desert contains one of the richest assemblages of dinosaur remains ever found. Paleontologists are uncovering much of the region's history

The exquisitely preserved tissues of insects in amber reveal unique secrets of evolution

A long-cherished view of how and why feathers evolved has now been overturned

These huge, swift creatures were the dominant carnivores of the continent for millions of years, until competitors drove them into extinction

The history of life is not necessarily progressive; it is certainly not predictable. The earth's creatures have evolved through a series of contingent and fortuitous events