Paleontology
Last Meal of 465-Million-Year-Old Trilobite Discovered
Scientists have uncovered an ancient trilobite’s last meal preserved inside a nearly intact fossil
Paleontology40 articles archived since 1845
Dinosaurs
‘Weird’ Dinosaur Prompts Rethink of Bird Evolution
A newly described fossil is as old as the “first bird,” Archaeopteryx, and represents a birdlike dinosaur that might have specialized in running or wading instead of flying...
Paleontology
Fossils Buried in LA Tar Pit Show Why Saber-Toothed Cats Blinked Out of Existence
At Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits, scientists found they could watch large mammals disappear from the fossil record—and could trace the ecosystem through the catastrophe
Paleontology
How Sauropod Dinosaurs Became the Biggest Land Animals Again and Again
New research hints at how sauropod dinosaurs got to be so gargantuan
Paleontology
Bizarre-Looking Colossus Whale May Have Been Heaviest Animal Ever (Sorry, Blue Whales)
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” says a paleontologist not involved in the discovery of a 40-million-year-old fossilized whale
Paleontology
Mammals Preyed on Much Larger Dinosaurs, a Stunning New Fossil Reveals
An extraordinary fossil captures the moment when a hungry mammal attacked a dinosaur
Paleontology
Evidence of 1-Billion-Year-Old ‘Lost World’ of Microbes Discovered beneath Australian Outback
Fatlike compounds in ancient rocks point to a vast array of previously unknown microbes that once dominated complex life on Earth
Paleontology
This Thunderous Goose Relative Was Built like a Tank with the Wings of a Songbird
Officially, these prehistoric birds are the dromornithids, but everyone who studies them calls them thunderbirds—and for good reason.
Paleontology
This Gargantuan Bird Weighed as Much as a Sports Car
The elephant bird was the heaviest bird to ever walk the earth. Also, its eggs were 150 times the size of a chicken egg and thick as a dinner plate.
Paleontology
This Massive Scientific Discovery Sat Hidden in a Museum Drawer for Decades
The fossil was a prehistoric bird called Pelagornis sandersi, and its wings stretched out twice as wide as those of the great albatross.
Paleontology
462-Million-Year-Old Fossil Trove Holds Miniature World of Marine Creatures
Paleontologists have uncovered a miniature world of sea creatures whose tiny guts, eyes and even brains remain visible 462 million years after they perished
Paleontology
Dinosaurs' Air Sacs Evolved Many Times and Let Them Take Over the World
An extensive system of air sacs, evolved over and over, let dinosaurs grow larger without sacrificing strength
Paleontology
Five-Eyed, Nozzle-Nosed Oddity Lingered Far beyond the Cambrian Period
This ancient creature swam in surprisingly modern seas
Paleontology
Monkeylike Animals Once Lived in the Arctic, New Fossils Show
Two newly identified primatelike mammals once lived in the Arctic, which could help us understand how species there today may adapt as the climate heats up
Plants
See the Largest Flower Ever Found Encased in Amber
A rare flower encased in amber is the largest one ever found and dates from around 40 million years ago
Paleontology
Tiny Tyrannosaurs Used the Buddy System
Fossil trackways may show tyrannosaur tykes teaming up
Genetics
World’s Oldest DNA Discovered, Revealing Ancient Arctic Forest Full of Mastodons
Two-million-year-old DNA, the world's oldest, reveals that mastodons once roamed forests in Greenland’s far northern reaches
Paleontology
Scientists Ruin Delicious Seabass to Probe Why Some Organs Don’t Fossilize
Watching fish rot for more than two months disproves a long-standing fossilization theory
Paleontology
Ancient Panda ‘Thumb’ Matches Modern Version
Walking on all fours helped shape the panda's “thumb”
Paleontology
Nobel Winner Svante Pääbo Discovered the Neandertal in Our Genes
Geneticist Svante Pääbo reconstructed the genome of long-extinct human relatives, showing we have more in common with Neandertals than previously thought
