Fossils from “Vegetational Pompeii” Resolve Deep Palaeontology Mystery
A recent study on spectacular fossil plants preserved in a volcanic ash fall deposit--known as China's "vegetational Pompeii," in Inner Mongolia, China--has resolved a mystery that puzzled palaeontology for over a century: What are Noeggerathiales?
Prehistoric killing machine exposed
Judging by its massive, bone-crushing teeth, gigantic skull and powerful jaw, there is no doubt that the Anteosaurus, a premammalian reptile that roamed the African continent 265 to 260 million years ago - during a period known as the middle Permian - was a ferocious carnivore.
Researchers Overturn Hypothesis That Ancient Mammal Ancestors Moved Like Modern Lizards
The backbone is the Swiss Army Knife of mammal locomotion. It can function in all sorts of ways that allows living mammals to have remarkable diversity in their movements.
Animal Evolution: Glimpses of Ancient Environments
Although amber looks like a somewhat unusual inorganic mineral, it is actually derived from an organic source - tree resins.
The Seafloor was Inhabited by Giant Predatory Worms Until 5.3 Million Years Ago
An international study has identified a new fossil record of these mysterious animals in the northeast of Taiwan (China), in marine sediments from the Miocene Age (between 23 and 5.3 million years ago).
635 Million-Year-Old Fungi Microfossil That Helped Recover Planet From an Ice Age discovered
When you think of fungi, what comes to mind may be a crucial ingredient in a recipe or their amazing ability to break down dead organic matter into vital nutrients.
Study Sheds New Light on the Behaviour of the Giant Carnivorous Dinosaur Spinosaurus
New research from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Maryland, has reignited the debate around the behaviour of the giant dinosaur Spinosaurus.
New Skull of Tube-Crested Dinosaur Reveals Evolution of Bizarre Crest
The first new skull of a rare species of the dinosaur Parasaurolophus (recognized by the large hollow tube that grows on its head) discovered in 97 years.
Dinosaur Embryo Helps Crack Baby Tyrannosaur Mystery
They are among the largest predators ever to walk the Earth, but experts have discovered that some baby tyrannosaurs were only the size of a Border Collie dog when they took their first steps.
Giant Sand Worm Discovery Proves Truth is Stranger Than Fiction
Simon Fraser University researchers have found evidence that large ambush-predatory worms--some as long as two metres--roamed the ocean floor near Taiwan over 20 million years ago.
New Starfish-Like Fossil Reveals Evolution in Action
Researchers from the University of Cambridge have discovered a fossil of the earliest starfish-like animal, which helps us understand the origins of the nimble-armed creature.
50 Million-Year-Old Fossil Assassin Bug Has Unusually Well-Preserved Genitalia
The fossilized insect is tiny and its genital capsule, called a pygophore, is roughly the length of a grain of rice.
Dinosaur-Era Sea Lizard Had Teeth Like a Shark
New study identifies a bizarre new species suggesting that giant marine lizards thrived before the asteroid wiped them out 66 million years ago.
Cretaceous Amber Fossil Sheds Light on Bioluminescence in Beetles
Bioluminescence has fascinated people since time immemorial. The majority of organisms able to produce their own light are beetles, specifically fireflies, glow-worm beetles, and their relatives.
New Discovery Sheds Light on Sabre-toothed Tiger
New research indicates adolescent offspring of the menacing sabre-toothed predator, Smilodon fatalis, were more momma's cubs than independent warriors.
