1,931 results
- Paleontology
Small ‘cousins’ of T. rex may actually have been growing teenagers
Fossil analyses suggest that Nanotyrannus wasn’t a diminutive relative of the more famous behemoth Tyrannosaurus rex.
- Animals
Guttural toads shrank by a third after just 100 years on two islands
Introduced in the 1920s, toads on two islands in the Indian Ocean have shrunken limbs and bodies that may be evidence that "island dwarfism" can evolve quickly.
- Paleontology
Saber-toothed anchovy relatives hunted in the sea 50 million years ago
Unlike today’s plankton-eating anchovies with tiny teeth, ancient anchovy kin had lower jaw of sharp spikes paired with a single giant sabertooth.
- Paleontology
‘Wonderchicken’ is the earliest known modern bird at nearly 67 million years old
A new fossil find, dubbed the Wonderchicken, is a common ancestor of modern ducks and chickens.
- Science & Society
2020’s science superlatives include the oldest, highest and grossest discoveries
From the earliest modern bird to the highest-temperature superconductor, science set plenty of records in 2020.
- Science & Society
These science claims from 2019 could be big deals — if true
Some of this year’s most tantalizing scientific finds aren’t yet ready for a “best of” list.
- Life
Remarkable fossils capture mammals’ recovery after the dino-killing asteroid
A fossil-rich site in Colorado is revealing how mammals rebounded and flourished after an asteroid strike 66 million years ago.
- Earth
Chicxulub collision put Earth’s crust in hot water for over a million years
An asteroid impact 66 million years ago caused hot fluids to circulate in the crust, creating conditions that may have been ideal for microbial life.
- Science & Society
How science museums reinvented themselves to survive the pandemic
The pandemic forced science museums to reach out to their communities, and some built a wider following.
- Paleontology
Science News’ favorite fossils of 2019
Fossil discoveries reported this year included Cambrian creatures, ancient bone cancer and a peek at life’s recovery after the dinosaur die-off.
- Animals
A tiny crustacean fossil contains roughly 100-million-year-old giant sperm
Giant sperm preserved in an ancient ostracod may be the oldest known sperm fossil, showing that giant sperm have existed at least 100 million years.
- Space
December’s stunning Geminid meteor shower is born from a humble asteroid
Most meteor showers arise from comets, but the robust Geminid shower comes from an asteroid, Phaethon, which scientists are still trying to figure out.
