Paleontology

Paleontology

Newfound fossils in China highlight a dizzying diversity of Cambrian life

A new treasure trove of Cambrian fossils in China dating to 518 million years ago could rival Canada’s Burgess Shale.

Paleontology

In a first, a fossilized egg is found preserved inside an ancient bird

Scientists have found the first known fossil of a bird that died with an unlaid egg inside its body. The egg has been crushed by pressure over time.

Paleontology

A new T. rex exhibit takes a deep dive into the iconic dinosaur

“T. rex: The Ultimate Predator,” a new exhibit in New York City, draws on the latest science to provide a fresh look at Tyrannosaurus rex and its relatives.

Climate

Dueling dates for a huge eruption reignite the debate over dinosaurs’ death

New dating techniques for the Deccan Traps volcanic eruptions disagree on whether they were the main culprit in the dinosaurs’ demise.

Paleontology

A deer-sized T. rex ancestor shows how fast tyrannosaurs became giants

A newly found dinosaur called Moros intrepidus fills a hole in the evolutionary history of tyrannosaurs, helping narrow when the group sized up.

Animals

A rare, ancient case of bone cancer has been found in a turtle ancestor

A 240-million-year-old fossil reveals the oldest known case of bone cancer in an amniote, a group that includes mammals, birds and reptiles.

Animals

Giant pandas may have only recently switched to eating mostly bamboo

Giant pandas may have switched to an exclusive bamboo diet some 5,000 years ago, not 2 million years ago as previously thought.

Paleontology

Tiny eyes make a bizarre, ancient platypus-like reptile even weirder

An ancient oddball marine reptile had teeny-tiny eyes, suggesting it probably used senses other than sight to catch food.

Animals

Cryptic remains of tiny animals have turned up in an Antarctic lake

Researchers were surprised to find vestiges of what appear to be tiny animals in mud from Antarctica’s ice-covered Lake Mercer.

Paleontology

A four-legged robot hints at how ancient tetrapods walked

Using fossils, computer simulations and a life-size walking robot, researchers re-created how an early tetrapod may have made tracks.

Astronomy

These 2018 findings could be big news — if they turn out to be true

Discoveries about fossils, the Big Bang and more could shake up the scientific world – if they turn out to be true.

Paleontology

Pterosaurs may have been covered in fur and primitive feathers

A new study provides evidence of plumelike structures in ancient flying reptiles.