Paleontology
- Paleontology
Snakes crawled among Jurassic dinosaurs, new timeline says
Earliest snake fossils provide evidence snakes evolved their flexible skulls before their long, limbless bodies.
- Life
Fossil fish eye has 300 million-year-old rods and cones
A fossil fish shows the earliest evidence of rods and cones, cells essential for color vision in vertebrates.
- Earth
Mega volcanism indicted in dinosaur demise
Precision dating strengthens idea that climate-altering Deccan volcanism contributed to dinosaur extinction.
- Paleontology
Ancient sea creature took to land and sea
A primitive relative of the ichthyosaur had strong bones and big flippers.
- Paleontology
Some trilobites sported dual digestive tracts
CT scans reveal trilobites with two-lane digestive tracts.
- Paleontology
Ancient jellyfish suffered strange, sandy death
A fossil hints at the unusual series of events that led to an ancient jellyfish’s preservation and may offer clues to understanding odd sand deposits found elsewhere.
- Paleontology
Bright feathers give hints about dino vision
Dinosaurs may have seen the world in brilliant ultraviolet light and turquoises, which may have influenced the evolution of birds' feathers.
- Paleontology
Stegosaurus landed a low blow in dino brawl
During a dinosaur scuffle 147 million years ago, a stegosaurus whipped an allosaurus in the crotch.
- Paleontology
Mystery fossils belonged to giant ostrichlike dinosaur
Two recently found skeletons reveal that Deinocheirus, first discovered 50 years ago, was the largest-known dinosaur of its kind.
- Paleontology
Extinct giant kangaroos tiptoed one leg at a time
Stiff spines, flared hips and other fossil clues suggest extinct, refrigerator-sized kangaroos stepped one hind leg at a time instead of hopping.
- Paleontology
Plant-eating dinosaurs coexisted by munching different vegetation
Differences in skulls allowed sauropods to coexist in an arid landscape by enabling the dinosaurs to tackle different plants.
- Animals
How a saber-toothed cat is like a can opener
A researcher argues that the saber-toothed cat’s teeth acted like an old-fashioned can opener.
