Paleontology

  1. Paleontology

    Fossils reveal largest airborne bird

    Despite its massive size, an extinct bird may have been an efficient glider.

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  2. Paleontology

    Flightless dino-bird wore full-body feathers

    Recently unearthed Archaeopteryx fossil sports full coat of feathers, suggesting feather evolution was more complex than previously thought.

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  3. Astronomy

    Feedback

    Readers debate about what happens when an astronaut falls into a black hole, compare note-taking techniques, speculate on bat longevity and more.

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  4. Paleontology

    ‘Dinosaurs Without Bones’ gives glimpse of long-gone life

    Ichnologist Anthony J. Martin explains his research piecing together dinosaurs’ lives from footprints and other traces.

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  5. Life

    Dinos straddled line between cold- and warm-blooded

    Tyrannosaurus rex and other dinosaurs straddled line between cold- and warm-blood, a new analysis finds.

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  6. Paleontology

    Ancient fish may have set stage for jaws

    A fish called Metaspriggina walcotti, which lived roughly 500 million years ago, had body parts that may have later evolved into jaws.

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  7. Paleontology

    Preserved pterosaur eggs hint at reptile’s social life

    The first 3-D pterosaur eggs, which were found in China, suggest that the flying reptiles laid eggs together.

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  8. Paleontology

    Age and origin of Earth’s early fossils questioned

    Some of Earth's earliest trace fossils may not be fossils at all, a new study argues.

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  9. Paleontology

    Fragments of long-bodied dino found in Argentina

    Named Leinkupal laticauda, the new species dino probably lived into the early Cretaceous period, which began roughly 145 million years ago.

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  10. Paleontology

    Giant 17-million-year-old fossil sperm found

    Giant sperm have been found in 17-million-year-old fossilized mussel shrimp. The specimens, collected in Queensland, Australia, sport the oldest petrified sex cells on record.

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  11. Paleontology

    Asteroid strike spurred quick chill that led to dinosaurs’ demise

    After an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, ocean temperatures fell 2 degrees Celsius, leading to mass extinction of dinosaurs and other life.

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  12. Paleontology

    Oldest true dolphin species gets a new name

    A dolphin species first described in the 1970s has gotten a new name but still retains the title of oldest true dolphin species identified to date.

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