Paleontology

Paleontology

Back from the Dead?

The long-term disappearance of creatures from the fossil record and their later reemergence can provide insights into ancient environmental conditions and the trustworthiness of the fossil record itself.

Paleontology

Meet the old wolves, same as the new wolves

The dire wolf, an extinct species preserved in abundance at the La Brea tar pits, seems to have had a social structure similar to that of its modern-day relatives.

Paleontology

Dinosaurs matured sexually while still growing

Distinctive bone tissue in fossils of several dinosaur species suggests that the ancient reptiles became sexually mature long before they gained adult size.

Paleontology

Deinonychus’ claws were hookers, not rippers

The meat-eating dinosaur Deinonychus probably used the large, sicklelike claw on its foot to grip and climb large prey, not disembowel it.

Paleontology

The first matrushka

A newly found fossil preserves one creature inside another that lies nestled inside yet another, a Paleozoic version of the Russian nesting dolls known as matrushkas.

Paleontology

Digging the Scene: Dinos burrowed, built dens

Dinosaurs remains fossilized within an ancient burrow are the first indisputable evidence that some dinosaurs maintained an underground lifestyle.

Paleontology

Fossil mystery solved?

Experiments in a Florida swamp show how aquatic creatures can get trapped and preserved in amber, a form of hardened tree sap.

Paleontology

Just a quick bite

Saber-toothed cats living in North America around 10,000 years ago had a much weaker bite than modern big cats.

Paleontology

Unexpected Archive: Mammoth hair yields ancient DNA

Hair from ancient mammoths contains enough genetic material to permit reconstruction of parts of the animal's genome.

Paleontology

Bumpy Bones: Fossil hints that dinosaur had feathery forearms

A series of knobs on the forearm bone of a 1.5-meter-long velociraptor provides the first direct evidence of substantial feathers on a dinosaur of that size.

Paleontology

Dinosaurs’ gradual rise to dominance

Early dinosaurs didn't quickly eclipse the creatures they evolved from, but lived alongside them for perhaps 20 million years.

Paleontology

Jurassic CSI: Fossils indicate central nervous system damage

Fossils found in the head-thrown-back position, the so-called "dead bird" pose, probably died from central nervous system damage.