Exploring Prehistoric Life

Tue, 2018-12-18

Feathers found in Burmese amber dating back 100 million years are so exquisitely preserved that palaeontologists have been able to make a detailed study of their structure - and they're like nothing seen in...

Sat, 2018-12-15

The Burgess Shale is a huge deposit of unique fossils that reveals records of the middle Cambrian, a vital period in...

Thu, 2018-12-13

A lot happened in the world of paleontology in 2018. Some of the big events included some major fossil finds, a new understanding of our reptile ancestors and a major controversy whose outcome could rewrite human history.

Wed, 2018-12-12

The carbon composition of enamel in early hominin teeth, supported by soil sample evidence, suggests our ancestors were dietary generalists, able to eat a wide variety of plants that grow in both semi-arid and wooded areas.

Tue, 2018-12-11

Iridescence is responsible for some of the most striking visual displays in the animal kingdom. Now, thanks to a new study of feathers from almost 100 modern bird species, scientists have gained new insights into how this colour diversity evolved....

Sun, 2018-12-09

One of the best-known fossils in paleontology, a virtually complete skeleton nicknamed "Little Foot", could actually represent an entirely new species of early human, scientists have announced.

Tue, 2018-12-04

Maiabalaena nesbittae represents a surprising intermediate stage between modern filter-feeding whales and their toothed ancestors. Instead, the 15-...

Sat, 2018-12-01

Fifty years ago, as astronauts trained for the Apollo 11 moon mission, Earth-bound geologists at the Museum of Northern Arizona trained for an expedition that would rock the world of paleontology.

Sat, 2018-12-01

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is expansive — a person could spend hours walking the different exhibitions. But what's on display is only a...

Fri, 2018-11-30

A closer examination of a fossil found more than four decades ago has led to the identification of a new species of whale—a 33-million-year-old cetacean featuring neither teeth nor baleen.

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