Ancient lungfish jaws reveal the eating habits of Earth’s first land animals
Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, the oceans were teeming with strange and powerful creatures.
Among them were lungfish—an ancient group of lobe-finned fish that...
Dinosaur wrist discovery reveals new clue to how flight evolved
Scientists have uncovered a surprising piece of the puzzle in the evolution of flight: a tiny wrist bone in certain dinosaurs that may have...
Scientists discover seagull-sized pterosaur in Arizona desert
A team of researchers led by the Smithsonian has discovered the oldest known pterosaur fossil in North America.
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that lived alongside...
What killed the dinosaurs’ predecessors may still threaten us today
New fossil evidence has revealed that the collapse of tropical forests during the Earth’s most devastating extinction event triggered a long period of extreme...
Texas-sized possum from 60 million years ago sheds light on ancient life
A newly described ancient mammal discovered in Texas is turning heads—not just for its size, but for what it reveals about life millions of...
Ancient squids ruled the seas long before the dinosaurs died out
New fossil research has revealed that squids were already dominant predators in the oceans 100 million years ago—much earlier than scientists previously believed.
Using a...
Ancient DNA reveals dogs’ epic journey through the Americas
New research has uncovered surprising insights into the history of dogs in the Americas, showing that these loyal animals traveled slowly alongside humans as...
16-inch salamander once ruled Appalachia, new fossil reveals
A powerful, long-extinct salamander once roamed the ancient forests of Tennessee, and its recent discovery is helping scientists understand how the region became a...
How pterosaurs can inspire aircraft design
Pterosaurs were an amazing group of flying reptiles that occupied the skies around the same time that dinosaurs roamed on land.
Appearing in the fossil...
Dinosaur stomach fossil reveals Sauropods gobbled plants without chewing
A remarkable fossil discovery in Australia has given scientists the first-ever confirmed glimpse into what sauropod dinosaurs actually ate—and it turns out they weren’t...