Ancient sharks appeared much earlier than previously thought
A handful of fossil teeth from a completely new species, uncovered from rock samples found in China, suggest jawed fish emerged sometime at the...
Scientists find tiny Triassic specimen is an early relative of pterosaurs
A new study of a tiny Triassic fossil reptile has revealed it to be a close relative of the species that would become pterosaurs.
A...
Dinosaur-killing asteroid triggered global tsunami, shows study
The miles-wide asteroid that struck Earth 66 million years ago wiped out nearly all the dinosaurs and roughly three-quarters of the planet’s plant and...
This ancient shark from China is humans’ oldest jawed ancestor
Living sharks are often portrayed as the apex predators of the marine realm.
Paleontologists have been able to identify fossils of their extinct ancestors that...
How did ‘bird-hipped’ dinosaurs evolve?
Researchers have conducted a new analysis of the origins of ‘bird-hipped’ dinosaurs – the group which includes iconic species such as Triceratops.
They found that...
Scientists discover extinct prehistoric reptile that lived among dinosaurs
Scientists have discovered a new extinct species of lizard-like reptile that belongs to the same ancient lineage as New Zealand’s living tuatara.
They describe the...
Scientists discover the earliest gibbon fossil in southwest China
Scientists have discovered the earliest gibbon fossil, a find that helps fill a long-elusive evolutionary gap in the history of apes.
The work, reported in...
What killed dinosaurs and other life on earth
Determining what killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago at the end of the Cretaceous Period has long been the topic of debate, as...
Why were reptiles such evolution success story?
It was thought they just got lucky when climate change killed off foes. New study finds they also adapted sooner to rising heat.
Just over...
Scientists find Africa’s oldest known dinosaur
An international team of paleontologists led by Virginia Tech has discovered and named a new, early dinosaur.
The skeleton — incredibly, mostly intact — was...