Hippos once roamed ice age Europe, surviving far longer than anyone thought
Hippos are now seen only in sub-Saharan Africa, but new research reveals that these giant, water-loving animals lived in central Europe much more recently...
Scientists unveil Xiphodracon, a rare Jurassic sea dragon from Britain
On England’s Jurassic Coast, a remarkable fossil discovery has shed new light on the ancient reptiles that once dominated Earth’s oceans.
A nearly complete skeleton...
Sea sponges may have been Earth’s first animals, new study shows
What were the first animals to appear on Earth? New research points to a surprising candidate: sea sponges.
A team of geochemists from MIT and...
Fossil ear bones rewrite the story of freshwater fish
A new discovery of tiny fossilized fish bones has forced scientists to rethink the origins of some of the world’s most successful freshwater fish.
These...
Teen dinosaur fossil reveals secrets of dome-headed dinosaurs
A rare dinosaur fossil from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert is giving scientists new insight into one of the most mysterious groups of dinosaurs.
The fossil belongs...
Scientists discover new ichthyosaur species in Jurassic clay pit
Paleontologists have identified a new species of ichthyosaur, a marine reptile that swam the oceans during the age of dinosaurs, from fossils discovered in...
Tiny croc with strange teeth discovered in Montana after 95 million years
About 95 million years ago, a little crocodyliform no bigger than a household lizard scurried around what is now southwest Montana.
Nicknamed Elton, this tiny...
Why the end of dinosaurs gave rise to meandering rivers
The extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago didn’t just clear the way for mammals to rise. It also transformed the very shape of...
Scientists trace Africa’s dinosaur giants back to European roots
When most people think of giant predatory dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex often comes to mind.
But the largest predator of all time was Spinosaurus, which lived...
These dinosaur eggs reveal secrets of ancient climate
Eighty-five million years ago, dinosaurs roamed a world filled with dramatic changes.
Volcanoes erupted frequently, oceans lost oxygen in some regions, and waves of extinctions...