Scientists reveal new clues into how Earth got its oxygen
For much of Earth’s four and a half billion years, the planet was barren and inhospitable.
It wasn’t until the world acquired its blanket of...
Scientists find two bird-sized dinosaurs that struggled to fly
Despite having bat-like wings, two small dinosaurs, Yi and Ambopteryx, struggled to fly, only managing to glide clumsily between the trees where they lived,...
Scientists find the lost tectonic plate in Northern Canada
The existence of a tectonic plate called Resurrection has long been a topic of debate among geologists, with some arguing it was never real.
Others...
When good governments go bad?
All good things must come to an end.
Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with...
World’s greatest mass extinction triggered switch to warm-bloodedness, shows study
Mammals and birds today are warm-blooded, and this is often taken as the reason for their great success.
University of Bristol palaeontologist Professor Mike Benton,...
Scientists finally prove that rain really can move mountains
A pioneering technique that captures precisely how mountains bend to the will of raindrops has helped to solve a long-standing scientific enigma.
The dramatic effect...
Fossil carbon burned by asteroid impact may have killed all dinosaurs
An asteroid impact 66 million years ago may have released trillions of pounds of partially burned fossil carbon into Earth’s upper atmosphere as a...
Scientists discover the oldest monkey fossils outside Africa
Scientists find three 6.4 million years old monkey fossils in a lignite mine in southeastern Yunan Province, China.
This indicates monkeys existed in Asia at...
Scientists unlock the secrets of near-Earth asteroid Bennu
Scientists now know much more about the material NASA's first asteroid sample return mission will be collecting in just a few weeks.
In a special...
Toothless dinosaur’s lost digits point to spread of parrot-like species
A newly discovered species of toothless, two-fingered dinosaur has shed light on how a group of parrot-like animals thrived more than 68 million years...