Fossils

The smart, menacing, powerful T. rex of 1993's Jurassic Park has lodged itself in the minds of millions.

How We Elected <i>T. rex</i> to Be Our Tyrant Lizard King

The true story behind our obsession with the last and largest of the tyrannosaurs

DNA from this panda skull, found in Cizhutuo cave in southern China, is the oldest panda DNA ever sequenced.

This Ancient Panda Skull Belongs to a Previously Unknown Lineage

The fossilized skull represents a panda line that split from today’s fluffy creatures 183,000 years ago

An artist's impression of an adult and juvenile Lyrarapax unguispinus — awww, how adorable!

This Prehistoric Sea Creature Had Fanged, Killer Babies

The discovery of a juvenile <i>Lyrarapax unguispinus</i> fossil reveals that even the tiny terrors had a developed claw-like appendage and sharp teeth

Oldest Footprints Show When Life On Earth Got Legs

Tiny fossil tracks found in South China firmly date appendages back to the Ediacaran period

In the early 20th century, pioneer paleontologist Annie Montague Alexander had to find socially acceptable fieldwork partners to avoid being accused of vague improprieties on her expeditions. She would go on to found the University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley.

The Many Ways Women Get Left Out of Paleontology

The hurdles that prevent female fossil hunters from rising at the same rates as their male peers are myriad—but they are all interconnected

An artists rendition of the ancient leviathans.

Why Did Most Massive Bony Fish Behemoths Die Out?

Some researchers suggest metabolism might be to blame, but a new study suggests that's not the case

The butchered rhino

700,000-Year-Old Butchered Rhino Pushes Back Ancient Human Arrival in the Philippines

The find changes the story of human migration, but scientists still don't know what human species did the cutting

Liu Cun Yu, the director of the Beipiao Pterosaur Museum, poses in front of a full-scale model of a Moganopterus zhuiana, a species named after his wife.

The Great Chinese Dinosaur Boom

A gold rush of fossil-finding is turning China into the new epicenter of paleontology

Ocean Current That Keeps Europe Warm Is Weakening

Two new studies show the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation has decreased 15 to 20 percent over the last 150 years

This Ancient Reptile Was One of the Most Massive Creatures That Ever Lived

A fossil jawbone found in England suggests the 'sea monster' was nearly the size of a blue whale

Sauropod footprint on the Isle of Skye.

50 Rare Dinosaur Footprints Found on Scottish Island

The prints date to the Middle Jurassic period, which has yielded relatively few dinosaur fossils

An artist's impression of the tiny bird.

127-Million-Year-Old Baby Bird Fossil Offers Peek Into Ancient Avian Development

The baby enantiornithe had a soft sternum and likely could not fly

The handbones seen in the whale model in the center of this image tell the curious story of how whales went from land to water.

What’s a "Missing Link"?

While some still use the term, experts abhor it because it implies that life is a linear hierarchy

Thousands of years ago, a herd of Columbian mammoths trudged across present-day Oregon to an ancient lake, recording their interactions in the muddy sediments.

Rare Mammoth Tracks Reveal an Intimate Portrait of Herd Life

Researchers piece together a 43,000-years-old tableau of an injured adult and concerned young

Young Tourist Finds 90-Million-Year-Old Fish Fossil at Colombian Monastery

Palaeontologists were first alerted to the fossil by a 10-year-old tourist

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Dinosaur and Ancient Mammal Stomping Ground Found in NASA Parking Lot

The slab is covered in 70 foot prints and is one of the best collections of animal traces yet found

Artist concept of Mansourasaurus shahinae on a lush coastline of what is now the Western Desert of Egypt approximately 80 million years ago.

African Titanosaur Discovery Helps Untangle Dinosaur Evolution

The creature reveals ancient connection between Africa, Europe, and Asia after the great Pangea broke apart

Close-up view of the of jawbone, showing details of the crown topography and dental features.

Earliest Human Remains Outside Africa Were Just Discovered in Israel

If accepted as <i>Homo sapien</i>, the jaw-dropping jawbone would push back the human exodus out of Africa by nearly 100,000 years

Artist's concept of Caihong, a crow-sized iridescent dinosaur from the Jurassic Period.

Newly Discovered Dino Had a Rainbow of Shiny Feathers

The fossilized creature was likely a blend of hummingbird and crow

Habelia optata

This Fierce 508-Million-Year-Old Relative of Scorpions Had Five Jaws and Body Armor

A new analysis of <em>Habelia optata</em> could help us understand the history of modern arthropods

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