Fossils

Actual dinosaurs were discovered at Dinosaur National Monument a century ago. Starting in 1909, fossil hound Earl Douglass found fantastic remains of gigantic dinosaurs.

America's Monumental Dinosaur Site

For the first time in years, visitors can once again see the nation's most productive Jurassic park

Archosaur skull changes (juveniles on the left, adults on the right). While there was a significant amount of change between the juvenile and adult skulls of alligators (top) and the non-avian dinosaur Coelophysis (middle), there was little change between the juvenile and adult skulls of early birds such as Archaeopteryx (bottom) and their closest dinosaur relatives.

Birds Have Juvenile Dinosaur Skulls

The peculiar way birds grow up got its start among feathery non-avian dinosaurs

The rebbachisaurid Limaysaurus. This sauropod was similar to the ones discovered by Salgado and colleagues in the Patagonian bonebed.

Social Sauropods?

A bonebed in Argentina with three sauropods of different sizes adds new evidence that some of these dinosaurs were social creatures

A skeleton reconstruction of Eoabelisaurus, showing the recovered parts of the skeleton

New Dinosaur Signifies Dawn of Stubby-Armed Predators

A newly described abelisaurid pushes back the history of the blunt-skulled, stubby-armed predators

A speculative restoration of Australia's Cretaceous ceratosaur

Fragmentary Clue Reveals Australia’s First Ceratosaur

An isolated bone shows that Cretaceous Australia had an even richer mix of predatory dinosaurs

A huge Allosaurus threatens a super-sized Diplodocus. Did such giant dinosaurs fart? We don't know.

Media Blows Hot Air About Dinosaur Flatulence

A new study claims dinosaur farts contributed to prehistoric climate change, but don't believe reports that they gassed themselves to death

A full-size restoration of what Aletopelta might have looked like, at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Ankylosaur Reef

Even though dinosaurs never lived in the sea, a few unfortunate specimens created temporary reefs in ancient oceans

A pair of Pachycephalosaurus face off at the Museum of Ancient Life in Utah.

Fossil Testifies to Pachycephalosaur Pain

A damaged skull throws support to the idea that some dome-headed dinosaurs butted heads

Small coelurosaurs like this Troodon appear to have maintained stable levels of disparity during the last 12 million years of the Cretaceous.

New Wrinkle to the Story of the Last Dinosaurs

Were the last dinosaurs thriving or declining just before Tyrannosaurus and kin disappeared?

The tooth of Ostrafrikasaurus as seen from the front (A), tongue side (B), back (c) and cheek side (d)

The Mysterious Teeth of Ostafrikasaurus

A pair of enigmatic teeth might hint that croc-snouted spinosaurs had a deeper history than we presently understand

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Why Is It Cool To Hate On Dinosaur Discoveries?

Tyrannosaur traditionalists are registering their displeasure at the way paleontologists are altering our understanding of dinosaur lives

The shape of the "Pachysuchus" fossil (in grey) set into a sauropodomorph dinosaur skull

Pachysuchus Actually a Hidden Dinosaur

A strange jaw fragment, once thought to belong to a crocodile-like predator, turned out to be a dinosaur

A restoration of Ichthyovenator by Michel Fontaine

Ichthyovenator: The Sail-Backed Fish Hunter of Laos

The spinosaur, apparently the first confirmed in Asia, had a wavy sail that dipped downwards at the hips, creating the appearance of two smaller sails

Did egg-laying spell doom for non-avian dinosaurs, such as this crispy Troodon at the San Diego Natural History Museum?

How Eggs Shaped Dinosaur Evolution

Eggs may have been the secret to dinosaur success, but did they also lead to the dinosaurs' doom?

A pair of bristly Fruitadens models on display at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles

Fruitadens and the Dinosaur Diet

The dinosaur diet was not a simply a choice between steak or salad

A feathery Troodon on the Museum of Life and Science Dinosaur Trail, in Durham, North Carolina.

Dinosaur Egg Hunt

A well-timed analysis suggests that non-avian dinosaurs, not the Easter bunny, are the best candidates for laying the candy eggs hidden away on lawns

The skull of Yutyrannus

Scientists Discover a Gigantic Feathered Tyrannosaur

A newly described dinosaur confirms that even the formidable tyrannosaurs were covered in feathers

Titanoboa, pictured with a dyrosaur and a turtle, ruled the swampy South American tropics 58 million years ago.

How Titanoboa, the 40-Foot-Long Snake, Was Found

In Colombia, the fossil of a gargantuan snake has stunned scientists, forcing them to rethink the nature of prehistoric life

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Are There Any Fossils Left and Other Questions From Smithsonian Readers

We brought your questions on paleontology, Civil War photography and other subjects to the Institution’s experts

A partial Tenontosaurus skeleton on display at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana.

How Tenontosaurus Grew Up

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