Paleontology

Artistic reconstruction of two individuals of Peregocetus, one standing along the rocky shore of nowadays Peru and the other preying upon fish. The presence of a tail fluke remains hypothetical.

How Did Whales Reach the Americas? A Four-Legged Fossil Offers New Clues

Dubbed Peregocetus pacificus, the newly-described species was adapted to life both in and out of the water

New Type of Arctic Dinosaur Discovered in Alaska

The duck-billed, crested lambeosaurine shows that a diverse array of dinos lived in the warmer but still harsh Arctic 70 million years ago

A partially exposed, 65-million-year-old fish from the Tanis deposit in North Dakota.

Fossil Site May Capture the Dinosaur-Killing Impact, but It’s Only the Beginning of the Story

The Tanis site in North Dakota contains evidence of the asteroid impact that killed off the dinosaurs

A bit of the ancient delta off the coast of Svalbard.

Earth's Largest River Delta Was the Size of Alaska

The Triassic Snadd delta between Norway and Russia lasted millions of years and was likely a biodiversity hotspot

International Expedition Will Excavate the Dino-Rich 'Jurassic Mile'

More than 100 paleontologists are heading to the fossil-filled Morrison Formation

Scotty’s skeleton is scheduled to go on view at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in May 2019

Meet Scotty, the Largest and Longest-Lived T. Rex Ever Found

The dinosaur weighed an estimated 19,555 pounds and likely lived into its early 30s

Colors in nature can be produced by both pigments that absorb some light and microscopic structures that change the wavelength of light.

How Do Scientists Know What Colors Prehistoric Animals Were?

Fossil expert Maria McNamara explains how paleontologists are starting to investigate the hues of the past

An illustration of what Avimaia schweitzerae and its nest may have looked like.

First-Ever Fossilized Mother Bird Found With Unlaid Egg

The rare 110-million-year-old bits of shell shine light on the reproduction during the age of dinosaurs

The Cambrian Period was a time of remarkable diversification of life when many of the animal groups that exist today first appear in the fossil record.

Fossil Treasure Trove of Ancient Animals Unearthed in China

The fossils from the Cambrian Period include dozens of new species and provide a window into life more than 500 million years ago

A great white shark, probably considering its species' triumph over the now-extinct megalodon

Did Great White Sharks Drive Megalodon to Extinction?

An earlier extinction date puts megalodon's fall in line with the rise of the great white

An artist imagines what two Mnyamawamtuka would look like as they cavort in the Cretaceous rain

Meet the Dinosaur With the Heart-Shaped Tail Bone

The newly discovered long-neck dino could help scientists figure out why some dinosaurs grew to be so large

By analyzing fossilized vomit and droppings, scientists have determined that Smok wawelski was one of the first predators to crush the bones of its prey.

Prehistoric Crocodile Cousin Crushed the Bones of Its Prey Long Before T. Rex

Fossilized feces filled with bone reveal the feeding habits of an ancient predator

Pandas Weren't Always Picky Eaters

A new study suggests the all-bamboo diet was adopted in the recent past, not millions of years ago

With just two rows of teeth, Edestus slid its lower jaw to slice apart its prey.

Scientists Model How Prehistoric Shark Cut Through Prey With 'Scissor Jaws'

The 330-million-year-old species <i>Edestus</i> had one of the most unique bites in natural history

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Studying the History of Life on Earth Keeps This Paleontologist Optimistic

Smithsonian scientist Nick Pyenson explains how taking an interest in natural history can help us understand our future

An illustration showing what Galagadon would have looked like in life, swimming along the river floor.

New Prehistoric Shark Species Discovered Alongside Sue the T. Rex

The teeth of <i>Galagadon nordquistae</i> were discovered in the rock that once surrounded the famous <i>T. rex</i> skeleton.

The species Orobates pabsti represents a group of animals that lived after the first animals to walk on land but before the evolution of modern lizards.

Scientists Used a Robot to Study How Prehistoric Lizards Walked

OroBOT, a robot version of an ancestor to the dinosaurs, is helping fill in some gaps in the evolution of walking

The red arrow points to where the prehistoric shark tooth got lodged in the pterosaur's neck.

What Is a Shark Tooth Doing in the Neck of a Flying Pterosaur?

A new study suggests that the winged reptile fell prey to a hungry predator lurking in the water

The collection of prints, including this Iguanodon one, reportedly represents the most diverse, detailed collection of Cretaceous fossils ever discovered in Great Britain

Trove of Well-Preserved Dinosaur Footprints Unearthed Along Sussex Coast

Researchers discovered more than 85 fossilized footprints left by at least seven prehistoric species

The researchers are quick to point out that their findings don't suggest a link between brain size or shape and behavior, but instead offer an exploration of the genetic evolution of modern brains

Neanderthal Genes Influence Contemporary Humans’ Skull Shape, Brain Size

Individuals carrying these ancient ancestors' DNA are more likely to have slightly elongated, rather than rounded, brains

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