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Tag: PALEONTOLOGY
What Big Teeth You Have: Tooth Root Surface Area Can Determine Primate Size
Researchers have developed formulas that can calculate the body size of a primate based on the root size of its teeth. The formulas could allow researchers to make use of partial and incomplete fossils in order to learn how ancient primates – including human ancestors – interacted with their environment.
‘Raptor-like’ dinosaur discovered in Australian mine, actually uncovered as a timid vegetarian
Fossil footprints found in an Australian coal mine around 50 years ago have long been thought to be that of a large ‘raptor-like’ predatory dinosaur, but scientists have in fact discovered they were instead left by a timid long-necked herbivore.
University of Washington researchers discover four dinosaurs in Montana
A team of paleontologists from the University of Washington excavated four dinosaurs in northeastern Montana this summer. The four dinosaur fossils are: the ilium of an ostrich-sized theropod; the hips and legs of a duck-billed dinosaur; a pelvis and limbs from another theropod; and a Triceratops specimen.
A new species of otter discovered in Germany
Researchers from the Universities of Tübingen and Zaragoza have discovered a previously unknown species of otter from 11.4-million-year-old strata at the Hammerschmiede fossil site.
The giant jurassic dinosaur Allosaurus was a scavenger, not a predator
In a paper published August 23, authors Cameron Pahl and Luis Ruedas, of Portland State University, show that Allosaurus, a large carnivorous dinosaur from the Jurassic that has long been thought to be a top predator, could probably have acquired most of its calories by scavenging on the carcasses of enormous sauropod herbivores that lived alongside it.
T. rex’s jaw had sensors to make it an even more fearsome predator, new digital study finds
Tyrannosaurus rex was not just a huge beast with a big bite, it had nerve sensors in the very tips of its jaw enabling it to better detect – and eat – its prey, a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Historical Biology today finds.
New prehistoric ‘Hobbit’ creature is among three discoveries suggesting rapid evolution of mammals after dinosaur extinction
Research published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of Systematic Palaeontology describes the discovery of three new species of ancient creatures from the dawn of modern mammals, and hints at rapid evolution immediately after the mass extinction of the dinosaurs.
Palaeontology: Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly
Newly-hatched pterosaurs may have been able to fly but their flying abilities may have been different from adult pterosaurs, according to a study published in Scientific Reports . Pterosaurs were a group of flying reptiles that lived during the Triassic,…
A foot tumor and two tail fractures complicated the life of this hadrosaur
When it was discovered in the 1980s in Argentina, this hadrosaur was diagnosed with a fractured foot. However, a new analysis now shows that this ornithopod commonly known as the duck-billed dinosaur actually had a tumour some 70 million years…
Fossil rodent teeth add North American twist to Caribbean mammals’ origin story
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two fossil teeth from a distant relative of North American gophers have scientists rethinking how some mammals reached the Caribbean Islands. The teeth, excavated in northwest Puerto Rico, belong to a previously unknown rodent genus and species,…
Have you ever wondered how many species have inhabited the earth?
Professors in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences explored whether or not the scientific community will ever be able to settle on a ‘total number’ of species of living vertebrates, which could help with species preservation. By knowing what’s…
Climate changed the size of our bodies and, to some extent, our brains
The average body size of humans has fluctuated significantly over the last million years and is strongly linked to temperature. Colder, harsher climates drove the evolution of larger body sizes, while warmer climates led to smaller bodies. Brain size also…
Longest known continuous record of the Paleozoic discovered in Yukon wilderness
Discovery illuminates a 120-million-year record of ancient Earth
Researchers detail the most ancient bat fossil ever discovered in Asia
A new paper appearing in Biology Letters describes the oldest-known fragmentary bat fossils from Asia, pushing back the evolutionary record for bats on that continent to the dawn of the Eocene and boosting the possibility that the bat family’s “mysterious” origins someday might be traced to Asia.
Researchers detail the most ancient bat fossil ever discovered in Asia
LAWRENCE — A new paper appearing in Biology Letters describes the oldest-known fragmentary bat fossils from Asia, pushing back the evolutionary record for bats on that continent to the dawn of the Eocene and boosting the possibility that the bat…
CWRU receives $1.2M W.M. Keck Foundation grant to determine ecological factors affect the evolution of our ancestors
Professor Beverly Saylor leads interdisciplinary global group applying state-of-the art technology to answer ancient questions
Wallonia as an international reference for the timeline
Paleontologists from Univeristy of Liège (Belgium) redefine the geological boundary between the Devonian and Carboniferous periods. A Walloon site could be chosen as a world reference for this boundary.
Research brief: New fossil sheds light on the evolution of how dinosaurs breathed
Using an exceptionally preserved fossil from South Africa, a particle accelerator, and high-powered x-rays, an international team including a University of Minnesota researcher has discovered that not all dinosaurs breathed in the same way. The findings give scientists more insight…
New species of pseudo-horses living 37 million years ago
Researchers at the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country describe two palaeotheriidae mammals that lived in the subtropical landscape of Alava
Fossil shark scales provide a glimpse of reef predator populations before human impact
The results indicate that shark abundance in the region declined roughly three-fold since prehistoric times
New beetle found in fossil feces attributed to dinosaur ancestor
The tiny beetle Triamyxa coprolithica is the first-ever insect to be described from fossil faeces. The animal the researchers have to thank for the excellent preservation was probably the dinosaur ancestor Silesaurus opolensis, which 230 million years ago ingested the small beetle in large numbers.
The rise and fall of elephants
Based on fossil finds, we know that the vast majority of species that once inhabited the earth have become extinct. For example, there are about 5,500 mammal species living on the planet today, but we know of at least 160,000…
Global climate dynamics drove the decline of mastodonts and elephants, new study suggests
Elephants and their forebears were pushed into wipeout by waves of extreme global environmental change, rather than overhunting by early humans, according to new research. The study, published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution , challenges claims that early human…
Digging into the molecules of fossilized dinosaur eggshells
Dinosaurs roamed the Earth more than 65 million years ago, and paleontologists and amateur fossil hunters are still unearthing traces of them today. The minerals in fossilized eggs and shell fragments provide snapshots into these creatures’ early lives, as well…
Decline of dinosaurs underway long before asteroid fell
Ten million years before the well-known asteroid impact that marked the end of the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs were already in decline. That is the conclusion of the Franco-Anglo-Canadian team led by CNRS researcher Fabien Condamine from the Institute of Evolutionary…
New fossils reveal previously unknown population of archaic hominin from the Levant
In two companion studies, researchers reveal a previously unknown population of archaic hominin- the “Nesher Ramla Homo ” – from a recently excavated site in Israel dated to roughly 140,000 to 120,000 years ago. Analysis of both the fossils and…
The origins of farming insects
A beetle bores a tree trunk to build a gallery in the wood in order to protect its lay. As it digs the tunnel, it spreads ambrosia fungal spores that will feed the larvae.
Did the ancient Maya have parks?
The ancient Maya city of Tikal was a bustling metropolis and home to tens of thousands of people.
When tyrannosaurs dominated, medium-sized predators disappeared
New UMD study suggests that everywhere tyrannosaurs rose to dominance, their juveniles took over the ecological role of medium-sized carnivores
Fossil research shows woodlice cousins roamed Ireland 360 million years ago
The old cousins of the common woodlice were crawling on Irish land as long as 360 million years ago, according to new analysis of a fossil found in Kilkenny.
Fossil research shows woodlice cousins roamed Ireland 360 million years ago
New techniques used to recreate the image of the Oxyuropoda – the cousin of the garden woodlice
Ten years of ancient genome analysis has taught scientists ‘what it means to be human’
A ball of 4,000-year-old hair frozen in time tangled around a whalebone comb led to the first ever reconstruction of an ancient human genome just over a decade ago
Study presents new species of bizarre, extinct lizard previously misidentified as a bird
An international research team has described a new species of Oculudentavis, providing further evidence that the animal first identified as a hummingbird-sized dinosaur was actually a lizard.
Dinosaurs lived in greenhouse climate with hot summers
New climate reconstruction method provides precise picture of climate 78 million years ago
For early amphibians, a new lifestyle meant a new spine
Moving from water to land and back again corresponded with distinct changes in animals’ spinal morphology, according to a new study led by paleontologist Aja Carter
Paleontologists for the first time discover the pierced skull of a Pleistocene cave bear
Russian paleontologists discovered the skull of a Pleistocene small cave bear with artificial damage in the Imanay Cave (Bashkiria, Russia).
Arctic rotifer lives after 24,000 years in a frozen state
Bdelloid rotifers are multicellular animals so small you need a microscope to see them. Despite their size, they’re known for being tough, capable of surviving through drying, freezing, starvation, and low oxygen. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology…
School lesson gone wrong leads to new, bigger megalodon size estimate
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A more reliable way of estimating the size of megalodon shows the extinct shark may have been bigger than previously thought, measuring up to 65 feet, nearly the length of two school buses. Earlier studies had ball-parked…
Meet Australia’s largest dinosaur — Australotitan, the southern titan!
What’s as long a basketball court, taller than a b-double and has just stomped into the record books as Australia’s largest dinosaur? It’s time to meet Australotitan cooperensis – a new species of giant sauropod dinosaur from Eromanga, southwest Queensland.…
10,000-year-old DNA pens the first tales of the earliest domesticated goats
New research has revealed the genetic makeup of the earliest goat herds. The findings, assimilated from DNA taken from the remains of 32 goats that died some 10,000 years ago in the Zagros mountains, provide clues to how early agricultural…
Corals tell Arabian Sea story of global warming
Coral insights into 1,000 years of seasonal changes in the Arabian Sea warn of significant impacts caused by global warming.
Corals tell Arabian Sea story of global warming
Coral insights into 1,000 years of seasonal changes in the Arabian Sea warn of significant impacts caused by global warming. Every year, the southwesterly winds of the summer monsoon sweep down the Arabian Peninsula, pushing the surface waters of the…
Evidence for a previously unknown extinction event that decimated ocean shark species
Nineteen million years ago, sharks nearly disappeared from Earth’s oceans, according to a new study, which provides evidence for a previously unknown mass ocean extinction event. Sharks as a species never recovered from this, the study’s authors say; their diversity…
The DNA of three aurochs found next to the Elba shepherdess opens up a new enigma for palaeontology
Research involving scientists from the University of A Coruña has succeeded in sequencing the oldest mitochondrial genome of the immediate ancestor of modern cows that has been analysed to date. The remains, some 9,000 years old, were found next to…
Young T. rexes had a powerful bite, capable of exerting one-sixth the force of an adult
Jack Tseng loves bone-crunching animals — hyenas are his favorite — so when paleontologist Joseph Peterson discovered fossilized dinosaur bones that had teeth marks from a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, Tseng decided to try to replicate the bite marks and measure how hard those kids could actually chomp down.
Fossil secret may shed light on the diversity of Earth’s first animals
A large group of iconic fossils widely believed to shed light on the origins of many of Earth’s animals and the communities they lived in may be hiding a secret. Scientists, led by two from the University of Portsmouth, UK,…
A non-invasive procedure allows obtaining archaeological information without excavating
The research, led by members of the CaSEs research group and published in PLOS ONE, represents the first application of pXRF (portable X-ray fluorescence analysis), combined with geostatistical data analysis, to anthropogenic sediments in Africa.
Chimaeroid from Early Cretaceous reassessed in light of new data
A paper went out in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
Jebel Sahaba: A succession of violence rather than a prehistoric war
Since its discovery in the 1960s, the Jebel Sahaba cemetery (Nile Valley, Sudan), 13 millennia old, was considered to be one of the oldest testimonies to prehistoric warfare.