Paleontology Archives

A Mysterious 45,000-Year-Old Seafloor Discovery Reveals New Evidence Denisovans Were Extremely Large

Micah Hanks·August 14, 2026

Ancient human fossils dredged from the seafloor near Taiwan are providing new insights into the appearance—and the large size—of the mysterious Denisovans.

Scientists May Have Finally Solved Earth’s Greatest Extinction Mystery

Austin Burgess·July 19, 2026

A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that differences in physiology, metabolism, and oxygen use helped determine which marine animals survived the Great Dying catastrophe.

The First Ancient Protein Analysis of Homo Naledi Has Revealed a New Burial Mystery

Austin Burgess·June 29, 2026

A recent study, published in Cell, marks the first ancient protein analysis of Homo naledi and raises the possibility that the Dinaledi Chamber may contain predominantly, or possibly exclusively, female individuals.

A Single Jawbone From Egypt Is Changing How Scientists Think About Ape Origins

Austin Burgess·June 1, 2026

For much of the past century, fossils from East Africa have shaped our understanding of ape evolution. Now, a jawbone found in the Egyptian desert adds a new dimension to that story.

Newly Discovered “Witch Croc” Reveals Dinosaur-Like Evolution in the Triassic

Austin Burgess·May 30, 2026

A newly described fossil from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, belongs to the crocodile family tree, but unlike most crocodile-line archosaurs, it walked on two legs, had small arms, and a toothless beak.

These Ancient Canadian Fossils Could Rewrite the Timeline of Early Animal Evolution

Chrissy Newton·May 21, 2026

Scientists in Canada have uncovered 567-million-year-old fossils that may rewrite the story of early animal evolution.

Mystery Fossils Reveal the First Known Ankylosaur Hatchling

Austin Burgess·April 29, 2026

For over two decades, paleontologists have puzzled over a set of unusually small dinosaur fossils from northeastern China.

Colossal Octopus Fossils Suggest a 60-Foot “Kraken” Once Ruled the Oceans

Ryan Whalen·April 25, 2026

Giant 19-meter-long kraken-like octopuses may have been the apex predators in the Late Cretaceous-era oceans, according to new research.

Ancient DNA Shows Dogs Lived with Humans During the Ice Age, New Study Reveals

Chrissy Newton·March 27, 2026

New research reexamines the relationship between humans and canines, pushing back the timeline of dog domestication by more than 5,000 years.

Deep Within a Cave in Central Texas, Scientists Have Made an Unexpected Discovery

Micah Hanks·March 26, 2026

Within an unexplored cave in Central Texas, scientists have made an ancient discovery never previously documented in the region.

Earliest Human Ancestors Were Hunted and Eaten by a Giant Prehistoric Monster

Christopher Plain·March 14, 2026

Scientists have identified a 3.3-million-year-old giant prehistoric monster crocodile species that likely hunted early human ancestor Lucy

Ancient DNA Reveals Ice Age Forests in the Lost World of Doggerland

Austin Burgess·March 14, 2026

Thousands of years before the North Sea flooded the region, a vast landscape known as Doggerland once connected Britain to mainland Europe.

Jurassic ‘Sword Dragon’ Fossil Narrows Timing of Ichthyosaur Evolution

Austin Burgess·March 3, 2026

The specimen, named Xiphodracon goldencapensis, also known as the "Sword Dragon of Dorset," was found near Golden Cap in Dorset in 2001 by fossil collector Chris Moore.

This Tiny Dinosaur Fossil Could Offer a Missing Link That Explains the Spread of an Unusual Class of Dinosaurs

Ryan Whalen·February 27, 2026

A tiny dinosaur species may be the missing link in the bird-like dinosaurs Alvarezsaurs, after the discovery of the first complete fossil.

Did Archaeologists Uncover Evidence of a Neanderthal “Skull Cult” in This Ancient Spanish Cave?

Micah Hanks·February 24, 2026

Archaeologists in Spain have discovered an odd collection of animal bones that may point to evidence of an ancient Neanderthal "skull cult."

Scientists Unearth a Scimitar-Crested “Hell Heron” During a Daunting Sahara Desert Expedition

Ryan Whalen·February 21, 2026

A new “scimitar-crested” spinosaurid, Spinosaurus mirabilis, has been uncovered in the Sahara, marking a major new dinosaur fossil find.

Free ‘DinoTracker’ App Can Identify 90% of Extinct Dinosaur Species by Their Fossilized Footprints

Christopher Plain·February 5, 2026

Scientists have released the DinoTracker app to help paleontologists and amateur enthusiasts identify fossilized dinosaur footprints.

Meet the 250-Kilogram Kangaroo Super-Hoppers of Prehistoric Australia

Chrissy Newton·January 23, 2026

New fossil discoveries reveal that colossal kangaroos from Australia’s Ice Age could still bounce across the landscape, despite their size.

When Scientists Examined the Contents of a 14,400-Year-Old Ice Age Wolf’s Stomach, They Found a “Woolly” Surprise

Christopher Plain·January 15, 2026

When Swedish scientists examined the stomach contents of 14,400-year-old Ice Age wolf remains they discovered DNA from a woolly rhinoceros

A Jurassic-Era Discovery Reveals How Earth’s Orbit May Help Explain Why Some Shale Layers Are Rich in Oil

Austin Burgess·January 14, 2026

New research reveals the role of our planet's orbit in why some shale layers are rich in organic material.

Is Our Understanding of the Fossil Record Flawed? New Research Reveals a “Flood” of New Insights that Challenge Old Ideas

Ryan Whalen·January 14, 2026

How paleontologists interpret the fossil record is about to change, as new research challenges our understanding of bone dispositions.

773,000-Year-Old Fossils Discovered in Morocco Shed Light on the Last Common Ancestor of Humans and Neanderthals

Ryan Whalen·January 13, 2026

An African hominin population that existed very early in the Homo sapiens lineage is providing new insights into humanity's shared ancestry.

Fossilized Bones Can Reveal Chemical Traces of Ancient Biology, New Research Demonstrates

Austin Burgess·January 12, 2026

A new study in Nature led by scientists at New York University reports that fossil bones as old as 3 million years still contain thousands of preserved metabolic molecules.

7-Million-Year-Old Discovery Offers “Direct Evidence” of Oldest Human Ancestor That Shared This Crucial Trait with Modern Humans

Christopher Plain·January 7, 2026

A modern analysis of 7-million-year-old remains suggest this mysterious ancient primate is the oldest human ancestor ever found.

Scientists Reveal How Dinosaur Eggshells Can Function as Natural Clocks for Measuring Deep Time

Austin Burgess·December 30, 2025

New research shows that fossilized dinosaur eggshells can be used to help scientists more precisely date prehistoric nesting sites.

Giant Marine Predators Once Hunted in Freshwater Rivers, New Study Suggests

Austin Burgess·December 20, 2025

Large prehistoric marine reptiles known as mosasaurs dominated the oceans until their extinction 66 million years ago.

Inside These Fossils, Scientists Found First-of-Its-Kind Evidence of Unexpected Ancient Architects

Ryan Whalen·December 19, 2025

The strange bee's nest discovered in bone fossils on Hispaniola is a first-of-its-kind discovery that highlights nature’s creativity.

1.5-million-year-old Skull Reveals Homo erectus Did Not Evolve the Way Scientists Thought

Tim McMillan·December 18, 2025

A 1.5-million-year-old skull suggests Homo erectus evolved through a messy transition, with multiple human forms coexisting.

Mysterious ‘Little Foot’ Could Be an Unidentified Humanlike Species, Researchers Conclude

Micah Hanks·December 16, 2025

Scientists challenge past conclusions about "Little Foot," an enigmatic ancient human fossil, now arguing that it is an unidentified species.

New Research Has Revealed a Big Surprise About Baby Dinosaurs, Upending Past Thinking About These Ancient Reptiles

Austin Burgess·December 10, 2025

Emerging research suggests that dinosaur babies didn’t just grow into adults—they transformed their environments.

“I Immediately Knew It Was a New Species”: Scientists Discover a New Ancient Winged Reptile, and Reveal its Gruesome Fate

Christopher Plain·December 6, 2025

When this researcher first laid eyes on a fossil, she instantly realized it was a new dinosaur species that had likely died a gruesome death.

Scientists Document a World Record 16,000+ Dinosaur Tracks Along an Ancient Shoreline

Christopher Plain·December 4, 2025

Scientists have set several world records by measuring, documenting, and mapping over 16,000 dinosaur footprints on an ancient shoreline.

Paleontology