Search Results for: Vertebrates

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1,483 results
  1. An illustration of Shonisaurus popularis, ancient dolphinlike reptiles, swimming in water
    Paleontology

    Mysterious ichthyosaur graveyard may have been a breeding ground

    Some 230 million years ago, massive dolphinlike reptiles gathered to breed in safe waters — just like many modern whales do, a study finds.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  2. photo of six gray sperm whales diving down from the ocean surface
    Animals

    ‘Wonderful nets’ of blood vessels protect dolphin and whale brains during dives

    Complex networks of blood vessels called retia mirabilia that are associated with cetaceans’ brains and spines have long been a mystery.

    By Claudia López Lloreda
  3. someone holds a Kangaroo Island dunnart on a piece of cloth
    Animals

    These tiny marsupials survived wildfires only to face extinction from feral cats

    The Kangaroo Island dunnart was one species seen to reemerge after 2019–2020 Australian bushfires but is now closer than ever to extinction.

    By Asa Stahl
  4. Illustration of a carnivorous erythrosuchid (looks like a cross between a dinosaur and a crocodile) reaching for tiny gliding reptiles in a forest
    Animals

    Extreme climate shifts long ago may have helped drive reptile evolution

    The end-Permian extinction left reptiles plenty of open ecological niches. But rapid climate change may be what kick-started the animals’ dominance.

    By Beth Geiger
  5. illustration of Spinosaurus, a dinosaur with a large fin, hunting fish
    Paleontology

    Spinosaurus’ dense bones fuel debate over whether some dinosaurs could swim

    New evidence that Spinosaurus and its kin hunted underwater won't be the last word on whether some dinosaurs were swimmers.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  6. illustration of two Scleromochlus taylori reptiles surrounded by fern leaves
    Paleontology

    Pterosaurs may have evolved from tiny, fast-running reptiles

    A mysterious little ground-dwelling reptile unearthed in a Scottish sandstone over 100 years ago turns out to be part of a famous flying family.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  7. illustration of sauropod dinosaurs
    Paleontology

    Fossils reveal what may be the oldest known case of the dino sniffles

    A respiratory infection that spread to air sacs in the vertebrae of a 150-million-year-old sauropod likely led to now-fossilized bone lesions.

    By Sid Perkins
  8. A blonde woman points at a tooth on T. rex skull dubbed Maximus
    Paleontology

    Why the sale of a T. rex fossil could be a big loss for science

    At least half of the roughly 120 known T. rex fossils are owned privately and not available to the public. “Maximus” may join them.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  9. A male malleefowl looking at its mound nest
    Life

    How a mound-building bird shapes its Australian ecosystem

    In Australia’s mallee woodlands, malleefowl dutifully construct mounds to incubate their eggs, redistributing nutrients across the landscape.

    By Jake Buehler
  10. image of an octopus
    Animals

    Octopuses and squid are masters of RNA editing while leaving DNA intact

    Modifications to RNA could explain the intelligence and flexibility of shell-less cephalopods.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  11. illustration of Tupandactylus imperator
    Paleontology

    Pterosaurs may have had brightly colored feathers on their heads

    The fossil skull of a flying reptile hints that feathers originated about 100 million years earlier than scientists thought.

    By Carolyn Gramling
  12. cephalopod fossil
    Paleontology

    Scientists are arguing over the identity of a fossilized 10-armed creature

    An ancient cephalopod fossil may be the oldest ancestor of octopuses, but the interpretation hinges on the identification of one feature.

    By Anna Gibbs