Search Results for: Vertebrates
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1,543 results for: Vertebrates
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PaleontologyPterosaurs 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.
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PaleontologyMammal ancestors’ shrinking inner ears may reveal when warm-bloodedness arose
An abrupt shift in inner ear shape of mammal ancestors 233 million years ago, during a time of climate swings, points to evolution of warm-bloodedness.
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AnimalsExtreme 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 -
AnimalsHere’s why pumpkin toadlets are such clumsy jumpers
Tiny Brachycephalus frogs from southern Brazil can leap into the air but have trouble landing.
By Meghan Rosen -
PaleontologyPterosaurs 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.
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LifeHow 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 -
PaleontologySpinosaurus’ 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.
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PaleontologyThe Age of Dinosaurs may have ended in springtime
Fossilized fish bones suggest that the massive asteroid strike at the end of the Cretaceous Period occurred during the Northern Hemisphere’s spring.
By Sid Perkins -
PaleontologyScientists 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 -
PaleontologyFossils 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 -
AnimalsHow do we know what emotions animals feel?
Animal welfare researchers are studying the feelings and subjective experiences of horses, octopuses and more.
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PaleontologySee stunning fossils of insects, fish and plants from an ancient Australian forest
Thousands of fossils at an Australian site show a rare glimpse into the continent’s wetter history over 11 million years ago.