Life
An ancient critter may shed light on when mammals’ middle ear evolved
Rare skeletons are helping to pin down the evolution of mammals’ three middle ear bones, known popularly as the hammer, anvil and stirrup.
Paleontology
More Stories in Paleontology
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PaleontologyBig dinosaurs kept cool thanks to blood vessel clusters in their heads
Giant dinosaurs evolved several strategies for cooling their blood and avoiding heatstroke.
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Earth50 years ago, an Antarctic fossil pointed to Gondwanaland’s existence
Fifty years ago, fossils from Antarctica helped seal the deal that the southern continents were once connected in one, giant landmass called Gondwanaland.
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LifeFly fossils might challenge the idea of ancient trilobites’ crystal eyes
Fossilized crane flies from 54 million years ago probably got their crystal lenses after death.
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PaleontologyThis newfound predator may have terrorized the Cambrian seafloor
A newly discovered spaceship-shaped predator raked through the Cambrian seafloor in search of food.
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PaleontologyA flexible bone that helps mammals chew dates back to the Jurassic Period
A flexible bone that helps with chewing may have helped give rise to the Age of Mammals, a new fossil shows.
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PaleontologyAn ancient bird found encased in amber had a bizarrely long toe
A 99-million-year-old fossil holds a bird with an oddly long toe, which might have helped the critter hook hard-to-reach dinners.
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AnimalsSome ancient crocodiles may have chomped on plants instead of meat
Fossil teeth of extinct crocodyliforms suggest that some ate plants and that herbivory evolved at least three times in crocs of the Mesozoic Era.
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PaleontologySigns of the color blue have been found in a fossil for the first time
Scientists think they’ve spotted hints of blue plumage in a fossilized bird from 48 million years ago.
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PaleontologyHyenas roamed the Arctic during the last ice age
Two teeth confirm the idea that hyenas crossed the Bering land bridge into North America, a study finds.