Paleontology

Earth

Moby Dick meets Jaws

A recently discovered fossil demonstrates that giant whales weren’t always as gentle as they are today.

Earth

Ancient marine reptiles losing their cool

Warm-bloodedness may help explain the creatures’ evolutionary success, a new study suggests.

Paleontology

Octopus origins

After examining more than 90 new specimens of Nectocaris pteryx, paleontologists put it near the root of the cephalopod evolutionary tree.

Earth

Earliest birds didn’t make a flap

The feathers of Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis probably were not strong enough to support sustained flight.

Earth

Archaeopteryx fossil seen in new light

X-ray technique reveals original tissue in the feathers of a primitive bird fossil.

Paleontology

Dinos molted for a new look

In one species, adolescents appear to have sprouted a new type of feathers as they matured.

Paleontology

Tyrannosaurs lived in the Southern Hemisphere, too

Australian fossils suggest the kin of T. rex dispersed globally 110 million years ago.

Paleontology

Fossilized poop bears tooth marks

Shark-bitten fecal matter probably came from an assault on an ancient croc.

Paleontology

Ancient DNA suggests polar bears evolved recently

A study of a rare Norwegian fossil narrows down when polar bears evolved and finds they are closely related to modern-day brown bears in Alaska.

Paleontology

Sail-backed dinos had semiaquatic lifestyle

Isotopic analyses of fossils suggest the carnivores had crocodile-like habits.

Earth

Oldest feathered dino shows its colors

Analysis of a fossil suggests plumage first evolved for display, not flight.

Paleontology

Reverbs of bat echolocation studies

Ancient bat may well have used sound waves to sense the world, Sid Perkins reports in the latest Deleted Scenes blog.