https://phys.org/biology-news/paleontology en-us News about paleontology, important paleontological discoveries and fossil studies For years, controversy has swirled around how a Cretaceous-era, sail-backed dinosaur—the giant Spinosaurus aegyptiacus—hunted its prey. Spinosaurus was among the largest predators ever to prowl the Earth and one of the most adapted to water, but was it an aquatic denizen of the seas, diving deep to chase down its meals, or a semiaquatic wader that snatched prey from the shallows close to shore? https://phys.org/news/2024-03-analysis-uncovers-major-issues-earlier.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:00:01 EST news628942673 Approximately 38 million years ago two termites were in the middle of courtship behavior when they got entrapped by tree resin and preserved in fossilized amber. This, so far, oldest and only-described fossil of an Electrotermes affinis termite pair gave researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) the unique chance to analyze the mating behavior of the extinct insects. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-frozen-behaviors-amber-fossils-reconstruct.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:18:11 EST news628942687 Paleontologists have discovered a strange new species of marine lizard with dagger-like teeth that lived near the end of the age of dinosaurs. Their findings, published in Cretaceous Research, show a dramatically different ocean ecosystem to what we see today, with numerous giant top predators eating large prey, unlike modern ecosystems where a few apex predators—such as great white sharks, orca and leopard seals—dominate. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-fossils-giant-sea-lizard-dagger.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:06:04 EST news628873562 No birds alive today have teeth. But that wasn't always the case; many early fossil birds had beaks full of sharp, tiny teeth. In a paper in the journal Cretaceous Research, scientists have described a new species of fossil bird that was the first of its kind to evolve toothlessness; its name, in honor of naturalist Sir David Attenborough, means "Attenborough's strange bird." https://phys.org/news/2024-03-fossil-attenborough-strange-bird-kind.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:56:04 EST news628872961 A pair of researchers, one a paleoecologist with Utrecht University, the other an independent ancient crab enthusiast, have identified the largest known crab fossil claw ever discovered. In their paper published in the journal New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, Barry W. M. van Bakel and Àlex Ossó describe the features of the claw and where the crab that once owned it fits in its family tree. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-fossil-unearthed-zealand-largest-crab.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:20:02 EST news628854614 A 30 million year-old fossil whale may not be the heaviest animal of all time after all, according to a new analysis by paleontologists at UC Davis and the Smithsonian Institution. The new analysis puts Perucetus colossus back in the same weight range as modern whales and smaller than the largest blue whales ever recorded. The work is published Feb. 29 in PeerJ. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-slimming-colossal-fossil-whale.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 29 Feb 2024 09:55:03 EST news628422901 A trio of paleontologists in Germany has found a fossilized vampire squid that they dated to 183 million years ago. In their paper published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, Robert Weis, Ben Thuy and Dirk Fuchs describe where the fossil was found, its condition, and how it compares to modern vampire squids. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-ancient-vampire-squid-unearthed.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 27 Feb 2024 09:30:01 EST news628247485 An international team of scientists from China, the U.S. and Europe has studied new fossils of the marine reptile Dinocephalosaurus orientalis. This research has made it possible to fully describe the bizarre, very impressive animal for the first time. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-paleontologists-million-year-chinese-dragon.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:30:03 EST news627906601 The evolutionary success of the first large predators on land was driven by their need to improve as killers, researchers at the University of Bristol and the Open University suggest. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-killer-instinct-drove-evolution-mammals.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 23 Feb 2024 10:24:03 EST news627906241 A multi-institutional team of archaeologists and paleontologists has unearthed and identified a new species of mammal from the Maastrichtian age. In their paper published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers note that the mammal was much larger than any other known examples of its kind. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-larger-prehistoric-mammal-species-uncovered.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:30:01 EST news627901050 The Australian continent is now geologically stable. But volcanic rocks, lava flows and a contemporary landscape dotted with extinct volcanoes show this wasn't always the case. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-botanical-pompeii-spectacular-australian-fossils.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 21 Feb 2024 12:13:52 EST news627740026 Most bats patrol the night sky in search of insects. New World leaf-nosed bats take a different approach. Among the more than 200 species of leaf-nosed bats, there are those that hunt insects; drink nectar; eat fruit; munch pollen; suck blood; and prey on frogs, birds, lizards and even other bats. They're among the world's most ecologically diverse mammals, and until recently, it was thought they originated in South America. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-panama-canal-expansion-rewrites-history.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:06:04 EST news627656762 Fossils of pony-sized duckbill dinosaurs from Morocco have been discovered by an international team of scientists. Their analysis reveals a surprising connection between the dinosaurs of Europe and Africa. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-african-duckbill-dinosaurs-evidence-ocean.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 20 Feb 2024 10:17:26 EST news627646642 A 280-million-year-old fossil that has baffled researchers for decades has been shown to be—in part—a forgery, following new examination of the remnants. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-paleontological-analysis-renowned-fossil-thought.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 16 Feb 2024 00:00:01 EST news627235996 A new study published in the journal PLOS ONE explores the weight great fossil sites have on our understanding of evolutionary relationships between fossil groups—the lagerstätten effect—and for the first time, has quantified the power these sites have on our understanding of evolutionary history. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-great-fossil-sites-evolutionary-relationships.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:01:31 EST news627148887 Birds can fly—at least, most of them can. Flightless birds like penguins and ostriches have evolved lifestyles that don't require flight. However, there's a lot that scientists don't know about how the wings and feathers of flightless birds differ from their airborne cousins. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-hidden-flight-feathers-reveal-dinosaurs.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 12 Feb 2024 15:00:02 EST news626949424 Paleontology enthusiasts have unearthed one of the world's richest and most diverse fossil sites from the Lower Ordovician period (around 470 million years ago). Located in Montagne Noire, in the Hérault department of France, this deposit of over 400 fossils is distinguished by an exceptionally well-preserved fauna. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-fossil-site-worldwide-importance-uncovered.html Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 09 Feb 2024 05:00:02 EST news626630629 Kilat, the largest living lizard at the Toronto Metro Zoo, like other members of his species (Varanus komodoensis), truly deserves to be called the Komodo dragon. His impressive size and the way he looks at you and tracks your every move makes you realize that he is an apex predator, not unlike a ferocious theropod dinosaur. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-adult-komodo-teeth-similar-theropod.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:38:03 EST news626539081 A team of scientists has discovered a new fossil shark species from Alabama. The shark is a new species of Palaeohypotodus, which means "ancient small-eared tooth," in reference to the small needle-like fangs present on the sides of the teeth. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-million-year-fossil-shark.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 07 Feb 2024 13:00:01 EST news626520869 An international team of Earth scientists, evolutionary biologists and paleontologists has unearthed an ancient frog with a belly full of eggs, the oldest known find of its kind. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the group describes the frog, where it was found, how long ago it lived and where it fits in the frog family tree. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-fossilized-frog-belly-full-eggs.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 07 Feb 2024 10:29:07 EST news626524142 Dinosaurs' range of locomotion made them incredibly adaptable, University of Bristol researchers have found. In a new study, published today in Royal Society Open Science, findings show that the first dinosaurs were simply faster and more dynamic than their competitors, and it's why they were able to dominate the Earth for 160 million years. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-dinosaurs-success-specialized-stance-gait.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 07 Feb 2024 10:21:00 EST news626523658 Alice Spring's Finke River (Larapinta), often cited as one of the oldest rivers in the world, once hosted waters teeming with bizarre animals—including a sleek predatory lobe-finned fish with large fangs and bony scales. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-ancient-australian-air-fish-million.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:38:15 EST news626434693 A recent study of fossil plants reveals plant–insect interactions across the Triassic–Jurassic boundary in the Sichuan Basin, South China. This study was conducted by an international research team led by Prof. Wang Yongdong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), in collaboration with Prof. Stephen McLoughlin from the Swedish Museum of Natural History. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-fossils-reveal-plantinsect-interactions-triassicjurassic.html Ecology Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:30:03 EST news626434201 A new species of pterosaur from specimens found on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, has been announced by scientists from the Natural History Museum, University of Bristol, University of Leicester, and University of Liverpool. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-species-jurassic-pterosaur-isle-skye.html Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 05 Feb 2024 19:00:01 EST news626359539 In the fossil record, trees typically are preserved with only their trunks. They don't usually include any leaves to show what their canopies and overall forms may have looked like. But now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology describe fossilized trees from New Brunswick, Canada with a surprising and unique three-dimensional crown shape. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-rare-3d-fossils-early-trees.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Fri, 02 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news626084327 Vertebrates are defined as all animals that possess a vertebral column, or backbone. Most living vertebrates also possess jaws, teeth and paired fins or limbs. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-million-year-fish-extreme-underbite.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 31 Jan 2024 11:00:03 EST news625921201 Evolutionary biologists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have combined PET scans of modern pigeons along with studies of dinosaur fossils to help answer an enduring question in biology: How did the brains of birds evolve to enable them to fly? https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-growth-brain-cerebellum-key.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 30 Jan 2024 19:00:01 EST news625844037 A small team of paleontologists at Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC has discovered a new species of ancient feline based on study of a jawbone fossil. In their paper published in Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, the group describes a jawbone fossil uncovered near what is now Madrid, some of its features and where it fits in on the family tree of felines. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-species-ancient-feline-spain.html Paleontology & Fossils Tue, 30 Jan 2024 11:10:01 EST news625835033 Humans and our closest relatives, living apes, display a remarkable diversity of types of locomotion—from walking upright on two legs to climbing in trees and walking using all four limbs. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-ear-million-year-ape-fossil.html Evolution Paleontology & Fossils Mon, 29 Jan 2024 11:00:01 EST news625745082 What are the origins of wings and tails in birds? This is one of the key questions in the evolution of animals. It has long been accepted that their evolution began in feathered dinosaurs. https://phys.org/news/2024-01-dinosaurs-feathers-forelimbs-tails-flush.html Plants & Animals Paleontology & Fossils Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:00:02 EST news625399077