The Latest Breaking News on Paleontology

New dinosaur species found in China bridges key gap in evolution of colossal plant-eaters

Find indicates high diversity of long-necked dinosaurs in southwestern China during Early Jurassic period

The Independent UK · May 5

Study reveals biological traces inside a T. rex bone fracture after millions of years

Palaeontologists have achieved a remarkable feat by using advanced X-ray technology to examine a 66-million-year-old injury on ‘Scotty,’ the largest known Tyrannosaurus rex. They scanned one of Scotty's broken ribs with synchrotron micro-computed tomography. As a result, researchers discovered mineralised structures that look like tiny, branching networks, which are the…

The Times of India · May 4

From ancient dinosaurs to rare butterflies: The many species named in honour of Sir David Attenborough

The naturalist has lent his name to a remarkable array of flora and fauna

The Independent UK · May 4

Scientists believe birds’ skulls hold clues to inner lives of long-extinct dinosaurs

Early birds were like ‘T rex reincarnated’, says scientist who believes avian skulls offer insight into dinosaurs’ behaviour

The Guardian - UK · Apr 26

New fossil discoveries suggest existence of giant ‘kraken’ octopuses as large as lorries

Paleontologists believe these early cephalopods were ‘huge, intelligent’ creatures that crushed prey with their powerful beaks

The Independent UK · Apr 24

New fossil finds show that giant kraken-like octopuses ruled prehistoric oceans

The top predator prowling the seas during the age of the dinosaurs 100 million years ago may have been an octopus

The Independent UK · Apr 23

Palaeontologists identify a new coelacanth species from a 150-year-old fossil in London

The Natural History Museum in London has discovered a previously unknown species of coelacanth from fossil remains that date back about 150 years (Macropoma gombessae). The new coelacanth is important because it helps to fill in a huge evolutionary gap of about 50 million years for coelacanths, one of the…

The Times of India · Apr 23

Mysterious German skull found in 1973 was once thought to be a Neanderthal hybrid; new study reveals the truth

In 1973, a partial human skull was uncovered in Hahnöfersand, Germany, during archaeological work. It did not come with any clear cultural objects nearby, which made early classification difficult. At first glance, the bone seemed unusual. Its shape carried features that looked partly Neanderthal and partly modern human. That observation…

The Times of India · Apr 21

Discovery in the Arctic: Melting Russian glacier reveals a massive prehistoric whale graveyard thousands of years old

The rapid retreat of Arctic ice is revealing an extraordinary opportunity to gain insight into the Earth’s marine history through fossils. On Wilczek Island, which is found within the remote archipelago of Franz Josef Land, researchers have witnessed the rapid melting of a Russian glacier adjacent to the island, exposing…

The Times of India · Apr 15

Giant echidnas weighing 15kg roamed Victoria – and the evidence was hiding in plain sight

A skull fragment found in a tray of unsorted fossils collected more than a century ago leads to discovery

The Guardian - AU · Apr 14