Oops: Researchers say 3.7 billion-year-old ‘fossils’ are probably just rocks
Hunting for fossils is a difficult business in the first place, but the challenge is multiplied the farther back in time you’re searching. Finding bones …
fossils
Paleontologists discover fossil of ancient turtle species that never grew a shell
When it comes to animals with iconic features, the turtle is high on the list. Deer have horns, kangaroos have pouches, humans have existential dread, …
Construction crew in Florida accidentally stumbled upon an ancient beast’s bones
This time of year many people flock to Florida in search of sunny beaches and Mickey Mouse, but the city of Cape Coral is now …
These bizarre ancient creatures looked like huge aquatic plants, but they were actually animals
Fossil hunting isn’t quite as cut-and-dry as you might think it is. Finding the leftovers of a creature that lived a hundred million years ago …
Long-forgotten ‘dinosaur’ bone turns out to actually be from an ancient hippo-like herbivore
Finding an fossilized bone on accident might be a pleasant surprise for scientists, or even a kid, but when dam workers in Japan stumbled across …
174-million-year-old ‘Amazing Dragon’ dinosaur discovered in China
Ferocious carnivores like the Tyrannosaurus tend to take top billing when it comes to dinosaur pop culture, but the colossal plant-eaters known as sauropods are …
This tiny frog captured in ancient amber lived in the shadow of dinosaurs
If there’s one thing that Jurassic Park taught us (besides the fact that Jeff Goldblum is a national treasure and should be cherished) it’s that …
Scientists discover ‘Mother of All Lizards’ in the Alps
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine what the Earth was like when massive beasts like the Tyrannosaurus rex freely roamed the land, but it can be …
Dumb tourists keep throwing 200-million-year-old dinosaur fossils into a Utah reservoir
The job of Josh Hansen, a park manager at Red Fleet State Park in Utah, shouldn’t be nearly as complicated as it’s becoming. Part of …
11-year-old girl finds 475-million-year-old fossil in a Tennessee lake
Finding ancient fossils is no easy task, even for seasoned paleontologists and other researchers who spend their lives guessing where they might uncover the leftovers …
Museum realizes fake ‘elephant bird’ egg is actually real
The elephant bird of Madagascar have been extinct for hundreds of years and as such it’s pretty difficult (read: impossible) to find an elephant bird …
Discovery of tiny Tyrannosaur is a rare treat for paleontologists
It’s not hard to argue that the Tyrannosaurus rex is the most iconic dinosaur of all time. Thanks to depictions in popular culture and sci-fi …
Paleontologists discover 520 million-year-old fossilized brains in remains of ancient predator
Finding intact fossils of hardened bone and teeth can be difficult on its own, but the real challenge for paleontologists is often locating the ancient …
Incredibly rare fossil of a baby bird sheds new light on evolution of prehistoric fliers
Despite what you might assume, given the huge number of fossils uncovered in recent years, finding remains of prehistoric creatures is actually pretty hard. Add …
Ancient fossilized mammoth tracks tell a tragic tale, but reveal a family bond
Over centuries, paleontologists have been able to paint a pretty vivid picture of what life was like on Earth before humans arrived, but long-extinct creatures …
Prehistoric spider-like arachnid found preserved in amber, and it even has a tail
If you’re one of the many people who have a fear of spiders, going back in time 100 million years apparently wouldn’t have done you …
Newly-discovered Titanosaur helps clear up hazy African dinosaur history
Ancient dinosaur fossils tend to show up in some of the places where you’d least expect it, but finding any dinosaur remains in Africa is …
180,000-year-old human fossil discovery changes what we thought we knew about mankind’s history
A great deal has happened in recent history that changes everything we thought we knew about the dawn of our species. Now, a newly discovered …
Scientists rebuilt a 30,000-year-old woolly rhino, and its name is Sasha
We often think of dinosaurs as the coolest creatures to have walked the Earth before mankind began its bizarre march towards the present, but you …
Scientists discover rocks used in Empire State Building and Buckingham Palace are actually ancient fossils
Researchers are constantly finding amazing fossils in places where you might not expect them, but a new discovery by scientists at The Australian National University …
An ancient oversized burrowing bat was just discovered, and it’s here to fuel your nightmares
Generally speaking there are lots and lots of people who find bats to be pretty creepy little creatures. It makes sense, of course, because bats …
Did NASA’s Mars rover just find ancient Martian fossils?
If you’re one of the many casual science observers hoping that mankind will one day discover evidence that life once thrived on Mars, 2017 was …
Man-sized ancient penguins once ruled the coast of New Zealand
Today’s penguins might be cute, charming little flightless birds that draw your eye at your local zoo, but things were a whole lot different some …
This bizarre marsupial lion once roamed Australia
Australia is a weird place. Because of its location and that fact that life there has evolved in a vacuum — isolated from much of …
Researchers uncover massive prehistoric “sea monster” measuring nearly 20 feet
The oceans of modern day Earth are scary enough already, with all kinds of creatures that could make your blood run cold if you accidentally …
99-million-year-old bird found preserved in amber stuns scientists
Archeologists have just discovered a nearly complete bird, encased in fossilized tree sap, that has remained intact for almost 100 million years. The bird, which …
