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188 results for "paleontology"
A curious girl on a Welsh beach discovered five dinosaur footprints preserved for over 200 million years. Experts confirmed the rare find likely came from an early long-necked dinosaur from the Late Triassic period.
Winter storms stripped away sand on a Portuguese beach and revealed two nearly complete whale skeletons from 10 million years ago. Scientists rushed to rescue the rare fossils before the tides could destroy them.
Scientists using cutting-edge X-ray technology discovered that octopuses developed their signature features millions of years earlier than anyone thought possible. The rare fossil is rewriting what we know about ocean life.
Scientists in China discovered the oldest near-complete bony fish fossil ever found, filling a massive gap in our understanding of how life evolved from water to land. This tiny ancient fish shows traits we thought emerged millions of years later.
Researchers discovered the first confirmed egg from a mammal ancestor, solving a 200-year mystery about how these ancient creatures reproduced. The fossil shows how one tough species survived Earth's worst extinction and paved the way for all mammals today.
A fossil crowned as Earth's oldest octopus for 25 years turned out to be a completely different creature. Scientists using powerful new technology just rewrote 300 million years of history.
Scientists in Argentina discovered one of the smallest dinosaurs ever found, proving tiny predators played vital roles in ancient ecosystems once thought to be dominated only by giants. This 1.5-pound creature is rewriting what we know about the "age of giants."
Scientists just found the world's oldest proof that our mammal ancestors laid eggs, tucked away in a South African fossil for 20 years. The discovery reveals how a pig-like creature survived Earth's worst mass extinction.
Scientists discovered a perfectly preserved reptile fossil in Oklahoma that reveals how land animals, including humans, developed the ability to breathe air efficiently. This tiny creature from 289 million years ago had the earliest known breathing system like ours.
Scientists in South Africa discovered the oldest embryo fossil ever found, proving our mammal ancestors laid eggs 250 million years ago. The tiny creature inside reveals survival secrets from Earth's deadliest extinction event.
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A fossil that held the world record for the earliest known octopus just lost its title after new research revealed it's actually a nautilus relative. Scientists used cutting-edge imaging to solve a mystery that stumped researchers for over two decades.
That "oldest octopus ever" fossil in the record books? Scientists just discovered it was never an octopus at all. Using technology brighter than the sun, researchers revealed what the mysterious blob really was.
Scientists discovered dozens of dinosaur footprints on South Africa's coast, filling a 50-million-year gap in the fossil record. The tracks reveal that diverse dinosaur species thrived in the region long after massive volcanic eruptions were thought to have wiped them out.
Scientists discovered over 700 fossils in China that rewrite when complex animal life began, proving our distant ancestors evolved millions of years earlier than we thought. The finding solves a mystery that's puzzled researchers for decades.
A 300-million-year-old fossil once crowned the world's earliest octopus has been revealed as an imposter. Scientists used advanced X-ray technology to discover the creature was actually a nautilus relative, rewriting our understanding of when octopuses first appeared.
A scientist snorkeling through an unexplored Texas cave found something extraordinary: bones everywhere, from giant tortoises to sabretooth cats that lived 100,000 years ago. This discovery opens a completely new window into Central Texas's prehistoric past.
Scientists discovered tiny pincers on a 500 million year old fossil that could rewrite the entire evolutionary history of spiders. This ancient creature is helping researchers understand how one of Earth's most successful animal groups came to be.
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Scientists in China discovered over 700 fossils showing complex animals existed 15 million years earlier than we thought. The find bridges a mysterious gap in evolution and reveals our ancient ancestors appeared much sooner than fossil records showed.
When soil ran scarce in a Caribbean cave, industrious bees did something never seen before: they moved into fossil bones left behind by owls. This 20,000-year-old discovery reveals how nature finds creative solutions when faced with harsh conditions. ##
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Scientists at LA's famous La Brea Tar Pits are uncovering clues about why mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and other megafauna vanished 13,000 years ago. Their findings could help us understand and protect our own changing world.
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