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Flower trapped in amber reveals new fossil species

It had an interesting, spiral-like arrangement.

Ireland's first-ever dinosaur fossils confirmed

Geologically speaking, Ireland is not conducive to finding dinosaur fossils.

Fossil Friday: amphibian trapped in amber is the first known 'tongue-thrower'

The fossils were at first (mistakenly) identified as being an ancient chameleon.

Newly-discovered fossil lizard shows how uncertainty can lead to better science

Sometimes, it's best to admit that we simply don't know the right answer (yet).

Fossil Friday: leg fragment points to huge, toothy bird with a wingspan of up to 21 feet

Imagine how many nuggets you could make from one of these.

Researchers map the anatomy of the 'mysteriously-shaped' beetle

In the end, it didn’t live up to the name!

Fossil-ish Friday: researchers digitally unpack 3 Egyptian animal mummies

Not all mummies are human.

Fossil Friday: mysterious, long-necked dinosaur species turns out to be two species that lived in the ocean

This was one strange beast... Well, two beasts.

The most common types of fossils -- finding ancient life preserved in rock

A foray millions of years into the past.

New fossil insect species points to a Canada-Australia land route 50 million years ago

Better understanding of such fossils lets us peer into the geological past.

Fossil Friday: the UK's first-ever pterodactyl fossil

The dinosaur belonged to a family of pterodactyls called tapejarids.

Fossil Friday: oldest millipede shows how quickly terrestrial life evolved

The fossil is around 75 million years older than the oldest millipede we've found before.

Climate pledges of oil giants are still insufficient and they should step up their game

All European corporations have made pledges but they have been overstated, study claims.

Fossil Friday: ancient squid caught in stone while munching on a fish

Fossilized behaviors are extremely rare finds.

New species of feathery raptor found in New Mexico

A newly-discovered dinosaur species from New Mexico is one of the last raptors to have walked the Earth, researchers report -- and they were feathered.

Researchers find oldest ancestor of all animals so far

It's tiny.

Oldest modern bird species so far discovered in Belgian limestone quarry

They call it the Wonderchicken!

Fossil Friday: lizard foot trapped in amber helps us better understand fossilization

A new paper describing the foot of a lizard preserved in amber broadens our understanding of the fossilization processes. The tiny foot belonged to a lizard in the genus Anolis which became trapped in resin around 15 to 20 million years ago. It is very well preserved, with every detail of the limb visible under […]

Fossil footprints show how dinosaurs and early mammals fared during massive eruptions

Fossil footprints from the Karoo Basin of southern Africa could teach us more about how ecosystems respond to truly massive volcanic eruptions. The Karoo Basin is covered in extensive basaltic lava flows from the Early Jurassic. It’s believed that the intense volcanic activity recorded during that time had a powerful impact on global climate and […]

Fossil Friday: oldest-known scorpion was a pioneer of life on dry land

A set of fossils collected 35 years ago belonged to the oldest-known scorpion species to date, a new study reports. The scorpion lived around 437 million years ago and was surprisingly versatile, having the ability to breathe both on land and underwater, the team explains. This fossil helps us make better sense not only of […]

Tomorrow's fossils will be human skeletons "lined up in rows," domestic animals, and not much else

"The future mammal record will be mostly cows, pigs, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, etc., and people themselves," the authors note.

Ancient whale fossil show how the mammals moved to life in the ocean

The fossil might represent a transitional stage between foot-powered and tail-powered swimming in modern whales.

New fossil rewrites the evolutionary history of sea lilies

"It's not very often that we're challenging ideas that are almost two hundred years old," says the team.

Carbon emission growth rates go down, overall emissions reach record highs (again)

"When the good news is that emissions growth is slower than last year, we need help," the researchers explain.

Fossil Friday: this meat-eating dino could grow a fresh tooth in 60 days

It takes me longer to even decide to go to the dentist.

Fluffy dinosaurs used to live at the South Pole, this treasure trove of fossil feathers suggests

A treasure trove of fossilized dinosaur and bird feathers has been recovered in Australia. In ages long past, however, these animals lived beyond the southern polar circle. The finding is particularly exciting as feathered dinosaur fossils, while definitely famous, are relatively rare and found in few locations worldwide. Fossils from Southern Hemisphere originating from feathered […]

One of the world's oldest bird species discovered in New Zealand

It had teeth.

Fossil Friday: Oldest fossil forest discovered in Asia

The fossil forest, which is larger than Grand Central Station, is the earliest example of a forest in Asia.

Prevalent bone disease already existed during the Permian, fossil study finds

It's amazing what you can do with one fossil.

Fossil Friday: tiny tooth belonged to the smallest monkey ever found

Size isn't everything.

Huge sauropod bone discovered in France

The huge bone belonged to one of the largest creatures to ever walk on land.

Fossil Friday: researchers discover new, ancient relative of the tilapia

Do you think it was tasty, too?

Fossil Friday: bird encased in amber has an unique, "extreme" toe

The bird's hyper-elongated third toe is longer than its whole lower leg, the authors report.

Some extinct species of crocs were plant-eaters, fossil study reveals

Between three and six such species have existed in the past.

Dinosaur fossils are rich in microbes -- and this might mean we won't ever find dino proteins

There goes Jurassic Park!

Fossil Friday: a fossilized school of fish

A common fish behavior evolved at least 50 million years ago.

Two new dinosaurs found in Thailand are smaller, cuter, but still deadly cousins of the T. Rex

They might also rewrite the history of megaraptors as we know them.

Fossil Friday: Alcmonavis poeschli, the second-oldest bird we’ve ever found

Ca-CAW!

Bat-winged dinosaur discovered in China -- only the second of its kind

This dinosaur was more like a flying squirrel than a bird.

Scientists find miniature T-Rex ancestor

A smaller relative to the king of the dinosaurs.

Fossil Friday: earliest known millipede found in piece of Burmese amber

It's nearly 100 million years old.

Fossil Friday: newly-discovered Callichimaera perplexa is an adorable, weird crab

How is it possible for something with those eyes to ever go extinct? How? Why?!

Fossil Friday: massive, ancient African carnivore found in a drawer in Kenya

It pays to stick your nose in museum drawers!

Fossil Friday: new study says Texas used to be a 'veritable Serengeti' 11 to 12 million years ago

If you like cool photos of fossils, we've got just the paper for you!

Fossil Friday: Jurassic crocodile shows us how the scaly killers came to be

The team says it looked more like a dolphin than a crocodile.

Largest T. rex skeleton ever found lived in Canada up to its early 30s

It was probably really polite and liked hockey, too.

Stunning 500-million-year-old fossil trove offers insight into how life evolved

It's one of the most spectacular findings in recent history.

Paleontologists find 110-million-year-old bird fossil with unlaid egg still inside it

A unique find that sheds new light on the reproductive abilities of ancient birds.

Fossil Friday: Newly-found fossil teeth solve ancient monkey mystery

Take a bite out of this story.

Oldest feather does not belong to Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx remains a key link in dinosaur-bird evolution, but maybe it wasn't all that unique.