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A fossil of Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird.
(Image credit: James L. Amos viai Getty Images)
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Most species that ever lived on Earth are now extinct, with the planet having experienced at least five mass extinction events. Live Science brings you expert coverage of extinction as researchers uncover fossils and gain new insights into ancient animals — and track the sixth mass extinction event that appears to have begun.
So whether you're after facts about dodos and dinosaurs, curious about extinct animals that could be brought back to life, or want to know what living animals could be gone by 2050, our writers and editors have you covered with the news, features and articles about extinct species.
Discover more about extinct species
—Cretaceous period: Animals, plants and extinction event
—Dinosaurs: Facts about the reptiles that roamed Earth more than 66 million years ago
—What's the first species humans drove to extinction?
—Woolly mammoths: Facts about these extinct, shaggy beasts that once roamed the Arctic
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'He began to cry, and almost fell to the floor': The fluffy fossil that finally showed the world that birds are dinosaurs5 Comments -
Strange mammal ancestor laid huge, leathery eggs — and it was key to surviving the world's worst mass extinction -
Triassic croc relative from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico finally identified after nearly 80 years in museum basement -
Fossil site in China reveals bevy of complex creatures lived prior to the Cambrian explosion, including a 'Dune'-like sandworm4 Comments -
'It blew my mind': Long-lost ice-age ecosystem, including fossils of lion-size armadillo and giant ground sloth, discovered in Texas 'water cave' -
Prehistoric water-dwelling weirdo with sideways teeth and a twisted jaw was already a 'living fossil' 275 million years ago
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'He began to cry, and almost fell to the floor': The fluffy fossil that finally showed the world that birds are dinosaurs5 Comments
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95 million-year-old Spinosaurus had a scimitar-shaped head crest and waded through the Sahara's rivers like a 'hell heron'2 Comments -
Archaeopteryx, one of the world's first proto birds, has a set of weird, never-before-seen features, new study reveals -
T. rex quiz: How much do you really know about the king of the dinosaurs? -
Giant 'cow of the Cretaceous' discovered almost 100 years ago identified as new duck-billed dinosaur -
Spinosaurus relative longer than a pickup truck stalked Thailand's rivers 125 million years ago -
18,000 dinosaur tracks discovered along ancient Bolivian coastline — and they set a new record7 Comments -
Nanotyrannus isn't a 'mini T. Rex' after all — it's a new species, 'dueling dinosaurs' fossil reveals -
First-ever 'mummified' and hoofed dinosaur discovered in Wyoming badlands
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Mammoth RNA sequenced for the first time, marking a giant leap toward understanding prehistoric life -
'Unusual' wooly mammoth tooth oldest ever found in North America -
130,000-year-old baby mammoth goes under the knife -
25,000-year-old mammoth bones reveal culture of ancient humans -
Rare mammoth tusk found on West Texas ranch -
QuizMammoth quiz: Test your knowledge of the ice age beasts -
Pollen allergies drove woolly mammoths to extinction, study claims -
Ancient chromosomes from woolly mammoth discovered in 52,000-year-old freeze-dried skin -
Mystery 'random event' killed off Earth's last woolly mammoths in Siberia, study claims
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'He began to cry, and almost fell to the floor': The fluffy fossil that finally showed the world that birds are dinosaurs5 Comments
-
Strange mammal ancestor laid huge, leathery eggs — and it was key to surviving the world's worst mass extinction
-
Triassic croc relative from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico finally identified after nearly 80 years in museum basement
-
Fossil site in China reveals bevy of complex creatures lived prior to the Cambrian explosion, including a 'Dune'-like sandworm4 Comments
-
'It blew my mind': Long-lost ice-age ecosystem, including fossils of lion-size armadillo and giant ground sloth, discovered in Texas 'water cave'
-
Prehistoric water-dwelling weirdo with sideways teeth and a twisted jaw was already a 'living fossil' 275 million years ago
-
95 million-year-old Spinosaurus had a scimitar-shaped head crest and waded through the Sahara's rivers like a 'hell heron'2 Comments
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Our adorable, noodle-like ancestor had 4 eyes, half-a-billion-year-old fossils reveal3 Comments -
Archaeopteryx, one of the world's first proto birds, has a set of weird, never-before-seen features, new study reveals
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Rock climbers in Italy accidentally discovered evidence of an 80 million-year-old sea turtle stampede6 Comments
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