Fossils

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Illustration of Qikiqtania wakei (center) in the water with its larger cousing, Tiktaalik roseae

Ancient homesick 'fishapod' abandoned the land and returned to the sea, fossils show

By Brandon Specktor published

While some fish were evolving to walk on land, Qikiqtania fled back into the water, new fossil evidence shows.

Fossils
Researchers suspect that ancient male frogs pushed females underwater while trying to mount them.

'Ancient death trap' preserved hundreds of fossilized frogs that drowned during sex

By Harry Baker published

Hundreds of fossilized frogs at a site in Germany likely died while having sex around 45 million years ago.

Fossils
illustration of jurassic water bugs swimming with clusters of eggs on their legs

Jurassic insect wore eggs on its legs, fossils show

By Nicoletta Lanese published

Scientists found eggs on water bug fossils from the Jurassic.

Fossils
Paleontologists recently discovered a new species of bear dog, naming it Tartarocyon.

Ancient 'bear dog' found in France named after child-murdering cyclops

By Jennifer Nalewicki last updated

A jawbone fossil from an extinct predator that resembled both bears and dogs, confirmed how widespread these carnivores were millions of years ago.

Fossils
A reconstruction of Stanleycaris hirpex swimming above a fossil specimen.

'Astonishing' 500 million-year-old fossils preserved the brain of this creepy 3-eyed predator

By Jennifer Nalewicki published

Paleontologists found dozens of astonishingly well-preserved fossils of a three-eyed Cambrian creature, at a site in British Columbia in Canada.

Fossils
Four different Australopithecus crania that were found in the Sterkfontein caves, South Africa. They are quite old and very worn.

South African fossils may rewrite history of human evolution

By Charles Q. Choi published

Fossils found at the Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa may be much older than previously thought.

Fossils
Researchers at site 1951

Lost fossil 'treasure trove' rediscovered after 70 years

By Harry Baker published

Previous researchers were unable to record its exact coordinates.

Fossils
Even demon ducks had predators. Here, the giant "demon duck of doom" (Genyornis newtoni) flees its nest, pursued by the extinct lizard Megalania (Varanus priscus). Both species lived in Australia about 50,000 years ago.

'Demon ducks of doom' laid melon-size eggs in prehistoric Australia

By Joanna Thompson published

Melon-size eggs belonging to an extinct and flightless giant 'thunder bird' were eaten by the first Australians.

Fossils
The images show the impressions of a collapsed cell-wall covering (a coccosphere) on the surface of a fragment of ancient organic matter (left) with the individual plates (coccoliths) enlarged to show the exquisite preservation of sub-micron-scale structures (right). The blue image is inverted to give a virtual fossil cast, (i.e., to show the original three-dimensional form). The original plates have been removed from the sediment by dissolution, leaving behind only the ghost imprints.

'Ghost' fossils preserve haunting record of ancient life on a hellish Earth

By Joanna Thompson published

Ghostly imprints of very tiny "nannofossils" can offer a valuable window into our planet's past — and hint at its possible future.

Fossils
A computer-generated image of a megalodon with its mouth open.

6-year-old finds megalodon tooth on UK beach

By Patrick Pester published

A 6-year-old boy found a rare megalodon tooth on a beach in England, where such teeth are seldom found.

Fossils
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