Newfound Species

A previously unknown frog species was discovered in Ecuador and named after fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien.

Researchers in New Zealand have unearthed fossils from two previously unknown ancient penguin species. One of the new species is the largest penguin ever discovered.

Five species of previously unknown snakes with stunning eyes were discovered in jungle trees, and one was named after Leonardo DiCaprio. But mining threatens them all.

Researchers stumbled across a bizarre species of blind cave fish with a mysterious, horn-like structure protruding from its head and a lack of scales or pigmentation.

During the Eocene, the Arctic was a warm, swampy place that these primates called home.

A never-before-seen species of pterosaur had hundreds of hooked teeth that helped it filter its food in a similar way to living flamingos.

A previously unknown extinct tortoise was revealed in an investigation on these giants' evolutionary history.

A 120 million-year-old bird fossil from China has some rather unusual dinosaur-like features in its otherwise standard avian skeleton, including a weirdly T. rex-like skull.

Scientists recently discovered the first non-avian theropod dinosaur with a streamlined body similar to that of penguins, auks and other modern diving birds.

The new "dwarf dinosaur" species lends more evidence to the "island rule," which posits that animals evolving on islands become smaller than their mainland counterparts.