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Newfound Species

Latest about newfound species

An illustration of an enormous ichthyosaur hunting in the Triassic seas

The world's largest ichthyosaur may have just been discovered in the Swiss Alps

By Brandon Specktor published

Scientists discovered the fossil tooth, ribs and vertebrae of three gargantuan ichthyosaurs, which may have been some of the largest animals ever to live.

Dinosaurs
Nannaria swiftae millipede

Swiftie scientist names millipede species after Taylor Swift

By Ailsa Harvey published

A newfound millipede species from the Appalachian Mountains was named after the famous singer by the scientist who described the arthropod (and is a devoted Swift fan).

Insects
The skull of the newfound Basilosaurus species sits on display at the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru.

Ferocious 'Ocucaje Predator' was a sea serpent-like mammal with knives for teeth

By Brandon Specktor published

Researchers uncovered the skull of a 40-foot-long marine predator from 35 million years ago in Peru's Ocucaje Desert

Land Mammals
The male rose-veiled fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa) displaying its rainbow hues.

Scientists discover beautiful new rainbow-colored fish lurking among 'twilight reefs'

By Harry Baker published

A new study has found that, after being misidentified for decades, a stunning rainbow fish is actually a brand-new species.

Fish
An illustration of the 328 million-year-old vampyropod named after President Joe Biden (Syllipsimopodi bideni).

Ancient 10-armed vampire squid relative named for Joe Biden

By Laura Geggel published

A 328 million-year-old cephalopod may be the oldest in a group related to octopuses and vampire squids.

Squids
An illustration of the Volkswagen Beetle-size stegosaur Bashanosaurus primitivus.

Tiny-headed stegosaur with long tail spikes is one of the oldest of its kind

By Laura Geggel published

A newly described Jurassic stegosaur species from China is one of the oldest of its kind.

Dinosaurs
The pterosaur Dearc sgiathanach flies through the Jurassic skies of what is now Scotland.

Largest Jurassic pterosaur on record unearthed in Scotland

By Laura Geggel published

A newfound species of pterosaur, the largest on record from the Jurassic, was found on the Isle of Skye in Scotland.

Dinosaurs
The newfound dinosaur Guemesia ochoai may have looked a bit like this other abelisaurid, the horned Carnotaurus sastrei.

Skull of 'armless' meat-eating dinosaur discovered

By Laura Geggel published

Researchers in Argentina have found the skull of a previously unknown abelisaurid dinosaur.

Dinosaurs
An illustration of the early archosaur Mambawakale ruhuhu, whose name means "ancient crocodile from the Ruhuhu Basin" in Kiswahili. Paleontologists found only its skull, jaw and a few other bones, so the rest of the body — mainly the tail and limbs — are reconstructed based on the anatomy of its close relatives.

240 million-year-old 'crocodile beast' was one of the largest of its kind

By Laura Geggel published

A newly described archosaur that lived 240 million years ago in what is now Tanzania had "'powerful jaws and large knife-like teeth."

Fossils
The original fossil of Yuanchuavis, which was found in the Jehol Biota in northeastern China.

Bizarre tail on little dinosaur-age bird was literally a drag

By Laura Geggel published

An extraordinary 120-million-year-old fossil bird from China reveals that the animal had a sexy but vaguely impractical tail.

Birds
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