Fossils

Find out everything there is to know about fossils and stay updated on the latest fossil news with the comprehensive articles, interactive features and fossil pictures at LiveScience.com. Learn more about these fascinating findings as scientists continue to make amazing discoveries about fossils.

Related Topics: Archaeology, Dinosaurs, Cretaceous Period, Evolution

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Head of a Bobbit worm (Eunice aphroditois), photographed in the Lembeh Strait in North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Giant worms terrorized the ancient seafloor from hidden death traps

By Mindy Weisberger

Ancestors of giant Bobbit worms may have colonized the seafloor millions of years ago, building long, narrow burrows where they would wait for unsuspecting prey.

An artist reconstruction of the starfish ancestor named Cantabrigiaster fezouataensis

This 480 million-year-old creature is the ancestor of all starfish

By Patrick Pester

An ancient fossil has been identified as the ancestor of all starfish-like animals living on the planet today, according to a new study.

Recovered from the Green River Formation in present-day Colorado, this fossil represents a new genus and species of predatory insects known as assassin bugs. The pygophore, a capsule containing genitalia, is the oval shape at the bottom of the bug's abdomen.

'Old murderer' bug died 50 million years ago, fossilized with its penis intact

By Mindy Weisberger

Scientists describe a new species of assassin bug from a fossil that dates to around 50 million years ago and includes the insect's intact genitals.

Lagerpetids, including the species Ixalerpeton (illustrated here), may be close relatives of pterosaurs.

Missing link in pterosaur origins discovered

By Laura Geggel

An enigmatic group of Triassic reptiles might be a close relative of pterosaurs.

Algae dominated the ocean for millions of years before the first animals appeared.

World's oldest animal fossil actually came from rotting algae

By Brandon Specktor

Fat molecules attributed to ancient sea sponges actually belonged to algae, two new studies suggest.

An illustration shows the late Cretaceous bird Falcatakely forsterae flying in ancient Madagascar not too far from sauropod dinosaurs.

Dino-era bird had the head of a Velociraptor and beak of a toucan

By Laura Geggel

A fearsome bird from ancient Madagascar had the face of a Velociraptor and the beak of a toucan.

The 13-foot-long (4 meters) slab has between 25 to 39 handprints and 39 to 42 footprints made by pterosaurs in the late Jurassic. (Key: Definite and possible footprints in red and orange; definite and possible handprints in blue and purple.)

Corgi-size pterosaurs walked in the rain 145 million years ago

By Laura Geggel

Researchers in Wyoming have discovered a pterosaur trackway dating to 145 million years ago.

A modern dugong (top right) shown over the Eastern Desert of Egypt, which was home to ancient Sirenia about 40 million years ago.

Adorable ancient sea cows once swam through now-bone dry Egyptian desert

By Laura Geggel

Ancient marine beasts used to swim in what is now Egypt's Eastern Desert.

The Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaur fossil skeleton nicknamed "Stan" is displayed in a gallery at Christie’s auction house in New York City on Sept. 17, 2020.

Stan the T. rex just became the most expensive fossil ever sold

By Laura Geggel

A Tyrannosaurus rex called Stan ended up on the auction block because of a lawsuit. Here's how it happened.

This photo of the fossilized skeleton (left) and illustration (right) shows how the "eternal sleeper from Liaoning" looked in its last moments about 125 million years ago.

New 'eternal sleeper' dinosaur species was entombed while still alive

By Laura Geggel

This dinosaur was likely resting in a burrow before it was abruptly buried alive.

The ground sloth didn't stand a chance.

Ancient caiman with 'no parallel in the modern world' left 46 bite marks on sloth leg

By Laura Geggel

This type of caiman could grow to up to 33 feet in length.

The 240 million-year-old fossil of an ichthyosaur contained a hearty meal; the partial remains of a thalattosaur, another marine reptile that was only slightly smaller in size.

Fossilized 'ocean lizard' found inside corpse of ancient sea monster

By Laura Geggel

An ichthyosaur devoured a thalattosaur about 240 million years ago.

The Triassic period beast Tanystropheus hydroides had a neck that was three times the length of its torso.

Weird 'broomstick' necked Triassic reptile named after mythical Greek sea monster

By Laura Geggel

These strange, long-necked Triassic beasts were able to coexist because they chowed down on different prey.

Just like its name implies, the newly described "tiny bug slayer" was very small. It could have fit in a modern person's hands.

'Tiny bug slayer' relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs would have fit in the palm of your hand

By Laura Geggel

This tiny pipsqueak may explain why dinosaurs and pterosaurs sported feathers.

A mosasaur mother laying an egg, next to another baby that just hatched out of its egg.

Ancient Antarctic sea monster may have laid this football-size egg

By Laura Geggel

Chilean scientists nicknamed the fossil "The Thing" after a 1982 sci-fi movie based in Antarctica.

This illustration shows the newly described Cambrian arthropod Xiaocaris luoi, swimming along the ocean floor as they look for their next meal.

Ancient Cambrian shrimp with dozens of dagger legs looked unlike anything alive today

By Laura Geggel

It had a boomerang-like head shield and dozens of legs studded with daggers.

A magnified image showing the damaged head and body of the fish, with the arms of the squid-like creature clamped around it.

200 million-year-old fossil shows oldest 'squid attack' on record

By Laura Geggel

A squid-like creature was hunting for a meal about 200 million years ago, but it never got to gulp down its supper.

An illustration of the Tully monster, a weird creature with hammerhead-like eyes and a slender snout.

Ancient 'Tully monster' was a vertebrate, not a spineless blob, study claims

By Laura Geggel

The Tully monster is likely a vertebrate, a new chemical study finds.

An artist's rendering of Ikaria wariootia and its 555-million-year-old burrow.

This primeval worm may be the ancestor of all animals

By Brandon Specktor

This ancient fossil worm may be the progenitor of all animals, a new study suggests.

An illustration showing the ancient fish, Elpistostege watsoni, which had finger bones in its front fins.

Fish sprouted fingers before they ventured onto land, fossil shows

By Laura Geggel

This 380-million-year-old fish had five "fingers" in its pectoral fins, showing that fish developed fingers before making the move to land.