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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This illustration shows what might have happened 180 million years ago, with the shark (Hybodus hauffianus) biting the belemnite, which had been chomping on the crustacean (Proeryon). Notice that the belemnite (Passaloteuthis laevigata) holds the crustacean's molted exoskeleton in its arms.

Jurassic squid got murdered mid-meal, leaving this epic fossil behind

By Laura Geggel

About 180 million years ago, a shark likely attacked a squid-like creature eating a crustacean.

An artistic reconstruction of two night-hunting Shuvuuia deserti emphasizes the dinosaur's resemblance to an owl.

Tiny dinosaur that looked like an owl hunted like one, too

By Mindy Weisberger

A small desert-dwelling theropod dinosaur named Shuvuuia had excellent night vision, and its hearing was comparable to that of an owl. Like many owls, it was probably a nighttime predator.

Bicellum brasieri holotype specimen.

Fossil 'balls' are 1 billion years old and could be Earth's oldest known multicellular life

By Mindy Weisberger

Tiny fossils from the northern Highlands of Scotland preserve the oldest evidence of organisms with more than one type of cell.

Derek Demeter and Henry Sadler discovered the enormous bone from an Ice Age mammoth while diving in Peace River in Florida.

Divers discover massive thigh bone from Ice Age mammoth in Florida river

By Stephanie Pappas

Two amateur archaeologists diving in the Peace River of Florida found an Ice Age mammoth bone.

An image reconstruction of a Mosasaurus swimming with its mouth open.

Mosasaurus: Apex ocean predator of the dinosaur age

By Patrick Pester

Mosasaurus was one of the largest members of the mosasaur family, which were the top predators in the oceans during the age of dinosaurs.

Lengthwise (left, middle) and cross-sectional (right) views of the fossil remains of what may be the oldest cephalopod on record.

500 million-year-old fossil is the granddaddy of all cephalopods

By Laura Geggel

Tiny fossils in Newfoundland, Canada may be evidence of the oldest cephalopod on record.

This illustration shows a larger vampyromorph seizing a smaller one during the early Jurassic period.

Vampire squid ancestor died in 'eternal embrace' with its dinner

By Laura Geggel

A well-preserved fossil reveals that 180 million years ago, an eight-armed predator suffocated with its prey.

Ediacaran creatures may have been more similar to modern animals than previously thought.

Genes of 500 million-year-old sea monsters live inside us

By Cameron Duke

Primeval sea creatures share genes with humans, suggesting that we're more like ancient animals than previously thought.

An illustration of the newly described eagle shark, which lived in an ancient seaway 93 million years ago.

'Winged' eagle shark soared through oceans 93 million years ago

By Laura Geggel

A bizarre shark with wing-like side fins soared through an ancient sea 93 million years ago in what is now Mexico.

A reconstruction of the newly described primate species, Purgatorius mckeeveri, which is thought to be one of the earliest known primates.

Primate ancestor of all humans likely roamed with the dinosaurs

By Patrick Pester

Scientists have identified the earliest primates from tiny fossilized teeth, revealing that our ancient ancestors likely lived alongside the dinosaurs in North America.

An example of what a complete fish fossil coelacanth looks like.

Great white-shark-sized ancient fish discovered by accident from fossilized lung

By Harry Baker

A 66 million-year-old fossilized lung belonging to a previously unknown giant coelacanth fish was recently discovered in Morocco.

A "grallator" track made by a three-toed Triassic dinosaur was found by a 4-year-old girl on a beach in Wales.

4-year-old discovers impressive dinosaur footprint on Wales beach

By Stephanie Pappas

A dinosaur track found by a 4-year-old on a Welsh beach belongs to one of the earliest dinos.

Microscopic image of the fungus-like microfossils.

635 million-year-old fossil is the oldest known land fungus

By Mindy Weisberger

More than half-a-billion years ago, ancient terrestrial fungus may have helped Earth recover from a catastrophic ice age.

This illustration shows Xenodens calminechari, the "strange tooth" mosasaur that lived about 66 million years ago.

Mini sea monster had teeth as sharp as a saw blade

By Laura Geggel

An ancient reptilian sea monster had a shark-like bite.

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.