Paleontology

Fossilized poop, called coprolites, collected in Nong Yakong village, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. Coprolites are an important source for studying ancient parasites.

200-Million-Year-Old Poop Reveals Parasites That Infected a Crocodile-Like Reptile

The prehistoric fossil could help researchers understand the relationships between parasites and host organisms in the Late Triassic

An artist's interpretation of what Perucetus colossus would have looked like when it lived some 38 million years ago

This Massive Extinct Whale May Be the Heaviest Animal That Ever Lived

The newly discovered behemoth could unseat the blue whale for the title, but scientists can only make educated guesses about its weight

An artistic reconstruction shows a group of Burgessomedusa phasmiformis swimming in the Cambrian sea.

These 508-Million-Year-Old Fossils May Be Earth’s Oldest Swimming Jellyfish

Researchers found the rare remains in Canada

Permafrost melts into the Kolyma River outside of Zyryanka, Russia, in 2019. The worms in the new study seem to have survived buried deep in the permafrost for tens of thousands of years.

Scientists Revive 46,000-Year-Old Roundworms From Siberian Permafrost

The nematodes had survived in a state of slowed metabolism called cryptobiosis, according to a new paper

In the past decade, paleontologists have named several new dinosaur species and found that some previously discovered species belonged to their own groups.

How Many Dinosaurs Remain Undiscovered?

Paleontologists say more non-avian dinos are waiting to be uncovered than have previously been found

The dinosaur and mammal engaged in a final tussle.

Rare Fossil May Show a Small Mammal Attacking a Dinosaur

The well-preserved bones could upend the traditional view of dinosaurs as predators and mammals as prey, if the findings are confirmed

A saber-toothed tiger skull during a press preview at Sotheby's in July 2022.

Saber-Toothed Tigers and Dire Wolves Suffered From Bone Disease

Some fossils preserved in the La Brea tar pits showed signs of an inherited joint condition that may have proliferated as the animals neared extinction

A variety of saber-toothed animals have evolved to fill different niches.

Eight Menacing Saber-Toothed Creatures That Stalked the Earth Long Ago

From before the dinosaurs to the Ice Age, several mammals and their forerunners sported the iconic, curved teeth

An artist's interpretation of how a rhynchosaur might have looked

These 'Grinning' Triassic Reptiles Likely Died of Starvation

Sheep-sized rhynchosaurs had an unusual way of chewing plants that wore down their teeth over time

An illustration of a predator decapitating Tanystropheus hydroides

These Long-Necked Marine Reptiles Were Decapitated

Tanystropheus fossils reveal how predators may have snapped the creatures' necks with a powerful, swift bite from above

Nihohae matakoi swam in waters off the coast of New Zealand around 25 million years ago.

These Prehistoric Dolphins Had Tusk-Like Teeth

The animals likely thrashed their heads back and forth to injure or stun prey with their unusual, horizontal teeth

Researchers take sediment samples in the excacation pit in the Tam Pà Ling cave in Laos, where two newly uncovered human bones—part of a skull and a shin bone—were found.

Archaeologists Uncover Earliest Evidence of Modern Humans in Southeast Asia

The fossils from a cave in Laos, which date to between 68,000 and 86,000 years ago, challenge several ideas about early human migration

Reconstruction of an Australian pterosaur

Australia's Oldest Known Pterosaur Fossils Are From 107 Million Years Ago

The tiny bones include the first one from a juvenile found in the country

Paleontologist Lee Berger, who led the new research, walks in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, where the possible burial sites were uncovered.

Ancient Human Relatives May Have Buried Their Dead

Remains in a South African cave system predate the oldest known human burials by about 160,000 years or more

Iani smithi

New Beaked Dinosaur Species Found in Utah

The creature, dubbed Iani smithi, was identified from a 99-million-year-old fossil

The mastodon tooth was discovered on Rio Del Mar State Beach in California.

Woman Finds Mastodon Tooth on California Beach

The photos she shared set off a search for the fossil, which she had left behind. Now, scientists have the tooth, just the third of its kind found locally

Paleontologists discovered Oda's remarkably intact fossilized skeleton in Svalbard in 2008.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Oda the Ichthyosaur

Paleontologists used X-rays to identify the 240-million-year-old creature's flattened and fossilized remains

Mammoth and elephant tusks are elongated incisors, so they're made of the same materials as other teeth.

Male Woolly Mammoths Had Testosterone-Fueled Aggressive Episodes

By studying preserved tusks, scientists suggest the mammals experienced a yearly condition known as musth, like male elephants do today

Fossils in Wales reveal a glimpse into marine life 462 million years ago. In this illustration based on the new finds, the tall sponge in the foreground is less than one inch in height.

This Trove of Fossils in Wales Is Revealing Secrets of Early Animal Life

Scientists have uncovered 170 species from around 462 million years ago, unveiling surprises about when tiny marine creatures evolved and disappeared

One of the many Edicaran biota fossils within the bounds of Nilpena Ediacara National Park, which is now open in South Australia.

The World's Newest National Park Protects 550-Million-Year-Old Fossils

The 148,000-acre Nilpena Ediacara National Park in South Australia is helping scientists unravel the mysteries of life's evolution on Earth

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