Riley Black

Riley Black

Riley Black is the author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and many other books. She is a science correspondent for Smithsonian magazine covering fossils and natural history, and she writes about the prehistoric past for a variety of publications. 

Stories from this author

Ichthyosaurs (Greek for "fish lizard") were large marine reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs during most of the Mesozoic era.

Like Whales and Dolphins, Prehistoric ‘Fish Lizards’ Kept Warm With Blubber

A new analysis of a pristine ichthyosaur fossil reveals that the prehistoric marine reptile had a layer of insulating fatty tissue

The marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) stalked Australian forests tens of thousands of years ago.

How a Changing Climate May Have Killed Off the Marsupial Lion

The fearsome predator, related to koalas and wombats, ruled the wilds of Australia until the loss of its habitat helped drive it to extinction

A figure representing the Kayentatherium babies found with an adult specimen. They are the only known fossils of babies from an extinct mammal relative that lived during the Early Jurassic.

Weasel-Like Fossils Reveal Evolutionary Clues of the First Mammals

A protomammal known as Kayentatherium was discovered with 38 babies in 185-million-year-old rock

A blue whale, the largest known creature in Earth's history, dives into the St. Lawrence river in Quebec, Canada.

Today’s Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren’t They Huger?

Most giant cetaceans only got giant in the past 4.5 million years, suggesting they could have room to grow

The Diplodocus dinosaurs were some of the largest to walk the planet.

Tiny Skull Illuminates the Lives of Giant Dinosaurs

The skull of a juvenile Diplodocus is one of the youngest of these dinosaurs ever found

Dynamoterror was about 30 feet long, hunting prey during the Late Cretaceous.

Newly Discovered Tyrant Dinosaur Stalked Ancient New Mexico

The Dynamoterror, a relative of Tyrannosaurs rex, lived millions of years before other known species of tyrannosaur

More like not-so-great white shark. Like today's sharks, prehistoric sharks sported a vast array of body sizes, shapes, and ornamentations.

Megalodon Wasn’t the Only Impressive Shark in the Prehistoric Seas

No longer thought of as “living fossils,” ancient sharks sported a crazy amount of variety

Ricardo Martínez digging up the arm of the dinosaur Ingentia prima in Triassic layers of Balde de Leyes, San Juan Province, Argentina.

The Most Massive of Dinos Evolved Earlier Than Previously Thought

A Triassic giant unearthed in Argentina suggests that dinosaurs took the path to greatness at least twice

The smart, menacing, powerful T. rex of 1993's Jurassic Park has lodged itself in the minds of millions.

How We Elected T. rex to Be Our Tyrant Lizard King

The true story behind our obsession with the last and largest of the tyrannosaurs

In the early 20th century, pioneer paleontologist Annie Montague Alexander had to find socially acceptable fieldwork partners to avoid being accused of vague improprieties on her expeditions. She would go on to found the University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley.

The Many Ways Women Get Left Out of Paleontology

The hurdles that prevent female fossil hunters from rising at the same rates as their male peers are myriad—but they are all interconnected

An artist's interpretation of two giant pterosaurs in the Late Cretaceous.

What Doomed the Pterosaurs?

Killed off in their prime, the leathery fliers may have been living too large for their own good

The handbones seen in the whale model in the center of this image tell the curious story of how whales went from land to water.

What’s a “Missing Link”?

While some still use the term, experts abhor it because it implies that life is a linear hierarchy

What's a dinosaur, anyways? The answer is in the evolutionary tree.

What Makes a Dinosaur a Dinosaur?

The question may sound like a “duh,” but it gets to the heart of how we categorize and define nature

An illustration of the raccoon-like Sinosauropteryx, which lived 130 million years ago in the Early Cretaceous.

This Adorable Bandit-Faced Dinosaur Will Steal Your Heart

Some dinos were small, fluffy and frankly adorable, a new analysis shows

An artist's illustration of Patagotitan mayorum, the latest and possibly most gargantuan in a series of recent giant dino finds.

Did Scientists Just Unveil the Biggest Dinosaur of All Time?

The jury’s still out—but if you can get over the size contest, far more fascinating patterns about these giants emerge

An illustration of the spiky new dinosaur Zuul.

Introducing ‘Zuul,’ an Ankylosaur That Could Really Make Your Ankles Sore

A finely preserved fossil sheds new light on the curious tail of armored dinos

The Tsavo lions' teeth bore marks indicating that they ate soft food, similar to those seen on the teeth of captive lions today. Wild lions, like these pictured in South Africa's Greater Kruger National Park, show different microwear patterns.

Man-Eating Lions of Tsavo Did Indeed Eat People, Teeth Reveal

Dental clues confirm some rumors about the ravenous cats of Tsavo, while also raising new questions

An artist's rendering of the new species Teleocrater rhadinus hunting a cynodont, a close relative of mammals.

Before There Were Dinosaurs, There Was This Weird Crocodile-Looking Thing

A new analysis of an ancient enigma offers clues as to how dino evolution unfolded

How did the sabertooth cat wield its excess of tooth?

How Did Sabercats Use Those Outlandish Fangs?

We’ve barely scratched the surface of how this charismatic cat utilized its dental cutlery

Most regular visitors of Chicago's Field Museum are on a first-name basis with Sue, the Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton that adorns the museum's front hall.

From “T. Rex” to “Pantydraco”: How Dinosaurs Get Their Names

The best monikers are “a way to link science and imagination.” Others are just obvious

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