Deep Time | smithsonianmag.com

Ancient Romans Loved Fossils Just as Much as We Do, Even Though They May Not Have Fully Understood What They Were

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 16:29:49 +0000

The newly discovered trilobite may be hundreds of millions of years old, but its use 2,000 years ago as an amulet is the focus of a new archaeological finding

Biggest. Antlers. Ever. Meet the Irish Elk

Tue, 18 May 2021 11:00:00 +0000

On view at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, this specimen of the extinct species unlocks an evolutionary mystery

Time Travel Into Panama's Deep History With This Richly Illustrated New Graphic Novel

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 14:26:17 +0000

'Martina and the Bridge of Time' tells the story of the Isthmus' formation and evolution through the adventures of a young Panamanian girl

After the Dinosaur-Killing Impact, Soot Played a Remarkable Role in Extinction

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0000

The famous impact 66 million years ago kicked up soot into the atmosphere that played an even bigger role in blocking sunlight than experts had realized

Fifty Things We’ve Learned About the Earth Since the First Earth Day

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 11:20:27 +0000

On April 22, 1970, Americans pledged environmental action for the planet. Here’s what scientists and we, the global community, have done since

Why It’s So Difficult to Find Earth’s Earliest Life

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Debate over Earth’s oldest fossils fuels the search for our deepest origins

The 'Chibanian Age' Is the First Geologic Period Named After a Site in Japan

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 20:12:41 +0000

The period is named for Japan’s Chiba prefecture, where a cliff shows evidence of the most recent reversal of Earth’s magnetic field

Prehistoric Hyena’s Teeth Show Bone-Crushing Carnivore Roamed the Arctic

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 10:00:00 +0000

The only hyena to live in North America, Chasmaporthetes, had the stature of a wolf and the powerful jaws of its modern relatives

A 16-Million-Year-Old Tree Tells a Deep Story of the Passage of Time

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 14:28:08 +0000

To explain the exceedingly long life of the planet, the Smithsonian’s new fossil hall designers began with this arboreal wonder

Earth's Largest River Delta Was the Size of Alaska

Tue, 02 Apr 2019 15:57:20 +0000

The Triassic Snadd delta between Norway and Russia lasted millions of years and was likely a biodiversity hotspot