Paleontologists | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/paleontologists/RSS feed for PaleontologistsenFri, 15 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000A Man Spotted Strange-Looking Rocks Near a Pond in Thailand. They Turned Out to Be the Bones of a Massive New Dinosaur Specieshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-spotted-strange-looking-rocks-near-a-pond-in-thailand-they-turned-out-to-be-the-bones-of-a-massive-new-dinosaur-species-180988744/Paleontologists have dubbed the long-necked, plant-eating creature "Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis." It's the 14th named dinosaur from Thailand, and it might be the biggest one ever found in Southeast AsiaFri, 15 May 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-man-spotted-strange-looking-rocks-near-a-pond-in-thailand-they-turned-out-to-be-the-bones-of-a-massive-new-dinosaur-species-180988744/The Hell Creek Formation Is North America's Legendary Boneyard. See the Top Five Discoveries Found in the Iconic Fossil Bedhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/From preserved plants to T. rex, the material found in these Late Cretaceous rocks has resulted in countless breakthroughs for paleontologistsWed, 15 Apr 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-hell-creek-formation-is-north-americas-legendary-boneyard-see-the-top-five-discoveries-found-in-the-iconic-fossil-bed-180988545/After Nearly 80 Years of Doubt, Scientists Say a Spear Lodged Between Elephant Ribs Offers Evidence That Neanderthals Hunted Big Gamehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/In 1948, amateur archaeologists unearthed the remains, which should have shifted researchers' views of Neanderthals. But poor documentation sowed skepticism in the scientific communityFri, 10 Apr 2026 16:05:15 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/after-nearly-80-years-of-doubt-scientists-say-a-spear-lodged-between-elephant-ribs-offers-evidence-that-neanderthals-hunted-big-game-180988522/These Snorkeling Scientists Stumbled Upon a Surprising Trove of Fossils in a Texas Water Cavehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-snorkeling-scientists-stumbled-upon-an-surprising-trove-of-fossils-in-a-texas-water-cave-180988464/They found remains of animals that have never been uncovered in Central Texas. The fossils hint that the region was warm, moist and forested 100,000 years agoWed, 01 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-snorkeling-scientists-stumbled-upon-an-surprising-trove-of-fossils-in-a-texas-water-cave-180988464/Was Spinosaurus Really a 'Hell Heron'? Digging Into the Star of Netflix’s 'The Dinosaurs'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/With an incredible sail and heavy bones that might have acted as ballast, Spinosaurus seems primed for snatching fish. The creature has long captivated the public, from its early mysteries to the recent discovery of a new speciesMon, 30 Mar 2026 11:30:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/was-spinosaurus-really-a-hell-heron-digging-into-the-star-of-netflixs-the-dinosaurs-180988440/