Paleontology News

A pair of adult Nanuqsaurus tyrannosaurs and their young. Image credit: James Havens.

New Study Finds No Evidence for Bergmann’s Rule in Mesozoic Dinosaurs or Mammaliaforms

Apr 9, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Bergmann’s rule is a scientific principle stating that animals in high-latitude, cooler climates tend to be larger than close relatives living in warmer...

The Triassic ‘dinosaur bones’ are from the lower jaw of a gigantic ichthyosaur. Image credit: Marcello Perillo / University of Bonn.

Some Triassic ‘Dinosaur Bones’ Belonged to Giant Ichthyosaurs, Paleontologists Say

Apr 9, 2024 by News Staff

Very large unidentified elongate and rounded fossilized bones of uncertain origin recovered from different Late Triassic localities across Europe have...

Illustration of the body plan of a toothed whale, with a cross section of the head showing the melon (dark yellow) and the extramandibular fat bodies (light yellow) which are key organs for using sound such as echolocation. Image credit: Takeuchi et al., doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148167.

Echolocation Organs of Toothed Whales Evolved from Jaw Muscles, New Research Suggests

Apr 8, 2024 by Natali Anderson

Toothed whales have developed specialized echolocation abilities that are crucial for their underwater activities. Acoustic fat bodies — the melon...

Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis. Image credit: Kristina Curry Rogers.

Earliest Dinosaurs and Their Non-Dinosaurian Contemporaries Had Rapid Growth Rates, Study Says

Apr 8, 2024 by News Staff

Dinosaurs debuted on Earth’s stage in the aftermath of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction event, and survived two other Triassic extinction intervals...

An artistic reconstruction of Nanoparia luckhoffi. Image credit: Viktor Radermacher.

Paleontologists Redescribe Enigmatic Dwarf Pareiasaur

Apr 8, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Pareiasaurs were an enigmatic and diverse group of plant-eating animals from the Middle and Late Permian. An artistic reconstruction of Nanoparia luckhoffi....

The skull of Aureia rerehua; note the splay of the teeth and facial topography. Image credit: Meekin et al., doi: 10.1080/03036758.2024.2314505.

Oligocene-Period Dolphin Had Unique Feeding Method

Apr 5, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Aureia rerehua had unique teeth which might have formed a cage around small fish; these teeth, along with a weak vertex, flexible neck, and the smallest...

Life reconstruction of Marambionectes molinai. Image credit: O’Gorman et al., doi: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2312302.

Paleontologists Discover New Species of Elasmosaur

Apr 4, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of elasmosaurid — a type of plesiosaur with an extremely long, slender neck — has been identified from the fossilized...

Dianoconodon youngi. Image credit: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

New Jurassic Fossils Document Evolutionary Changes of Jaw Joint to Mammalian Middle Ear

Apr 3, 2024 by News Staff

Two new Jurassic species — the morganucodontan-like Dianoconodon youngi and the pseudotribosphenic shuotheriid Feredocodon chowi — offer key...

Life reconstruction of Feredocodon chowi (right) and Dianoconodon youngi (left). Image credit: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

New Jurassic Shuotheriid Species Sheds Light on Early Evolution of Mammaliaforms

Apr 3, 2024 by News Staff

In new research, a team of paleontologists examined the tooth structure of Feredocodon chowi, a new species of shuotheriid mammaliaform that lived in what...

Udelartitan celeste. Image credit: Soto et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105894.

New Titanosaur Species Uncovered in Uruguay

Apr 1, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new genus and species of saltasauroid titanosaurian dinosaur, based on the fossilized remains found in...

Myrmarachne colombiana. Image credit: George Poinar Jr. / Oregon State University.

New Species of Ant-Mimic Spider Found Preserved in Colombian Copal

Apr 1, 2024 by News Staff

Myrmarachne colombiana is the first species of ant-mimicking spider ever found in copal (fossilized resin) from Colombia. Myrmarachne colombiana. Image...

The 99-million-year-old amber piece containing the fossil tapeworm (long tentacle) and other inclusions: (A-B) the overall view of the amber piece; (C) gleicheniacean trichomes; (D) scale insect nymph; (E) sand grains. Scale bars - 2 mm in (A,B), 0.1 mm in (C-E). Image credit: Luo et al., doi: 10.1130/G52071.1.

Ancient Marine Tapeworm Found Encased in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber

Mar 27, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and elsewhere have found a partial body fossil...

An artist’s reconstruction of Cosmoselachus mehlingi. Image credit: American Museum of Natural History.

Devonian Shark Fossil Found in Arkansas

Mar 26, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

A team of paleontologists from California State Polytechnic University and elsewhere has described a new genus and species of shark-like fish from the...

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Early Eocene continental communities of Seymour Island: a large cariamiform bird hunting a medium-sized ungulate and staring at Notiolofos regueroi, a couple of marsupials on a tree, Antarctoboenus carlinii flying on the sky, and a flightless Ratites in the back. Image credit: Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Washington Jones, doi: 10.26879/1340.

Giant Terror Birds Were Apex Predators of Eocene-Period Antarctica

Mar 25, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have unearthed two fossilized phalanges of an ancient carnivorous bird on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction...

Artistic reconstruction of Pebanista yacuruna. Image credit: Jaime Bran.

Giant Freshwater Dolphins Once Lived in Proto-Amazonia

Mar 21, 2024 by Natali Anderson

Pebanista yacuruna is the closest relative of living South Asian river dolphins (genus Platanista). Artistic reconstruction of Pebanista yacuruna. Image...

Khinjaria acuta. Image credit: Andrey Atuchin.

New Mosasaur Species from Morocco Had Dagger-Like, Interlocking Teeth

Mar 19, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have described a bizarre new species of mosasaurid based on a skull and parts of the skeleton collected from a phosphate mine southeast...

An artist’s reconstruction of the spinosaurid dinosaur Baryonyx. Image credit: Andrey Atuchin / CC BY 4.0 Deed.

New Spinosaurid Dinosaur Species Identified in Spain

Mar 18, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of spinosaurid dinosaur being named Riojavenatrix lacustris has been discovered by University of the Basque Country paleontologist...

Life reconstruction of Franconiasaurus brevispinus. Image credit: Joschua Knüppe.

New Species of Plesiosaur Unearthed in Germany

Mar 15, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of plesiosaur that lived near the onset of the Early-Middle Jurassic turnover has been identified from two exquisite, three-dimensionally...

Life reconstruction of Peltocephalus maturin. Image credit: Júlia d‘Oliveira.

Fossil of Giant Freshwater Turtle Discovered in Brazilian Amazon

Mar 14, 2024 by Enrico de Lazaro

Peltocephalus maturin possibly reached about 1.8 m (5.9 feet) in carapace length and is among the largest freshwater turtles ever found. This finding presents...