Paleontology News

Extant Chimaera monstrosa. Image credit: MAREANO / Havforskingsinstituttet / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Carboniferous-Period Chimaeras Were Suction Feeders, New Study Suggests

Jan 17, 2023 by News Staff

Suction is an especially effective way of feeding underwater, and adaptations to enhance it have evolved numerous times in jawed vertebrates. The only...

The forelimb feathers of Sapeornis chaoyangensis specimens present different preservations. STM 15-36(A) is the specific detail of forelimb feathers marked with a red rectangle (A) in STM 15-36. Image credit: Zhao et al., doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.1020594.

Fossilized Feathers of Early Cretaceous Bird Shed More Light on Jehol Biota’s Ecosystem

Jan 17, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have examined five specimens with differently preserved feathers from Sapeornis chaoyangensis, an early bird species that lived during...

A time averaged artist’s interpretation of Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 66-78 million years ago. The animals pictured include non-avian dinosaurs, birds and other vertebrates that have been discovered in the fossil record of the region. Their specific identifications are as follows: ornithurine birds (flying and walking on the ground), Stegouros (armored dinosaur), Orretherium (mammal), Yaminuechelys (turtle), a megaraptorid (large carnivore), unenlagiines (pair of carnivores), and enantiornithine birds (in foreground). Image credit: Mauricio Alvarez & Gabriel Diaz.

Paleontologists Uncover First Theropod Fossils in Chilean Patagonia

Jan 16, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have described new specimens of theropods — a dinosaur group that includes both modern birds and their closest non-avian dinosaur...

Top - Madagascar, from left to right: Aldabrachelys abrupta, Aldabrachelys grandidieri, Pyxis planicauda, Pyxis arachnoides, Astrochelys rogerbouri (new species), Astrochelys yniphora, and Astrochelys radiata. Center - Granitic Seychelles (extinct), Aldabra, Aldabrachelys gigantea. Bottom - Mascarenes, from left to right: Cylindraspis indica (Réunion), Cylindraspis inepta, Cylindraspis triserrata (both Mauritius), Cylindraspis vosmaeri, and Cylindraspis peltastes (both Rodrigues). Image credit: Michal Rössler / Massimo Delfino.

Ancient DNA Study Elucidates Lost World of Indian Ocean Giant Tortoises

Jan 16, 2023 by News Staff

Before humans arrived, giant tortoises occurred on many islands in the western Indian Ocean. In new research, Professor Uwe Fritz from the Senckenberg...

Symplocos kowalewskii. Image credit: Sadowski & Hofmann, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-24549-z.

34-Million-Year-Old Baltic Amber Preserves Exceptionally Large Flower

Jan 13, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Amber exquisitely preserves the delicate organs of fossil flowers for millions of years. However, flower inclusions can be rare and usually do not exceed...

An artist’s impression of Wumengosaurus, a sister taxon of Honghesaurus longicaudal. Image credit: Nobu Tamura / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Triassic Marine Reptile Had Incredibly Long Tail

Jan 9, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of long-tailed pachypleurosaur from a complete skeleton found in China. An artist’s impression...

The impacts of ozone depletion and elevated UV-B levels on the terrestrial ecosystem. Image credit: Conor Haynes-Mannering, University of Nottingham.

Ozone Layer Collapse Contributed to End-Permian Mass Extinction

Jan 9, 2023 by News Staff

In new research, paleontologists analyzed abundances of sunscreen-like chemicals in 800 fossil pollen grains from 250-million-year-old rocks in Tibet. The...

Life reconstruction of Cratonavis zhui. Image credit: Chuang Zhao.

Early Cretaceous Bird Had Dinosaur-Like Skull and Bird-Like Body

Jan 4, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

Cratonavis zhui, a new species of pygostylian bird from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China, had a unique combination of a dinosaurian skull with...

Close-up of the holotype of Moqisaurus pulchrum. Image credit: Dong et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105363.

Paleontologists Discover Extinct Lizard that Lived among Dinosaurs

Jan 3, 2023 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of fossil lizard has been described from two fossilized specimens found in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Close-up of the holotype...

An illustration showing what Yuanchuavis kompsosoura might have looked like in life. Image credit: Haozhen Zhang.

New Research Sheds More Light on Evolution of Modern Bird Skull

Jan 2, 2023 by News Staff

Most birds today can lift the upper beak independently of the brain case, enabled by a series of mobile joints and bending zones in the skull. The computed...

Life reconstruction of Confuciusornis shifan. Image credit: Paleontological Museum of Liaoning.

Paleontologists Find Fossil of 119-Million-Year-Old Beaked Bird

Dec 30, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new species of confuciusornithid bird being named Confuciusornis shifan has been identified from a nearly complete skeleton found in northeastern China. Life...

Monkey lemurs likely ate tough and hard fruits, small vertebrates, and crustaceans. Image credit: Smokeybjb / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Extinct Monkey Lemurs Had a Varied Omnivorous Diet

Dec 28, 2022 by News Staff

Scientists from the University of Otago, Saint Michael’s College and Duke University have examined 447 permanent teeth from two species of monkey lemurs...

Life reconstruction of Baurubatrachus santosdoroi. Image credit: Lautaro R. Blanco.

New Species of Dinosaur-Era Frog Identified in Brazil

Dec 27, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have identified a new species of the extinct frog genus Baurubatrachus from fossils found in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Life reconstruction...

Life reconstruction of Titanochampsa iorii. Image credit: Julia d’Oliveira.

Enormous Crocodile Lived alongside Titanosaurs and Abelisaurid Dinosaurs

Dec 26, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

In the Monte Alto region in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, paleontologists have unearthed the fossilized remains of a new crocodyliform species that...

An artist’s impression of an enantiornithine bird. Image credit: Tiny Longwing / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Paleontologists Discover New Species of Dinosaur-Era Bird

Dec 22, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of enantiornithine bird has been described from a partial right humerus found in southern Patagonia, Argentina. An artist’s impression...

Adult individuals of Europasaurus holgeri watch over the newly-hatched chicks which are leaving the nest to join their herd. Image credit: Davide Bonadonna.

Jurassic Sauropod Dinosaur was Likely Precocial, New Study Suggests

Dec 22, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have, for the first time, described the neuroanatomy of Europasaurus holgeri, a remarkable macronarian dinosaur from the Jurassic period...

Life reconstruction of Microraptor zhaoianus eating the foot of a small mammal. Image credit: Ralph Attanasia III.

Diet of Cretaceous Feathered Dinosaur Included Mammals

Dec 21, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

Paleontologists have found the fossilized remains of a small mammal foot preserved inside the body cavity of the holotype specimen of Microraptor zhaoianus,...

Early dinosaurs and their diets: Lesothosaurus is an omnivore, Buriolestes is a carnivore, and Thecodontosaurus is an herbivore. Image credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

New Research Shines Light on Feeding Habits of Early Dinosaurs

Dec 21, 2022 by News Staff

Dinosaurs evolved a remarkable diversity of dietary adaptations throughout the Mesozoic era, but the origins of different feeding modes are uncertain....

An artist’s impression of a sauropod dinosaur. Image credit: Levi Bernardo / CC BY-SA 3.0.

New Sauropod Dinosaur Unearthed in China

Dec 20, 2022 by Enrico de Lazaro

A new genus and species of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur with an unusual tail has been identified from a partial skeleton found in northeastern China. An...