Paleontology News

Early Birds Lacked in Diversity, New Study Finds

This early bird, Longipteryx, lived during the early Cretaceous period approximately 120 million years ago. Image credit: Allison Elaine Johnson.
Jun 2, 2014 by News Staff

Researchers from the University of Chicago and the Field Museum of Natural History have found a striking lack of diversity in the earliest known fossil bird fauna – the Jehol aviafauna. This early bird, Longipteryx, lived during the early Cretaceous period approximately 120 million years ago. Image credit: Allison Elaine Johnson. “There were no swans, no swallows, no herons, nothing like that,” explained Jonathan Mitchell, a PhD student at the...

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This tick trapped in a piece of 15-million-year-old Dominican amber can carry the type of bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Image credit: George Poinar, Jr. / Oregon State University.

Lyme Disease Bacteria Found in 15-Million-Year-Old Amber

May 30, 2014 by News Staff

Dominican amber, dating back 15 million years ago, provides the oldest evidence ever found of Borrelia – a kind of bacteria that causes Lyme disease...

A tooth of Dakosaurus maximus in lingual, labial, basal and apical view. Scale bar - 1 cm. Image credit: Mark T. Young et al.

UK Paleontologists Find Huge Tooth Fossil of Dakosaurus maximus

May 30, 2014 by News Staff

Dr Mark Young from the University of Edinburgh and his colleagues have discovered a unique fossilized tooth belonging to Dakosaurus maximus, a prehistoric...

This image shows the skeleton of Pumiliornis tessellatus from the middle Eocene; framed area indicates position of stomach contents. Image credit: Gerald Mayr / Volker Wilde.

Pumiliornis tessellatus: Oldest Known Fossil of Nectarivorous Bird Discovered

May 28, 2014 by Enrico de Lazaro

Fossilized pollen grains found in the stomach of a 47-miilion-year-old Pumiliornis tessellatus, a tiny bird that lived in what is now Germany during Eocene,...

This is an artist's impression of Leinkupal laticauda and smaller carnivorous dinosaurs. Image credit: © Jorge Antonio Gonzalez.

Leinkupal laticauda: New Sauropod Dinosaur Discovered in Argentina

May 18, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists led by Dr Pablo Gallina of CONICET in Buenos Aires have discovered a new sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina during the...

This image shows Arctodictis sinclairi. It belonged to the same order of mammals as the newly discovered Bolivian species. Image credit: Analia M. Forasiepi.

New Sparassodont Discovered in Bolivia

May 13, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists from the Case Western Reserve University have discovered a fossil of a kitten-sized predator that lived in what is now Bolivia during the...

Reconstruction of Allosaurus. Image credit: Jakub Hałun / CC BY-SA 3.0.

New Research Sheds Light on Dinosaur Bone Healing

May 7, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists led by Dr Phil Manning of the University of Manchester have used a highly sensitive synchrotron-imaging technique to reveal ancient injuries...

Qianzhousaurus sinensis: Long-Snouted Tyrannosaur Discovered in China

May 7, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists have discovered a new species of long-snouted tyrannosaur – scientifically named Qianzhousaurus sinensis and nicknamed Pinocchio...

This diagram shows the fossil fragments of Kryptodrakon progenitor. Scale bar – 5 cm. Image credit: Brian Andresemail et al / Peter Wellnhofer.

Kryptodrakon progenitor: Earliest Pterodactyloid Pterosaur Discovered in China

Apr 24, 2014 by News Staff

U.S. and Chinese paleontologists say they have unearthed the fossils of what is the oldest and most primitive pterodactyloid pterosaur. This creature lived...

Burmapogon bruckschi, male. Image credit: David Grimaldi.

100-Million-Year-Old Assassin Flies Found in Burmese Amber

Apr 23, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists have described a new species of assassin fly found preserved in two pieces of 100-million-year-old Burmese amber. Burmapogon bruckschi,...

This is an artist's reconstruction of Eocasea martini. Image credit: Danielle Dufault.

Eocasea martini: Scientists Discover Oldest Known Ancestor of Land Herbivores

Apr 17, 2014 by News Staff

Eocasea martini, a carnivorous animal that lived in what is today Kansas during Carboniferous period, about 300 million years ago, is the oldest known...

Great white shark at Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, August 2006. Image credit: Terry Goss / CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ozarcus mapesae: Fossil Species Reveals Sharks aren’t Living Fossils

Apr 17, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists from the American Museum of Natural History have described a shark species that lived during Carboniferous period, about 325 million years...

Reconstruction of the Daohugou fauna featuring feathered dinosaurs, pterosaurs, early mammals and amphibians among others. Image credit: Julia Molnar.

Doahugou Biota: Study Describes 30 Species from Jurassic of China

Apr 16, 2014 by News Staff

A new paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology describes 30 Jurassic creatures – five salamanders, one anuran, two lizards, 13 pterosaurs,...

Prehistoric Harvestmen Had Two Pairs of Eyes

Apr 11, 2014 by News Staff

A 305-million-year-old fossil found in eastern France reveals that primitive harvestmen had two sets of eyes rather than one. Reconstruction of Hastocularis...

Ichnological record of animal-matground interactions across the transition between Ediacaran, left, and Cambrian, right, periods. Image credit: Luis A. Buatois et al.

Study Sheds Light on Life during Ediacaran-Cambrian Transition

Apr 11, 2014 by News Staff

A study led by Prof Luis Buatois from the University of Saskatchewan provides new evidence to understand the development of life at Ediacaran-Cambrian...

Nimbacinus dicksoni. Image credit: Anne Musser. Background: Hopetoun Falls in Victoria, Australia. Image credit: David Iliff / CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Nimbacinus dicksoni: Australia’s Extinct Marsupial Hunted Large Prey

Apr 10, 2014 by News Staff

Nimbacinus dicksoni, an ancient meat-eating marsupial that lived in Australia during Oligocene and Miocene between 24 and 5.3 million years ago, had the...

520-Million-Year-Old Fossil Reveals Oldest Known Cardiovascular System

Apr 9, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists from China, the United States and United Kingdom have discovered a 3-inch-long fossil of a prehistoric shrimp-like animal with the earliest...

In this illustration, Atlantochelys mortoni is depicted with the outline of a human diver to indicate scale. Image credit: Jason Poole / Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

Paleontologists Find Fossil Bone of Giant Turtle Atlantochelys mortoni

Apr 3, 2014 by News Staff

Scientists say they have made a surprising discovery – a fossil bone of an extinct turtle species scientifically known as Atlantochelys mortoni. In...

This is a reconstruction of the stick insect Cretophasmomima melanogramma among the gymnosperm plant Membranifolia admirabilis. Image credit: Fernandez S.

Earliest Known Stick Insect Fossils Discovered in China

Mar 20, 2014 by News Staff

Paleontologists led by Dr Maomin Wang from Capital Normal University in China say the newly discovered stick insect Cretophasmomima melanogramma may have...

This is an artist's impression of Anzu wyliei. Image credit: Mark Klingler / Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Anzu wyliei: New Bird-like Dinosaur Discovered

Mar 19, 2014 by Enrico de Lazaro

U.S. paleontologists have discovered a new raptor dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Cretaceous period, about 66 million years ago. This...

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