Scientists say they’ve found fossils showing life existed on Earth 3.7 billion years ago. How good is the evidence? And what does it mean for the search for life elsewhere in our solar system?
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Articles on Fossils
Displaying 301 - 320 of 390 articles
An exciting discovery suggests small pterosaurs weren’t forced out by the rise of birds.
The Nullarbor is an arid, treeless expanse today. But several hundred thousand years ago it was home to a menagerie of species, including two newly discovered giant cuckoo-like birds.
New evidence suggests that Homo naledi didn’t deliberately deposit their dead in a hidden chamber.
To understand how some creatures evolved, you need to see how their brain developed over millions of years. That’s now possible thanks to some clever use of scanning technology.
Recent research is helping us to solve the mysteries of these bizarre prehistoric creatures.
For the first time, feathers, bone and skin of the earliest birds have been found, trapped in amber.
A tiny pit on mammal-like animals’ snouts has revealed a great deal about how mammalian hair originated.
When it comes to valuable African fossils, much is at stake. They often unearth disputed ways of debating archaeology as a science of ‘discovery’.
Despite its insidious influence on the climate and our health, coal has a lesser-known positive side to its otherwise dark soul. It has provided us with some stunning fossils.
How did survivors of the Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction adapt to their new, harsh environment? And why is that knowledge so important for modern species?
For centuries, the fossil remains of back-boned animals were studied primarily from their hardened bones. Now palaeontologists can study the softer side of these ancient creatures.
Fossils discovered in Uzbekistan help tell the story of how T. Rex evolved to become the biggest predator ever to live on land.
Scientists have uncovered one of the most detailed and well-preserved nervous system fossils ever found.
New research reveals the case for swimming dinosaurs isn’t as clear cut as once thought.
Just count your lucky stars that they’re not patrolling your garden now – although their descendants might be…
The big question being asked is: where does Homo naledi fit in the evolutionary tree? Assessing the similarity or dissimilarity between fossil skulls has provided a possible clue to the answer.
They might have ruled the world for millions of years but even dinosaurs can play host to parasites.
Viewing human migration through the lens of natural history makes one thing clear: society needs to prepare for more migrations of people and the species we depend on.
New find shows we may have been underestimating the Neanderthals.
Top contributors
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Senior Researcher in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
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Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
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Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
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Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University
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Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol
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Associate Professor, Vertebrate Palaeontology Group, Flinders University
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Senior Lecturer in Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences at the University of Bath, University of Bath
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Professor, Southern Cross University
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Research Assistant in Palaeontology, University of Bristol
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Research associate, Curtin University
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Honorary Research Associate, Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
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Lecturer, University of Cape Town
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Professor, Flinders University
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Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney
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Lecturer in Palaeontology, Flinders University
