Such massive disruptions have in the past been caused by volcanoes or meteorites. Only humans have done this with full awareness of their actions.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Fossils
Displaying 1 - 20 of 389 articles
There appear to be two possible explanations for circular patterns with central depressions in Pleistocene deposits on the Cape coast.
Finding and retrieving the bones of this extinct kangaroo relative – a ‘holy grail’ fossil – took hours of squeezing through narrow passages.
Ichthyosaurs were the last giant reptiles to rule our oceans.
The scarcity of bat fossils is more than a palaeontological puzzle: it has implications for bat conservation strategies today.
Some extinct kangaroos may barely have hopped at all.
The origin date for flowers is a source of debate among scientists – but a new approach may help bring clarity to the question.
Calcite, the material making up fossilized eggshells, may preserve amino acids better than bone.
By examining fossilized bone tissue, a new study finds rapid growth was an asset for survivors of the Great Dying 250 million years ago, Earth’s largest mass extinction event.
Horse fossils are abundant and widespread across North America. Scientists often use their long history to illustrate how species evolve in response to a changing environment.
Oceanic dispersal of dinosaurs between Europe and Africa shows how low-probability, high-impact events drive evolution.
If you love learning about dinosaurs don’t let crowdpleasers like the T Rex distract you from the fascinating birdlife that once roamed the Earth.
If the climate warms by more than 7 degrees, the likelihood of extinction for a species increases, regardless of its other traits.
Some of these giant vegetarians were as tall as a 3-story building. Microscopic analysis of their teeth, bones and eggshells reveals how they grew, what they ate and even their body temperature.
Millions of years ago, widespread volcano eruptions in eastern Australia buried entire forests. Today, these time capsules reveal stunningly fossilised plants.
A lizard fossil that was thought to be the best preserved ever has turned out to have fake skin.
Fossils suggest that as many as three abelisaurid species coexisted in Morocco around 66 million years ago.
For decades, the sandstone in central Australia yielded tantalising segments of some sort of fossil fish. Now, we have finally pieced together a complete picture of this remarkable species.
The Isle of Skye has a rich palaeontological heritage, so perhaps it’s no surprise scientists made an important discovery there.
While NASA rovers on the surface of Mars look for hints of life, researchers back on Earth are studying ‘echoes of life’ from ancient basins – hoping that the two sites might be similar.
Top contributors
-
Senior Researcher in Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of the Witwatersrand
-
Research Associate, African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University
-
Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University
-
Professor in Evolutionary Biology (jointly appointed with South Australian Museum), Flinders University
-
Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol
-
Associate Professor, Vertebrate Palaeontology Group, Flinders University
-
Senior Lecturer in Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences at the University of Bath, University of Bath
-
Professor, Southern Cross University
-
Research Assistant in Palaeontology, University of Bristol
-
Research associate, Curtin University
-
Honorary Research Associate, Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
-
Lecturer, University of Cape Town
-
Professor, Flinders University
-
Honorary Associate Professor, UNSW Sydney
-
Lecturer in Palaeontology, Flinders University
