Paleo in the News
Jurassic Park to The Martian: 5 movies that get botany (mostly) wrong
From Jurassic Park to The Martian, botanist James Wong explores the major science fiction films that get botany spectacularly wrong
Categories: Fossils
Did a magnetic field collapse trigger the emergence of animals?
Researchers uncovered compelling evidence that Earth's magnetic field was in a highly unusual state when the macroscopic animals of the Ediacaran Period -- 635 to 541 million years ago -- diversified and thrived. Their study raises the question of whether these fluctuations in Earth's ancient magnetic field led to shifts in oxygen levels that may have been crucial to the proliferation of life forms millions of years ago.
Categories: Fossils
Red squirrels were hosts for leprosy in medieval England
DNA analysis of remains found at medieval sites has identified closely related strains of leprosy-causing bacteria in the bones of humans and a red squirrel
Categories: Fossils
Protocells on early Earth may have been formed by squeezing geysers
Simulations of the crust of early Earth show that cycles of pressure caused by geysers or tidal forces could have generated cell-like structures and even very simple proteins
Categories: Fossils
Flies undertake epic migrations that may be vital for pollination
Migrating flies can carry pollen hundreds or thousands of kilometres, and this could help plants adapt to climate change
Categories: Fossils
Seven surprising things you may not know about roots
Plants are often celebrated for the parts that are easy to see – flower, leaves, fruit – but scientists are uncovering the secrets of their more mysterious underground networks
Categories: Fossils
Rising temperatures are cooking bumblebee nests and killing larvae
Climate change could be fueling bumblebee population loss by making hives too hot to handle
Categories: Fossils
Orangutan is first non-human seen treating wounds with medicinal plant
A male Sumatran orangutan chewed the leaves of a plant used in Indonesian traditional medicine and placed them on a wound on his face
Categories: Fossils
Here's an easier way to improve the drainage of heavy clay soil
Digging sand or grit into clay soils is a drainage fix that has been around for years, but James Wong turns to nature to find a less backbreaking solution
Categories: Fossils
These stunning close-up photos offer a window onto the world of bees
From an orchid bee to a violet carpenter bee, these images show the insects in amazing detail
Categories: Fossils
Rock solid evidence: Angola geology reveals prehistoric split between South America and Africa
A research team has found that ancient rocks and fossils from long-extinct marine reptiles in Angola clearly show a key part of Earth's past -- the splitting of South America and Africa and the subsequent formation of the South Atlantic Ocean.
Categories: Fossils
Rock solid evidence: Angola geology reveals prehistoric split between South America and Africa
A research team has found that ancient rocks and fossils from long-extinct marine reptiles in Angola clearly show a key part of Earth's past -- the splitting of South America and Africa and the subsequent formation of the South Atlantic Ocean.
Categories: Fossils
Revised dating of the Liujiang skeleton renews understanding of human occupation of China
Researchers have provided new age estimates and revised provenance information for the Liujiang human fossils, shedding light on the presence of Homo sapiens in the region. Using advanced dating techniques including U-series dating on human fossils, and radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating on fossil-bearing sediments, the study revealed new ages ranging from approximately 33,000 to 23,000 years ago. Previously, studies had reported ages of up to 227,000 years of age for the skeleton.
Categories: Fossils
Revised dating of the Liujiang skeleton renews understanding of human occupation of China
Researchers have provided new age estimates and revised provenance information for the Liujiang human fossils, shedding light on the presence of Homo sapiens in the region. Using advanced dating techniques including U-series dating on human fossils, and radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating on fossil-bearing sediments, the study revealed new ages ranging from approximately 33,000 to 23,000 years ago. Previously, studies had reported ages of up to 227,000 years of age for the skeleton.
Categories: Fossils
Odd bump on praying mantis chest is actually world’s weirdest tongue
A bristly bump on some mantises’ chests is a never-before-seen “gustifolium”, which may have evolved to help the insects with their highly specialised lifestyles
Categories: Fossils
The double-fanged adolescence of saber-toothed cats
How did North America's saber-toothed cats hunt without breaking their unwieldy saber-like canines, which are vulnerable to sideways bending stresses? A paleontologist provides mechanical evidence that during adolescence, when young cats were learning to hunt, their baby teeth remained in place for up to 30 months to laterally buttress the emerging permanent sabers. By the time the baby teeth fell out, presumably the adult cat knew how to protect its sabers during attacks.
Categories: Fossils
Foxes' skulls are specially adapted for diving into snow
Red foxes and Arctic foxes dive headfirst into snow at up to 4 metres per second to catch small rodents, and the shape of their snouts reduces the impact force
Categories: Fossils
T. Rex not as smart as previously claimed
Dinosaurs were likely as smart as reptiles but not as intelligent as monkeys.
Categories: Fossils
T. Rex not as smart as previously claimed
Dinosaurs were likely as smart as reptiles but not as intelligent as monkeys.
Categories: Fossils
T. Rex not as smart as previously claimed
Dinosaurs were likely as smart as reptiles but not as intelligent as monkeys.
Categories: Fossils