Paleo in the News

Ancient pterosaurs may have taken to the skies far earlier and more explosively than birds, evolving flight at their very origin despite having relatively small brains. Using advanced CT imaging, scientists reconstructed the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and their close relatives, uncovering surprising clues—such as enlarged optic lobes—that hint at a rapid leap into powered flight. Their findings contrast sharply with the slow, stepwise evolution seen in birds, whose brains expanded over time to support flying.

Ancient pterosaurs may have taken to the skies far earlier and more explosively than birds, evolving flight at their very origin despite having relatively small brains. Using advanced CT imaging, scientists reconstructed the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and their close relatives, uncovering surprising clues—such as enlarged optic lobes—that hint at a rapid leap into powered flight. Their findings contrast sharply with the slow, stepwise evolution seen in birds, whose brains expanded over time to support flying.

Ancient pterosaurs may have taken to the skies far earlier and more explosively than birds, evolving flight at their very origin despite having relatively small brains. Using advanced CT imaging, scientists reconstructed the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and their close relatives, uncovering surprising clues—such as enlarged optic lobes—that hint at a rapid leap into powered flight. Their findings contrast sharply with the slow, stepwise evolution seen in birds, whose brains expanded over time to support flying.

Scientists have confirmed that Nanotyrannus was a mature species, not a young T. rex. A microscopic look at its hyoid bone provided the key evidence, matching growth signals seen in known T. rex specimens. This discovery suggests a richer, more competitive tyrannosaur ecosystem than previously believed. It also highlights how museum fossils and cutting-edge analysis can rewrite prehistoric history.

Scientists have confirmed that Nanotyrannus was a mature species, not a young T. rex. A microscopic look at its hyoid bone provided the key evidence, matching growth signals seen in known T. rex specimens. This discovery suggests a richer, more competitive tyrannosaur ecosystem than previously believed. It also highlights how museum fossils and cutting-edge analysis can rewrite prehistoric history.

Scientists have confirmed that Nanotyrannus was a mature species, not a young T. rex. A microscopic look at its hyoid bone provided the key evidence, matching growth signals seen in known T. rex specimens. This discovery suggests a richer, more competitive tyrannosaur ecosystem than previously believed. It also highlights how museum fossils and cutting-edge analysis can rewrite prehistoric history.

Lamniform sharks such as great whites and tiger sharks are famous for their size. The first such giants evolved 15 million years earlier than thought.

A hybrid grolar bear saga is unfolding in the Arctic, and the tale of this strange family has much to tell us about nature on our changing planet

Tantalizing results from small trials and anecdotes raised hopes that drugs like Ozempic could help. Despite setbacks, researchers aren’t giving up yet.

Stalagmite data suggest Homo floresiensis faced prolonged drought that stressed both them and their prey, contributing to their disappearance.

A new radiocarbon study has clarified the timing of the colossal Thera eruption, placing it before Egypt’s New Kingdom. Researchers analyzed artifacts tied to Pharaoh Ahmose, gaining rare access to museum materials. Their results favor a younger chronology for early 18th Dynasty Egypt. The revised timeline reshapes regional historical connections.

A reshaped vaccine committee voted to scale back newborn hepatitis B shots despite decades of data showing the birth dose is safe, effective and vital.

Tiny cameras threaded inside a Neandertal skull provide evidence that their big noses were not an adaptation to cold climates.

By studying the genes responsible for the seahorse’s brood pouch, researchers uncovered a new route to “motherhood.”

Chatbots that dole out fact-laden arguments can sway voters. Those facts don’t have to be true.

A closeup look at colibactin’s structure reveals chemical motifs that guide its mutation-wreaking “warheads” to specific stretches of DNA.

Nanotyrannus wasn’t a juvenile T. rex but a petite adult of a separate species, a new study of fossil hyoid bones finds, bolstering a recent report.

A volcanic eruption may have triggered a deadly chain of events that brought the Black Plague to Europe in the 14th century.

From a dragonfly to marine organisms, photographer Michael Benson zoomed in with powerful scanning electron microscopes to take these extraordinary shots for his book Nanocosmos

Nearly three decades since the remarkable cloning of Dolly the sheep, it has all gone quiet on the human cloning front. Michael Le Page wonders what's happening behind the scenes