Paleo in the News

DNA analysis suggests Pando, a quaking aspen in Utah with thousands of stems connected by their roots, is between 16,000 and 81,000 years old

A team discovered that, contrary to present scientific understanding, ancient volcanoes continued to spew carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from deep within the Earth long past their period of eruptions.

Geneticists have deciphered the prehistory of aurochs -- the animals that were the focus of some of the most iconic early human art -- by analyzing 38 genomes harvested from bones dating across 50 millennia and stretching from Siberia to Britain. The aurochs roamed in Europe, Asia and Africa for hundreds of thousands of years. Adorned as paintings on many a cave wall, their domestication to create cattle gave us a harnessed source of muscle, meat and milk. Such was the influence of this domestication that today their descendants make up a third of the world's mammalian biomass.

Large herbivores like bison or elk have continuously lived in the Yellowstone National Park region for about 2,300 years, according to a new analysis of chemicals preserved in lake sediments.

Orca – Black & White Gold digs deep into the dirty waters surrounding the killer whale trade and captures a daring rescue mission

A fossil of a tadpole from Argentina is 161 million years old - and isn't that different from some modern species

Paleobiologists have found that the sinuses of ocean dwelling relatives of modern-day crocodiles prevented them from evolving into deep divers like whales and dolphins.

Paleobiologists have found that the sinuses of ocean dwelling relatives of modern-day crocodiles prevented them from evolving into deep divers like whales and dolphins.

Paleontologists have identified fossils of an ancient species of bug that spent the past 450 million years covered in fool's gold in central New York. The new species, Lomankus edgecombei, is a distant relative of modern-day horseshoe crabs, scorpions, and spiders. It had no eyes, and its small front appendages were best suited for rooting around in dark ocean sediment, back when what is now New York state was covered by water.

Paleontologists have identified fossils of an ancient species of bug that spent the past 450 million years covered in fool's gold in central New York. The new species, Lomankus edgecombei, is a distant relative of modern-day horseshoe crabs, scorpions, and spiders. It had no eyes, and its small front appendages were best suited for rooting around in dark ocean sediment, back when what is now New York state was covered by water.

Single-celled organisms called archaea can become multicellular when compressed, highlighting the role of physical forces in evolution

Researchers reveal new insights into the complex evolutionary history behind the distinctive upright posture of modern placental and marsupial mammals, showing the transition was surprisingly complex and nonlinear, and occurred much later than previously believed.

Researchers reveal new insights into the complex evolutionary history behind the distinctive upright posture of modern placental and marsupial mammals, showing the transition was surprisingly complex and nonlinear, and occurred much later than previously believed.

A passage in the Norse Sverris Saga, the 800-year-old story of King Sverre Sigurdsson, describes a military raid that occurred in AD 1197, during which a body was thrown into a well at Sverresborg Castle, outside Trondheim in central Norway, likely as an attempt to poison the main water source for the local inhabitants. A new study describes how researchers used ancient DNA to corroborate the events of the saga and discover details about the 'Well-man,' blending history and archaeology with science and setting a precedent for future research on historical figures.

Rival tribes of bacteria armed with poison darts are fighting it out in your gut, with armies of traitors often winning the day

Dr. Frederick A. Sundberg, a paleontologist and retired high school science teacher from Arizona, was selected as the 2024 Raymond M. Alf Award for Excellence in Paleontological Research and Education. The award honors a paleontologist who demonstrates exceptional achievement both in original scientific research, as well as in education and outreach at the primary and secondary school (K-12) levels.

A lifelong fossil lover, Dr. Sundberg began collecting fossils in the 4th grade, which ignited a passion for studying trilobites. This passion eventually led to him studying geology at California State University, Fullerton. A class trip to the Alf Museum, which happened to be his first visit to the museum a little over 50 years ago, had a “significant impression” on him.

Dr. Sundberg continued his studies of trilobites through his Masters and PhD working at fossil sites in California, Utah, and Nevada. After receiving his PhD, he eventually found a position teaching high school science in Arizona, which began his long, celebrated career providing students with first-hand research experience.

“I could not find a job that allowed me to focus on paleontology like I hoped,” Dr. Sundberg recounted in his acceptance speech. “I had to refocus my hopes and dreams, so I started teaching!” Not only did he involve his high school students in a variety of research projects and scientific opportunities outside the classroom, but he also published more than 28 peer reviewed scientific papers during this stretch (with a career total of more than 75).

Throughout his tenure, he also established international collaborations with students in China and Mexico, leading to multiple international collaborative studies. Dr. Sundberg’s expertise and contributions to our understanding of trilobites are well-renowned in the field of invertebrate paleontology and are only exceeded by his passion and dedication to training future generations of paleontologists.

Dr. Frederick Sunberg with students and colleagues in Sonora, Mexico. Photo courtesy of Dr. Sundberg.

“Dr. Sundberg shows the creativity and expertise represented by the Alf Award. It is inspirational to learn how he has made such an impact on the study of trilobites, in addition to his impact on students in his local community and around the world,” said Alf Museum director Dr. Andy Farke.

Dr. Sundberg was recognized at this year’s Annual Peccary Society Dinner on October 18. Click here to watch his acceptance speech online.

Fossils from more than 600,000 years ago reveal how Southern Europe's animal community shifted between warm and cold climate fluctuations, according to a new study.

Fossils from more than 600,000 years ago reveal how Southern Europe's animal community shifted between warm and cold climate fluctuations, according to a new study.

The transition from water to land is one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Now, a team of roboticists, palaeontologists and biologists is using robots to study how the ancestors of modern land animals transitioned from swimming to walking, about 390 million years ago.

The transition from water to land is one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Now, a team of roboticists, palaeontologists and biologists is using robots to study how the ancestors of modern land animals transitioned from swimming to walking, about 390 million years ago.