Paleo in the News

A new study showing how a prehistoric sea cow was preyed upon by not one, but two different carnivores -- a crocodilian and a shark -- is revealing clues into both the predation tactics of ancient creatures and the wider food chain millions of years ago.

A new study showing how a prehistoric sea cow was preyed upon by not one, but two different carnivores -- a crocodilian and a shark -- is revealing clues into both the predation tactics of ancient creatures and the wider food chain millions of years ago.

A 'tag-team' between the oceans and continents millions of years ago devastated marine life and altered the course of evolution on Earth, according to a new study. Scientists say a string of severe environmental crises which happened between 185 and 85 million years ago triggered mass extinctions among ocean-living species.

High-speed camera recordings show that springtails spin at up to 368 rotations per second when they jump away from danger

These photos showcase some of the intricately created birds' nests found in the Natural History Museum in Tring, UK, home to one of the world's largest ornithological collections

A study is calling into question the reliability of the earthquake record of Cascadia. The researchers analyzed a selection of turbidite layers from the Cascadia subduction zone dating back about 12,000 years ago with an algorithm that assessed how well turbidite layers correlated with one another. They found that, in most cases, the correlation between the turbidite samples was no better than random. Since turbidites can be caused by a range of phenomena, and not just earthquakes, the results suggest that the turbidite record's connection to past earthquakes is more uncertain than previously thought.

The Origins and Habitability Lab at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a testbed exploring how geological conditions could impact life in environments such as early Earth, Mars or the icy moons of Jupiter

By analyzing foram shells recovered in drill cores, study led by geologists links rapid climate change that led to thermal maxima 50 million years ago to rising CO2 levels.

By analyzing foram shells recovered in drill cores, study led by geologists links rapid climate change that led to thermal maxima 50 million years ago to rising CO2 levels.

An international team of paleontologists has found matching sets of Early Cretaceous dinosaur footprints on what are now two different continents.

An international team of paleontologists has found matching sets of Early Cretaceous dinosaur footprints on what are now two different continents.

An international team of paleontologists has found matching sets of Early Cretaceous dinosaur footprints on what are now two different continents.

Fossils are used to reconstruct evolutionary history, but not all animals and plants become fossils and many fossils are destroyed before we can find them (e.g., the rocks that contain the fossils are destroyed by erosion). As a result, the fossil record has gaps and is incomplete, and we're missing data that we need to reconstruct evolutionary history. Now, a team of sedimentologists and stratigraphers examined how this incompleteness influences the reconstruction of evolutionary history. To their surprise, they found that the incompleteness itself is actually not such a big issue.

Fossils are used to reconstruct evolutionary history, but not all animals and plants become fossils and many fossils are destroyed before we can find them (e.g., the rocks that contain the fossils are destroyed by erosion). As a result, the fossil record has gaps and is incomplete, and we're missing data that we need to reconstruct evolutionary history. Now, a team of sedimentologists and stratigraphers examined how this incompleteness influences the reconstruction of evolutionary history. To their surprise, they found that the incompleteness itself is actually not such a big issue.

Archeologists say new findings might help resolve the debate about Clovis points and reshape how we think about what life was like roughly 13,000 years ago. After an extensive review of writings and artwork -- and an experiment with replica Clovis point spears -- a team of archaeologists says humans may have braced the butt of their weapons against the ground in a way that would impale a charging animal. The force would have driven the spear deeper into the predator's body, unleashing a more damaging blow than even the strongest prehistoric hunters would have been capable of by throwing or jabbing megafauna.

The veteran presenter adds authority to Secret Lives of Orangutans, a film about a family of endangered orangutans in Sumatra. File this new entry in his vast oeuvre under lovable but lightweight

Our ability to exert conscious control over our family sizes is unique – and can be transformational, says Christopher Wills

A big rethink of our planet’s early years adds to growing fossil, chemical and DNA evidence that Earth was only a few hundred million years old when life began

A new study shows how the mismatch between where fossils are preserved and where humans likely lived may influence our understanding of early human evolution.

A new study shows how the mismatch between where fossils are preserved and where humans likely lived may influence our understanding of early human evolution.