Paleo in the News

Asteroid impacts, microbes, mining: These are a few tactics engineers might one day use to create an Earthlike atmosphere on Mars.

Octopuses are ambidextrous, a new study finds, but they favor their front arms for investigating surroundings and their back arms for locomotion.

Definitively dating the age of a clutch of fossil dinosaur eggs at a famous site in China may let scientists link eggshell features to environmental shifts at the time.

A groundbreaking discovery on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi reveals that early hominins crossed treacherous seas over a million years ago, leaving behind stone tools that reshape our understanding of ancient migration. These findings, older than previous evidence in the region, highlight Sulawesi as a critical piece of the puzzle in human evolution. Yet, the absence of fossils keeps the identity of these tool-makers shrouded in mystery, sparking new questions about whether they were Homo erectus and how isolation on a massive island might have influenced their evolution.

A groundbreaking discovery on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi reveals that early hominins crossed treacherous seas over a million years ago, leaving behind stone tools that reshape our understanding of ancient migration. These findings, older than previous evidence in the region, highlight Sulawesi as a critical piece of the puzzle in human evolution. Yet, the absence of fossils keeps the identity of these tool-makers shrouded in mystery, sparking new questions about whether they were Homo erectus and how isolation on a massive island might have influenced their evolution.

Gravitational waves emitted after two black holes coalesced agree with theories from physicists Stephen Hawking and Roy Kerr.

Countering the idea of large-scale rewiring, women whose hands were removed retained durable brain activity patterns linked to their missing fingers.

It has long been claimed that only one mammal – the golden mole – has fur that shimmers with rainbow colours, but it now turns out that at least a dozen more mammals have iridescent fur too

An estimate that as many as 1.3 million wildebeest move across the Serengeti Mara landscape each year has been cut down to size using AI

THC in marijuana may help eggs become ready for fertilization. But this may come at the cost of more eggs with wrong numbers of chromosomes.

NASA’s InSight lander listened to Marsquakes for four years. The tremors revealed that Mars may have a solid inner core.

The subatomic particles called neutrinos are famously elusive. But an unconventional trick could make a laser beam of the aloof particles.

Despite philosophical debates, colors like red may spark similar brain activity across individuals, new research suggests.

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro might lower people’s risk of developing certain cancers, especially ones linked to obesity.

From salamanders to monkeys, many species get more violent at warmer temperatures — a trend that may shape their social structures as the world warms.

Sauropod tooth scratches reveal that some dinosaurs migrated seasonally, others ate a wide variety of plants, and climate strongly shaped their diets. Tanzania’s sand-blasted vegetation left especially heavy wear, offering rare insights into ancient ecosystems.

Sauropod tooth scratches reveal that some dinosaurs migrated seasonally, others ate a wide variety of plants, and climate strongly shaped their diets. Tanzania’s sand-blasted vegetation left especially heavy wear, offering rare insights into ancient ecosystems.

Two tiny pterosaurs, preserved for 150 million years, have revealed a surprising cause of death: violent storms. Researchers at the University of Leicester discovered both hatchlings, nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, with broken wings—injuries consistent with being tossed through the air by powerful gusts. These storms not only claimed their lives but also created the rare conditions that preserved them so perfectly in the Solnhofen limestones.

Two tiny pterosaurs, preserved for 150 million years, have revealed a surprising cause of death: violent storms. Researchers at the University of Leicester discovered both hatchlings, nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, with broken wings—injuries consistent with being tossed through the air by powerful gusts. These storms not only claimed their lives but also created the rare conditions that preserved them so perfectly in the Solnhofen limestones.

Scientists have uncovered microbial DNA preserved in mammoth remains dating back more than one million years, revealing the oldest host-associated microbial DNA ever recovered. By sequencing nearly 500 specimens, the team identified ancient bacterial lineages—including some linked to modern elephant diseases—that coexisted with mammoths for hundreds of thousands of years. These discoveries shed light on the deep evolutionary history of microbes, their role in megafaunal health, and how they may have influenced adaptation and extinction.