Paleo in the News

Seventy million years ago, southern Patagonia was home to dinosaurs, turtles, and mammals—but also to a fierce crocodile-like predator. A newly discovered fossil, astonishingly well-preserved, reveals Kostensuchus atrox, a powerful 3.5-meter-long apex predator with crushing jaws and sharp teeth capable of devouring medium-sized dinosaurs. As one of the largest hunters of its time and the first of its kind found in the Chorrillo Formation, this find offers rare insight into the prehistoric ecosystem at the close of the Cretaceous.

Seventy million years ago, southern Patagonia was home to dinosaurs, turtles, and mammals—but also to a fierce crocodile-like predator. A newly discovered fossil, astonishingly well-preserved, reveals Kostensuchus atrox, a powerful 3.5-meter-long apex predator with crushing jaws and sharp teeth capable of devouring medium-sized dinosaurs. As one of the largest hunters of its time and the first of its kind found in the Chorrillo Formation, this find offers rare insight into the prehistoric ecosystem at the close of the Cretaceous.

Seventy million years ago, southern Patagonia was home to dinosaurs, turtles, and mammals—but also to a fierce crocodile-like predator. A newly discovered fossil, astonishingly well-preserved, reveals Kostensuchus atrox, a powerful 3.5-meter-long apex predator with crushing jaws and sharp teeth capable of devouring medium-sized dinosaurs. As one of the largest hunters of its time and the first of its kind found in the Chorrillo Formation, this find offers rare insight into the prehistoric ecosystem at the close of the Cretaceous.

Mice treated with the protein, which is found in bacteria, quickly eliminated carbon monoxide from their body in their pee.

In a first, astronomers imaged a baby planet within a gap in the disk of material around a star, confirming predictions about how rings form.

To make horses rideable during domestication, people may have inadvertently targeted a mutation in horses to strengthen their backs and their balance.

Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas soared near a raging section of the Tijuana River in San Diego, exposing residents to potentially harmful air pollution.

Hurricane forecasts have improved since Katrina, but risks from climate change and budget cuts loom.

Fossils unearthed in Ethiopia are reshaping our view of human evolution. Instead of a straight march from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, researchers now see a tangled, branching tree with multiple species coexisting. Newly discovered teeth reveal a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that lived alongside some of the earliest Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This suggests that nature tested multiple versions of “being human” before our lineage endured.

Fossils unearthed in Ethiopia are reshaping our view of human evolution. Instead of a straight march from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, researchers now see a tangled, branching tree with multiple species coexisting. Newly discovered teeth reveal a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that lived alongside some of the earliest Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This suggests that nature tested multiple versions of “being human” before our lineage endured.

Fossils unearthed in Ethiopia are reshaping our view of human evolution. Instead of a straight march from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, researchers now see a tangled, branching tree with multiple species coexisting. Newly discovered teeth reveal a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that lived alongside some of the earliest Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This suggests that nature tested multiple versions of “being human” before our lineage endured.

A fossil discovered in Patagonia shows a 3.5-metre-long reptile from the late Cretaceous with large, serrated teeth capable of slicing through muscle

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week

Scientists report that targeting sugars on virus surfaces stopped multiple infections, though the approach needs much refinement before human trials.

The brightest and most colourful glowing plants yet have been created by injecting phosphorescent chemicals directly into the leaves, but it is little more than a cheap gimmick

A 165-million-year-old ankylosaur from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco was covered in an array of extreme armour including body spikes fused to its skeleton, a feature never seen in any dinosaur before

Beans matter, but microbes may be the real secret to fine chocolate flavor. Scientists are building starter cultures that may improve quality.

A comparison of the thylacine’s genome to other marsupials has revealed that the creatures lost genetic diversity long before humans and dingoes arrived in Australia

The rare sailback houndshark, which has an unusually large dorsal fin, was first described by scientists in 1973. That was the last record of its existence, until now

Support and celebrate the Alf Museum, at the 33rd Annual Peccary Society Dinner on Friday, October 24! The reception starts at 5:30 pm on the Alf Museum steps, and we will move to the tent for the dinner.

This is a ticketed event, with advance reservation required. For information on sponsorship or tickets, visit the event website. If you have any questions about tickets or sponsorships, please get in touch with Kimberly Grant, Director of Development, at (909) 482-5267 or kgrant@webb.org.

Items on the program will include:

• New fossil discoveries from this summer’s Peccary trip to Wyoming
• Research highlights from Webb students, with the introduction of the 2025 Rogers Peccary Scholars
• An exciting announcement about our national accreditation
• Presentation of the Raymond M. Alf Excellence in Paleontological Research & Education Award
• And more!