Paleo in the News

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.

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.

Two fossils found in Germany show very young pterodactyls with arm bones thought to have been broken in flight, probably because of severe tropical cyclones

Two hatchling pterosaurs with fractured arm bones point to ancient storms as the cause of mass casualties preserved in Germany’s Solnhofen Limestone.

The fast radio burst came from 130 million light-years away. That proximity allowed an in-depth search for what produced the mysterious signal.

A new analysis suggests that recent extinctions have been rare, limited mostly to islands and slowing. But others argue this is all just semantics.

Thumbnails might have boosted rodents’ food-handling skills, helping them thrive worldwide.

Four new species of aquatic birds related to modern penguins have been described from fossils found in New Zealand, showing how these creatures flourished around 60 million years ago

Researchers found that fruit fly sperm push against one another and align in orderly bundles, preventing knots that could block reproduction.

European artisans turned a Tang Dynasty tomb guardian sculpture into a symbol of medieval Venetian statehood, researchers say.