Surprise fossil discoveries push back the evolution of complex animals
Artist’s reconstruction of the ancient ocean ecosystem preserved in the Jiangchuan biota Xiaodong Wang A huge and beautifully…
Ichnofossils in volcanic glass from palaeoproterozoic hydrothermal vents were burrowed by microorganisms probably seeking phosphate
Djokic, T., Van Kranendonk, M. J., Campbell, K. A., Walter, M. R. & Ward, C. R. Earliest signs…
Top predators still prowled the seas after the biggest mass extinction
Artwork of a Hybodus shark, a predator that evolved in the late Permian and survived the mass extinction…
Fossilised dinosaur footprint identified after more than 60 years in palaeontologist’s collection
Before bitumen was laid and suburban homes were built in the Brisbane suburb of Albion, a vast quarry…
Mummified cave cheetahs inform rewilding actions in Saudi Arabia
Ripple, W. J. et al. Status and ecological effects of the world’s largest carnivores. Science 343, 1241484 (2014).…
Fossil hand bones hint that ancient human relative Paranthropus made tools 1.5 million years ago
A 1.5-million-year-old set of hand bones, unearthed from a lake bed in Kenya, are the first to suggest…
Ardipithecus ramidus ankle provides evidence for African ape-like vertical climbing in the earliest hominins
Lovejoy, C. O., Latimer, B., Suwa, G., Asfaw, B. & White, T. D. Combining prehension and propulsion: the…
Million-year-old Skull Could Change Human Evolution Timeline
A digital reconstruction of a million-year-old skull suggests humans may have diverged from our ancient ancestors 400,000 years…
Million-year-old skull reconstruction hints at a new chapter in human evolution
Scientists have reconstructed a million-year-old skull found in central China, and say they’ve identified which group of early…
Future of world-significant fossil site secured with Nilpena cattle station sale
A quarter of a century ago, Ross and Jane Fargher opened the gates of their cattle station, Nilpena,…
Triassic reptile’s bizarre crest shakes up feather evolution theories
Mammals these days have hair, birds have feathers and reptiles have neither. But the relative nakedness of today’s…