Paleontology

Megalodon shark may have reached 80 feet, new study finds

Megalodon sharks roamed the seas between 20 million and 3.6 million years ago.

 an illustration of a shark being eaten by an even larger shark Scientists have long assumed megalodons looked like big great white sharks, but new research suggests this is not the case
 Dinosaur fossils are displayed at auction house Christie's in London, Britain, in his undated handout photo.

Jurassic highway: Hundreds of dinosaur footprints found in UK quarry

 A child looks at a rock containing dinosaur bone fossils discovered in Hong Kong, displayed at the Hong Kong Heritage Discovery Centre, in Hong Kong, China October 25, 2024.

Hong Kong's first dinosaur fossils, likely from large dinosaur, go on display

 Elongated skulls at the Inca museum

Evidence of smallpox in 16th century Peru uncovered in Incan children's skeletal remains


Gigantic marine reptile's fossils found by British girl and father

British girl finds fossil of massive ancient marine reptile in Somerset, England. Jawbone suggests creature rivaling blue whales, named Ichthyotitan severnensis.

 An assistant compares a fossilised tooth of a giant whale called Leviathan against the whale's fossilised jaw at the Natural History Museum in Lima June 30, 2010. The fossil of a giant whale called Leviathan for having teeth bigger than a grown man's forearms has been found in Peru by paleontologis

New species of dinosaur discovered in Argentina

Named Sidersaura marae, a new species of long-necked herbivorous dinosaur was discovered in the province of Neuquén, Argentina.

 Sidersaura marae, discovered in Argentina

Dinosaur feathers were more similar to those we recognize than previously assumed - study

Proteins were discovered in fossilized feathers which were previously believed to only be present in modern animals.

 Pterosaur (Illustrative).

'Bizarre' long-legged bird-like dinosaur has scientists enthralled

The question of whether Fujianvenator, with its curious mixture of skeletal features, should be classified as a bird or a dinosaur is still in debate.

 A life reconstruction of the bird-like dinosaur Fujianvenator prodigiosus, which lived 148 million to 150 million years ago in China, is seen in this illustration.

Ancient clawed 'Edward Scissorhands' reptile discovered in Brazil

Researchers described the newly discovered creature as similar to Edward Scissorhands because of its long claws.

 This illustration shows the Cretaceous carnivorous mammal Repenomamus robustus attacking the plant-eating dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis moments before a volcanic debris flow buries them both about 125 million years ago in China.

Purring predators: The adorable secret of saber-toothed tigers

The purring domestic cats of today may have more in common with their fearsome prehistoric ancestors than we thought.

A sabre tooth tiger depiction at the Boston Museum of Science.

Dinosaur vs mammal: Dramatic fossil shows pugnacious mammal attacking a dinosaur

"Here, we have good evidence for a smaller mammal preying on a larger dinosaur, which is not something we would have guessed without this fossil," Mallon added.

Fossilized skeletons dating to about 125 million years ago from China showing the entanglement of the dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis and the mammal Repenomamus robustus are seen in this 2022 handout photograph. Scale bar equals 10 cm.

Megalodons were slow-swimming, warm-blooded predators – study

The placoid scales are not seen on speedier shark species, as those species have scales with spaced ridges. 

 An artistic illustration of the megalodon shark, one of the largest sharks to ever lurk in Earth's oceans.

Humans' ancestors, dogs, bats may have coexisted with dinosaurs – study

Primates, whom humans evolved from, rabbits and hares, dogs and cats were shown to have evolved just before the mass extinction, so they coexisted with dinosaurs.

 Life reconstruction of Brontosaurus excelsus, a type of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur (Illustrative).

The king takes flight: New pterosaur 'Elvis' receives scientific name

The pterosaur was nicknamed after the king of rock and roll due to a giant pompadour-like bony crest on its skull.

 Photograph of the whole specimen of Petrodacyle wellnhoferi.

Newly discovered toothed whale was an early ancestor of dolphins - study

The study was made after the fossilized remains of three odontocetes were found in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.

 A giant blue whale skeleton is unveiled in the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum, London, Britain July 13, 2017.