A 7-million-year-old fossil of Sahelanthropus tchadensis provides strong evidence that early human ancestors could walk upright, suggesting that bipedalism evolved much earlier than previously thought. The discovery was made through detailed analysis of skeletal features, including a femoral tubercle and limb proportions, indicating that this species was adapted for upright walking despite its small brain and tree-dwelling habits.
A 7 million-year-old fossil of Sahelanthropus tchadensis shows evidence of walking upright, suggesting it may be an early human ancestor, based on a newly identified femoral bump and other human-like features.
A significant fossil discovery of a Tenontosaurus in West Texas has expanded the known range of this herbivorous dinosaur during the Early Cretaceous, providing new insights into dinosaur distribution, ecosystems, and environmental adaptation in North America.
A rare fossil discovery in West Texas has extended the known range of the herbivorous dinosaur Tenontosaurus, dating back about 115 million years, and filling a significant gap in the early Cretaceous dinosaur record in North America, highlighting the importance of careful fieldwork and geological mapping.
A nearly complete early human fossil known as Little Foot, found in South Africa, is now believed by researchers to possibly represent a new, previously unrecognized species, challenging previous classifications and offering new insights into human evolution.
Scientists discovered 99-million-year-old amber fossils of an ant and fly infected by parasitic fungi, providing evidence that such fungi, similar to modern zombie-ant fungi, existed during the Cretaceous period and played a significant role in prehistoric ecosystems.
A newly discovered 80-million-year-old predatory dinosaur in Argentina, named Llukalkan aliocranianus, features an unusual short, horned skull with cavities that likely enhanced its hearing, suggesting it was a highly capable predator with unique evolutionary traits. The well-preserved fossil was found during a broader excavation and offers insights into the diversity of late-Cretaceous South American ecosystems.
Scientists reexamined 1916 fossils from New Mexico and identified a new species of giant duck-billed dinosaur, Ahshislesaurus wimani, which lived about 75 million years ago and could reach 40 feet in length, revealing greater diversity among hadrosaurids during the late Cretaceous period.
A new study using 3D technology provides strong evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis, a 7-million-year-old fossil, was bipedal, challenging previous debates and suggesting early bipedalism in human evolution.
Scientists discovered a 100-million-year-old spider-like creature called Chimerarachne yingi with a tail, providing new insights into spider evolution. The fossil shows a mix of modern spider traits and unique features like a segmented abdomen and a whip-like tail, suggesting it was a close relative or early branch of true spiders, highlighting the mosaic nature of their evolutionary development.
Scientists have identified the face of the 500-million-year-old creature Hallucigenia from Canada’s Burgess Shale, revealing a smiling face with tiny eyes and teeth, correcting previous misconceptions about its anatomy, and suggesting it may be an early ancestor of modern velvet worms, thus shedding new light on early animal evolution.
Scientists discovered a 100-million-year-old fossil of a spider in Myanmar amber that had a tail, revealing that ancient spider ancestors possessed tails, a trait previously only hypothesized. The fossil, named Chimerarachne yingi, shows a blend of ancient and modern features, including spinnerets and a tail similar to early arachnids, suggesting web-building evolved later. The discovery provides new insights into spider evolution and raises the possibility that similar species might still exist in unexplored rainforests.
New research indicates that mosasaurs, giant marine reptiles, could also live in freshwater environments, as evidenced by isotope analysis of fossil teeth from North Dakota, suggesting they were not limited to oceans and may have preyed on dinosaurs in rivers before their extinction.
A 20-year-old fossil of a brachiosaur foot found in Wyoming has been confirmed as the largest ever discovered, measuring nearly one meter across, and has provided new insights into the dinosaur's range across North America, thanks to modern 3D scanning techniques.
Scientists discovered a 520-million-year-old fossilized larva with remarkably preserved internal structures, including its brain, digestive system, and nerves, providing new insights into early arthropod evolution and challenging previous assumptions about the simplicity of ancient creatures.
