All articles tagged with #prehistoric species
Scientists discovered a non-human skull in Greece's Petralona Cave, dating back around 300,000 years, likely belonging to Homo heidelbergensis, providing insights into European human evolution and coexistence with Neanderthals.
Scientists have identified a new extinct human species, Homo juluensis, from fossilized remains found in China, dating back 200,000 years. The species, characterized by large heads, wide skulls, and immense teeth, lived in small groups and were hunters who used animal hides for clothing. Their extinction is believed to be linked to climate shifts and the migration of modern humans. The discovery highlights the complexity of human evolution, particularly in eastern Asia, and suggests that Denisovans may be part of this new species.
Fossils of a new prehistoric marine lizard species, Kinjaria acuta, have been discovered in Morocco, with a skull and body size comparable to that of a contemporary orca. Estimated to have measured about 25 feet long, the creature is believed to have been an apex predator 66 million years ago, coexisting with dinosaurs. Its unusually-shaped skull and "demon's face" with teeth like knives make it a uniquely frightening breed of mosasaur, populating the eastern Atlantic Ocean near Morocco. The discovery suggests an unusually diverse marine fauna in the Late Cretaceous period.
The oldest bat skeletons in the world have been identified as a new species, Icaronycteris gunnelli, shedding light on the origins of these flying mammals and raising questions about how they developed the ability to echolocate. The skeletons were recovered from an ancient lakebed in southwestern Wyoming, a site that preserves an entire subtropical lake ecosystem and surrounding forest from about 52 million years ago. The small bat probably lived in the trees surrounding the lake, flying over the water to hunt insects.