515-Million-Year-Old Fossils Shed Light on Evolution of Annelid Worms
The principal animal lineages diverged in the Cambrian period, but most diversity at lower taxonomic ranks arose more gradually over the subsequent 500 million years. Annelid worms, or…
3,000-YEAR-OLD HUMAN SKELETON FOUND IN ROMANIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
3,000-year-old human skeleton found in Romanian archaeological site A 3,000-year-old human skeleton was recently discovered at an archaeological excavation site in the village of Drăguşeni, Botoşani county. The…
Jurassic Filter-Feeding Pterosaur Had At Least 480 Teeth
Paleontologists have identified a new species of long-legged, filter-feeding pterodactyloid pterosaur from the well-preserved specimen found in a quarry in Germany. An artist’s impression of Balaenognathus maeuseri. Image credit:…
Family discovers 12-million-year-old whale skull at the Chesapeake Bay
A family of three made a whale of a discovery while exploring the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Cody Goddard and his wife and son were searching for sharks’…
2,200-Year-Old Inscribed Sling Bullet Found in Israel
The ancient sling bullet, dated to the Hellenistic period, bears a magic inscription in Greek: ‘Victory of Heracles and Hauronas.’ The 2,200-year-old lead sling bullet from Yavne, Israel….
The Biggest Penguin That Ever Existed Was a ‘Monster Bird’
Fossils found in New Zealand highlight an era after the dinosaurs when giant flightless birds prowled the seas for prey. An artist’s concept of Kumimanu and Petradyptes penguins…
Jurassic Sea Crocodile Fossil Found in United Kingdom
Turnersuchus hingleyae, a new genus and species of thalattosuchian crocodylomorph from the Early Jurassic epoch, helps fill a gap in the fossil record and suggests that thalattosuchians, with…
Largest-Known Flower Preserved in Amber Is Nearly 40 Million Years Old
The largest-known fossilized flower encased in amber, dating back nearly 40 million years, was again discovered in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. Researchers have reexamined the rare…
Severe Multi-Year Drought Caused Collapse of Hittite Empire
The Hittites were one of the great powers in the ancient world across almost five centuries, between 1650 and 1200 BCE, with an empire centered in Anatolia — a region…
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER 43 MILLION-YEAR-OLD FOSSIL OF A FOUR-LEGGED WHALE
Scientists discover 43 million-year-old fossil of a four-legged whale Scientists have discovered the 43 million-year-old fossil of a previously unknown four-legged whale species, which helps trace the transition…
Neanderthals Hunted Straight-Tusked Elephants 125,000 Years Ago
Straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) were the largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene epoch, present in Europe and western Asia between 800,000 and 100,000 years ago. A new analysis of…
The Ramessid Dynasty: A Golden Era in Ancient Egypt
Throughout its very long history, ancient Egypt’s fate has always been decided by the great ruling dynasties. A powerful state and empire needs an equally powerful ruler, and…