Ancient Fossil Discovered
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China’s Dragon Man Skull Found to Belong to Denisovan Lineage
A 146,000-year-old skull discovered in Harbin, China, has been confirmed as Denisovan using ancient DNA and protein analysis. Named “Dragon Man,” the fossil is the most complete Denisovan specimen to date, offering a new understanding of human evolution and Denisovan presence across Ice Age Asia.
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Dinosaur Fossil With Cancer Offers New Clues For Human Treatment, Say Scientists
Researchers have discovered preserved soft tissue in a dinosaur fossil showing signs of cancer. The find may help scientists better understand the disease and how to treat it in humans.
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Scientists Discover Three-Eyed Sea Moth From Half a Billion Years Ago
Paleontologists have discovered Mosura fentoni, a three-eyed, finger-sized marine predator from half a billion years ago, in museum fossil collections in Canada. Named after the Japanese monster Mothra, this ancient radiodont had a highly segmented body and unusually long gills on its rear, possibly adapted for breathing in low-oxygen environments....
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444-Million-Year-Old Inside-Out Fossil Without Head And Legs Found In South Africa
Two fossils of an ancient arthropod named Keurbos susanae have been discovered in South Africa. The creature lived 444 million years ago during the Late Ordovician period. Its soft tissues, including muscles and guts, were found preserved but its shell, legs and head were missing. Researchers believe the species lived in low-oxygen conditions. The ...
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30,000-Year-Old Vulture Feathers Discovered, Uniquely Preserved in Volcanic Ash
Fossilized feathers of a 30,000-year-old vulture, found in volcanic ash near Rome, have been analyzed, revealing a unique preservation process. Unlike typical fossilized feathers, these retained three-dimensional structures, likely due to zeolite minerals formed in the ash. Scientists believe the vulture was buried in a low-temperature pyroclastic ...
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125-Million-Year-Old Scorpion Fossil Discovered in China, Shedding Light on Mesozoic-Era Predators
A 125-million-year-old fossil of Jeholia longchengi, a newly identified scorpion species, has been unearthed in China’s Yixian Formation. Measuring around 10 cm, it is significantly larger than most Mesozoic scorpions. The discovery provides crucial insights into the Early Cretaceous food web, where it likely preyed on insects and small vertebrat...
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Alien Plant Fossil Discovered Near Utah, Cannot Be Linked to Any Known Plant Family
An ancient plant fossil discovered near Rainbow, Utah, has defied classification, according to a study in Annals of Botany. Named Othniophyton elongatum, the fossil shows no connection to any known plant families, modern or extinct. Found in the Green River Formation, the specimen revealed unique features, such as stamens retained after fertilisati...
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Scientists Discover New Triassic Reptile with Unique Teeth in England
Scientists have uncovered Threordatoth chasmatos, a new species of Triassic reptile from Cromhall Quarry in South Gloucestershire. The reptile belonged to the procolophonid group, featuring unique three-pointed teeth. These jaw adaptations suggest the species specialised in herbivorous diets, offering insights into the evolution of ancient reptiles...
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Homo Juluensis Discovered: A New Chapter in Middle Pleistocene Human Evolution
A newly discovered species, Homo juluensis, has been identified from fossils found in China, dating back between 220,000 and 100,000 years ago. The fossils, unearthed at Xujiayao and Xuchang, feature large skulls with a unique blend of Neanderthal, Denisovan and modern human traits. Researchers, including Christopher Bae from the University of Hawa...
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Meet Quaestio Simpsonorum: The Oldest Asymmetrical Animal Found in Australia
A recent study has identified Quaestio simpsonorum, a 555-million-year-old asymmetrical animal found in Australia’s Nilpena Ediacara National Park. This creature, which moved like a primitive vacuum cleaner, featured a unique backward question-mark shape on its back, representing a significant evolutionary development. Fossilised tracks suggest i...
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Rare Fossils From Extinct Elephants Document Earliest Instance of Butchery in India’s Kashmir Valley
In the Kashmir Valley, rare fossils from extinct elephants reveal the earliest evidence of human butchery in India, dating back 300,000 to 400,000 years. The discovery includes stone tools used to extract bone marrow, offering insight into early human behaviour in the region. These fossils, from the extinct elephant species Palaeoloxodon turkmenicu...
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Discover LUCA: The 4.2 Billion-Year-Old Ancestor of All Life on Earth
Recent research has revealed that LUCA, the last universal common ancestor of all life, lived around 4.2 billion years ago. This new estimate pushes back the timeline for the origin of life by 300 million years. The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, involved analysis of genes from 700 species of bacteria and archaea, as well as ancien...
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Young Girl Uncovers Dinosaur Footprints on South Wales Beach
In an extraordinary turn of events, 10-year-old Tegan’s beach outing in South Wales led to the remarkable discovery of dinosaur footprints dating back over 200 million years. While exploring Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, Tegan and her mother Claire stumbled upon five large footprints, which palaeontologists believe were made by a came...
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Extinct Walrus-like Mammal Discovered in Atlantics, Provides New Insights into Marine Evolution
Recent findings have unveiled Ontocetus posti, an extinct walrus-like mammal that lived 2.2 million years ago. Led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville from the University of Tsukuba, this discovery, made from fossils found in Norwich, UK, and Antwerp, Belgium, provides fresh insights into the evolutionary history of walruses. Initially misidentified, the foss...
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Footprints Dating Back To Over 20,000 Years Found In New Mexico
Humans trod the landscape of North America thousands of years earlier than previously thought, according to new research that confirms antiquity of fossilized footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico using two further dating approaches.
-
China’s Dragon Man Skull Found to Belong to Denisovan Lineage
A 146,000-year-old skull discovered in Harbin, China, has been confirmed as Denisovan using ancient DNA and protein analysis. Named “Dragon Man,” the fossil is the most complete Denisovan specimen to date, offering a new understanding of human evolution and Denisovan presence across Ice Age Asia.
-
Dinosaur Fossil With Cancer Offers New Clues For Human Treatment, Say Scientists
Researchers have discovered preserved soft tissue in a dinosaur fossil showing signs of cancer. The find may help scientists better understand the disease and how to treat it in humans.
-
Scientists Discover Three-Eyed Sea Moth From Half a Billion Years Ago
Paleontologists have discovered Mosura fentoni, a three-eyed, finger-sized marine predator from half a billion years ago, in museum fossil collections in Canada. Named after the Japanese monster Mothra, this ancient radiodont had a highly segmented body and unusually long gills on its rear, possibly adapted for breathing in low-oxygen environments....
-
444-Million-Year-Old Inside-Out Fossil Without Head And Legs Found In South Africa
Two fossils of an ancient arthropod named Keurbos susanae have been discovered in South Africa. The creature lived 444 million years ago during the Late Ordovician period. Its soft tissues, including muscles and guts, were found preserved but its shell, legs and head were missing. Researchers believe the species lived in low-oxygen conditions. The ...
-
30,000-Year-Old Vulture Feathers Discovered, Uniquely Preserved in Volcanic Ash
Fossilized feathers of a 30,000-year-old vulture, found in volcanic ash near Rome, have been analyzed, revealing a unique preservation process. Unlike typical fossilized feathers, these retained three-dimensional structures, likely due to zeolite minerals formed in the ash. Scientists believe the vulture was buried in a low-temperature pyroclastic ...
-
125-Million-Year-Old Scorpion Fossil Discovered in China, Shedding Light on Mesozoic-Era Predators
A 125-million-year-old fossil of Jeholia longchengi, a newly identified scorpion species, has been unearthed in China’s Yixian Formation. Measuring around 10 cm, it is significantly larger than most Mesozoic scorpions. The discovery provides crucial insights into the Early Cretaceous food web, where it likely preyed on insects and small vertebrat...
-
Alien Plant Fossil Discovered Near Utah, Cannot Be Linked to Any Known Plant Family
An ancient plant fossil discovered near Rainbow, Utah, has defied classification, according to a study in Annals of Botany. Named Othniophyton elongatum, the fossil shows no connection to any known plant families, modern or extinct. Found in the Green River Formation, the specimen revealed unique features, such as stamens retained after fertilisati...
-
Scientists Discover New Triassic Reptile with Unique Teeth in England
Scientists have uncovered Threordatoth chasmatos, a new species of Triassic reptile from Cromhall Quarry in South Gloucestershire. The reptile belonged to the procolophonid group, featuring unique three-pointed teeth. These jaw adaptations suggest the species specialised in herbivorous diets, offering insights into the evolution of ancient reptiles...
-
Homo Juluensis Discovered: A New Chapter in Middle Pleistocene Human Evolution
A newly discovered species, Homo juluensis, has been identified from fossils found in China, dating back between 220,000 and 100,000 years ago. The fossils, unearthed at Xujiayao and Xuchang, feature large skulls with a unique blend of Neanderthal, Denisovan and modern human traits. Researchers, including Christopher Bae from the University of Hawa...
-
Meet Quaestio Simpsonorum: The Oldest Asymmetrical Animal Found in Australia
A recent study has identified Quaestio simpsonorum, a 555-million-year-old asymmetrical animal found in Australia’s Nilpena Ediacara National Park. This creature, which moved like a primitive vacuum cleaner, featured a unique backward question-mark shape on its back, representing a significant evolutionary development. Fossilised tracks suggest i...
-
Rare Fossils From Extinct Elephants Document Earliest Instance of Butchery in India’s Kashmir Valley
In the Kashmir Valley, rare fossils from extinct elephants reveal the earliest evidence of human butchery in India, dating back 300,000 to 400,000 years. The discovery includes stone tools used to extract bone marrow, offering insight into early human behaviour in the region. These fossils, from the extinct elephant species Palaeoloxodon turkmenicu...
-
Discover LUCA: The 4.2 Billion-Year-Old Ancestor of All Life on Earth
Recent research has revealed that LUCA, the last universal common ancestor of all life, lived around 4.2 billion years ago. This new estimate pushes back the timeline for the origin of life by 300 million years. The study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, involved analysis of genes from 700 species of bacteria and archaea, as well as ancien...
-
Young Girl Uncovers Dinosaur Footprints on South Wales Beach
In an extraordinary turn of events, 10-year-old Tegan’s beach outing in South Wales led to the remarkable discovery of dinosaur footprints dating back over 200 million years. While exploring Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, Tegan and her mother Claire stumbled upon five large footprints, which palaeontologists believe were made by a came...
-
Extinct Walrus-like Mammal Discovered in Atlantics, Provides New Insights into Marine Evolution
Recent findings have unveiled Ontocetus posti, an extinct walrus-like mammal that lived 2.2 million years ago. Led by Dr. Mathieu Boisville from the University of Tsukuba, this discovery, made from fossils found in Norwich, UK, and Antwerp, Belgium, provides fresh insights into the evolutionary history of walruses. Initially misidentified, the foss...
-
Footprints Dating Back To Over 20,000 Years Found In New Mexico
Humans trod the landscape of North America thousands of years earlier than previously thought, according to new research that confirms antiquity of fossilized footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico using two further dating approaches.
