ScienceDaily: Paleontology News

When it comes to mammals, how big is too big?

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:07:07 EDT

Mammals vary enormously in size, from weighing less than a penny to measuring more than three school buses in length. Some groups of mammals have become very large, such as elephants and whales, while others have always been small, like primates. A new theory provides an explanation for why and how certain groups of organisms are able to evolve gigantic sizes, whereas others are not.

'Cold snap' 116 million years ago triggered marine ecosystem crisis

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:52:52 EDT

A "cold snap" 116 million years ago triggered a similar marine ecosystem crisis to the ones witnessed in the past as a result of global warming, according to new research. The international study confirms the link between global cooling and a crash in the marine ecosystem during the mid-Cretaceous greenhouse period.

Putting flesh on the bones of ancient fish: Synchrotron X-rays reconstruct soft tissue on 380-million-year-old fish

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:28:28 EDT

Scientists present for the first time miraculously preserved musculature of 380 million year old armored fish discovered in north-west Australia. This research will help scientists to better understand how neck and abdominal muscles evolved during the transition from jawless to jawed vertebrates.

How diving mammals evolved underwater endurance

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 14:28:28 EDT

Scientists have shed new light on how diving mammals, such as the sperm whale, have evolved to survive for long periods underwater without breathing.

Fossil kangaroo teeth reveal mosaic of Pliocene ecosystems in Queensland

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:33:33 EDT

The teeth of a kangaroo and other extinct marsupials reveal that southeastern Queensland 2.5-5-million-years ago was a mosaic of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands and much less arid than previously thought.

When will the next megathrust hit the west coast of North America?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

A new study presents our first glimpse back in geologic time of the recurrence interval of large and megathrust earthquakes impacting the vulnerable BC outer coastline.

High diversity of flying reptiles in England 110 million years ago

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:18:18 EDT

Pterosaurs are an extinct group of flying reptiles that are only abundant in very few deposits. One of these is situated in England, where hundreds of fossils of these animals, that covered the skies some 110 million years ago, have been unearthed. Paleontologists have re-analyzed these fossils and discovered that they had a much higher diversity of groups than previously thought.

X-rays reveal new picture of 'dinobird' plumage patterns

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 20:45:45 EDT

The first complete chemical analysis of feathers from Archaeopteryx, a famous fossil linking dinosaurs and birds, reveals that the feathers of this early bird were patterned -- light in colour, with a dark edge and tip to the feather -- rather than all black, as previously thought.

Living fossils? Actually, sturgeon fish are evolutionary speedsters

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:13:13 EDT

Efforts to restore sturgeon in the Great Lakes region have received a lot of attention in recent years, and many of the news stories note that the prehistoric-looking fish are "living fossils" virtually unchanged for millions of years. But a new study reveals that in at least one measure of evolutionary change -- changes in body size over time -- sturgeon have been one of the fastest-evolving fish on the planet.

Bone tumor in 120,000-year-old Neandertal discovered

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:01:01 EDT

The first-known definitive case of a benign bone tumor has been discovered in the rib of a young Neandertal who lived about 120,000 years ago in what is now present-day Croatia. The bone fragment, which comes from the famous archaeological cave site of Krapina, contains by far the earliest bone tumor ever identified in the archaeological record.

Scientists discover oldest primate skeleton

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Paleontologists have discovered a nearly complete, articulated skeleton of a new tiny, tree-dwelling primate dating back 55 million years. It is is the oldest primate skeleton of this quality and completeness ever discovered.

Discovery of oldest primate skeleton helps chart early evolution of humans, apes

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:35:35 EDT

An international team of researchers has announced the discovery of the world's oldest known fossil primate skeleton, an animal that lived about 55 million years ago and was even smaller than today's smallest primate, the pygmy mouse lemur. This new fossil illuminates a pivotal event in primate and human evolution: the divergence between the lineage leading to modern monkeys, apes, and humans and the branch leading to living tarsiers--small, nocturnal tree-dwelling primates.

Discovery of oldest primate skeleton, ancestor of humans and apes

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:35:35 EDT

The discovery of the oldest fossil skeleton of a primate provides insight into the phase of evolution when the lineage of modern monkeys, apes and humans split away. The fossil represents a new species, Archicebus achilles, and was unearthed in China. The skeleton was digitally reconstructed with synchrotron X-rays at the ESRF, allowing to study in detail this fossil radically different from any other primate, living or fossil. The results are published in Nature.

Ancient trapped water explains Earth's first ice age

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:35:35 EDT

Tiny bubbles of water found in quartz grains in Australia may hold the key to understanding what caused the Earth's first ice age, say scientists.

'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:04:04 EDT

At nearly six feet long and weighing upwards of 60 pounds, "Morrison's Bearded King" provides new clues on the evolution of plant-eating reptiles and their relationship to global climate and with mammals.

Diet likely changed game for some hominids 3.5 million years ago

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:41:41 EDT

A new look at the diets of ancient African hominids shows a "game changer" occurred about 3.5 million years ago when some members added grasses or sedges to their menus, according to a new study.

A grassy trend in human ancestors' diets

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 16:37:37 EDT

Most apes eat leaves and fruits from trees and shrubs. New studies show that human ancestors expanded their menu 3.5 million years ago, adding tropical grasses and sedges to an ape-like diet and setting the stage for our modern diet of grains, grasses, and meat and dairy from grazing animals.

Fossil remains reveal new species of marine fish from 408 million years ago in Teruel, Spain

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:34:34 EDT

Researchers have studied the fossilized remains of scales and bones found in Teruel, Spain, and the south of Zaragoza, ascertaining that they belong to a new fish species called Machaeracanthus goujeti that lived in that area of the peninsula during the Devonian period. The fossils are part of the collection housed in the Palaeontology Museum of Zaragoza.

Scientists discover that turtles began living in shells much earlier than once thought

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Unique among Earth's creatures, turtles are the only animals to form a shell on the outside of their bodies through a fusion of modified ribs, vertebrae and shoulder girdle bones. The turtle shell is a unique modification, and how and when it originated has fascinated and confounded biologists for more than two centuries. Scientists have recently discovered that the beginnings of the turtle shell started 40 million years earlier than previously thought.

How turtles got their shells: Fossil of extinct South African reptile provides clues

Thu, 30 May 2013 13:24:24 EDT

Through careful study of an ancient ancestor of modern turtles, researchers now have a clearer picture of how the turtles' most unusual shell came to be. The findings help to fill a 30- to 55-million-year gap in the turtle fossil record through study of an extinct South African reptile known as Eunotosaurus.

Historic sea-level change along New Jersey coastline mapped

Tue, 28 May 2013 18:10:10 EDT

A new study relied upon fossil records of marshland to reconstruct the changes in sea level along the New Jersey coast going back 10,000 years.

Disappearance of stromatolites, earliest visible manifestation of life: Ancient enigma solved?

Tue, 28 May 2013 14:37:37 EDT

The widespread disappearance of stromatolites, the earliest visible manifestation of life on Earth, may have been driven by single-celled organisms called foraminifera, a new study finds.

Antarctic polar icecap is 33.6 million years old, researchers show

Mon, 27 May 2013 10:05:05 EDT

Seasonal primary productivity of plankton communities appeared with the first ice. This phenomenon, still active today, influences global food webs. These findings are based on fossil records in sediment cores at different depths.

Understanding the past and predicting the future by looking across space and time

Sat, 25 May 2013 14:37:37 EDT

Scientists have validated a fundamental assumption at the very heart of a popular way to predict relationships between complex variables.

Monkey teeth help reveal Neanderthal weaning

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:48:48 EDT

Most modern human mothers wean their babies much earlier than our closest primate relatives. But what about our extinct relatives, the Neanderthals? A team of U.S. and Australian researchers reports that they can now use fossil teeth to calculate when a Neanderthal baby was weaned. The new technique is based in part on knowledge gained from studies of teeth from human infants and from monkeys.

Small, speedy plant-eater extends knowledge of dinosaur ecosystems

Wed, 22 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Dinosaurs are often thought of as large, fierce animals, but new research highlights a previously overlooked diversity of small dinosaurs. Paleontologists have now described a new dinosaur, the smallest plant-eating dinosaur species known from Canada.

Allosaurus fed more like a falcon than a crocodile: Engineering, anatomy work reveals differences in dinosaur feeding styles

Tue, 21 May 2013 15:26:26 EDT

The mighty T. rex may have thrashed its massive head from side to side to dismember prey, but a new study shows that its smaller cousin Allosaurus was a more dexterous hunter and tugged at prey more like a modern-day falcon.

Fourteen closely related crocodiles existed around 5 million years ago

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:13:13 EDT

Today, the most diverse species of crocodile are found in northern South America and Southeast Asia: As many as six species of alligator and four true crocodiles exist, although no more than two or three ever live alongside one another at the same time. It was a different story nine to about five million years ago, however, when a total of 14 different crocodile species existed and at least seven of them occupied the same area at the same time, paleontologists say.

The mammoth's lament: How cosmic impact sparked devastating climate change

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:55:55 EDT

Researchers have found evidence of a major cosmic event near the end of the Ice Age. The ensuing climate change forced many species to adapt or die.

Fossil brain teaser: New study reveals patterns of dinosaur brain development

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

A new study sheds light on how the brain and inner ear developed in dinosaurs. Using high-resolution CT scanning and 3D computer imaging, it was possible to reconstruct and visualise the brain and inner ear of Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki -- a small, plant-eating dinosaur, which lived 150 million years ago, in what is now Tanzania.

Archaeological genetics: It's not all as old as it at first seems

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:51:51 EDT

Genomic analyses suggest that patterns of genetic diversity which indicate population movement may not be as ancient as previously believed, but may be attributable to recent events.

Paleontology: The eloquence of otoliths seen in a 23-million-year-old fish fossil

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:52:52 EDT

Fish fossils that are about 23 million years old give unprecedented insight into the evolutionary history of the gobioid order, one of the most species-rich groups among the modern bony fishes.

Actor Johnny Depp immortalized in name of fossilized creature with 'scissor hand' claws

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:38:38 EDT

A scientist has discovered an ancient extinct creature with 'scissor hand-like' claws in fossil records and has named it in honor of his favourite movie star. The 505-million-year-old fossil called Kooteninchela deppi, which is a distant ancestor of lobsters and scorpions, was named after the actor Johnny Depp for his starring role as Edward Scissorhands -- a movie about an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands.

Clam fossils divulge secrets of ecologic stability

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:40:40 EDT

Clam fossils from the middle Devonian era now yield a better paleontological picture of the capacity of ecosystems to remain stable in the face of environmental change, according to new research.

Insight into nesting behavior of dinosaurs: Both moms and dads helped with incubation, study finds

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:15:15 EDT

A recent study into the incubation behavior of modern birds is shedding new light on the type of parental care carried out by their long-extinct ancestors.

Fossil saved from mule track revolutionizes understanding of ancient dolphin-like marine reptile

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

Scientists have revealed a new species of ichthyosaur (a dolphin-like marine reptile from the age of dinosaurs) from Iraq, which revolutionizes our understanding of the evolution and extinction of these ancient marine reptiles.

Mum and dad dinosaurs shared the work

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:31:31 EDT

A study into the brooding behavior of birds has revealed their dinosaur ancestors shared the load when it came to incubation of eggs.

Research helps paint finer picture of massive 1700 earthquake

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

In 1700, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of North America, but a lack of local documentation has made studying this historic event challenging. Now, researchers have helped unlock this geological mystery using a fossil-based technique. Their work provides a finer-grained portrait of this earthquake and the changes in coastal land level it produced, enabling modelers to better prepare for future events.

Earliest archaeological evidence of human ancestors hunting and scavenging

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:44:44 EDT

A recent research study has shed new light on the diet and food acquisition strategies of some the earliest human ancestors in Africa. Beginning around two million years ago, early stone tool-making humans, known scientifically as Oldowan hominin, started to exhibit a number of physiological and ecological adaptations that required greater daily energy expenditures, including an increase in brain and body size, heavier investment in their offspring and significant home-range expansion. Demonstrating how these early humans acquired the extra energy they needed to sustain these shifts has been the subject of much debate among researchers.

Ice-free Arctic may be in our future, international researchers say

Thu, 09 May 2013 14:20:20 EDT

Analyses of the longest continental sediment core ever collected in the Arctic provide "absolutely new knowledge" of Arctic climate from 2.2 to 3.6 million years ago. The research has major implications for understanding how the Arctic transitioned from a forested landscape without ice sheets to the ice- and snow-covered land we know today.

Four new dinosaur species identified

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

Just when dinosaur researchers thought they had a thorough knowledge of ankylosaurs, a family of squat, armor-plated, plant-eaters, along comes a graduate student with some other ideas.

First biological evidence of a supernova

Wed, 08 May 2013 12:30:30 EDT

In fossil remnants of bacteria, researchers have found a radioactive iron isotope that they trace back to a supernova in our cosmic neighborhood. This is the first proven biological signature of a starburst. An age determination showed that the supernova must have occurred about 2.2 million years ago, roughly around the time when the modern human developed.

Oldest? New 'bone-head' dinosaur hints at higher diversity of small dinosaurs

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Scientists have named a new species of bone-headed dinosaur (pachycephalosaur) from Alberta, Canada. The plant-eating Acrotholus audeti was approximately six feet long and weighed about 40 kgs in life. It represents the oldest bone-headed dinosaur in North America, and possibly the world.

Climate change, not human activity, led to megafauna extinction

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

Most species of gigantic animals that once roamed Australia had disappeared by the time people arrived, a major review of the available evidence has concluded. The research challenges the claim that humans were primarily responsible for the demise of the megafauna in a proposed "extinction window" between 40,000 and 50,000 years ago, and points the finger instead at climate change.

New dinosaur fossil discovered in China: Meat-eating dinosaur from late Jurassic period was less than a year old

Fri, 03 May 2013 13:27:27 EDT

Fossil remains in northwestern China have been identified as a new species of small theropod, or meat-eating, dinosaur.

Killer entrance suspected in mystery of unusually large group of carnivores in ancient cave

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:31:31 EDT

An assortment of saber-toothed cats, hyenas, an extinct 'bear-dog', ancestors of the red panda and several other carnivores died under unusual circumstances in a Spanish cave near Madrid approximately 9-10 million years ago. It now appears that the animals may have entered the cave intentionally and been trapped there, according to new research.

Fossil of great ape sheds light on evolution

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:21:21 EDT

An integrative anatomy expert says the shape of an 11.8-million-year-old specimen's pelvis indicates that it lived near the beginning of the great ape evolution, after the lesser apes had started to develop separately but before the great ape species began to diversify.

Bird fossil sheds light on how swift and hummingbird flight came to be

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

A tiny bird fossil discovered in Wyoming offers clues to the precursors of swift and hummingbird wings. The fossil is unusual in having exceptionally well-preserved feathers, which allowed the researchers to reconstruct the size and shape of the bird's wings in ways not possible with bones alone.

First land animals kept fishlike jaws for millions of years

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:11:11 EDT

For the first time, fossil jaw measurements confirm that land animals developed legs millions of years before their feeding systems changed enough to let them eat a land-based diet. The pattern had been hypothesized previously, but not really tested.

What happened to dinosaurs' predecessors after Earth's largest extinction 252 million years ago?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:49:49 EDT

Predecessors to dinosaurs missed the race to fill habitats emptied when nine out of 10 species disappeared during Earth's largest mass extinction 252 million years ago.

First snapshot of organisms eating each other: Feast clue to smell of ancient Earth

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:41:41 EDT

Tiny 1,900-million-year-old fossils from rocks around Lake Superior, Canada, give the first ever snapshot of organisms eating each other and suggest what the ancient Earth would have smelled like.

Dinosaur predecessors gain ground in wake of world's biggest biodiversity crisis

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:40:40 EDT

Newly discovered fossils from 10 million years after Earth's greatest mass extinction reveal a lineage of animals thought to have led to dinosaurs taking hold in Tanzania and Zambia in the mid-Triassic period, many millions of years before dinosaur relatives were seen in the fossil record elsewhere on Earth.

Rethinking early atmospheric oxygen: Possibility of more dynamic biological oxygen cycle on early Earth than previously supposed

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:52:52 EDT

Using a quantitative model, a research team of biogeochemists has provided a new view on the relationship between the earliest accumulation of oxygen in the atmosphere, arguably the most important biological event in Earth's history, and its relationship to the sulfur cycle. Their model, the researchers argue, is one step toward a more integrated view of how Earth's crust, mantle and atmosphere interact in the global sulfur cycle.

Iron in primeval seas rusted by bacteria

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:07:07 EDT

Researchers have been able to show for the first time how microorganisms contributed to the formation of the world's biggest iron ore deposits. The biggest known deposits -- in South Africa and Australia -- are geological formations billions of years old. They are mainly composed of iron oxides -- minerals we know from the rusting process. These iron ores not only make up most of the world demand for iron -- the formations also help us to better understand the evolution of the atmosphere and climate, and provide important information on the activity of microorganisms in the early history of life on Earth.

Fish was on the menu for early flying dinosaur

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

New research reveals that Microraptor, a small flying dinosaur, was a complete hunter -- able to swoop down and pick up fish.

Geochemical method finds links between terrestrial climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

Scientists used a new chemical technique to measure the change in terrestrial temperature associated with a major shift in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations nearly 34 million years ago. Their results provide further evidence that the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and Earth's surface temperature are inextricably linked.

Anatomist is fleshing out dinosaur heads, reaching people about science

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:12:12 EDT

Accurately depicting dinosaur anatomy has come a long way since the science fiction films of the 1960s.

Formula can calculate a person's speed by just looking at their footprints

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:12:12 EDT

Scientists have designed an equation that provides a highly accurate estimate of an individual's speed based on stride length. They used data from professional athletes and walking and running experiments on a beach in order to come up with the equation. The result has applications in the study of fossil trackways of human footprints.

New carnivorous dinosaur from Madagascar raises more questions than it answers

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:40:40 EDT

The first new dinosaur named from Madagascar in nearly a decade, Dahalokely tokana was a carnivore measuring 9-14 feet long. Its fossils were found in 90-million-year-old rocks of northernmost Madagascar, from the time when Madagascar and India were a single isolated land mass. Dahalokely is potentially ancestral to later dinosaurs of both regions, and shortens a 95-million-year gap in Madagascar's dinosaur fossil record by 20 million years.

Dinosaur egg study supports evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs: How Troodon likely hatched its young

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:43:43 EDT

A small, bird-like North American dinosaur incubated its eggs in a similar way to brooding birds -- bolstering the evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs, researchers have found.