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A 30-year-old fossil was hiding bones from a mysterious ancient sea monster

bone jaw Cretaceous fossil Mosasaurus new species skull

Fossils collected in Osaka more than 30 years ago have revealed a surprise hiding in plain sight: four previously unrecognized bones from a giant Cretaceous mosasaur. Among them is the first confirmed premaxilla—the frontmost bone of the upper jaw—ever identified in a Japanese mosasaur fossil. Even more intriguing, parts of the skull show unusual anatomical features that don’t match known mosasaurs, raising the possibility that the remains belong to an entirely new species.

15/08/2026 sciencedaily

Paleontology rocked by organic molecules found in 66-million-year-old dinosaur bones

bone collagen protein fossil Dinosauria discovery evolution

Researchers have found strong evidence that original collagen can survive inside dinosaur fossils for tens of millions of years, overturning a long-standing assumption about fossilization. The discovery could unlock hidden molecular clues about dinosaur biology, evolution, and how ancient proteins managed to survive for so long.

14/08/2026 sciencedaily

150-million-year-old dinosaur footprints reveal something strange about its walk

locomotion pathology tracks Dinosauria

A spectacular 150-million-year-old trail of more than 130 footprints captures a giant sauropod making a complete loop before continuing on its way. Its uneven stride hints that the long-necked dinosaur may have been walking with a limp.

11/08/2026 sciencedaily

240-million-year-old reptile fossil reveals a lost chapter before dinosaurs and crocodiles

predator Brazil Triassic fossil Dinosauria evolution other reptiles

A 240-million-year-old reptile discovered in Brazil is revealing what evolution looked like just before the rise of dinosaurs and crocodiles. The small predator had unusually positioned legs that may have allowed it to move more efficiently than many earlier reptiles. Its close relatives were previously known mostly from other continents, suggesting these ancient animals spread much farther across the Triassic world than scientists realized.

10/08/2026 sciencedaily

Dinosaurs became giants — so why did they never become tiny?

ecology growth Dinosauria evolution mammals

Dinosaurs conquered the land at enormous sizes, but strangely, they almost never evolved into truly tiny animals. New research suggests that physiology alone can’t explain this missing miniature end of the dinosaur spectrum—and that early mammals may have been partly responsible. While dinosaurs kept mammals from becoming large, small mammals may have returned the favor by occupying ecological niches that could otherwise have supported mouse-sized dinosaurs.

09/08/2026 sciencedaily

Scientists rediscover lost Megalodon fossils—and reveal a 79-foot giant

vertebra museum fossil

Several enormous Megalodon vertebrae thought to have been destroyed in 1989 were found sitting unnoticed on a museum shelf. Their analysis strengthens evidence that the giant shark could exceed 24 meters (79 feet) in length and live for nearly a century. Researchers also estimate that its newborns may have measured an astonishing 3.6 meters (12 feet).

07/08/2026 sciencedaily

567-million-year-old fossils rewrite the dawn of animal life

Canada fossil discovery evolution

A spectacular fossil site in Canada contains 567-million-year-old creatures that may represent some of the earliest animals to move, reproduce sexually, and develop recognizable body plans. The discovery pushes key evolutionary milestones back by up to 10 million years and suggests complex animal life may have first flourished in the deep ocean.

06/08/2026 sciencedaily

This school-bus-sized “terror croc” ate dinosaurs. Now it’s back

museum fossil Dinosauria Georgia skeleton

A massive crocodilian capable of attacking dinosaurs has been brought back to life as the first scientifically accurate mounted skeleton of Deinosuchus schwimmeri. The 31-foot replica at Georgia’s Tellus Science Museum was built from detailed fossil scans and more than 40 years of research by paleontologist Dr. David Schwimmer, for whom the species was named.

05/08/2026 sciencedaily

Did T. rex leave these 66-million-year-old bite marks?

bone tooth feeding Dinosauria Tyrannosaurus behavior dating

Fossilized dinosaur bones from Wyoming are offering a rare glimpse into the feeding behavior of Tyrannosaurus rex. Researchers examined more than 3,000 bones dating back 72 to 66 million years and found just 12 with possible tooth traces, including four with patterns that closely matched the shape and spacing of T. rex teeth.

05/08/2026 sciencedaily

A forgotten fossil just revealed a new Triassic predator from 210 million years ago

jaw predator prey Mexico Triassic fossil skull

A fossil overlooked for nearly 80 years has revealed a previously unknown crocodile relative that lived 210 million years ago in what is now New Mexico. Named Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa, the jackal-sized predator had a reinforced skull, powerful jaw muscles, and a short snout built for tackling larger prey.

30/07/2026 sciencedaily

Hidden charcoal reveals the true age of ancient cave paintings

France dating

A new analysis has precisely dated paintings in France’s Font-de-Gaume cave for the first time. Scientists discovered charcoal inside black pigments once thought to contain only minerals, allowing them to use radiocarbon dating. The results show that a bison was painted about 13,000 years ago, while sections of a mask-like figure were added during several widely separated periods.

28/07/2026 sciencedaily

500,000-year-old elephant bone hammer shows ancient humans were master toolmakers

bone discovery

Early humans in England crafted a rare piece of elephant bone into a reusable hammer for sharpening stone tools nearly 500,000 years ago. The extraordinary find reveals that ancient toolmakers were resourceful, skilled, and capable of surprisingly advanced planning.

27/07/2026 sciencedaily

Ancient ape fossil in Egypt challenges the story of human origins

Egypt fossil human origin

A newly identified fossil ape from northern Egypt is reshaping ideas about where the ancestors of modern apes first emerged. Analyses place it closer to living apes than any known East African species of the same age, pointing to North Africa and the Middle East as a possible birthplace and crossroads for the ape lineage that eventually produced gibbons, orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans.

24/07/2026 sciencedaily

Ancient ferns turned Triassic Europe into a wildfire inferno

Triassic fossil extinction

Ancient fern savannahs may have transformed parts of Europe into a wildfire-prone inferno during the end-Triassic mass extinction. New fossil evidence suggests the ferns repeatedly regrew after fires, creating fresh fuel that helped prolong the devastation.

22/07/2026 sciencedaily

Some dinosaurs could rise like giants until they grew too big

predator Dinosauria biomechanics

Two elephant-sized South American sauropods were unusually well built for standing on their hind legs. Digital tests showed that their robust femurs handled the enormous forces better than those of larger species, especially while the dinosaurs were young. The upright pose may have helped them reach treetops, frighten predators, or impress potential mates.

20/07/2026 sciencedaily

Scientists just discovered a lost branch of Australia’s marsupials

Australia fossil discovery evolution mammals

Fossils from Queensland suggest a newly recognized marsupial order may have survived in Australia for around 35 million years, rewriting part of the story of how the continent's unique mammals evolved. The discovery challenges the idea that Australia's marsupials all came from a single straightforward ancestral lineage.

19/07/2026 sciencedaily

This dinosaur fossil captures the final moments of a T. rex attack

tooth predator prey fossil Dinosauria Edmontosaurus Tyrannosaurus discovery skull

A fossilized Edmontosaurus skull with a Tyrannosaurus tooth still embedded in its face has given scientists rare evidence of a dramatic predator-prey encounter. The discovery suggests the giant carnivore delivered an incredibly powerful face-to-face bite, offering new clues about how Tyrannosaurus hunted.

14/07/2026 sciencedaily

Scientists finally solved the mystery of Earth's greatest mass extinction

metabolism extinction study

Why do beaches today have seashells from clams and snails instead of brachiopods? A new study suggests the answer lies in Earth's greatest mass extinction, when warming oceans and falling oxygen levels wiped out animals that couldn't adapt. Species with body plans and metabolisms better suited to the changing conditions survived and went on to dominate the seas, offering a glimpse of how modern marine life could respond to climate change.

12/07/2026 sciencedaily

Rare fossil goose rewrites the story of New Zealand's giant birds

New Zealand fossil bird discovery evolution

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown fossil goose that challenges a decades-old theory about the evolution of New Zealand's birds. The find suggests the country's giant flightless geese evolved from much more recent arrivals, revealing a far more dynamic evolutionary history than once believed.

11/07/2026 sciencedaily

5,000-year-old wolves found on remote island rewrite what we know about domestication

ecology feeding Homo sapiens mammals

Scientists discovered ancient wolves on a tiny Baltic island where they could only have been brought by humans, suggesting an unexpectedly close relationship between people and wolves thousands of years ago. Evidence indicates the wolves were fed, possibly cared for, and may even have been managed or selectively bred long before modern ideas of domestication.

05/07/2026 sciencedaily