Posts Tagged ‘fossils’
Science & Technology - Dec 10, 2012 15:21 - 0 Comments
New clues to Darwin’s ‘abominable mystery’
INDIANA U. (US) — Scientists offer a more detailed explanation for the sudden appearance and rapid spread of flowering plants in the fossil record—what Charles Darwin famously called “an abominable mystery.” (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 7, 2012 13:53 - 0 Comments
Hybrid monkeys hint at early human history
U. MICHIGAN (US) — Did different species of early humans interbreed and produce offspring of mixed ancestry? New research with howler monkeys suggests it’s possible. (more…)
Science & Technology - Dec 5, 2012 16:24 - 0 Comments
New dinosaur may be oldest by 10 million years
U. WASHINGTON / UC BERKELEY (US) — Working with fossils found in Tanzania, scientists have discovered what may be the oldest known dinosaur. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 28, 2012 10:25 - 0 Comments
For ancient birds, feathers were a drag
YALE (US) — Prehistoric birds were far less versatile at flying than their modern descendents, a new study of their feathers shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Nov 9, 2012 13:12 - 1 Comment
Cat fang fossils reveal overlap with bear dogs
U. MICHIGAN (US) — The fossilized fangs of saber-toothed cats hint at how the extinct mammals shared space and food with other large predators 9 million years ago. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 31, 2012 15:55 - 1 Comment
Family tree links all 10,000 types of birds
YALE (US) / U. SHEFFIELD (UK) — The most comprehensive family tree for birds yet connects all living bird species—nearly 10,000 in total—and reveals surprising new details about their origins. (more…)
Earth & Environment - Oct 22, 2012 10:24 - 6 Comments
Lethal heat turned Earth into ‘broken world’
U. LEEDS (UK) — The “dead zone” period that followed the worst extinction of all time lasted 5 million years because it was simply too hot to survive. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 11, 2012 12:57 - 3 Comments
‘Missing link’ fossil preserves oldest brain
U. ARIZONA (US) — An extinct arthropod’s fossil reveals that anatomically complex brains evolved earlier than previously thought and have changed little over the course of evolution. (more…)
Science & Technology - Oct 4, 2012 11:25 - 1 Comment
Evolution took off wormy mollusks’ shells
YALE (US) — A new fossil may end a long-running debate about mollusks: Which evolved first, shelled forms like clams and snails, or their shell-less, worm-like relatives? (more…)
Top Stories - Oct 3, 2012 9:36 - 4 Comments
Tiny dino nipped plants with ‘vampire’ fangs
U. CHICAGO (US) — Rocks in South Africa have revealed a new species of dinosaur—with inch-long jaws and self-sharpening teeth. (more…)
Top Stories - Aug 24, 2012 10:05 - 1 Comment
Neandertal’s brawny arm hints at language
U. KANSAS (US) — Research confirming that a Neandertal was right-handed could suggest a capacity for language, a new study shows. (more…)
Science & Technology - Aug 17, 2012 14:33 - 1 Comment
Deep dives gave giant reptiles ‘the bends’
U. MELBOURNE (AUS) — Bone deformities on the fossilized remains of giant dolphin-like reptiles are similar to those human divers develop as a result of changes in body pressure. (more…)
Top Stories - Aug 9, 2012 11:46 - 0 Comments
Fossils confirm early humans with flat faces
NYU (US) — Fossils found in Kenya confirm three different human species living together at the dawn of humanity. (more…)
Science & Technology - Jul 2, 2012 16:23 - 1 Comment
Mass die-offs reset the pace of evolution
U. CHICAGO (US) — Mass extinctions change the pace of evolution—not just in the catastrophe’s immediate aftermath—but for millions of years to follow, say paleontologists.
Science & Technology - Jun 14, 2012 13:51 - 0 Comments
Ear fossils reveal ancient primate agility
PENN STATE (US) — CT scans of fossilized primate skulls or skull fragments from both the Old and New Worlds may shed light on how the extinct animals moved. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 30, 2012 14:37 - 0 Comments
Extinct giant turtle found near monster snake
U. FLORIDA (US) — Researchers have named and described a new extinct giant turtle species from the same Colombian mine where they discovered Titanoboa, the world’s largest snake. (more…)
Science & Technology - May 21, 2012 15:44 - 0 Comments
Cuttlefish emit Jurassic-era ink, fossils show
U. VIRGINIA (US) — Although today’s cuttlefish are much smaller than ancient giant cephalopods, 160-million-year-old fossils reveal the pigment in their ink has stayed the same. (more…)
Science & Technology - Apr 25, 2012 10:40 - 0 Comments
Were bones ‘Tums’ for early land crawlers?
BROWN (US) — In the move from water to land 370 million years ago, early land crawlers may have used bone in their skin and scalp to shed carbon dioxide and prevent acid build-up, an approach still used by some animals today. (more…)
