Fossils | Science News for Students

Fossils

an underwater image from the movie showing a megalodon shark swimming past a person in a clear polycarbonate cage

In this image from The Meg, a megalodon shark swims past a polycarbonate “cage” containing a biological oceanographer, played by Li Bingbing. 

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Animals
 
Aug 22, 2018
What ‘The Meg’ doesn't quite get right about megalodon sharks
an illustration of a newly discovered giant long-necked sauropod called Ingentia prima

Some early relatives of giant long-necked sauropods may have used an unexpected biological approach to grow to such a large size. This illustration shows how a newly described species, called Ingentia prima, may have looked.

Jorge A. González

Fossils
 
Aug 7, 2018
There’s more than one way to build a giant dinosaur
fossil dino like bird skull

Scientists used fossils of an ancient toothed bird (illustrated at right) to make a 3-D reconstruction of its skull (left). They discovered the animal had a small beak at the tip of its snout.

Michael Hanson and B.-A. Bhullar

Fossils
 
Jul 11, 2018
This extinct bird boasted dinosaur-like teeth
an illustration of oviraptorosaurs sitting on eggs

Small species of oviraptorosaurs (dinosaurs that include the ancestors of birds) sat on their eggs. That’s what the dinosaur in the background illustration is doing. But larger species, like the one in the front illustration, sat in the center of a ring of eggs so they wouldn’t crush them.

Masato Hattori, K. Tanaka et al/Biology Letters 2018

Fossils
 
Jul 3, 2018
Hefty dinosaurs had a trick for sitting on eggs safely
ancient jaw
Researchers found this fossil jaw in 2002. Analyses show that it’s from a Homo sapiens and is at least 177,000 years old. That suggests humans reached the Middle East from Africa many tens of thousands of years earlier than experts had believed.

I. HERSHKOVITZ/TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

Human evolution
 
Mar 9, 2018
Ancient jaw suggests humans left Africa earlier than thought
dinosaur drawing
New fossil finds have pushed aside old views of dinosaurs, like the 1853 beast in Crystal Palace Park in London, England, seen here in the background of this illustration. 
NICOLLE RAGER FULLER
Evolution
 
Mar 1, 2018
Defining a dinosaur is now far harder
male pterosaur

An artist’s illustration of what scientists think the head of Hamipterus tianshanensis would have looked like. This ancient flying reptile lived during the Cretaceous Period.

CHUANG ZHAO
Fossils
 
Jan 31, 2018
Jackpot! Hundreds of fossilized pterosaur eggs unearthed in China
swimming dinosaur
This bird-like dinosaur probably spent a lot of time in the water. It had front limbs like flippers and a long neck for snatching fish. It may even have stood upright like today’s ducks.
Lukas Panzarin
Fossils
 
Jan 16, 2018
Weird new dino looked more like a duck
T. rex

This dino may have been one of the ultimate slashers — if any beast was unfortunate enough to get too close.

PARA827/ISTOCKPHOTO

Animals
 
Nov 29, 2017
Tiny T. rex arms were built for combat
armored dinosaur

An armored dinosaur found in Alberta, Canada (shown in an artist’s rendering), might have had countershading camouflage. Its back may have been darker than its belly.

Courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Canada

Fossils
 
Sep 5, 2017
Camo might have helped this armored dinosaur avoid becoming lunch