In the vast plains of ancient South America, millions of years ago, a menacing shadow loomed over the grasslands. It wasn’t a dinosaur or a mammalian predator, but a colossal bird that dominated the food chain. These creatures, scientifically known as Phorusrhacidae (terror birds), were one of the most formidable groups of predators to have […]
Cretaceous
Matching Dinosaur Footprints Found on Opposite Shores of the Atlantic Reveal Ancient Crossing Point in the Cretaceous Period
An international team of researchers, led by Southern Methodist University (SMU) paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs, has discovered matching sets of Early Cretaceous dinosaur footprints on what are now two different continents. Over 260 footprints were found in Brazil and Cameroon, providing evidence of the last time terrestrial dinosaurs could freely cross between South America and […]
Ammonites Disappeared in the Same Catastrophic Event that Wiped Out the Dinosaurs.
Contrary to previous beliefs, this research, published in Nature Communications and led by paleontologists from the University of Bristol, demonstrates that the fate of ammonites was not predestined by a gradual decline but was a result of the same catastrophic event that wiped out the dinosaurs. For over 350 million years, ammonites thrived in Earth’s […]
An 80-million-year-old Sea Monster is Named After a Snake from Norse Mythology
Recently, a team of paleontologists made an exciting discovery while excavating a fossil site in northeastern North Dakota. Among the rocks and sediments, they uncovered an incredibly well-preserved skeleton that included a nearly complete skull, jaws, neck vertebrae, and several backbones. After a careful examination, the researchers determined that the partial skeleton belonged to an […]