A team of researchers has revealed the existence of the first fossil of a large animal found in a secure archaeological context on the Greek mainland. This discovery, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, not only confirms the antiquity of human fascination with fossil remains but also provides tangible evidence of the intentional collection […]
Fossils
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New Fossil Discovery Reveals the Ancestry of Mollusks as Armored Spiny Slugs
Researchers from the University of Oxford have unearthed a fossil that reshapes our understanding of the early evolution of mollusks. This remarkable find, a new species named Shishania aculeata, dates back 500 million years and provides insights into the origins of one of the most diverse and widespread groups of animals on the planet. The […]
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Spectacular fossil of four snakes that died together 38 million years ago is first evidence of reptilian social behavior
In a groundbreaking discovery, a fossilized group of four snakes dating back 38 million years has provided the first evidence of social behavior among reptiles. The discovery, made in western Wyoming, showcases a new species of snake named Hibernophis breithaupti. These findings shed light on the social behavior and evolutionary trajectory of the boa family […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
The Altamura Man, the Best-Preserved Neanderthal Fossil, Is So Ancient That It Was Found Embedded Among Stalactites and Stalagmites
In 1993, in the Lamalunga karst system near the town of Altamura in southern Italy, an extraordinary archaeological discovery was made: a Neanderthal skeleton, nicknamed the Altamura Man, which is estimated to be between 130,000 and 172,000 years old, was found. The discovery was not only significant due to its age but also because of […]
Posted inArchaeology, Science
The Most Amazing Trilobite Fossils Over 500 Million Years Old Found in Morocco
A group of researchers has discovered the best-preserved three-dimensional trilobite fossils ever found, shedding new light on these ancient marine inhabitants. The fossils, which date back more than 500 million years, were found in the High Atlas of Morocco and have been nicknamed “Pompeii trilobites” due to their extraordinary preservation in volcanic ash. Led by […]
Posted inArchaeology, Science
Fossils of the Common Ancestor of Scorpions, Spiders and Horseshoe Crabs Discovered in a Moroccan Site
Modern scorpions, spiders, and horseshoe crabs belong to a vast family of arthropods that first appeared on Earth around 540 million years ago. More specifically, they are part of a subgroup known as chelicerates, which are characterized by their pincer-like appendages used for feeding, dragging prey, or injecting venom. Identifying the ancient ancestors of this […]
Posted inArchaeology
Paleontologists Find a Marine Reptile More than 25 Meters Long, the Largest Known Ichthyosaur
A team of researchers, led by Dean R. Lomax from the University of Bristol and the University of Manchester in the UK, recently published a study in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. They discovered a new species of ichthyosaur, a type of ancient marine reptile, that was likely the largest marine reptile ever formally described. […]
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Huge Fossilized Bones Found Throughout Europe are from a Gigantic Ichthyosaur Hitherto Unknown
In 1850, a British scientist named Samuel Stutchbury made an unusual discovery. While exploring a fossil site near Bristol, England, he found a large cylindrical bone fragment. Since then, similar bone pieces have been uncovered in different places across Europe, including parts of Germany and France. Over 200 million years ago, the areas where these […]
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Tiktaalik, a 375-Million-Year-Old Fish, is the Missing Link to Vertebrates Walking Out of Water
Even before fins evolved into legs, our ancient ancestors’ skeletons were changing in ways that would help them support their bodies on land. A team of scientists, including a biologist from Penn State University, have created a new reconstruction of Tiktaalik, a 375 million year old fossil fish considered one of our closest relatives that […]
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Spielberg Was Right: Study Shows Five Triceratops Lived and Died Together
In the summer of 2013, a team of archaeologists from the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the Netherlands were excavating in Wyoming, searching for a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Instead, they made a remarkable discovery – not one, but several Triceratops fossils. This famous three-horned dinosaur with the large frill around its neck was found, not just once, […]