An unprecedented paleontological discovery has emerged from the depths of time in southern New Zealand. Researchers have identified the first bee fossil found in Zealandia, the ancient continent that is now almost entirely submerged around New Zealand. The specimen belongs to Leioproctus (Otagocolletes) barrydonovani, a newly identified bee subspecies that lived approximately 14.6 million years […]
Paleobiology
Posted inScience
LUCA, the Common Ancestor of All Living Things, Arose 400 Million Years After Earth Formation
An international team of researchers, led by the University of Bristol, has made a significant discovery regarding Earth’s earliest life forms. The study concludes that life began to flourish on our planet only a few hundred million years after its formation. This research focuses on LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor, from which all modern […]
Posted inArchaeology
Researchers Find Oldest Fossilized Skin, Predating Dinosaurs
Researchers have identified a fragment of fossilized skin that is at least 21 million years older than previously described skin fossils. The skin belonged to an early Paleozoic reptile species and had a grainy surface resembling crocodile skin. It represents the oldest preserved epidermis, which is the outermost layer of skin in land reptiles, birds, […]
Posted inArchaeology
Huge Megalodon Tooth Found 10,000 Feet Deep in the Pacific Ocean
Sharks have roamed the Earth’s oceans for over 400 million years, but one mega-toothed shark stood out from the rest: Otodus megalodon. Commonly known as “Meg”, O. megalodon was the largest shark to ever exist, measuring over 15 meters in length. Although its fossilized teeth are frequently found along coastlines worldwide, less is known about […]
Posted inScience
Microfossils Reveal Rise in Complexity of Life Linked to Oxygen Increase
Scientists have found clues in ancient rocks that suggest life on Earth became more complex at the same time oxygen levels increased in the atmosphere and oceans. The rocks contain tiny fossils called microfossils that are over 2.4 billion years old. By studying these microfossils, researchers learned that complex life may have evolved earlier than […]
