Paleontology
Prehistoric hazing: Ancient Andeans willingly engaged in violent rituals that severely injured them
Skeletons found from the 13th to 6th centuries BC bear marks of severe trauma.<p>Ancient Andeans engaged in brutal, non-lethal bloodletting rituals, …
PrehistoryThis Ancient Reptile Evolved a Weird, Bird-Like Head 100 Million Years Before Birds Did
Imagine an animal with the body of a chameleon, the feet and claws of an anteater, the humped back of a camel, and a tail that is both flattened like …
Physical GeographyU.S. and Korea Search for Wooly Mammoth DNA in Arctic, in Race to Clone Extinct Beast
They are using different approaches to the de-extinction issue—and only one can be first.
DNAAardman's 'Early Man' took Maisie Williams to her early days
For 'Game of Thrones' star Maisie Williams, working with the Wallace and Gromit stop-motion animators was a homecoming in more ways than one.<p>It's probably been 25 years since I last played with Play-Doh, but here I am, in the bowels of a hotel in London, attempting to sculpt a prehistoric pig from …
AnimationPaleo Profile: The Beautiful Bird
An exceptional fossil offers a new look at the flight abilities of early birds
DinosaursPrehistoric Burials and Artifacts Unearthed in Wiltshire
LARKHILL GARRISON, ENGLAND—Prehistoric burials were uncovered during construction work at a military base located about a mile and a half from …
PrehistorySmuggler stopped at DFW Airport with fine-feathered food: bird spit
A traveler from Vietnam was stopped this week at DFW International Airport with some unusual contraband: 54 bird's nests.<p>The edible nests were hidden …
TexasNew research reveals the origin of Australia’s extinct flightless giants, the mihirung birds
Australia’s living flightless birds - the emu and close relative the cassowary - once roamed alongside much larger birds that resembled …
Australian NewsMisidentified fossil is a new genus of ancient marine reptile
Ichthyosaurs were dolphin-like carnivorous reptiles that patrolled the oceans during the reign of the dinosaurs. Nowadays they're among the most …
ScienceDinosaur blood? New research urges caution regarding fossilised soft tissue
Scientists from the University of Bristol have conducted experiments to accelerate degradation in keratinous tissues such as feathers, scales and …
DinosaursPrehistoric rhino on display in Bern
Over 150 years ago, roadworks in Bern unearthed a treasure trove of important fossil discoveries – including the skull of an ancient rhinoceros.<p>The …
European NewsMass extinctions 'offer cautionary tale'
BBC News<p><b>Mass extinctions have the potential to guide modern conservation efforts, say scientists.</b><p>A study confirms the idea that upheavals of the geological past caused a drastic loss of biodiversity.<p>''Disaster faunas'' dominated by a small number of widespread, newly-evolving species prevailed for …
EcologyPrehistoric Marriage: Stone Age Humans Stopped Family Inbreeding To Outlive Neanderthal
Marriage may have saved prehistoric humans and helped us outlive the Neanderthals, as our Stone Age ancestors were smart enough to know not to have …
AnthropologyFamily finds 75-million-year-old fossils in Saskatchewan
A lakeside trip ended in a major discovery for a family in Saskatchewan: A fossil experts say is 75 million years old.<p>Jon Ganshorn was exploring part …
Canadian NewsNorthern exposure: fossils of a southern whale found for the first time in the north
Ancient fossils of a whale species thought to be found only in southern waters have been discovered at northern sites in Japan and Italy.<p>The pygmy …
OceansWhat soot-covered, hundred-year-old birds can tell us about saving the environment
Horned Larks are cute little songbirds with white bellies and yellow chins—at least, now they are. A hundred years ago, at the height of urban smoke …
EcologyThe case for de-extincting Ice Age megafauna
Humans helped kill off the giant animals of the Ice Age. We owe it to the ecosystem to restore what we destroyed<p>What if human beings had the power to take an animal that was completely extinct, and bring it back using only the DNA it left behind? No, I’m not describing the plot of "Jurassic Park" …
Woolly Mammoths8-foot Prehistoric Fish!
« In this episode of Field Trips: West Coast, I’ve made it to Oregon to fish the Columbia River for Chinook salmon, but I bite off WAY more than I …
KayakingThis 200-million-year-old baby ichthyosaur died with a belly full of squid
The tiny, ancient marine reptile died with its last meal still in its belly<p>Millions of years ago during the early Jurassic period, a baby marine reptile called an ichthyosaur gorged itself on prehistoric calamari. Then, it died abruptly — its belly full of squid.<p>Roughly 200 million years later, …
Physical GeographyPrehistoric People Avoided Inbreeding 34,000 Years Ago With Mating Network, Researchers Say
Prehistoric humans reportedly recognized the dangers of inbreeding and created networks for mating in order to avoid it, researchers say. The new …
Anthropology'Mummified' salamander fossil reveals its organs – and its last meal
When palaeontologists in France discovered one particularly well preserved salamander fossil over a century ago, they knew it was special because of …
BiologyGenetic Study Hints at Prehistoric Social Networks
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK—A new genetic study of Eurasians who lived 34,000 years ago suggests that hunter-gatherers have long practiced marrying outside …
AnthropologyThis Card Game Could Change Your Understanding of History
Innovation covers 10,000 years in 45 minutes.<p>By on<p>For an age that’s obsessed with futurism, there are few better tabletop games than the 2010 …
Board Games200-million-year-old baby ichthyosaur found with prehistoric squid still whole in its stomach
The meal could have been the ichthyosaur's first and last. Let's hope it was good.<p>The last meal of a very young ichthyosaur – a prehistoric …
Physical GeographyMonstrous 163-million-year-old crocodile discovered, shedding new light on ancient reptile evolution
Fossil belonging to the 'Melksham Monster' sat in the archives of the Natural History Museum for nearly 150 years.<p>Palaeontologists have identified a …
DinosaursMelksham Monster: Prehistoric Crocodile Pushes Back Reptile Family Tree Branch Millions of Years
Its skull was hidden for almost 150 years in a museum collection.
Physical GeographyNational Fossil Day: Meet a Paleontologist
Celebrate National Fossil Day with ancient trilobites, sea scorpions, saber-toothed cats, giant ground sloths, and more.
Natural HistorySix-year-old Saskatoon girl uncovers trove of 75 million-year-old fossils
What begin as a sunny day on the lake with friends searching for a meteorite, quickly turned into a full on fossil frenzy for Jon Ganshorn and his …
Canadian NewsSmallest Ichthyosaurus ever found was squid-eating newborn, research reveals
A museum specimen has revealed details of the early life of a marine reptile from the Age of Dinosaurs<p>Not all new palaeontology discoveries are made on dramatic rocky outcrops. Sometimes dusty drawers in the back-rooms of museums are the source of exciting discoveries. A new study by Dean Lomax, a …
DinosaursAlbert Nyberg's "Prehistoric" Part
Albert marches to his own tune and totes a bag of tricks all his own. This isn’t just a part, it’s a three-song onslaught of how-in-hell clips …
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