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Tiny Triassic Jaw Reframes Early Lizards' Family Tree
2 days ago•Source: Sci.News
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8.38 min•5 days ago
Tiny Jurassic Bird Reveals Stepwise Tail Evolution in Early Birds
Chinese paleontologists describe Zhengheornis buyu, a small 148–150 million-year-old Jurassic bird with a 15-vertebra tail that remains unfused (no pygostyle), showing that vertebral tail shortening occurred before pygostyle formation in early birds. With an estimated body mass of 74–163 g, this mosaic anatomy suggests a stepwise tail evolution and supports a rapid diversification of avialans by the late Jurassic, published in Science Advances.
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Teeth from Chinese Cave Illuminate Gigantopithecus blacki's Pleistocene Shift
Sci.News•27 days ago
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Patagonia Uncovers New Horned Turtle Species From the Late Cretaceous
Sci.News•1 month ago
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New Microraptorine Found in China Expands Feathered-Dino Range
Scientists describe Jian changmaensis, a large microraptorine dromaeosaurid from China's Xiagou Formation in the Changma Basin (Early Cretaceous, about 124–120 million years ago). With an estimated four‑foot wingspan, it likely had long feathers on both arms and legs, forming four wings for gliding rather than powered flight. Discovered at a bird‑rich site that has yielded over 100 Early Cretaceous bird skeletons, this find extends Microraptorinae’s range to northwestern China and provides new insights into the evolution of early birds and their non‑avian relatives. The study is published in the Annals of Carnegie Museum.
Miocene Pakistan Yields New Hyaenodont Species
Paleontologists in Pakistan identified three Miocene hyaenodont species from the Chinji and Nagri Siwalik deposits, including Metapterodon_anari, a newly described species about 15 kg; a second giant form tentatively placed as Megistotherium or Hyainailouros (potentially up to 500 kg); and Hyaenodon remains that may represent a distinct regional species. The finds shed light on late-surviving hyaenodonts, indicate possible Africa–Europe connections and Miocene migration, and reveal how hypercarnivorous predators coexisted with emerging carnivorans in South Asia; the study is published in PalZ.
Patagonian Dinosaur Kank australis Hint at Ancient Fishing Dinosaurs
Argentine paleontologists describe Kank australis, a new unenlagiid theropod from the Late Cretaceous Chorrillo Formation near El Calafate, about 70 million years old and roughly 2.5–3 m long. Its neck musculature and sharp ridged teeth, plus a pronounced second-toe claw, suggest an active fish-eating lifestyle in riverine wetlands alongside fish fossils and other fauna. The find bridges unenlagiids across southern Patagonia, Antarctica, and northern Patagonia. Initial remains were found in 2018, with a key cervical vertebra identified in 2024 confirming a new species; the study was published online May 28, 2026 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Ancient Chinese Bird Wore Tail Feathers Twice Its Body Length, Hinting at Mating Display
A newly described early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from northeastern China, Plumadraco bankoorum, possessed tail feathers about 29.3 cm long—roughly twice its 14.9 cm body—indicating elaborate male ornamentation likely driven by female mate choice, a pattern supported by fossilized soft tissues from the Jehol Biota.
France Fossil Pushes Back Pan-Shinisaur Origins to 83 Million Years Ago
Paleontologists describe a new genus and species of pan-shinisaur lizard, Acutodon villeveyracensis, from a 2.8 cm upper jaw found in Villeveyrac, France, dating to about 83 million years ago (Campanian). This is the oldest pan-shinisaur in Europe, pushing the lineage’s European presence back roughly 30 million years and prompting questions about its paleobiogeography. The fossil suggests a predator over 1 meter long, with teeth and jaw features linking it to living crocodile lizards (Shinisauria). The living relative, Shinisaurus crocodilurus, is endangered in China and Vietnam, highlighting the long and precarious history of this group. The study appears in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, online May 20, 2026.
New 43-Foot Mosasaur, Tylosaurus rex, Rewrites Sea Predator History
Paleontologists describe a gigantic new mosasaur, Tylosaurus rex, up to 43 feet long with serrated teeth, discovered mainly in Texas. Larger than the previously known Tylosaurus proriger, it indicates a formidable open-water predator in North America’s Western Interior Seaway, with several famous museum specimens reclassified under the new species and findings published in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History.
Korean Micro-Eggs Reframe the Origins of Birds
Tiny micro-fossil eggs from the Korean Cretaceous, Onggwanoolithus aphaedoensis, offer the first direct evidence of bird eggs in Korea and reveal eggshell structure that bridges reptilian and avian forms, shedding light on early reproduction and nesting among ancient birds.
Argentine fossil reshapes alvarezsauroid history, arguing for a Pangaean origin and stable body size
A new Argentine alvarezsauroid, Alnashetri cerropoliciensis, and two northern taxa prompt a major rewrite of alvarezsauroid evolution: phylogenetic analyses place Alnashetri outside the core alvarezsaurids, making South American taxa polyphyletic; biogeographic analyses imply a Pangaean origin with vicariance driving early diversification; and the early-branching position of Alnashetri argues against a universal miniaturization trend, showing body size evolving within a narrow range across the clade.
Ethiopian Fossil Finds Illuminate Human Evolution and Migration
A new reconstruction of the DAN5/P1 cranium from Gona, Ethiopia, reveals a unique combination of early Homo and H. erectus features, suggesting complex population structure and evolution in African Homo during the Early Pleistocene, with implications for understanding the emergence of H. erectus.
New Filter-Feeding Pterosaur Discovered in Santana Group
A new filter-feeding pterosaur species, Bakiribu waridza, has been discovered in the Santana Group of Northeast Brazil, representing the first archaeopterodactyloid from this formation and providing insights into the evolution and paleobiogeography of ctenochasmatids in Gondwana. The specimen, preserved as a regurgitalite, exhibits unique dental features, including dense, elongated, and subquadrangular teeth, and suggests a complex trophic interaction involving likely predation by spinosaurid dinosaurs.