Tag

Palaeontology

All articles tagged with #palaeontology

science1 month ago•12 min saved

Giant Devonian Pincer Reclassified as a True Scorpion After a Century

A fossil pincer over 159 mm long from Praearcturus is reinterpreted in a new Palaeontology revision as a true scorpion rather than a crustacean, ending a century of debate about its affinities. The paper emphasizes limited material, the absence of definitive scorpion features like a sting and pectines due to preservation, and suggests a possible partly aquatic lifestyle for this giant Devonian arachnid, while stopping short of giving a total body length.

via Space Daily|

#devonian #fossil #palaeontology

archaeology1 month ago•103 min saved

Ancient Irish cave art could rewrite Ireland’s earliest human story

Researchers have identified 15,000-year-old cave art in Ireland, potentially reshaping what we know about Ireland’s earliest inhabitants and the development of prehistoric art.

via heritagedaily.com|

#archaeology #cave-art #early-humans

science2 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient three-species predator scene unveiled in Queensland seas

In Queensland's north-west, researchers uncovered a 100-million-year-old fossil site where a kronosaurus likely ripped into an ichthyosaur, leaving more than 30 bite marks while the ichthyosaur's stomach preserved remains of a pterosaur, forming what scientists call a marine reptile crime scene—the most complete snapshot yet of a three-species interaction in the Eromanga Sea.

via ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation|

#fossils #ichthyosaur #kronosaurus

palaeontology2 months ago•68 min saved

Ancient Brazilian snake Tametara mirim reveals early burrowing lifestyle and brain diversity

Researchers describe Tametara mirim, a well-preserved Late Cretaceous stem snake from Brazil, whose high‑resolution CT scans reveal a distinct brain and inner-ear morphology consistent with fossorial life. Its endocast shows mildly enlarged cerebral hemispheres and a prominent pituitary, while the inner ear exhibits features typical of burrowing snakes, contrasting with coeval Dinilysia, a non‑fossorial stem snake. Phylogenetic analyses place Tametara among the earliest snakes, closely related to Najash, supporting a Middle Jurassic origin for snakes and a Late Cretaceous crown-snake radiation. The study, integrating geometric morphometrics of brain endocasts and bone microstructure, shows substantial early neuroanatomical and ecological disparity, indicating that multiple habitat shifts (fossorial and non‑fossorial) occurred in stem and crown snakes, and that ancestral snakes were ecologically diverse rather than uniform.

via Nature|

#brain-endocast #fossorial #palaeontology

science-and-environment3 months ago•8 min saved

Gus the T. rex Could Break Dinosaur Auction Record, Sparking Fossil Ownership Debate

Gus, one of the most complete T. rex fossils ever found in South Dakota, goes to Sotheby’s with a $30 million pre-sale value and a $19 million starting bid, potentially becoming the most expensive dinosaur ever sold. The auction reignites a debate over whether scientifically important fossils should stay in museums or be privately owned, since private specimens are harder for researchers to access and many journals won’t publish work on them. Excavation and recovery spanned years, and while collectors help fund finds, scientists stress public accessibility and rigorous study as essential for understanding dinosaur biology and our past.

via BBC|

#fossil-auction #palaeontology #private-collectors

palaeontology3 months ago•100 min saved

Britain’s Labrador-sized ancient scorpion revealed

Scientists have uncovered evidence of a prehistoric scorpion in Britain roughly Labrador-sized, suggesting ancient arthropods reached impressive sizes and offering new clues about Britain’s ancient ecosystems.

via HeritageDaily|

#britain #fossils #palaeontology

science6 months ago•5 min saved

Forgotten Fossil Rewrites Crocodylomorph Ancestry with a Ferocious Bite

A long-forgotten Ghost Ranch fossil, long misidentified as an early crocodile relative, is re-examined with microCT imaging to reveal Eosphorosuchus lacrimosa, a 200-million-year-old crocodylomorph with a powerful bite and unique skull features, suggesting early crocodylomorphs were more diverse and ecologically varied than previously believed.

via Indian Defence Review|

#crocodylomorphs #eosphorosuchus-lacrimosa #fossil

science8 months ago•2 min saved

410-Million-Year-Old Prototaxites Fossil Enters Scotland's National Museum Collection

A 410-million-year-old Prototaxites fossil discovered near Rhynie in Aberdeenshire, towering about 8 meters, has been added to National Museums Scotland. Long thought to be a fungus, it is now considered part of a distinct extinct lineage, and the specimen will be kept at the museum's Edinburgh collection centre, illustrating the ongoing value of museum collections for paleontological research.

via BBC|

#aberdeenshire #fossils #palaeontology

palaeontology8 months ago•21 min saved

Cambrian fossils unveil four camera-type eyes in early vertebrates

New fossils from Cambrian myllokunmingids reveal pineal/parapineal organs with lens-like structures and melanosomes identical to retinal pigment epithelium, implying these ancient vertebrates had four camera-type eyes and supporting deep homology between eyes and the pineal complex.

via Nature|

#cambrian #melanosomes #myllokunmingids

science2 years ago•4 min saved

"Revolutionizing Dinosaur Naming: 200 Years of Discovery and the Call for Change"

Scientists are calling for an overhaul of the current dinosaur naming system, which they believe is antiquated and lacks inclusivity. Some researchers argue that dinosaur names should be more representative of where and how fossils are discovered, and less likely to be offensive or controversial. While the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is against renaming species, some palaeontologists are pushing for change within the community, aiming to credit overlooked figures and ensure that issues of patrimony are addressed.

via Nature.com|

#dinosaurs #fossil-discovery #international-commission-on-zoological-nomenclature-iczn

science2 years ago•5 min saved

"The Extinction of the Giant Ape: Unraveling the Mystery"

The mystery of the extinction of Gigantopithecus blacki, the largest primate to have ever lived, has been solved by a team of Chinese, Australian, and US scientists. Through extensive exploration and excavations in southern China, the team discovered that the giant ape went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago due to environmental changes that led to a decrease in its food sources and chronic stress. Unlike its close relative, the orangutans, Gigantopithecus blacki was unable to adapt to the changing environment, ultimately leading to its demise. This study provides valuable insights into primate resilience and the vulnerability of certain species to environmental changes.

via NDTV|

#environmental-changes #extinction #fossil-record

science3 years ago•2 min saved

T.rex caught on camera displaying cowardly behavior.

The second season of Prehistoric Planet on Apple TV+ shows a scene where a Tyrannosaurus rex backs down from a Quetzalcoatlus, a giant pterosaur predator. Palaeontologist Darren Naish, the series’ lead consultant, explains that every predator behaves conservatively to minimise the risk of injury and death to itself. The answer is based on published research, particularly their anatomy and the behaviour of living animals similar to these extinct ones. The appearance of the Quetzalcoatlus was based on research from 2008 and 2015, which showed that their narrow build, with foldable 9m wings on a leggy body, made them incredibly competent terrestrial predators with the ability to fly.

via BBC Science Focus Magazine|

#dinosaurs #palaeontology #predators

science3 years ago•3 min saved

Ancient sauropod skull discovered in Queensland.

A 95-million-year-old dinosaur skull discovered in Winton, Queensland, has been identified as the first nearly complete sauropod skull ever found in Australia. The skull belongs to a Diamantinasaurus matildae dinosaur, nicknamed Ann, that lived between 95m and 98m years ago. It is only the fourth specimen of this species ever discovered. The discovery of the Diamantinasaurus skull enables scientists to recreate for the first time what the dinosaur’s face may have looked like.

via The Guardian|

#australia #dinosaur #fossil

science-and-nature3 years ago•7 min saved

The Awesomeness of Dinosaurs

The Natural History Museum in London is showcasing a full-scale cast of an adult Patagotitan, the largest dinosaur ever known to have walked the earth. The titanosaur was discovered in Patagonia in 2014 and is estimated to have weighed 60 tonnes and measured 35 metres from snout to tail-tip. The museum's exhibition, Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur, also features a titanosaur egg, the first dinosaur egg ever exhibited in a museum. The show runs until 2 May.

via UnHerd|

#dinosaurs #giants #natural-history-museum

obituary3 years ago•2 min saved

Remembering Robin Cocks.

Robin Cocks, a distinguished student of brachiopods and former keeper of palaeontology at the Natural History Museum, has died at the age of 84. He was an expert on Ordovician and Silurian brachiopods and named a new genus for every letter of the alphabet. He was also president of several geological societies and received numerous awards for his contributions to science. Cocks is survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.

via The Guardian|

#brachiopods #geological-society #obituary