Paleontogly

Tiny Dinosaur Relative Roamed Triassic Madagascar A new genus and species of ornithodiran — an early relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs — that lived around 237 million years ago (Triassic period) has been identified from the fossilized remains found in southwestern Madagascar. Named Kongonaphon kely, the ancient reptile was surprisingly …

Giant Penguin-Like Seabirds Lived in Northern Hemisphere About 30 Million Years Ago Paleontologists have discovered striking similarities between the fossilized bones of giant penguins that lived 62 million years ago in what is now New Zealand and those of the plotopterids, a group of flightless seabirds that lived in North …

Chicxulub Asteroid Caused End-Cretaceous Mass Extinction, New Study Confirms The end-Cretaceous mass extinction 66 million years ago eradicated roughly 75% of the animal and plant species on Earth, including whole groups like non-avian dinosaurs and ammonites. Debate lingers over what caused this extinction, with intense volcanic activity in India’s Deccan …

Giant Wombat-Like Marsupials Roamed Australia 25 Million Years Ago Paleontologists have identified a giant wombat-like marsupial that lived 25 million years ago (Oligocene epoch) in what is now Australia. Named Mukupirna nambensis, the prehistoric creature was at least five times larger than living wombats and so different that the researchers …

Coal-Burning Contributed to End-Permian Mass Extinction An international team of geologists has found the first direct evidence that volcanic eruptions in the southern part of the Siberian Traps region 252 million years ago burned large volumes of coal and vegetation. Elkins-Tanton et al demonstrate that the volume and composition of …

Paleontologists Redescribe Enigmatic Period Fish A team of U.S. paleontologists has redescribed the morphology of a long-snouted ray-finned fish called Tanyrhinichthys mcallisteri and created a more complete and accurate reconstruction of the fish as a living animal. Tanyrhinichthys mcallisteri was most likely a bottom-cruising predator similar in general ecomorphology to …

Paleontologists Find Giant Soft-Shelled Egg of Cretaceous-Period Marine Reptile in Antarctica A giant fossilized egg of an extinct marine reptile has been found in the 68-million-year-old nearshore marine deposits in Antarctica. An artist’s rendering of a pair of mosasaurs and their egg. Image credit: Francisco Hueichaleo. Named Antarcticoolithus bradyi, the …

Eggs of Earliest Dinosaurs Had Soft, Leathery Shells A team of paleontologists from the United States, Canada and Argentina has analyzed the fossilized eggs of two different non-avian dinosaurs, Protoceratops and Mussaurus, and found that the eggs resembled those of turtles in their microstructure, composition, and mechanical properties. They’ve also …

Multiple, well-preserved trackways made by large crocodylomorphs, extinct ancestors of modern-day crocodiles, between 110 and 120 million years ago (Cretaceous period) have been found near Sacheon City in South Korea. Surprisingly, the trackways never include handprints and indicate exclusively bipedal walking, a gait not known from fossil crocodylomorph trackways. Bipedal …

Two New Species from New Mexico Help Fill Gap in Evolution of Horned Dinosaurs Two new transitional species of plant-eating horned dinosaurs have been unearthed in New Mexico, the United States. Navajoceratops sullivani and Terminocavus sealeyi. Image credit: Ville Sinkkonen Denver Fowler. The newly-discovered dinosaurs roamed the Earth approximately 75 …