Fossils

A fungus that attacked plants 407 million years ago has been unearthed among fossils at the Natural History Museum, making it the oldest of its kind to have ever been found. What's more, its new name celebrates one very famous fungi aficionado.

The cascading effects of a giant asteroid impact is credited for killing off the dinosaurs. Now scientists have identified a new factor – fine silicate dust that hung in the atmosphere for well over a decade, blocking sunlight and cooling the planet.

A 2021 study caused a stir by claiming that a set of fossilized human footprints were 20,000 years old – much earlier earlier than humans were thought to have set foot in North America. Now two extra dating methods have seemingly confirmed the age.

Some 465 million years ago this marine scavenger was caught unawares by a mud current that would bury it alive. It had spent its last hours feasting on a large range of seafood, and now, thanks to the latest imaging tech, its last meal has been revealed.

More than 400 footprints across a diverse range of species have been identified in incredible detail for the first time, with researchers enlisting a trio of expert indigenous trackers to help solve the mystery of these 5,000-year-old records.

Scientists have found a massive area the size of 1.5 football fields, now dubbed "The Coliseum," which was once a popular thoroughfare to water for multiple species of prehistoric beasts over many generations some 70 million years ago.

Dinosaur fans will already be familiar with the ichthyosaurus, a prehistoric marine reptile that resembled a dolphin in appearance. Well it now seems that one of its close relatives, named Hupehsuchus, fed much like a modern-day baleen whale.

A new genus and species of ancient sea worm with an impressive set of star-shaped chaetae has been identified, after its fossil first puzzled paleontologists. Thanks to its alien-worm-like appearance, scientists found a fittingly sci-fi name for it.

The blue whale has long been considered the largest animal to have ever existed, even dwarfing the biggest known dinosaurs. But now a new species threatens to steal the crown, and upends what we thought we knew about whale evolution.

A rare and large Pteranodon skeleton sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York this evening for US$3,932,000, moving into the top five most valuable fossils of all-time: behind only Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops and Gorgosaurus.

The earliest spice mix for a Southeast Asian curry has been identified on a sandstone slab excavated from the Óc Eo site in Vietnam. Incredibly, many of the ingredients are still key in curries today, but it also tells a tale about ancient trade routes.

New analysis of a tool that dates back 300,000 years has revealed that our ancestors were skilled craftspeople that made useful hunting weapons designed for comfort, efficiency and longevity. Some of these skills are still seen in woodwork today.