Fossils

Amber is amazing at preserving insects and small creatures, but now it might have some competition – fossilized feces. A hapless beetle has become the first species discovered and described after being preserved in poo for 230 million years.

Some of the most intriguing items from the Natural History Museum in London have made their way to Melbourne Museum in Australia. The Treasures of the Natural World exhibition showcases a selection of important artefacts from nature and science.

Anthropologists have discovered a new species of human, known from a single fossil skull. Named Homo longi, or “Dragon Man,” the species appears to be our closest known relative, pipping even Neanderthals.

One of nature’s most intriguing horror stories is that of the fungus that “zombifies” ants to spread its spores. Now, researchers have discovered the oldest known example of this kind of parasite at work, preserved in ancient amber.

Scientists have discovered a hitherto unknown mass extinction event that decimated the global shark population some 19 million years ago. The study authors say the event saw sharks almost entirely disappear from the open ocean in its wake.

Scientists have analyzed the fossilized dental plaque of Neanderthals to sequence their oral microbiome, including the oldest ever at 100,000 years old. By comparing them to humans and other primates the study reveals new insights into our evolution.

Scientists have discovered the fossil of what may be the earliest multicellular animal ever found. Dating back a billion years, the microscopic fossil contains two distinct cell types, potentially making it an ancestor to advanced animals.

It’s easy to assume tyrannosaurs didn’t need much help bringing down prey. But contrary to the popular image of these predators being lone hunters, new analysis of a mass grave site adds to evidence that tyrannosaurs may have lived and hunted in packs.

Although adult stegosaurs reached lengths of up to 9 m (30 ft) they still started out as small as a cat, if a recently-found footprint is anything to go by. And what's more, they may have walked differently as babies.

Pterosaurs included the largest flying animals ever, and a new study has uncovered biological secrets that helped them grow so large. CT scans revealed that the neck vertebrae of giant pterosaurs had a supporting structure unlike any other animal.

It's a common view that opposable thumbs are a key feature that distinguishes us from most other species, but a flying reptile that clambered through the trees 160 million years ago isn't one of them according to analysis of a newly discovered species.

Trilobites are one of the most common creatures found in the fossil record, but now some particularly well-preserved specimens have revealed some intriguing new details. It turns out that trilobites breathed oxygen – through their legs.