Earth's Life on Land Much Older

A recent study presents newly discovered tiny fossils (Diskagma buttonii) found in ancient soil samples and comparable to modern Geosiphon fungi as evidence of land-based life on Earth, pushing back estimates of its first appearance from 500 million years to 2.2 billion years ago.

Lines of Arrested Growth

One of the strongest arguments that dinosaurs were cold-blooded is in doubt as so-called lines of arrested growth characteristic in fossilized bone, once thought to be limited to cold-blooded animals such as reptiles or amphibians, have been discovered in 41 different species of modern mammals regardless of the environment in which they live.

Oldest Animal with Skeleton

Paleontologists have discovered the oldest organism known (Coronacollina acula) with a skeleton, an animal living between 560 million and 550 million years ago and providing the first evidence of an organism with hard parts existing before the Cambrian Period.

"Lost" Darwin Fossils

British scientists have found dozens of "lost" fossil samples originally collected and tagged by Charles Darwin and his scientific contemporaries more than 165 years ago, stored away in an old wooden cabinet in a corner of the British Geological Survey headquarters in London.

Primitive Yet Powerful Eyes

Fossils dated at 515 million years old show that compound eyes such as those found in modern insects and crustaceans evolved rapidly, with predators developing excellent vision quickly after the Cambrian Explosion of life 540 million years ago.

Evidence for Nocturnal Dinosaurs

By comparing the fossilized bones located within the eye of archosaurs called the scleral ring and correlating eye sizes and shapes with the habits of modern species, paleontologists have produced the first measure to estimate that some dinosaur species were nocturnal.

Soft Tissue Sea Fossil

A remarkable new fossil has been found in Yunnan Province, China, of a 525-million-year-old sea creature related to starfish and sea urchins called a hemichordate that has preserved all its soft tissue, including minute details such as tiny tentacles used for feeding.

Ancient Proteins Imaged

Using modern infrared and x-ray technologies, paleontologists have imaged the organic compounds (amides) present in an exceptionally well-preserved fossil sample of 50-million-year-old reptile skin in a nondestructive manner.

"Walking Cactus" Fossil

A recently discovered fossil of a "walking cactus" (Diania cactiformis) has provided clues to the evolution of the jointed legs common among modern arthropod species, implying arthropods developed hardened limbs before hardened bodies.

Legs of Ancient Snakes

New x-rays of fossil remains of the ancient snake species Eupodophis descouensi reveal an internal leg structure similar to that of land-based lizards, suggesting they evolved from legged reptile species.

Two-Billion-Year-Old Life

A collection of more than 250 fossils found in Gabon reveals that complex multicellular organisms were present more than 2.1 billion years ago, dramatically pushing back the previously known threshold of the so-called "Cambrian explosion" some 600 million years ago.

T. Rex Nerve Study

A comparative nerve study of modern vertebrates concludes that instead of being a quick and agile hunter, the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex likely plodded along like the modern elephant, both animals limited by the speed of their nerve impulses.

Prehistoric Mammal Hair

Two strands of hair from an unidentified mammal species have been discovered encased in a piece of 100-million-year-old amber, revealing that they are remarkably similar to the hairs of mammals today and have changed little over time.

Mammoth Blood Protein

Researchers have resequenced blood proteins from the DNA extinct mammoths tens of thousands of years old, preserved in the Siberian permafrost, to reveal a genetic mutation allowing their hemoglobin to carry oxygen in their blood even at low temperatures.