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Leaves and bird tracks are everywhere, if you look closely.
dinosaurs

Fresh Concrete Turns Paw Prints and Bird Tracks Into Urban Fossils

Even a fleeting visit can leave an impression when conditions are right.
Jessica Leigh Hester September 18, 2020
Lacewing or lichen? In this illustration, they're lookalikes.
insects

When Prehistoric Lacewings Disguised Themselves as Middle-Jurassic Lichens

Researchers recently found evidence of some very, very old camouflage.
Jessica Leigh Hester September 10, 2020
A mounted male (left) and female American mammoth at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History. Both date to around 11,000 years ago.
migrations

American Mastodons Trekked North Because of Global Warming

The shift led to local extinctions and could have important implications for species today.
Nicola Davis September 1, 2020
Anning scoured the shores and chronicled her adventures.
fossils

Sold: A Famous Fossil-Hunter’s Letter That’s Totally Full of Crap

Mary Anning's correspondence helped kick off the study of coprolites.
Jessica Leigh Hester August 6, 2020
<em>E. kingii</em> never got huge, but it kept on growing.
science

The Cambrian Creatures That Grew Up Over the Course of 28 Bodies

Trilobites slipped out of one exoskeleton and built another, over and over and over again.
Jessica Leigh Hester July 30, 2020
Limhamn Limestone Quarry
Malmö, Sweden

Limhamn Limestone Quarry

This quarry filled with 65 million-year-old limestone is now home to a nature reserve.
A 3D model of the extinct marsupial <em>Thylacosmilus atrox</em>.
animals

Why Did This Ancient Marsupial Have Saber Teeth?

Turns out they're useful if you want to slurp up your food.
Isaac Schultz June 26, 2020
Anaheim, California

Petrified Tree

The oldest attraction in Disneyland is a prehistoric stump that Walt may have bought for his wife.
The animal's stubby legs and stumpy tail resemble a badger's. The rest of its anatomy raises more questions than it answers.
islands

How Island Evolution Forged a Bizarre Mammal in Ancient Madagascar

Back when reptiles were all the rage, Adalatherium really stood out.
Isaac Schultz May 4, 2020
The massive gallery 1,600 feet below France has some pretty big feet on display.
dinosaurs

What It’s Like to Find Prehistoric Dinosaur Tracks on the Ceiling

Of course, they are deep underground and came from 75-ton titanosaurs.
Isaac Schultz April 22, 2020
The Hypacrosaurus nestling died about 75 million years ago, and its microscopic skull material was immaculately preserved.
dinosaurs

Found: Possible Traces of DNA, in a Fossilized Dino Skull

This ancient hadrosaur has some microscopic secrets.
Isaac Schultz March 5, 2020
Enciso, Spain

Enciso Ichnites

Hundreds of preserved dinosaur footprints can be found along a hiking trail in this small village.
The cryptic chameleon, <em>Calumma crypticum</em>, has a past full of mystery.
bones

A Fossilized Skull May Solve the Mystery of a Chameleon Migration

A raft very likely carried chameleons between Madagascar and mainland Africa—but in which direction?
Sabrina Imbler February 18, 2020
Ruby Foster and Brian Engh with the humerus in June, before it was excavated.
dinosaurs

This 6-Foot Brachiosaurus Fossil Hitched a Ride With Two Clydesdale Horses

Their names are Molly and Darla.
Sabrina Imbler February 17, 2020
The rocky escarpments of Karoo, South Africa. Roughly 183 million years ago, this area was part of the supercontinent Gondwana.
dinosaurs

When South Africa Was Home to the 'Firewalkers' of Karoo

The reptilian critters may not have survived, but they made sure to sign off feet first.
Isaac Schultz January 29, 2020
Dinosaur Fossil Park and Museum
Jetholi, India

Dinosaur Fossil Park and Museum

The village where the park and museum are located is also the third-biggest hatchery of dinosaurs discovered.
A <em>Triarthus</em>, preserved with the arm of the shrimp-like predator <em>Anomalocaris</em>.
geology

In Upstate New York, Ancient Arthropods Can Get Turned Into (Fool's) Gold

Pyritized trilobites aren't just flashy—they preserve incredible detail.
Sabrina Imbler January 3, 2020
Ellesmere Island today has no trees.
science

The Canadian Arctic Probably Once Looked Like Present-Day Florida

Fossil plants millions of years old are helping scientists imagine an ancient Arctic forest.
Jessica Leigh Hester January 2, 2020