Subscribe now

Amazing fossil hints mammals hunted dinosaurs three times their size

18 July 2023

A small mammal from the Cretaceous Period appears to have been preserved by volcanic debris while attacking a dinosaur three times its size


Fossil of pregnant ground sloth discovered with fetus inside

14 July 2023

Found in a Brazilian cave, the remarkable specimen of a ground sloth fetus inside its mother offers a rare insight into the developmental biology of the extinct mammal


Bone disease in sabre-toothed tigers may be a sign of inbreeding

12 July 2023

An analysis of bones from the La Brea tar pits in California reveals that sabre-toothed tigers and dire wolves had very high rates of osteochondrosis, which may stem from a dwindling gene pool as they neared extinction


Ancient reptiles' long necks made them vulnerable to decapitation

19 June 2023

Extremely long necks probably helped ancient marine reptiles ambush prey in murky waters, but also made them easy targets for decapitation by predators


Extinct lizard was a bizarrely supersized version of modern skinks

13 June 2023

Tiliqua frangens, a giant, armoured skink that lived over 40,000 years ago, is the latest bizarre megafauna species to be discovered in Australia


Woolly mammoths had testosterone surges like those of male elephants

3 May 2023

Hormone measurements from the tusk of a male woolly mammoth show these animals went through musth, a seasonal peak in testosterone seen in elephants


Broad-nosed ancient shark was one of earliest fish to smell in stereo

8 April 2023

Fossils found in Morocco show the sensory specialisation of a 365-million-year-old shark, given the species name Maghriboselache mohamezanei


Longest dinosaur neck on record was six times longer than a giraffe's

Longest dinosaur neck on record was six times longer than a giraffe's

15 March 2023

We only have a few fossil bones of Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum, but researchers have estimated its neck length by analysing its vertebrae and comparing them with those from related dinosaurs


Oldest ichthyosaur fossil hints they evolved before mass extinction

13 March 2023

Ichthyosaur bones found in 250 million-year-old rock hint that these swimming reptiles may have appeared before Earth’s biggest mass extinction and survived


Caption: New fossils of Protomelission from the Xiaoshiba biota, showing attachment of the alga to a brachiopod shell. Credit: Zhang Xiguang

Fossil thought to be earliest bryozoan animal may actually be seaweed

8 March 2023

The Cambrian fossil Protomelission was identified in 2021 as a type of coral-like animal called a bryozoan, but new specimens make it look more like a kind of green algae


Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop