By digging into the geologic record, scientists are learning how wildfires shaped — and were shaped by — climate change long ago.
Tag: Paleontology
Ancient Foxes Lived and Died With Humans
Extinct foxes and other animals were an important part of early South American communities, a new study has found.
‘Dune’-like Sandworm Existed Millions of Years Longer Than Thought
Researchers examined fossils of the predatory worm and found a new species that persisted for 25 million years after it was believed to have become extinct.
A Space Rock Fell Into Sweden. Who Owns It on Earth?
Sweden’s courts have been debating claims to a meteorite that fell north of Stockholm, including whether the right to move around in nature, including on private property, extends to claiming a meteorite.
Exactly How Much Life is on Earth?
According to a new study, living cells outnumber stars in the universe, highlighting the deep, underrated link between geophysics and biology.
The Koala Small Enough to Cuddle Like a Cat
The discovery of a fossil hints at the existence of an animal that researchers say could be the missing link in the understanding of evolution of marsupials in Australia.
Ancient Fires Drove Sabertooth Cats and Other Large Mammals Extinct, Study Suggests
Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits in Southern California suggest that sabertooth cats and other large North American mammals disappeared as a result of wildfires spurred by human activity.
A Victorian Dinosaur Park Finds Its Way in the 21st Century
Statues of extinct animals peek out from the trees, delighting onlookers in this London park. But don’t expect them to be scientifically accurate.
Cannibalism, or ‘Clickbait’?
A recent study offered the “oldest decisive evidence” that our ancient hominid ancestors ate one another. But the field has a long history of overstating such claims, other scientists note.
Aussie Farmers Unleash Dinosaur Rush as Fossils Rewrite History
A new understanding of how to search for ancient remains has reinvigorated a region of western Queensland, with tourists flocking to paleontological digs.