News
Scientists say the world's oldest octopus fossil isn't an octopus after all
6+ hour, 35+ min ago (530+ words) FILE -Field Museum and Chicago's skyline is seen from Soldier Field prior to an NFL preseason football game between the Chicago Bears and the Tennessee Titans, Aug. 12, 2023, in Chicago. Newly published research concludes that fossilized remains listed by Guinness World…...
Ancient "octopus" fossil is actually a different species
20+ hour, 41+ min ago (683+ words) The fossil is actually a species related to a modern Nautilus, a multi-tentacled animal with an external shell. (Dr. Thomas Clements via SWNS) A 300-million-year-old fossil hailed as the world's oldest "octopus" has turned out to be something else altogether....
Croc ancestor started life on 4 legs before it began walking on 2
4+ week, 2+ day ago (535+ words) Artist's reconstruction of Sonselasuchus cedrus in its environment in what is now Petrified Forest National Park, 215 million years ago. (Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto via SWNS) A "peculiar" ancient relative of the crocodile started life on four legs before it began…...
Creature with twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth discovered
1+ mon, 4+ day ago (1018+ words) The remains of a "weird" creature with a twisted jaw and sideways-facing teeth have been discovered in the Amazon jungle. Scientists say the plant-eater Tanyka was a "living fossil" when it stalked the Earth around 275 million years ago, from a…...
Teeny tiny fossil reveals clues about evolution of primates
1+ mon, 5+ day ago (459+ words) Tiny fossill of purgatorius upper molar from Corral Bluffs in Denver. (Dr. Stephen Chester via SWNS) A fossil that would fit on a baby's fingertip has revealed fresh clues about the evolution of the earliest-known relative of all primates, including…...
Study finds triceratops" huge nose helped control body temperature
1+ mon, 6+ day ago (662+ words) Illustration of researchers hypothesized layout for the inside of Triceratops nasal cavity. (K. Sakane CC-BY-ND via SWNS) Triceratops had a huge nose to help control its body temperature, suggests a new study. Scientists wanted to know why the iconic triple-horned dinosaur…...
Antique library books finally returned 50 years after due date
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (418+ words) A pair of antique library books have finally been returned exactly 50 years after they were due back - avoiding what could have been thousands in fines. The dusty tomes, written almost 200 years ago, were expected back at the library in Leeds,…...
Woolly rhino remains found in Ice Age wolf give clue to species" end
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (632+ words) Tumat-1 wolf puppy. (Michil Yakovlev via SWNS) The remains of a 14, 400-year-old woolly rhinoceros recovered from an Ice Age wolf's stomach have given new clues about the demise of the species. Analysis of the rhino's genome suggests the extinct animal…...
Fossils reveal oldest known vertebrates had four eyes
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (490+ words) Artist's reconstruction of the oldest known vertebrate's four eyes. (Xiangtong Lei & Sihang Zhang via SWNS) Ancient fossils reveal the oldest known vertebrates had four eyes. Remarkably preserved fossil specimens show they could see the world using four camera-type eyes, reshaping…...
Monkey business: Neanderthals and ancient apes likely kissed too
4+ mon, 2+ week ago (272+ words) Kissing has long presented an evolutionary puzzle to scientists as it appears to carry high risks such as disease transmission while having no obvious reproductive or survival advantages. But the new study found that the practice has evolved over millions…...