100-million-year-old bug with crab-like claws found in amber

May 25, 2026

Reported by AI

Scientists have identified a new insect species preserved in 100-million-year-old amber from Myanmar. The true bug features unusual front legs ending in large claw-like structures similar to crab pincers. Researchers named it Carcinonepa libererrantes after the K-pop group Stray Kids.

Researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich led the study of the fossil from Myanmar's Kachin region. They used micro-computed tomography to create detailed 3D images of the insect's anatomy. The team compared the claws with more than 2,000 similar structures from living and extinct species.

Fossil claw reveals oldest known spider relative from 500 million years ago

Researchers have identified a 500-million-year-old fossil from Utah as Megachelicerax cousteaui, the earliest known chelicerate and relative of spiders, scorpions and horseshoe crabs. The discovery, detailed in a Nature study, extends the group's evolutionary history by 20 million years to the Cambrian period. A tiny claw uncovered during preparation confirmed its significance.

Jiangchuan Biota fossils in Yunnan reveal complex animals before Cambrian explosion

April 02, 2026 Reported by AI

More than 700 fossils from the Jiangchuan Biota in Yunnan Province, southwest China, dating 554-539 million years ago in the late Ediacaran, include early relatives of starfish, acorn worms, deuterostomes, and other bilaterians. Led by Dr. Gaorong Li of Yunnan University, the discovery—after nearly a decade of fieldwork—challenges the suddenness of the Cambrian explosion by showing diverse animal communities predated it. The results, published in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.adu2291), feature exceptionally preserved carbonaceous films revealing fine details like digestive systems.

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Fossil jaws reveal giant ancient octopuses as apex predators

Scientists identify giant new dinosaur species in Thailand

Researchers have identified a massive new species of long-necked dinosaur in Thailand that ranks as the largest ever found in Southeast Asia. The discovery adds to the growing list of prehistoric finds in the region.

Tiny fossils identified as baby ankylosaurs after 20 years

April 21, 2026 Reported by AI

Small fossils of Liaoningosaurus paradoxus, once thought to represent a miniature species of armored dinosaur, have been confirmed as juveniles, including some less than a year old and a possible hatchling. Researchers analyzed bone growth patterns to reach this conclusion, challenging earlier ideas about the animal's size and lifestyle. The discovery provides insights into early development of ankylosaurs.

Environment