Fossils

A 75-million-year-old fossilized foot bone from Montana shows bite marks from a smaller tyrannosaur feeding on a much larger relative. Researchers used 3D scans to document this evidence of scavenging behavior. The finding, published this year, highlights opportunistic feeding among these ancient predators.

1. maj 2026 Rapporteret af AI

Scientists have identified a new species of ancient animal, Tanyka amnicola, from fossils unearthed in a dry riverbed in Brazil. Dating back 275 million years, this stem tetrapod featured a highly unusual twisted jaw suggesting it ground plant material. The discovery sheds light on early Permian life in Gondwana.

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.

2. april 2026 Rapporteret af AI

Researchers have named a newly identified juvenile dinosaur species Doolysaurus huhmini, discovered on Aphae Island in South Korea. The fossil, the first from the country to include skull parts, reveals a turkey-sized animal that likely had a fluffy appearance and an omnivorous diet. The findings, led by Jongyun Jung, were published on March 19 in the journal Fossil Record.