Paleontology

Scientists have identified traces of original collagen in an Edmontosaurus fossil from South Dakota. The finding, published in 2025, challenges the belief that all biological material is lost during fossilization.

May 13, 2026 Reported by AI

Researchers have extracted meaningful proteins from six teeth believed to belong to Homo erectus, offering new molecular clues about the species' relationships with other ancient hominins. The findings point to possible interbreeding with Denisovans in Asia around 400,000 years ago.

A new study published in Nature challenges the idea that high atmospheric oxygen levels enabled giant insects 300 million years ago. Researchers led by Edward Snelling of the University of Pretoria found that tracheoles in insect flight muscles occupy minimal space, leaving room for expansion. The discovery prompts scientists to seek alternative explanations for the insects' massive sizes.

April 25, 2026 Reported by AI

Scientists have uncovered more than two dozen dinosaur tracks dating back 132 million years in a small rock outcrop near Knysna, South Africa. These footprints, the youngest known in southern Africa, indicate dinosaurs persisted in the region into the early Cretaceous Period. The discovery challenges previous gaps in the local fossil record following ancient lava flows.