News

Lucy’s hunter revealed: Giant crocodile terrorized early human ancestors

predator Ethiopia

A newly identified crocodile species nicknamed “Lucy’s hunter” prowled Ethiopia’s rivers when Lucy’s species walked the Earth more than 3 million years ago. The giant predator was likely the most dangerous animal in the ecosystem and may have regularly hunted early human relatives.

13/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Here is the first global map of an immense living network hidden beneath our feet

scale study

Beneath our feet lies one of the largest living networks on the planet. A new study reveals the dizzying scale of mycorrhizal fungi, these invisible allies of plants which transport billions of tonnes of carbon each year and could play a key role in...

13/06/2026 futura-terre ⚙ Auto-translated

The Haolonggood Diplodocus Dinosaur Model Photographed in the Sunshine

scale Dinosauria Diplodocia

The Haolonggood Diplodocus dinosaur model is an impressive prehistoric animal figure. Measuring around seventy-five centimetres in length, this 1:35 scale replica makes a real statement in any collection. Recently, young dinosaur fan and talented artist Caldey sent Everything Dinosaur a wonderful photograph of the Haolonggood Diplodocus dinosaur model (Meng Kang variant) enjoying some bright sunshine

13/06/2026 everythingdinosaur

Behind the “T. rex leather” bag that is driving auctions, here’s what luxury really sells

Between biotechnological prowess and luxury storytelling, a handbag presented as made from “T. rex leather” has just appeared on the Parisian auction market. Priced at several hundred thousand euros, the object invokes paleontology and fragments of...

12/06/2026 futura-terre ⚙ Auto-translated

A Stunning Theropod Skull on Display

museum fossil Tyrannosaurus skull

During a visit to the Museum für Naturkunde (Berlin) we took the opportunity to photograph the beautiful skull of Tristan the Tyrannosaurus rex.  The skull is one of the most complete and best-preserved tyrannosaur skulls known to science.  The T. rex fossils, on display next to the skull material have been named Tristan Otto.  To

12/06/2026 everythingdinosaur

The missing notebooks that solved a 55-million-year-old fossil mystery

predator New Zealand fossil discovery

A spectacular fossil fish discovered on a remote cliff in New Zealand nearly 30 years ago has finally revealed its full story thanks to an unexpected discovery: the original collector’s long-lost field notebooks. The 1.2-meter fossil, preserved in stunning three-dimensional detail, belonged to an ancient tarpon-like predator that cruised New Zealand waters about 55 million years ago.

12/06/2026 sciencedaily

Ancient DNA shared with Neanderthals may explain human language

DNA genetics

A tiny set of ancient genetic “switches” may have played a surprisingly large role in making human language possible. Researchers found that these DNA regions, which act like volume controls for genes involved in brain development, have an outsized influence on language ability despite making up less than 0.1% of the genome.

12/06/2026 sciencedaily-fossils

New Species of Ancient Bear-Dog Identified in Spain

pelvis Spain fossil specimen mammals new species

Paleontologists have identified a previously unknown species of amphicyonid -- the extinct family of carnivorous mammals popularly known as bear-dogs -- from two specimens unearthed at a rich fossil site in the Vallès-Penedès Basin near Barcelona, Spain. The post New Species of Ancient Bear-Dog Identified in Spain appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

11/06/2026 sci-news

Oxfordshire Dinosaur Trackway Could Be the Longest Sauropod Trackway Known

Jurassic tracks Cetiosauria Dinosauria discovery

Scientists studying the famous Oxfordshire "dinosaur highway" have announced that one of the giant trackways may represent the longest known sauropod trackway discovered anywhere in the world. The remarkable sequence of footprints, uncovered at Dewars Farm Quarry, could have been made by a single Cetiosaurus as it wandered across a Jurassic mudflat around 166 million

11/06/2026 everythingdinosaur

The 1,100-year-old mystery of Montana’s lost bison hunting site finally solved

hunting

For nearly 700 years, Indigenous hunters repeatedly used a bison kill site in central Montana—then suddenly stopped, even though bison were still abundant. Researchers uncovered evidence that recurring, decades-long droughts likely made the site less practical by reducing access to the water needed to process large numbers of animals. At the same time, hunting groups were shifting toward larger, more coordinated operations that required dependable resources and specialized locations.

11/06/2026 sciencedaily-fossils

Study: Cave Lions were Distinct Species that Occasionally Bred with Ancestors of Today’s Lions

study

The extinct Eurasian cave lion (Panthera spelaea) and today’s African and Asian lions (Panthera leo) belong to separate evolutionary lineages that diverged roughly 1.7 million years ago -- far earlier than previously thought, according to an analysis of 12 cave lion genomes spanning more than 100,000 years. The post Study: Cave Lions were Distinct Species that Occasionally Bred with Ancestors of Today’s Lions appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

10/06/2026 sci-news

Earth’s Earliest Animals May Have Thrived Too Easily to Evolve

reproduction Ediacaran fossil dating evolution

Fossils from some of the oldest-known animals on Earth, dating from 574 million years ago (Ediacaran period), suggest that cloning, not competition, dominated the Ediacaran seas, slowing evolution until environmental stress helped drive the rise of sexual reproduction and a burst of biodiversity. The post Earth’s Earliest Animals May Have Thrived Too Easily to Evolve appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

10/06/2026 sci-news

Rare Dinosaur Fossil From the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group Described

bone vertebra description Canada Colombia Cretaceous Late Cretaceous fossil Dinosauria Ornithomimosauria

Researchers have described a single dinosaur caudal vertebra (tail bone) from Denman Island (British Columbia, Canada).  It has been identified as an ornithomimosaur caudal vertebra. The fossil, thought to represent a bone from the middle part of the tail, is only the second dinosaur fossil identified from the Upper Cretaceous Nanaimo Group. In addition, it

10/06/2026 everythingdinosaur

Researchers reveal giant structure hidden beneath Antarctica for 160 million years

Antarctica discovery

The White Continent was only discovered at the beginning of the 19th century. Men have only been exploring Antarctica for two centuries and its many secrets have not yet been unlocked. But modern means of detection are helping us with this goal, as shown by a recent discovery that has...

10/06/2026 futura-terre ⚙ Auto-translated

Woolly mammoth DNA found in squirrel droppings

DNA study

Scientists have discovered a huge trove of ancient DNA from animals, including that of now-extinct woolly mammoths, in squirrel droppings preserved in Canadian permafrost, according to a study published June 9, 2026.

10/06/2026 sciencesetavenir ⚙ Auto-translated

Earth's first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything

reproduction evolution

Earth’s earliest animals may have held evolution back because they reproduced asexually, creating low-competition communities that changed very little over time. When environmental pressures pushed them toward sexual reproduction, biodiversity exploded and evolution accelerated dramatically.

10/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Fossil Discovery in Patagonia Reveals New Species of Horned Turtle

Argentina Maastrichtian fossil Dinosauria discovery extinction new species

Paleontologists have identified a new species of meiolaniform turtle from northern Patagonia, Argentina, that lived during the Maastrichtian age, just before the asteroid-triggered mass extinction that wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs. The post Fossil Discovery in Patagonia Reveals New Species of Horned Turtle appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.

09/06/2026 sci-news

A New Haolonggood Paraceratherium Model Coming into Stock

Oligocene Dinosauria mammals

Everything Dinosaur will be stocking the new for 2026 Haolonggood Paraceratherium model.  This is the second prehistoric mammal figure to be introduced by this company. Recently a Woolly Rhinoceros figure (Coelodonta) was announced.  Intriguingly, the giant Paraceratherium is distantly related to Coelodonta.  Both animals are odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla). Patrolling the Oligocene landscape. The new

09/06/2026 everythingdinosaur

Stonehenge's most mysterious stone traveled 700 kilometers across Britain

United Kingdom Homo sapiens

Scientists have uncovered new evidence that Stonehenge’s six-ton Altar Stone was deliberately transported hundreds of kilometers from Scotland by ancient people. The feat would have required extraordinary planning, teamwork, and determination, revealing a surprisingly sophisticated level of organization thousands of years ago.

09/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Volcanoes declared “extinct” could silently prepare their explosive return

geology study volcanism

How long can a volcano stay dormant before waking up? The study of a Greek volcano shows that even more than 100,000 years of silence are not necessarily enough to declare it extinct.

09/06/2026 futura-terre ⚙ Auto-translated