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Scientists say the human family tree may need a major rewrite

fossil

The human family tree may be due for a major rewrite. Researchers argue that Australopithecus and Paranthropus should be folded into the genus Homo because new fossils have blurred many of the traits once used to separate them. The proposed shake-up could provide a simpler, more accurate picture of our surprisingly complicated evolutionary past.

20/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

This 23-foot crocodylian may have ruled South America’s food chain

hunting predator prey Miocene fossil mammals

Miocene South America was packed with giant prey—and the predators hunting them were just as spectacular. Fossil bite marks suggest crocodylians, especially the enormous Purussaurus neivensis, were more important predators than mammals in this ancient tropical ecosystem. At around seven meters long, Purussaurus may even have helped control populations of giant herbivores.

19/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Tiny 1.7-billion-year-old fossils could reveal how complex life began

fossil

Scientists are searching some of Earth’s oldest rocks for tiny fossils that could reveal how simple microbial life made the extraordinary leap toward plants, animals, and other complex organisms. Solving that ancient mystery may also help determine whether complex life could emerge on worlds beyond Earth.

17/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

A new Ice Age species was hiding in la brea tar pits fossils for decades

bone Pleistocene fossil discovery new species

Scientists have discovered a new extinct amphibian species hiding in the fossil collections of Los Angeles’ La Brea Tar Pits. Named Spea labreae, the Ice Age spadefoot toad is an exceptionally rare find—only one other extinct Pleistocene amphibian has ever been identified in North America. Its bones had been sitting in collections since the 1950s before a researcher noticed features that set it apart from known species.

16/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

3,500-year-old skeletons challenge what scientists thought they knew about syphilis

Vietnam discovery skeleton

Ancient remains from Vietnam suggest diseases like yaws may have been passed from mother to child thousands of years ago, a form of transmission often assumed to indicate syphilis. The discovery could overturn how scientists interpret ancient infections and complicate the long-running mystery of syphilis’s origins.

12/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

The dodo bird had a secret sensory world scientists are only now discovering

bird CT-scan discovery skull

CT scans of the world’s rarest dodo skulls suggest the extinct bird may have had a stronger sense of smell, a highly sensitive beak, and a lifestyle that extended into dawn and dusk. The discoveries are helping overturn centuries-old myths and reveal a far more complex animal than the famously “dumb” dodo of popular imagination.

09/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

80-million-year-old snake brain reveals a surprising evolutionary secret

Brazil fossil

An exceptionally preserved snake fossil from Brazil reveals that early snakes were far more diverse than scientists once thought. Detailed brain reconstructions show that Tametara mirim was adapted for burrowing, while another ancient snake was suited to life above ground. Other fossils point to marine lifestyles as well. By 80 million years ago, snakes were already experimenting with very different habitats and sensory systems.

05/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

518-million-year-old creature reveals the origins of spider fangs

limb tissue fossil

A tiny 518-million-year-old sea creature has revealed the earliest known evidence of the structures that eventually became spiders’ fangs. Hidden inside the fossil were pincerlike limbs and preserved soft tissues that help explain how the ancestors of spiders and scorpions evolved into formidable hunters.

04/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Scientists found two mysterious ‘ghost’ ancestors hiding in our DNA

DNA genetics

Modern humans carry DNA from two mysterious extinct lineages in addition to Neanderthals and Denisovans. Their hidden genetic legacy shows that our evolutionary past was shaped by repeated mixing among many different human groups.

01/08/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

New giant salamander species discovered in 3.5-million-year-old fossils

Japan fossil discovery new species

Fossils discovered in Japan more than two decades ago have finally been identified as a new genus and species of giant salamander. Limnospondylus ajimuensis lived around 3.5 million years ago in a warmer, wetter Kyushu and may have reached 1.1 meters in length. Its discovery hints that many more unknown giant salamanders could be hiding among fossils previously given the wrong classification.

24/07/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Ancient DNA reveals a chilling secret at China’s 4,000-year-old Shimao city

DNA China genetics

Ancient DNA from China’s vast 4,000-year-old Shimao settlement is revealing how one of East Asia’s earliest complex societies was organized. Researchers found that its people were largely descended from local Yellow River farming communities, but also had genetic ties to distant southern and steppe populations, pointing to extensive prehistoric contact.

21/07/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Scientists discover what kept ancient campfires burning for generations

feeding Israel fish Homo sapiens

Nearly 800,000 years ago, early humans living beside a lake in what is now Israel may have chosen the location for one surprisingly practical reason: firewood. Researchers discovered that these ancient people regularly gathered driftwood washed up along the shoreline, giving them an easy, reliable fuel source for cooking fish, processing large animals, making tools, and organizing daily life around hearths.

15/07/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Scientists resurrect 3.2-billion-year-old enzyme to reveal how life began on Earth

metabolism evolution genetics

Researchers rebuilt long-extinct versions of a crucial enzyme that helps make nitrogen available to life, offering an unprecedented glimpse into Earth’s distant past. The breakthrough could aid the search for extraterrestrial life while helping scientists tackle future food-production challenges on Earth and beyond.

08/07/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Scientists stunned by signs of ancient life in a place no one expected

Morocco Mesozoic evolution

Scientists exploring ancient seafloor rocks in Morocco discovered mysterious wrinkle patterns where they were never expected to occur. These structures are normally linked to microbial mats in shallow, sunlit waters, yet the rocks formed hundreds of feet below the surface in darkness. Evidence indicates that chemosynthetic microbes created the wrinkles, revealing that deep-ocean microbial ecosystems may have been more widespread than previously thought.

26/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Early humans were bringing fire into caves 1.8 million years ago

bone South Africa behavior discovery Homo sapiens study

A new study suggests early humans were using fire in South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave as far back as 1.79 million years ago. Researchers found burned bones deep inside the cave, where natural wildfires could not have reached, indicating that fire was likely carried in and maintained by human ancestors. The discovery pushes back the timeline for fire use and reveals surprisingly sophisticated behavior long before humans could create fire on demand.

24/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

The first primates may have evolved in the cold, not the tropics

metabolism discovery evolution human origin study

A surprising new study suggests the earliest primates didn't originate in tropical forests but in cold, dry parts of North America. Some may have even survived seasonal Arctic conditions by slowing their metabolism or hibernating. Researchers found that dramatic climate shifts, rather than warmth, played a major role in driving primate evolution and expansion. The discovery reshapes our understanding of how our own lineage began.

20/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Millipedes beat vertebrates to land by 80 million years

defense Paleozoic evolution insect study

Millipedes may have been crawling across Earth's landscapes nearly 460 million years ago, long before vertebrates ventured onto land. A new study finally completes their evolutionary family tree, revealing surprising clues about these ancient ecosystem engineers and their early chemical defenses.

14/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

Ancient Denisovan DNA still shapes human immunity today

DNA genetics human origin

Ancient encounters between humans and the mysterious Denisovans are still shaping people today. By analyzing genomes from populations across the Pacific, researchers uncovered evidence that the ancestors of Near Oceanians interbred with at least three different Denisovan groups, leaving behind genetic variants that remain active in modern humans.

14/06/2026 sciencedaily-paleo

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

predator Ethiopia human origin other reptiles

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

Earth's first animals barely evolved until sex changed everything

reproduction Paleozoic 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