Crocodiles today look the same as they did 200 million years ago – our study explains why

New research shows crocodiles have landed upon an equilibrium state of evolution.

Max Stockdale, Teaching Associate, Vertebrate Macroevolution and Palaeoecology, University of Bristol • conversation
Jan. 7, 2021 • ~6 min
evolution dinosaurs fossils animals crocodiles

Pterosaurs increased their flight efficiency over time – new evidence for long-term evolution

Fossils reveal that dinosaurs' flying cousins become twice as efficient at flying over 150 million years.

Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol • conversation
Oct. 28, 2020 • ~6 min

 evolution  dinosaurs  fossils  palaeontology  flight  pterosaurs

Giant 'toothed' birds flew over Antarctica 40 million to 50 million years ago

Paleontologists have discovered fossil remains belonging to an enormous 'toothed' bird that lived for a period of about 60 million years after dinosaurs.

Peter A. Kloess, Doctoral Candidate, Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
Oct. 27, 2020 • ~7 min

 birds  asteroid  dinosaurs  extinction  fish  fossils  reptiles  jaws  specimens  ice-age  antarctica  ice  new-zealand  ducks  earth  snow  museums  penguins  squid  marsupials  skeleton  southern-ocean  continents  cretaceous-period  natural-history  1980s  pterosaurs  vultures  southern-hemisphere  albatross  university-of-california-berkeley

Curious Kids: How did some animals evolve wings to fly?

Today's birds evolved from feathered dinosaurs.

Matthew Wills, Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology at the Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath • conversation
Oct. 22, 2020 • ~5 min
evolution birds dinosaurs feathered-dinosaurs curious-kids

Newly discovered mass extinction event triggered the dawn of the dinosaurs

Our new research has discovered how a series of volcanic eruptions 233 million years ago fundamentally changed life on Earth.

Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol • conversation
Sept. 16, 2020 • ~7 min
geology dinosaurs paleontology tetrapods volcanoes mass-extinctions cretaceous-period

Why some species thrive after catastrophe – rules for making the most of an apocalypse

When the dinosaurs went extinct, some species took over the world. Adaptability, not survivability, explains why.

Nick Longrich, Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Biology and Paleontology, University of Bath • conversation
July 20, 2020 • ~9 min

 evolution  dinosaurs  extinction  palaeontology  mass-extinction  dinosaur-extinction  bird-evolution  ancient-mammals

New dinosaur discovery in Switzerland fills a gap in evolutionary history of sauropods

How we identified a new ancestor of the likes of _Diplodocus_ from old bones.

Femke Holwerda, Postdoctoral Researcher in Palaeontology, Utrecht University • conversation
July 16, 2020 • ~6 min
dinosaurs fossils palaeontology sauropod

Dinosaur-killing asteroid struck at worst angle to cause maximum damage – new research

The trajectory of the Chicxulub asteroid led to the most efficient release of gas and projectile rocks – which was disastrous for life on Earth.

Erwan Le Ber, Research Associate, International Ocean Discovery Program, University of Leicester • conversation
May 27, 2020 • ~6 min
dinosaurs mass-extinction chicxulub-asteroid chicxulub chicxulub-crater

Ancient bird skull found in amber was tiny predator in the time of giant dinosaurs

The skull of Oculudentavis, found encased in amber, provides new clues into the transition from dinosaurs to birds and may be smallest of either ever found.

Jingmai Kathleen O'Connor, Senior Professor of Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences • conversation
March 11, 2020 • ~7 min

 evolution  birds  dinosaurs  paleontology  fossils  amber  myanmar  feathered-dinosaurs  bones  fossil-record  fossil-skulls  phylogeny

Smallest ever dinosaur skull found in 3cm piece of amber

The fossil includes the tiny flying creature's original bone and flesh.

David Martill, Professor of ​Palaeobiology, University of Portsmouth • conversation
March 11, 2020 • ~7 min

 dinosaurs  fossils  palaeontology  amber

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