Fossilized dinosaur eggshells can preserve amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, over millions of years
Calcite, the material making up fossilized eggshells, may preserve amino acids better than bone.
April 9, 2024 • ~9 min
Calcite, the material making up fossilized eggshells, may preserve amino acids better than bone.
By examining fossilized bone tissue, a new study finds rapid growth was an asset for survivors of the Great Dying 250 million years ago, Earth’s largest mass extinction event.
Horse fossils are abundant and widespread across North America. Scientists often use their long history to illustrate how species evolve in response to a changing environment.
Some of these giant vegetarians were as tall as a 3-story building. Microscopic analysis of their teeth, bones and eggshells reveals how they grew, what they ate and even their body temperature.
Rather than a juvenile of a known species, several fossilized bones represent a new species – and shed light on the question of whether dinosaurs were already in decline before disaster struck.
New findings from the La Brea Tar Pits in southern California suggest human-caused wildfires in the region, along with a warming climate, led to the loss of most of the area’s large mammals.
Birds and dinosaurs lived together for millions of years, but only toothless birds survived the asteroid impact that upended life on Earth.
A recent study offers evidence that marine biology’s biggest stage is broken, and suggests ways to fix it.
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