Evolution
'Walking' fish help scientists to understand how we left the ocean
Little skates that 'walk' across the ocean floor show how fish brains evolved to pave the way for working legs.
5 years ago
Evolution
Ancient whales had more bite than today's gentle giants
Unlike their modern descendants, early whales were no gentle giants: they were smaller and considerably meaner, and at least some of them seem to have...
6 years ago
How it works
Fair winds and following seas: Yes, a spider could migrate across an ocean
Can a spider travel over thousands of kilometres of open ocean? Sure!
6 years ago
Evolution
The spectacled bear and its spectacular forebears
This placid plant-eater is the only living link we have to a very grand pantheon: the mighty short-faced bears of yore.
6 years ago
Fossils
For some of the best prehistoric tracks, all roads lead to this Massachusetts backyard
One minute you're digging a fishpond in your backyard – and the next you've discovered one of the world's best sources of dinosaur trackways.
6 years ago
Fossils
Fossilised dinosaur dinner offers tasty clues to ancient ecosystems
The last meal of this unusual Jurassic dinosaur offers a glimpse at the secrets of prehistoric food webs.
6 years ago
Evolution
The eyes have it: How vision may have driven fishes onto land
The first truly terrestrial animals evolved from ancient fishes that left the water for land. But what prompted to move has been a mystery.
6 years ago
Discoveries
Falklands 'wolf' that baffled Darwin was actually more like a jackal – new study
Where did the Falklands wolf come from?
6 years ago
Oceans
The ancient marine reptile that turned into a reef
Beneath the sea, nothing goes to waste. Meet the Ophthalmosaurus, an ancient marine reptile whose carcass was transformed into a reef.
7 years ago
Prehistoric 'white whale' named after Moby Dick
Palaeontologists recently re-examined the classification of an extinct 15-million-year-old fossil sperm whale ... and they named it after the most...
7 years ago
We gave Earth's toughest organisms 'Watney ratings' to see how they'd do on Mars
Mars isn't the only place where you need to be an extreme survivor to make it. These three creatures tough it out in extreme environments on our Pale...
7 years ago
Scientists scrutinise thousands of fossils to predict the future of crocodiles
By studying thousands of fossils, palaeontologists have been tracing the impacts of climate change on the ancient crocodilian lineage – and their...
7 years ago
Here's a line-up of prehistoric beasts from the rhino family tree
From towering behemoths to supersized horns, we’re taking a closer look at a few awesome prehistoric members of the rhino family.
8 years ago
Step aside, Triceratops. There’s a cool new horned dinosaur in town.
Thanks to hundreds of bones unearthed by palaeontologists in the fossil graveyards of Alberta, Canada, a showy new member has joined the family of...
8 years ago
9 facts about the coolest creature in Jurassic World
If you were among the dinosaur-loving hordes that helped Jurassic World to the biggest opening weekend in movie history, then you've already met the...
8 years ago
