Razib Khan

Gene Expression

The Mysterious Other

(Credit Júlia D'Oliveira)

A ‘one of a kind’ fossil discovery could transform our understanding of how the unique brains and intelligence of modern birds evolved, one of the most enduring mysteries of vertebrate evolution.

Researchers have identified a remarkably well-preserved fossil bird, roughly the size of a starling, from the Mesozoic Era. The complete skull has been preserved almost intact: a rarity for any fossil bird, but particularly for one so ancient, making this one of the most significant finds of its kind.

Navaornis

Learn more about Navaornis hestiae, the bird that could be a missing link to understanding how birds evolved from their prehistoric forbears.

Prehistoric Bird Brain May Be a Rosetta Stone for Avian Evolution

Ankylosaurs

A new discovery of basal sauropod helps dive a little deeper into the purpose behind the tail club.

Tail Clubs Weren't Just for Ankylosaurs – Some Sauropods Had Them, Too

Life restoration of two Skiphosoura bavarica in flight. (Credit: Gabriel Ugueto)

Skiphousoura life reconstruction

Fossil find in Germany helps solve paleontological puzzle between earlier and later pterosaurs.

New Flying Lizard Species Fills in Evolutionary Gap for Pterosaurs 

brown bears fighting in the water

When Fat Bear Week witnessed the bear attack between male bear 469 and female bear 402, they had to delay the week. While it was not fun to watch, it could have been normal behavior. 

Bears Attacking — and Eating — Other Bears Is Considered Normal

The end of a terror bird’s left tibiotarsus, a lower leg bone in birds equivalent to that of a human tibia or shin bone, dates back to the Miocene epoch around 12 million years ago. (Credit: Degrange et al.)


The terror bird’s left tibiotarsus

Researchers confirm the terror bird fossil 20 years after its South American discovery, comparing the creature to a massive, carnivorous-like ostrich.

Largest ‘Terror Bird’ Fossil Identified — Sat Atop Food Chain 12 Million Years Ago

common frog eymbros

Animal embryos can adapt to their surroundings in remarkable ways like sensing predators and food sources to improve their survival. But can it help them face climate change?

The Mysterious Other

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