Don’t let the name fool you: Infernogallus jamesi, aka the “hell chicken,” wasn’t some kind of ancient apex poultry. After extensively reviewing some of the most complete fossilized remains ever found of this Cretaceous era dinosaur, paleontologists now theorize the beaked species didn’t even enjoy meat at all. Instead, soft fruits were on the menu.
An extensive new analysis further confirms the oldest known human footprints in North America date back to the last ice age (about 23,500–21,700 years). To pinpoint their origins, researchers at the University of Arizona relied on cutting-edge methods at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Radiocarbon Laboratory to examine hundreds of thousands of prehistoric pollen
Almost one year ago, paleontologists finally settled a longstanding debate about Tyrannosaurus rex, arguably Earth’s most famous dinosaur. After reviewing decades of mounting evidence, researchers documented around 150 morphological differences across multiple supposed juvenile T. rex skeletons. Instead of young dinosaurs, these were actually adult examples of an entirely separate species now known as Nanotyrannus
When your daughter is a budding scientist, gift giving can take a whole new form. Think fewer flowers and more new prehistoric species named in your honor. Jeanerpeton mazonensis (aka “Jean’s crawler from Mazon Creek”) is an early ancestor of today’s living amphibians, whose genus name Jeanerpeton is for two human moms named Jean. This
Contrary to the assumptions of early paleontologists, most dinosaurs weren’t lumbering slowpokes. Centuries of evolutionary reevaluation now indicates the ancestors of present-day birds didn’t simply keep a steady pace—many of them boasted impressive speed. These active lifestyles also forced scientists to reconsider another anatomical detail. Once thought universally cold-blooded, a lot of dinosaurs eventually evolved
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