Although no bigger than chickens, a pair of 50-million-year-old fossil birds turn out to be some of the earliest known ancestors of today’s giant, flightless birds, like the ostrich and the emu.
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Fossil of Earliest Known ‘Jesus Lizard,’ A Reptile That Walked on Water, Discovered in Wyoming
It had three-pointed teeth, prominent cheekbones, and a long ridge protruding over its eyes that likely bestowed what experts have described as “an angry look.” But probably the most distinguishing…
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Tiny, Toothy Mammal Discovered in Wyoming Fossil Named for Lady Gaga
The fossil of a small, deer-like mammal with unusual teeth has earned the name of “little monster.” The little animal browsed on leaves and grasses in what’s now southwestern Wyoming about…
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New Species of ‘Bizarre’ Giant-Eyed Insect Discovered in Washington Fossil
A “bizarre” fossilized bug whose head was nearly covered by two giant, bulbous eyes may help explain the evolution of unusual predatory insects that are still flying today, paleontologists say….
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Prehistoric Global Warming Caused Dwarfism in American Mammals, Fossils Show
As temperatures climb, animals shrink. It may sound unlikely — and the mechanism behind it is not very well understood — but it’s a pattern that’s been observed many times…
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First Fossil of Blood-Filled Mosquito Discovered
Through a series of events that scientists themselves admit was “extremely improbable,” a mosquito that feasted on the blood of Eocene animals some 46 million years ago managed to die…
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Extinct Tropical Bird Discovered in Wyoming
Providing yet another reminder of how much the land — and the life on it — changes over time, scientists say they’ve found, on the arid plateaus of southwestern Wyoming,…
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