#paleontology

#paleontology

A young group of teens stood on top of a rocky ledge, some fearful, some excited, some just egging their friends to jump. Their trepidations were warranted - it's not every day you're faced with a drop of about 30 feet above the surface of a pool of water. But inevitably, each brave adolescent took the leap and gasped for a few seconds of unnerving airtime before gravity plunged them into the cool freshwater below.

A high-resolution 'Google Maps' for Roman roads includes nearly 300,000 kilometres of viae Romanae. It brings together fragmented data sets to show the full glory of the network that connected the empire around AD 150, when it was at its biggest. But "although the roads are one of the best-known aspects of Roman history, it's surprising how many details about them we still don't know," says historian Catherine Fletcher.

A skeleton discovered on Dorset's Jurassic coast has been identified as a new species of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans. The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur, called Xiphodracon goldencapensis or the Sword Dragon of Dorset, is the only known example of its kind in existence. Thousands of ichthyosaur fossils have been found along the Jurassic Coast, but scientists say this particular fossil helps to fill an evolutionary gap.

Mark Norell, whose discoveries helped to demonstrate that birds are living dinosaurs, has died aged 68. As a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Norell combined fieldwork, cutting-edge analysis and a gift for collaboration, transforming how scientists and the public see dinosaurs. Norell and his colleagues showed that birds belong to the group of carnivorous dinosaurs known as theropods, which also include Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

In a corner of the sprawling grounds of Niamey's only museum a unique, open-air style arrangement in Niger's capital that doubles as a zoo imposing fossil replicas of long-extinct animals stand in a corrugated iron stall. On a recent late Friday afternoon, the Boubou Hama National Museum was busy with scores of excited children. They shrilled, delighted by the rubbery grunts of the hippos near the replicas, and the faint roars of the lions further up.

In this new study, the Human Paleontology Institute team, led by archaeologist Christophe Falguères, used a remarkably simple technique to offer a more concise time frame for the Petralona skull. Using calcite samples directly from the skull itself and from the deposits surrounding it, the researchers used a technique known as uranium-series dating that measures the decay rate of uranium isotopes as they morph into thorium over time.

The origins of arachnids may trace back to more than 500 million years ago, with their brain organization revealed in the fossil of Mollisonia symmetrica.

Matt Lamanna, a dinosaur paleontologist, points out that the T-Rex’s portrayal in the original Jurassic Park film, where it cannot see stationary objects, misrepresents its visual acuity, which was likely superior compared to many dinosaurs.

"The fossil animal fits into patterns of evolutionary and environmental change, crucial to understanding the evolution of pterosaurs, which have over 150 named species."

The unveiling of Utah's newest NHL team, the Mammoth, has generated both excitement and skepticism, reflecting the rich paleontological history of the region.

In 1826, Mary Anning opened a Fossil Depot in Lyme Regis, contributing significantly to the field of paleontology.

Mosura fentoni is an extinct arthropod discovered in Canada, notable for its unique segmented abdomen and features reminiscent of modern sea creatures.