A new species of meat-eating dinosaur, approximately the size of a large tiger, has been identified from a fossil discovered on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom. Named Invictibellatrix amberina, the dinosaur lived around 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period and belonged to a group of agile, two-legged predators known…
Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have discovered evidence that giant long-necked dinosaurs known as titanosaurs were able to reproduce successfully in the challenging high-latitude environments of the Southern Hemisphere. The study examined more than 250 fossilized eggshell fragments from Argentina’s Chorrillo Formation, which was located at approximately 55–60° south during the latest Cretaceous period,…
Researchers at Tel Aviv University have identified a new species of insect that lived about 99 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs still dominated terrestrial ecosystems. The species, named Cretodorus noonoo, was discovered among insects preserved in amber from Kachin, Myanmar. Nicknamed “Noo-Noo” after the long-hosed vacuum cleaner character from the children’s…
Scientists have found evidence that some dinosaurs living near ancient coastlines supplemented their diets with food from the sea, particularly seaweed washed ashore. The study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, examined fossilized teeth from dinosaurs and other animals that lived near the Western Interior Seaway and the ancient Gulf of Mexico roughly 113…
Scientists at UCLA have made the first direct estimate of the body temperature of Tyrannosaurus rex, finding that the giant predator maintained a temperature of about 36°C (97°F)—roughly comparable to that of humans. The discovery provides strong evidence that T. rex was warm-blooded, supporting the view that it was an active animal capable of maintaining…
Researchers have identified a new species of prehistoric animal from Tanzania that lived about 240 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Named Dinodontosaurus isiyavamanda, the animal was a dicynodont—a large, herbivorous member of the synapsids, the evolutionary group that also includes mammals and their ancient relatives. The fossils were originally collected during a British…
Palaeontologists have identified the first confirmed Diplodocus fossil ever found outside North America, dramatically expanding scientists’ understanding of where the famous long-necked dinosaur lived. The approximately 150-million-year-old remains were discovered at the La Tejería fossil site near El Castellar in Teruel, Spain. Researchers recovered 14 well-preserved tail vertebrae and several chevron bones, making the specimen…
Researchers have used an unusually complete collection of fossils to trace how the bird-like dinosaur Troodon formosus changed from embryo to adulthood. The study, published in PLOS One, examined pelvic and hindlimb fossils from western Montana dating to about 75–78 million years ago. Because the specimens represent many different growth stages, researchers David Varricchio and…
Scientists have discovered exceptionally well-preserved fossil feathers inside a piece of fossilized dinosaur dung, providing new clues about why some birds survived the mass extinction 66 million years ago while others disappeared. The fossil, found in Montana’s Hell Creek Formation by a University of Washington-led team, contains several feathers along with fish scales and bird…
The fossil of a small herbivorous dinosaur discovered in Fukushima Prefecture has provided new evidence of the diversity of dinosaurs living along Japan’s ancient coastline during the Late Cretaceous. The fossil was found in 1999 at the Iwaki City Ammonite Center in rocks of the Ashizawa Formation dating to about 90–88 million years ago. Although…