Dig Deeper! Earth Archives is your number one destination for paleontology, natural history and Earth Science news. https://eartharchives.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.orghttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3ml2zkoxewy2zNew research reveals that mayflies—older than dinosaurs—use a vertical “dance” to help males identify females and ensure successful mating. Photograph: Imperial College London https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/29/mayflies-dance-vertical-pattern-experts-aoe #fossils #paleontology05 May 2026 01:22 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2zkoxewy2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkzkhbvwh42fScientists study bird brains to see if the T. rex may have been smarter than thought. Find out more here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/czxrxqg01vpo #fossils #paleontology04 May 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzkhbvwh42fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkz5k6xnou2fA new study suggests Neanderthals didn’t go extinct simply because of climate change or competition with Homo sapiens. Image credit: Shutterstock https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260427050609.htm #fossils #paleontology04 May 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkz5k6xnou2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkyizwi7cj2mCrabs’ famous sideways walk may trace back to a single evolutionary moment 200 million years ago. Researchers found that most modern crabs inherited this trait from one ancestor—and never looked back. Image credit: Shutterstock https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260501052844.htm #fossils #paleontology04 May 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkyizwi7cj2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkwzycksza2yEver wondered where in the world your backyard was, within the ancient supercontinent of Pangaea? Now, you can find out for yourself. Image credit: Andrzej Wojcicki/Science Photo Library/Getty Images https://www.sciencealert.com/new-tool-lets-you-trace-where-your-backyard-was-320-million-years-ago #fossils #paleontology03 May 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkwzycksza2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkwn37aspi2zIn a new book, paleontologist Steve Brusatte tells how birds evolved during the Jurassic and took to the skies, surviving the asteroid strike that killed their fellow dinosaurs. Image credit: Frieso Hoevelkamp/Stocktrek https://www.livescience.com/animals/birds/their-greatest-challenge-since-they-stared-down-the-asteroid-paleontologist-steve-brusatte-on-why-birds-are-facing-their-biggest-existential-threat-since-the-dino-killing-asteroid #fossils #paleontology03 May 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkwn37aspi2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkvykx3e4h2fNational Geographic's Wonder Lessons will teach you how to navigate the stars, spot cloud types, recognize common trees, and identify different kinds of rocks. Today, we’re learning about fossils. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/wonder-lessons-fossil-rocks #fossils #paleontology03 May 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkvykx3e4h2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkujjcitmt2bIn this excerpt from The Story of Birds, Steve Brusatte explores how a fluffy fossil from China provided key evidence that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Image credit: meen_na/Getty Images https://www.livescience.com/animals/dinosaurs/he-began-to-cry-and-almost-fell-to-the-floor-the-fluffy-fossil-that-finally-showed-the-world-that-birds-are-dinosaurs #fossils #paleontology02 May 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkujjcitmt2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mku4ma24t425A new study finds Neanderthal brains were not meaningfully different from modern humans, challenging long-held assumptions about their intelligence. Image credit: (Luna04/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0) https://www.sciencealert.com/brain-scans-reveal-a-surprise-about-neanderthal-intelligence #fossils #paleontology02 May 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mku4ma24t425https://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkti3xvryx2xLearn about an ichthyosaur found in Germany that is now the youngest fossil found in its genus, and shows a remarkable story of survival. Image credit: Joschua Knüppe/CC BY-SA https://www.discovermagazine.com/180-million-year-old-ichthyosaur-found-with-100-teeth-and-rocks-in-its-stomach-49021 #fossils #paleontology02 May 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkti3xvryx2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkrz2cl4g62xLearn how 125-million-year-old dinosaur fossils from Thailand, including a rare braincase, helped researchers uncover how early theropod predators like Siamraptor evolved. Image credit: Hattori et al./CC-BY 4.0 https://www.discovermagazine.com/125-million-year-old-dinosaur-braincase-reveals-how-one-giant-predator-evolved-49038 #fossils #paleontology01 May 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkrz2cl4g62xhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkrm57xrvu25New fossils from South Australia show that 25 million years ago, Obdurodon insignis, a toothed early platypus, thrived in lush inland lakes. Image Credit: Gen Conway (Flinders University Paleontology Lab) https://www.sci.news/paleontology/obdurodon-insignis-14726.html #fossils #paleontology01 May 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkrm57xrvu25https://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkqxmxhnzo2fA new genus and species of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur related to South American forms has been described by a team of paleontologist led by University of Bath’s Dr. Nick Longrich. Image credit: Connor Ashbridge. https://www.sci.news/paleontology/phosphatotitan-khouribgaensis-14728.html #fossils #paleontology01 May 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqxmxhnzo2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkpilcw27c2fEarth's food webs suffer when giant animals go extinct, even 10,000 years later. Image credit: Leonello Calvetti/Science Photo Library https://www.popsci.com/environment/woolly-mammoth-extinction-long-term-effects/ #fossils #paleontology30 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpilcw27c2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkp3o7ixfa2zA giant Arctic landmass may have triggered global cooling 200 million years ago, helping dinosaurs rise to dominance. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2524366-giant-arctic-continent-launched-dinosaurs-to-world-domination/ #fossils #paleontology30 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkp3o7ixfa2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkoh5xcxy32zA bizarre, cyclops-like creature from nearly 600 million years ago may hold the key to how your eyes—and even your sleep cycle—evolved. Image credit: (c) Bruno Frías Morales https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260426012308.htm #fossils #paleontology30 Apr 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkoh5xcxy32zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkmy4d6ces2xA study finds whales and dolphins lost the biological ability to return to land, making their evolutionary return to the ocean a one-way transition. Image credit: mphillips007 iStock https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/locked-forever-why-orcas-and-dolphins-can-never-leave-the-ocean-again_30646/ #fossils #paleontology29 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkmy4d6ces2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkml7au3lz2fA rare 200-million-year-old crocodile fossil discovered on a UK beach is shedding new light on one of the earliest marine croc species. Image credit: Júlia d'Oliveira/Lyme Regis Museum https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/cvg0yy44pvzo #fossils #paleontology29 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkml7au3lz2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mklwoyhzwc2yA dominant green morph of wall lizard is rapidly outcompeting other color types, showing how quickly evolution can reshape a species. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260424233212.htm #fossils #paleontology29 Apr 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklwoyhzwc2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkkhnetdna2zA new study found that a pachyderm skeleton, dismissed for decades as unimportant, offers evidence of Neanderthals' careful planning, teamwork, and a calculated kill. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/science/lehringen-lakebed-elephant-neanderthals.html #fossils #paleontology28 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkhnetdna2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkk2qd67x52zA 24,000-year-old rotifer revived from Siberian permafrost has resumed reproduction, revealing how complex life can survive extreme freezing. https://nypost.com/2026/04/25/science/24000-year-old-frozen-zombie-worm-thawed-by-scientists-then-it-shockingly-started-reproducing/ #fossils #paleontology28 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkk2qd67x52zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkjg7zxink2eA 5-million-year-old fossil with embedded shark teeth suggests great white relatives once hunted in the North Sea—and could return as waters warm. Image credit: Alexander Lovegrove https://theconversation.com/could-warming-seas-bring-great-white-sharks-back-to-the-north-sea-a-5-million-year-old-shark-tooth-may-provide-clues-279157 #fossils #paleontology28 Apr 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkjg7zxink2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkhx6fv3x72pFossils from Australia’s McGraths Flat reveal a 16-million-year-old rainforest preserved in iron-rich sediment, capturing microscopic details from insect organs to fish eye pigments. Image credit: Michael Frese https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260423031536.htm #fossils #paleontology27 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkhx6fv3x72phttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkhkbdefkp2zResearchers have identified a new rodent-like species, Cimolodon desosai, about the size of a golden hamster that likely ate fruits and insects and moved between ground and trees. Image credit: Andrey Atuchin https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1125589 #fossils #paleontology27 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkhkbdefkp2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkgvr2y7wr2fA well-preserved fossil from Argentina shows early snakes still had hind legs and were large predators, reshaping ideas about their origins. Image credit: Raúl Gómez https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260424024002.htm #fossils #paleontology27 Apr 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkgvr2y7wr2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkfgphi3pz2eA well-preserved fossil from Argentina shows early snakes still had hind legs and were large predators, reshaping ideas about their origins. Image credit: Raúl Gómez https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260424024002.htm #fossils #paleontology26 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkfgphi3pz2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkezsf4cff2gA new study uses advanced imaging to reveal the brain and anatomy of a 380-million-year-old Antarctic fish, offering insight into the transition from water to land. Image credit: Flinders University https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1125439 #fossils #paleontology26 Apr 2026 07:28 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkezsf4cff2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkefc533u62fA close inspection of 27 fossil jaws from finned octopuses challenge the longstanding belief that the apex oceanic predators of the Cretaceous were all vertebrates. Image credit: Yohei Utsuki https://www.livescience.com/animals/octopuses/kraken-octopus-that-lived-at-the-time-of-the-dinosaurs-was-a-62-foot-long-apex-predator-of-the-ocean #fossils #paleontology26 Apr 2026 01:21 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkefc533u62fhttps://bsky.app/profile/eartharchives.org/post/3mkcwajcmve25Paleontologists in Brazil have identified a new species of beaked, herbivorous rhynchosaur from Triassic fossils. Image credit: Caio Fantini. https://sci.news/paleontology/isodapedon-varzealis-14719.html #fossils #paleontology25 Apr 2026 11:19 +0000at://did:plc:uate7cdcn4tl7kqbxqrnrd2w/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkcwajcmve25