Scientific Field/Discipline: Paleontology

Article list

The Secrets of the Sea Hidden High in the Andes

The rich fossil deposits in Colombia’s mountains could unlock a deeper understanding of ancient oceans—and the country’s paleontologists are struggling to do them justice.

Jan 23, 2024 | 2,100 words, about 10 minutes

A long thin pencil like silvery fish blends in infront of corals in the background

On the Origins of Reef Fishes

Fossils pulled from the quarry of an ancient Maya city reveal the dawn of reef fishes.

Sep 26, 2022 | 750 words, about 3 minutes

North Atlantic right whale displayed at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Whales in the Cliff Face

An exposed prehistoric seafloor is a hotspot for ancient whale remains, and now an international team is helping unravel their mysteries.

Feb 15, 2022 | 4,200 words, about 21 minutes

For a Peek Inside Wisconsin’s Watery Past, Thank the Microbes

Since its discovery in the 1980s, a fossil site in a Milwaukee suburb has borne some of the best-preserved soft-bodied organisms from the Silurian.

May 5, 2021 | 950 words, about 4 minutes

Paul Scofield (left) and Paul Dean (right) examine a fossilized turtle bone found in limestone that was once inside a pillar in the Oxford Terrace Baptist Church in Christchurch, New Zealand

An Ancient Turtle Was Just Discovered in the Remains of a Collapsed Church

The rest of the turtle is missing—though there’s a good chance it hasn’t gone far.

Apr 28, 2021 | 700 words, about 3 minutes

The Sunken Dinosaurs of Alberta

A massive graveyard lies at the edge of an ancient sea. What caused so many horned dinosaurs to perish on the coast?

Apr 21, 2021 | 500 words, about 2 minutes

Shonisaurus Gets a Makeover

A new understanding of an ancient leviathan is developing in the middle of a Nevada desert.

Feb 17, 2021 | 650 words, about 3 minutes

Where Have All the Ammonites Gone?

They went extinct 66 million years ago. But the more interesting question is why?

Dec 23, 2020 | 550 words, about 2 minutes

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