Paleontology

Computer simulations suggest Neanderthals were already on the brink of extinction and had been for hundreds of thousands of years when demographic fluctuations and inbreeding pushed them over the edge.

In theory, the ancient shark could have grown up to a staggering 22 feet in length, according to researchers.

New discoveries in Bavaria of an ape with "orangutan arms" but human-like legs has the science community excited about connecting the dots of evolution between great apes and humans.

A recently published study describes the fossilized remains of a surprising assemblage of creatures from the Late Jurassic period, including the skull and teeth fragments from a large pliosaurus.

The latest find is surprising because shark skeletons are made of cartilage—a rubbery tissue that doesn't preserve as well as bone.

The dinosaur could bite with about three times the force of large crocodiles or great white sharks.

Up until now, palaeontologists have faced a major problem when it comes to working out what these ancient hominids would have looked like. Now, using DNA methylation, scientists have been able to bring them back to life.

"The new species is one of the largest fossil penguins described so far and one of the very few giant penguins," said researcher Gerald Mayr.

The parrot may have grown to just over 1 meter (3.3 feet) in height and weighed around 15 pounds, according to researchers.

The origin of avian flight has long-puzzled scientists.

The Neanderthal tooth was found alongside a cave bear bone that may have been carved for a symbolic purpose.

Finding well-preserved dinosaur soft tissue is a rare occurrence.

Peregocetus pacificus was unearthed in marine sediments on the coast of Peru.

The fossils are 15 million years older than any others belonging to the tyrannosauroid family that have been found in North America.

"You can clearly see the texture of the skin and scales, as well as four-toed claw marks, which are extremely rare," one scientist said.

The animal lived around 110 million years ago in a surprisingly dry environment.

The clutch of babies were likely still inside their eggs.

The two species belong to the diverse subgroup Theropoda, which includes all of the flesh-eating dinosaurs.

The fossils date from the late Triassic Period (about 210 to 201 million years ago), meaning they represent one of the earliest known pterosaurs.

Does the foot-long fragment come from a mammoth or a mastodon?

"I was immediately excited, it was just perfect, and I knew it was an important find that needed to be shared with people."

The dinosaur lived around 174 million years ago.

The animal measured between 13 feet to 16 feet long and stood 3-and-a-half feet tall at the hips.

The dinosaur stood over 14 feet tall and weighed up to 10 tons.

This supports the theory that some bird-like predatory dinosaurs traveled in groups.

It's been 25 years since the release of "Jurassic Park," and our understanding of dinosaurs has evolved considerably. Paleontologists describe new discoveries and technology enabling a better understanding of dinosaurs since "Jurassic Park" came out in 1993.

The dinosaur lived around 85 million years ago.

The finding fills in the gap between volcanic eruptions and marine extinctions that had been bugging scientists.

The findings could help to shine a light on the evolutionary history of mammals.

The extinct big cat resembled some species you might see in a zoo today, sharing some features with lithe African cheetahs and others with larger, more muscular cats like jaguars and leopards.