cretaceous
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Gorgeous Fossil Shows Ancient Bird With a Pair of Super-Sexy Tail Feathers
Introducing Yuanchuavis, an extinct bird that lived 120 million years ago in what is now China. Its elaborate tail feathers appear to contain a mix of functional and decorative characteristics, scientists say, revealing new insights into the evolution of ancient birds.
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Dinosaurs Were Already in Big Trouble Before the Asteroid, More Evidence Suggests
A large asteroid wiped out all non-avian dinosaurs 66 million years ago, but these formidable animals were already in decline by that point, in a process that started 10 million years earlier, according to new research. Paleontologists have made similar claims before, but the new study presents a compelling case, while also providing an explanation…
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Armoured Dinos May Have Dug Trenches to Protect Themselves, Fossil Study Suggests
The headless horseman would make fast friends with an Asian ankylosaur; where the former tends to be missing its head, these dinosaurs are often found without their body. In fact, the dearth of ankylosaur bodies has vexed paleontologists, who are eager to learn more about how the hefty herbivores became clubbed-tailed, heavily armoured tanks.
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Dinosaurs Like T. Rex Were More Tyrannical Than We Realised, New Research Suggests
Large meat-eating dinosaurs took on the role of multiple species while growing up, resulting in a shocking lack of ecological diversity during the Mesozoic, according to new research.