paleontology
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Three Extinct Mammals Found in Wyoming Were Part of the Post-Dinosaur Revolution
Paleontologists have found a bed of ancient mammal bones amid the dry, brush-covered landscape of Southern Wyoming. Three of those fossil finds belong to previously unknown species, and all the animals on the site paint a different picture about mammalian evolution in the wake of the dinosaurs’ demise after the devastating asteroid strike 66 million…
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2.5 Billion Tyrannosaurus Rex May Have Roamed Earth
In total, some 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex may have reached maturity and marauded the Cretaceous landscape, according to a new study published today in the journal Science. Though the researchers indicate a range in the plausible number of the apex predators, all signs point to an “absolute abundance” of the animals, as written in the…
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The Story of Real-Life Dire Wolves Is Finally Emerging
Dire wolves menaced Pleistocene landscapes for tens of thousands of years, eventually going extinct at the end of the last ice age. Despite the long success of this species, very little is known about them, including their origins and reasons for their demise. New research is helping to fill these gaps.
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Fancy Dinosaur With Bizarre Shoulder Decorations Was the Peacock of the Cretaceous
The re-analysis of an old fossil has revealed features never seen before in a dinosaur, including a long, fur-like mane along its back and a pair of stiff structures jutting out from its shoulders. Scientists say these elaborate decorations were likely used for display, in what is a very early version of peacocking.