Tag: Paleontology
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Tiny fossil fish rewrites freshwater evolution after 70 million-year mystery
New fossil sheds light on early freshwater fish evolution A remarkably small 4 cm fossil fish, hidden for 70 million years, is reshaping the story of how freshwater ecosystems evolved. Discovered in modern Canada and detailed in the reputable journal Science, the specimen has been named Acronichthys maccognoi. The fossil, dating to the Late Cretaceous…
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Big lego: How the largest dinosaur found was brought to Science Centre Singapore
The giant makes its grand entrance Singapore is hosting a creature that dwarfs most others in the natural world. The Patagotitan mayorum, the largest known dinosaur, stands about 6 metres tall and would have stretched across three badminton courts in life. Today, it dominates a new exhibition, Dinosaurs | Extinctions | Us, at Science Centre…
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Big lego Behemoth: Patagotitan mayorum Arrives at Science Centre Singapore
Patagotitan mayorum lands in Singapore Rising to about 6 metres and spanning the length of three badminton courts, Patagotitan mayorum dominates the hall at Science Centre Singapore. This Cretaceous giant would have roamed the forests of Patagonia around 100 million years ago, grazing on vegetation with the help of a long neck. Today, it travels…
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Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish
A new timeline for the origin of otophysan fish Scientists have long noted that two‑thirds of all freshwater fishes possess a sophisticated hearing system known as the Weberian apparatus, a set of middle-ear bones that lets these fish hear much higher frequencies than most ocean species. In a stunning revision of this history, UC Berkeley…
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Fossilized Ear Bones Rewrite Freshwater Fish History
Weberian Ear Bones Rewrite Freshwater Fish Origins For millions of years, freshwater fish have wowed scientists with their remarkable hearing abilities. Central to this capability is the Weberian apparatus, a set of small, bone-based connectors that transfers sound from an air-bladder system to the inner ear. In two-thirds of today’s freshwater species, including ubiquitous catfish…
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Ancient Flight-Enabled Ancestors Carried Flightless Birds Across Oceans
Rewriting the dispersal tale: oceans, not just drift Birds are celebrated for their aerial prowess, yet a surprising twist in their story emerges from new research. Scientists have found that the ancestors of today’s flightless giants, including ostriches, emus and kiwis, were once capable of long distance flight across open oceans. This challenges the traditional…
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Flightless Birds: Ancestors Once Flew Across Oceans
New genetic data reshapes the story of flightless birds Birds are often celebrated for their ability to conquer the skies, but a growing body of research suggests the opposite may be true for the ancestors of today’s flightless giants. A new study points to a surprisingly recent shift from flying ancestry to ground-dwelling endurance, proposing…
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Tongue-Bite Innovation Rewrites 310 Million-Year Fish Evolution
Unveiling the Tongue-Bite: A 310-Million-Year Innovation A recent study by a University of Michigan-led team reveals the earliest known tongue-like biting structure in an ancient fish. The species, Platysomus, lived about 310 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian period, a time when ray-finned fishes were experimenting with new feeding strategies. The discovery shows that these…
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Fossil Redraws Fish Feeding History: 310-Million-Year-Old Tongue-Bite in Platysomus
Introduction: A breakthrough in the history of feeding A University of Michigan scientist and colleagues have uncovered what may be the earliest evidence of a tongue-like biting structure in a ray-finned fish. Dating to about 310 million years ago, during the early Pennsylvanian period, the fossil belongs to the genus Platysomus. This discovery marks a…
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Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals—Ancient Origins
Sea Sponges: Earth’s First Animals — New clues from ancient rocks In a study highlighted by scientists today, MIT geochemists report new evidence from some of the planet’s oldest rocks that suggests the ancestors of modern sea sponges could be among the first animals to emerge on Earth. The findings, published in the Proceedings of…