Dinosaurs & Fossils News

Feather Fossils Could Yield Dinosaur Colors

LiveScience.com - Tue Jul 8, 6:21 PM ET

Artists may now be able to paint dinosaurs and ancient birds and mammals in their true colors, thanks to the discovery of pigment residues in fossilized feathers. In recent years, paleontologists have found fossil feathers in about 50 rock formations pegged to dates ranging from the Jurassic period (from about 200 million to 150 million years ago) to the late Tertiary (from 65 million to about 2 million years ago). These feathers are preserved as residues of carbon that were previously thought to be traces of feather-degrading bacteria. ...

  • Museum confirms discovery of rare fossil AP - Thu Jun 26, 4:55 PM ET

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Scientists with the Virginia Museum of Natural History have confirmed the discovery of a 500 million-year-old fossil called a stromatolite.

  • This undated handout artist rendering provided by Philip Renne shows a Ventastega. Scientists have found the fossil skull of the most primitive four-legged critter in Earth's history, a key point in the evolution from fish to animals that eventually walked on on land. At lower left are two Bothriolepis. (AP Photo/Philip Renne)
    Fossil of most primitive 4-legged creature found AP - Wed Jun 25, 8:12 PM ET

    WASHINGTON - Scientists unearthed a skull of the most primitive four-legged creature in Earth's history, which should help them better understand the evolution of fish to advanced animals that walk on land.

  • Utah announces 'major dinosaur fossil discovery' AP - Tue Jun 17, 8:39 PM ET

    SALT LAKE CITY - A newly discovered batch of well-preserved dinosaur bones, petrified trees and even freshwater clams in southeastern Utah could provide new clues about life in the region some 150 million years ago.

  • New Canadian Dinosaur Largely Mysterious LiveScience.com - Fri Jun 13, 10:55 AM ET

    A prospecting geologist stumbled upon a ragtag bunch of bones in the northern part of British Columbia, more than three decades ago. A new study suggests these fossils could represent a new species of dinosaur. But beyond that, the dinosaur's identity is a mystery - sort of a Dino Doe. The small collection of bones includes seven shin, arm and toe bones, as well as a possible skull fragment. Based on the shapes and sizes of the bones, paleontologists think they could have belonged to a type of small- to medium-sized dinosaur, possibly a pachycephalosaur or ornithopod. ...

  • Aussie dinosaur bone takes bite out of theory of continental drift AFP - Tue Jun 10, 7:07 PM ET

    PARIS (AFP) - A dinosaur bone discovered in Australia has defied prevailing wisdom about how the world's continents separated from a super-continent millions of years ago, a new study published on Tuesday said.