Fossils
Latest about Fossils
![Full-body specimens of Acipenser praeparatorum, a newly described species from the Hell Creek Formation in Wyoming.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NiR7oT2sxMprvyvKYQqhkZ-320-80.jpg)
'Hell fish' likely killed by dinosaur-ending asteroid is preserved in stunning detail
By Joanna Thompson published
Scientists recently unearthed stunning fossils of sturgeon from Hell's Creek that might have died on the day that the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck.
![An animation of the ancient 'shark' Fanjingshania renovata swimming.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hHt5FohodooZKpAzndeQzN-320-80.gif)
Bizarre, primeval sharklike fish is unlike any vertebrate ever discovered
By Harry Baker published
Researchers in China have discovered fossilized fragments of an ancient shark-like fish — the oldest jawed vertebrate ever discovered.
![An artist reconstruction of Wufengella bengtsoni.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ukABrpwyYxi3jRaBMyVxjR-320-80.jpg)
Ancient armored 'worm' is the Cambrian ancestor to three major animal groups
By Patrick Pester published
An armored "worm" from the Cambrian called Wufengella bengtsoni is the ancestor to three major animal groups that have totally different lifestyles today, a new study finds.
![A composite view of Protocodium sinense, a new species of green algae from more than 541 million years ago. To the left is an external view of the fossil, followed by a view through the outer layer (green) and an image of the inner core (gold).](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cyiqggCzw7LZN3mUJdp7cF-320-80.jpg)
Plants evolved even earlier than we thought, exquisite 3D fossils suggest
By Stephanie Pappas last updated
The oldest three-dimensional green algae fossil ever found dates back more than half a billion years and may reveal that plants are older than believed.
![An artistic representation of the "alien goldfish" Typhloesus wellsi hunting prey.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WcJebHgJR3VJp5dcFgXxzn-320-80.jpg)
Ancient 'alien goldfish' shot toothy 'tongue' out of its gut to catch prey
By Patrick Pester published
"Alien goldfish" from the Carboniferous had toothy tongue-like structures that resembled those in living mollusks, a new study finds.
![An illustration of Brasilodon quadrangularis, which a new study claims is the earliest known mammal.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MrnN9VyXRJwdePaE5hSchD-320-80.jpg)
Mammals lived alongside some of the earliest dinosaurs, controversial study claims
By Patrick Pester published
The earliest known mammal was a shrewlike animal that emerged in the Triassic period with the first dinosaurs, a controversial new study claims.
![An illustration of the extinct giant otter called Enhydriodon omoensis.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JEo8TZ9PCmMYeLAyR6V6R6-320-80.jpg)
Lion-size otters prowled Ethiopia 3 million years ago
By Patrick Pester published
The remains of an extinct lion-size otter have been discovered in Ethiopia, and it's the biggest otter on record, a new study finds.
![Visual representation of Otodus megalodon’s predatory attack on a small whale, with possible origin of the crushed vertebra.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/CC7VZW57v9hZcarjQt2QAP-320-80.jpg)
Terrifying megalodon attack on whale revealed in 15 million-year-old fossils
By Joshua A. Krisch last updated
A megalodon tooth found suspiciously close to two fractured whale vertebrae may reflect one small whale's heroic escape from the jaws of a giant prehistoric shark.
Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now
Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.