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palaeontology

Brush-footed spider

Life

Exquisite spider fossils from Australia offer clues to their evolution

A large brush-footed trapdoor spider and a small jumping spider from the Miocene Epoch between 11 and 16 million years ago show how different arachnids responded to rapidly changing climate

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The Neanderthal woman was re-created and built by Dutch artists Andrie and Alfons Kennis. Research including fossil anatomy and a detailed study of DNA is present in the color of the skin and eyes. (Photo by Joe McNally/Getty Images)

Comment

The Naked Neanderthal review: Looking for the real Neanderthals

Culture

Reconstruction of an ancient marsupial ecosystem

Life

Ancient mini koala may help solve mystery of early marsupial evolution

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Humans

These ancient sand drawings could be a fifth type of palaeoart

Regulars

Environment

Extreme fires caused by ancient humans wiped out Californian megafauna

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Professor Lee Berger, palaeontologist, explorer and member of The National Geographic Society, gestures as he explains the scientific relevance of discovering Homo Naledi in the Rising Star caves system in The Cradle of Human Kind, on May 11, 2023. The news shakes the foundations of human evolution: world-renowned paleontologist Lee Berger announced on Monday that he had discovered the oldest graves ever found in South Africa, pushing back the first traces of mortuary practices by some 100,000 years . The oldest tombs discovered so far were found in Israel and Egypt at the beginning of the 20th century. They date from around 100,000 years before our era and house the remains of Homo sapiens, the direct ancestor of man. The burials unearthed in South Africa date from -200,000 to -300,000 years. (Photo by Luca Sola / AFP) (Photo by LUCA SOLA/AFP via Getty Images)

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Cave of Bones review: Lee Berger on the discovery of Homo naledi

Culture

The newly discovered Perucetus colossus, an ancient species of whale, is thought to be one of the largest and heaviest animals on record, reports a study published in Nature. Estimates of its size and weight, based on a partial skeleton, rival those of the blue whale, which was previously thought to be the heaviest animal ever to exist. The findings suggest that the trend towards gigantism in marine mammals may have begun earlier than previously thought. Reconstruction of Perucetus colossus in its coastal habitat. Estimated body length: ~20 meters. Credit: Alberto Gennari

Life

Ancient whale might have been the heaviest animal that ever lived

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Life

Amazing fossil hints mammals hunted dinosaurs three times their size

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Life

Fossil of pregnant ground sloth discovered with fetus inside

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Life

Bone disease in sabre-toothed tigers may be a sign of inbreeding

An analysis of bones from the La Brea tar pits in California reveals that sabre-toothed tigers and dire wolves had very high rates of osteochondrosis, which may stem from a dwindling gene pool as they neared extinction

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Life

Ancient reptiles' long necks made them vulnerable to decapitation

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Life

Extinct lizard was a bizarrely supersized version of modern skinks

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Life

Woolly mammoths had testosterone surges like those of male elephants

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Life

Broad-nosed ancient shark was one of earliest fish to smell in stereo

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