developmentstoday

Ask DT AI Audio Brief Videos Podcast +

Ask DT AI Audio Brief Videos Podcast

HomeTagsfossils

#fossils

All articles tagged with "fossils"

Company

About Us
Advertise
Contact
Editorial Policy

Legal

Terms of Service
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
AI & Ethics Policy
Do Not Sell My Info
FAQ
Archive
Site Map

Discover

Newsletter
Ask DT AI
Audio Brief
Videos
Podcast
DT Premium

Connect

Twitter / X
Facebook
LinkedIn
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
Flipboard
RSS Feed

© 2026 Developments Today. All rights reserved.

518-million-year-old creature reveals the origins of spider fangs

518-Million-Year-Old Fossil Pushes Back Origin of Spider Fangs

A 518-million-year-old fossil preserves early chelicerae, the appendages that later evolved into spider fangs.
X-ray analysis revealed soft anatomy hidden inside the fossil-bearing rock.
The finding helps clarify early chelicerate evolution during the Cambrian.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Aug 4, 2026·via sciencedaily.com

More in Science→

Some dinosaurs could rise like giants until they grew too big

Study Suggests Some Sauropods Could Rear Up While Young

A new study modeled the stress on sauropod femurs during upright postures.
Two South American species appeared better suited to hind-leg rearing than larger sauropods.
The ability was likely stronger in younger, lighter individuals than in adults.
Possible uses include feeding, defense, and social display.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jul 21, 2026·via sciencedaily.com

More in Science→

A New Fossil Discovery Just Rewrote 150 Years of Evolutionary Theory

Fossil Hatchlings Challenge a Core Tetrapod Theory

A study described by 404 Media argues early tetrapods lacked a tadpole-like larval stage.
Researchers examined rare hatchling fossils from the fin-to-limb transition, including specimens from Mazon Creek.
The fossils reportedly show no evidence of the external-gill-style metamorphic phase long assumed in textbook accounts.
If confirmed, the finding would reshape how scientists interpret the developmental origins of land vertebrates.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 19, 2026·via 404media.co

More in Culture→

Remarkable fossils rewrite the story of how animals conquered the land

Fossil Babies Challenge How Early Tetrapods Grew Up

Baby embolomere fossils from Mazon Creek preserve soft tissue and egg yolk.
The juveniles lacked external gills and already showed adult-like anatomy.
The finding challenges the idea that early tetrapods generally passed through an amphibian-style larval stage.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 19, 2026·via newscientist.com

More in Science→

A lack of sex held back life's diversity for millions of years, fossil study finds

Asexual Reproduction Stalled Early Animal Evolution for Millions of Years, Fossil Study Shows

A new study from the University of Cambridge shows that asexual reproduction limited competition and slowed evolution in Earth's earliest animals.
The study focused on Ediacaran fossils dating from 574 million years ago.
Asexual reproduction, such as cloning via stolons, kept early animal diversity low for millions of years.
Environmental stress and competition eventually drove the development of sexual reproduction, accelerating evolutionary change.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Jun 9, 2026·via phys.org

More in Science→

An illustration of a blue long-necked dinosaur by a trees and river.

Thailand fossil find adds a giant new sauropod to Southeast Asia’s dinosaur record

Researchers described a new species, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, from northeastern Thailand.
The dinosaur may have measured about 90 feet long and weighed roughly 30 tons.
It is described in the supplied report as the largest sauropod yet found in Southeast Asia.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 17, 2026·via livescience.com

More in Science→

Extinct relative of koalas discovered in Western Australia

Western Australia’s lost koala relative reshapes the species’ recent past

Researchers identified a previously unrecognized koala species from Western Australian cave fossils.
The species appears to have survived until about 30,000 years ago.
Anatomical differences suggest a distinct feeding strategy and lower agility than modern koalas.
Its disappearance is linked in the source text to forest loss as the region dried.

DE

DT Editorial Team·May 6, 2026·via newscientist.com

More in Science→

50-foot ancient snake discovered in India may be one of the largest ever

Ancient Indian snake may have rivaled Titanoboa in size

Researchers described a giant snake species called Vasuki indicus from Gujarat
Its estimated length of about 11 to 15 meters puts it among the largest known snakes
The fossils suggest a thick-bodied, slow-moving ambush predator

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 30, 2026·via sciencedaily.com

More in Science→

A sketch of the giant octopus

Fossil Beaks Suggest Giant Cretaceous Octopuses Were Among the Ocean’s Top Predators

Researchers studied 27 fossil octopus jaws dating from 100 million to 72 million years ago.
One species, Nanaimoteuthis haggarti, may have reached 6.6 to 18.6 meters in total length.
AI-assisted imaging helped reveal previously hidden fossil beaks inside rock.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 24, 2026·via newscientist.com

More in Science→

South African Embryo Fossil May Push Back Direct Evidence of Egg-Laying in Mammal Ancestors

A Phys.org candidate describes a South African embryo fossil as the world’s oldest proof that mammal ancestors laid eggs.
The fossil is tied to therapsids, animals that lived between 280 and 200 million years ago.
The source notes that therapsids were first described more than 150 years ago from South African fossils.

DE

DT Editorial Team·Apr 13, 2026·via phys.org

More in Science→

How Shell-Cracking Turtles Outlived the Dinosaurs

Turtles that ate hard-shelled mollusks were over 5x more likely to survive the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact
Clams and snails proved resilient to the impact winter that devastated plant-based food chains
The study reconstructed ancient diets by analyzing fossil jaw mechanics across all turtle lineages

DE

DT Editorial Team·Mar 26, 2026·via phys.org

More in Science→