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Scientists finally explain Earth’s strangest fossils
The Ediacara Biota are some of the strangest fossils ever found—soft-bodied organisms preserved in remarkable detail where preservation shouldn’t be possible. Scientists now think their survival in sandstone came from unusual ancient seawater chemistry that created clay “cements” around their bodies after burial. This process captured delicate shapes that would normally vanish. The finding helps clarify how complex life emerged before the Cambrian Explosion.
The Cost of Ignoring Fossil Fuel Pollution’s Health Impacts
From our collaborating partner Living on Earth, public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by Steve Curwood with Dr. Vanessa Kerry at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Ever since the Six Cities study, led by Harvard University’s public health experts, first found in the 1990s that coal power plant smokestacks were […]
(Rescheduled from Jan 26) Behind the Science: Herbivores That Chewed Through Time: How Insects and Pathogens Responded to Earth’s Biggest Events
Announcing a new After-Hours series at the National Museum of Natural History: Behind the Science A monthly after-hours series featuring NMNH scientists and researchers Each month, join the National Museum of Natural History for the new series, Behind the Science, where NMNH researchers share insights into their latest discoveries and explore the fascinating questions driving their work—from the origins of life to the future of our planet. Come learn what’s happening behind the scenes and how science shapes our understanding of the natural world. Programs take place in Q?rius, the Coralyn W. Whitney Science Education Center. Topics and speakers announced on a rolling basis, but save the dates now! February 10 (RESCHEDULED FROM JAN 26): Conrad Labandeira, Paleobiology The leaves of plants are everywhere. They provide the primary documentation of insect and pathogen feeding styles – or herbivory – on plants in the modern and fossil records. Leaves also are the most abundant, macroscopic item in the fossil record during the past 400 or so million years. During the past 25 years, studies of insect and pathogen damage on fossil and modern leaves have addressed the response of herbivores to major events of the fossil record. These events include, in chronological order, the origin of herbivory itself, the appearance of seed plants, the profound ecological crisis at the end of the Paleozoic, the appearance of flowering plants, the profound ecological crisis at the end of the Mesozoic, and a major change in the global climate 56 million years ago. Let’s put damaged, fossil leaves to work in helping us to understand how insect and pathogen herbivores have historically transformed the world we live in. Upcoming Dates: Jan. 26: Feb. 10: Conrad Labandeira, Paleobiologist Mar. 10: Briana Pobiner, Anthropologist Apr. 14 May 11 Jun. 9 Jul. 14 Aug. 11 Sep. 15 Oct. 13 Nov. 10 Dec. 8
A Bite-Size Column About Delight and Wonder in Science
In Trilobites, reporters aim to share new findings in the science world, be it interspecies friendships or discoveries of ancient fossils.
Motorists’ Party Brings MAGA to Czech Politics
The Czech Republic’s new environment minister is leader of a pro–fossil fuel party called Motorists for Themselves. It’s part of a right-wing backlash in Europe, moving to kill off the EU’s Green Deal.
Fuelling the Future: How Business, Finance and Policy can Accelerate the Clean Fuels Market
Amid rising global energy demand and evolving market dynamics, clean fuels are a key pillar for a more secure, affordable and sustainable energy system. Examples ranging from biofuels, e-fuels and hydrogen derivatives to lower-carbon fossil fuels offer multiple sources of economic and societal value. This report, produced in collaboration with Bain & Company, highlights the important role of expanding clean fuels in our future energy system. Clean fuels have been shown to reduce import dependence on fossil fuels by 5-15%, while providing two to three times the job intensity of conventional fuels. They can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and support productive land use – provided well-designed policies protect land, biodiversity and water resources. The report’s analysis builds on consultations with expert stakeholders to present success stories and key insights to help business leaders and policy-makers overcome barriers to greater investment in the sector. The paper is complemented by a digital playbook of solutions drawing from real-world case studies and success stories from across the clean fuels industry. For more information or to inquire about joining the initiative, please visit the Future of Clean Fuels initiative page.
🧪 Science with Sarah: Fossil Sandwiches🦖🍞
Hello parents, teachers and students! If you’re looking for a fun way to explore how fossils are made, check out these gummy worms and bread fossils.
Science meets art at Harvard Museum of Natural History’s Glass Flower exhibit
Visitors can wander through halls filled with dinosaur fossils, mounted mammals, minerals and global wildlife specimens.
This Dinosaur Really Knew How to Get a Grip
A fossil of Manipulonyx reshetovi, found in a Mongolian desert, shows how the dinosaur used its specialized claw to snatch eggs.
Homo erectus wasn't the first human species to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago, fossils suggest
A new analysis of enigmatic skulls from the Republic of Georgia suggest that Homo erectus wasn't the only human species to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago.
Tiny bump on 7 million-year-old fossil suggests ancient ape walked upright — and might even be a human ancestor
The way Sahaleanthropus tchadensis moved has long been debated. The discovery of a small bump on the front of the thigh bone is "beyond convincing" evidence this ape was bipedal.
Earth's early sponges were soft: Scientists close fossil record gap
Sponges are among Earth's most ancient animals, but exactly when they evolved has long puzzled scientists. Genetic information from living sponges, as well as chemical signals from ancient rocks, suggest ...
Fossils unearthed in Morocco are first from little-understood period of human evolution
Fossils unearthed in Morocco are the first from a little-understood period of human evolution and may be remains of a mysterious human ancestor.
With 100+ Signatories, NJ Business Coalition Urges Lawmakers to Oppose Climate Superfund Act
The New Jersey Business Coalition, with more than 100 signatories, have urged lawmakers to oppose the Climate Superfund Act, a bill that seeks to retroactively penalize New Jersey companies tens of billions of dollars for legally providing fossil fuels that are essential to residents’ survival and prosperity. Bill S-3545 (Smith, D-17; McKeon, D-27) is slated for a vote[...]
Texas clears the way for petrochemical expansion as experts warn of health risks
Public Health Watch chronicles, in 13 scenes, a fossil-fuel infrastructure boom that could worsen air pollution in some areas and exacerbate climate change.
Texas clears the way for petrochemical expansion as experts warn of health risks
Public Health Watch chronicles, in 13 scenes, a fossil-fuel infrastructure boom that could worsen air pollution in some areas and exacerbate climate change.
A legendary fossil is forcing scientists to rethink human origins
One of the most complete human ancestor fossils ever found may belong to an entirely new species, according to an international research team. The famous “Little Foot” skeleton from South Africa has long been debated, but new analysis suggests it doesn’t truly match any known Australopithecus species. Instead, researchers say its unique mix of features points to a previously unidentified human relative, reshaping ideas about early human diversity.
Say Goodbye To Fossil Fuels With This Gas Alternative Without Petroleum
Though our cars still need gas, they may not need petroleum for much longer; Aircela has found a way to create gas from the air itself.
This ancient fossil could rewrite the story of human origins
Scientists may have cracked the case of whether a seven-million-year-old fossil could walk upright. A new study found strong anatomical evidence that Sahelanthropus tchadensis was bipedal, including a ligament attachment seen only in human ancestors. Despite its ape-like appearance and small brain, its leg and hip structure suggest it moved confidently on two legs. The finding places bipedalism near the very root of the human family tree.
Fossilized bones are revealing secrets from a lost world
Researchers have uncovered thousands of preserved metabolic molecules inside fossilized bones millions of years old, offering a surprising new window into prehistoric life. The findings reveal animals’ diets, diseases, and even their surrounding climate, including evidence of warmer, wetter environments. One fossil even showed signs of a parasite still known today. This approach could transform how scientists reconstruct ancient ecosystems.
Alaska Science Forum: A whale of a mammoth tale
The youngest mammoth fossil ever found in mainland Alaska is from a creature that died 13,000 years ago.
Fresh bone analysis makes case for earliest ‘ancestor of humankind’, but doubts remain
Scientists argue ape-like Sahelanthropus tchadensis that lived in Africa 7m years ago is best contender but more fossils are needed
When did humanity take its first step? Scientists say they now know.
A new analysis of fossils uncovered in Central Africa offers additional evidence that a human ancestor walked upright 7 million years ago.
Scientists replayed evolution and found a surprise
Environmental change doesn’t affect evolution in a single, predictable way. In large-scale computer simulations, scientists discovered that some fluctuating conditions help populations evolve higher fitness, while others slow or even derail progress. Two populations facing different kinds of change can end up on completely different evolutionary paths. The findings challenge the idea that one population’s response can represent a whole species.
Earth’s worst extinction was followed by a shockingly fast ocean comeback
A spectacular fossil trove on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen shows that marine life made a stunning comeback after Earth’s greatest extinction. Tens of thousands of fossils reveal fully aquatic reptiles and complex food chains thriving just three million years later. Some predators grew over five meters long, challenging the idea of a slow, step-by-step recovery. The find rewrites the early history of ocean ecosystems.
How a Prentiss County fossil park changed science history
Northeast Mississippi is hundreds of miles away from any ocean waters that could make for a suitable home for an oyster. But roughly 74 million years ago, most of the state was submerged below the present-day Gulf of Mexico.
The Year in Climate: Attacks on Science, the Start of Trump’s Second Term and Surging Electricity Demand Foreshadow a Future Filled with Uncertainty
Global inaction on fossil fuel and plastic treaties, the dismantling of federal agencies and regulations and the rapid rise of data centers were just a few of the consequential stories that Inside Climate News tracked in 2025.
Historical mysteries solved by science in 2025
Researchers studied fossils, well-preserved remains and even a single fingerprint to solve some of history’s long-standing mysteries this year.
Scientists Extract Metabolic Molecules From Million-Year-Old Fossils for the First Time
Fossils can reveal far more than the shapes of ancient creatures. Molecules preserved inside old animal bones provide clues about past diseases, what those animals ate, and the climates they lived in. For the first time, researchers have examined metabolism-related molecules preserved in fossiliz
Scientists claim 'Lucy' may not be our direct ancestor after all, stoking fierce debate
Recent fossil finds could mean that "Lucy" wasn't our direct ancestor, some scientists say. Others strongly disagree.
Scientists found a hidden clock inside dinosaur eggshells
Researchers have found that fossilized dinosaur eggshells contain a natural clock that can reveal when dinosaurs lived. The technique delivers surprisingly precise ages and could revolutionize how fossil sites around the world are dated.
Ancient burrowing bees made their nests in the tooth cavities and vertebrae of dead rodents, scientists discover
Scientists made a unique discovery in a cave on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola: dozens of fossilized bee nests inside rodent bones that were deposited by owls thousands of years ago.
Ancient bees laid eggs inside bones
A 20,000 year old fossil uncovered in a tarantula-filled cave has paleontologists stunned.
Poll: Vote for Fort Collins-area Blue FCU Athlete of the Week (Dec. 15)
Vote for Blue FCU Athlete of the Week, with nominees from Liberty Common and Rocky Mountain basketball, Windsor/Rocky wrestling and Fossil swimming.
Scientists finally sequence the vampire squid's huge genome, revealing secrets of the 'living fossil'
The genetic link between squids and octopuses may just be found in the vampire squid genome.
Fossil science owes a debt to indigenous knowledge: Lesotho missionary’s notes tell the story
Long ago, people identified fossils in their environment and explained them within their own cultural framework. This was early citizen science.
Bulgaria: Delayed Coal Phaseout Fuels Health Harm
Bulgaria’s delayed decommissioning of coal-fired power plants contributes to dangerous air pollution, risks breaching new air quality standards, and is slowing down the country’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Caring for fossils at the Science Museum of Minnesota
It's not every day that you get to fulfill your childhood dreams. For Violet McCann '26, that dream came true through an internship at the Minnesota Science Museum.