A revolutionary study from the University of Liverpool has upended fundamental assumptions about the fossilization process, potentially transforming how scientists approach the study of ancient life.

Explore the simulated fossilization process that helps paleontologists create realistic artificial fossils to unlock nature's secrets. The project began when paleontologist Evan Saitta decided that he ...

“A DNA strand, like me, is a blueprint for building a living thing” says the anthropomorphic double-helix Mr. DNA at the beginning of 1993’s Jurassic Park, “...And sometimes, animals that went extinct ...

For many years, it was widely believed that fossils no longer contained any original organic molecules as the fossilization process was thought to destroy them. Now, a groundbreaking study, led by the ...

Most animals and plants never fossilize. For those that do, it's usually only hard parts such as bones and shells that preserve. However, in some exceptional cases, soft tissues such as muscles and ...

The minerals involved in the fossilization of ancient life can have a dramatic effect on how that fossil turns out. They might be opalized or rainbow-colored, or perhaps glittering like an ornate lump ...

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment. Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the ...

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 ...

Many feathered dinosaurs couldn’t fly — at least, not like birds do today. But the reptiles’ feathers may have been more birdlike than scientists thought. Yet fossilization can change feather proteins ...

It’s frustrating and gross, but we’ve all done it. We’ve all stepped in poop. Most of us would like to forget the experience. But 33 million years ago, now-extinct life forms stepped in it, and ...

They’re not many people’s favorite bird, likely due to their macabre associations, but recently a vulture has got the scientific community very excited. That’s because the vulture in question is ...

Palaeontologists discover molecular evidence of phaeomelanin, the pigment that produces ginger coloration. Phaeomelanin is now toxic to animals – this discovery may be first step in understand its ...