Paleobiology is a scientific discipline that combines the methods and findings of the natural science biology with the study of paleontology. It focuses on understanding the biology of extinct organisms through analysis of fossilized remains, including their environments, interactions, and evolutionary processes. Paleobiologists examine the morphology, taxonomy, and functional anatomy of fossils to reconstruct how these organisms lived, their ecological interactions, and how they have evolved over time. This field also explores significant events in Earth’s history, such as mass extinctions and the evolutionary transitions that have shaped the diversity of life. Advanced techniques, such as isotopic analysis, computed tomography (CT) scans, and molecular paleobiology, have greatly enhanced the depth and breadth of research in paleobiology, making it a key discipline in understanding life’s history and its development on Earth.
A newly discovered Triassic crocodile relative demonstrates that pseudosuchian archosaurs inhabited global coastal areas, significantly enriching our understanding of Mesozoic marine ecosystems. Researchers have discovered…
A recent study has leveraged the fossil record to gain insights into the characteristics that render animals more susceptible to extinction due to climate change….
The research team has discovered complex microbial communities in ecosystems dating back over 3 billion years. Microorganisms are believed to be Earth’s earliest life forms,…
Scientists discovered a new species of extinct whale that lived in the ancient sea that once covered present-day Egypt around 41 million years ago. An…
The discovery of a new species marks the second hypsilophodont family member identified on the Isle of Wight, indicating that Europe hosted a unique group…
Researchers from the University of Leicester and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology employed advanced scanning technology to recreate a ‘fossil monster’ that lived half…
Scientists in Morocco have uncovered fossils of primitive cousins of T. rex that had short, bulldog snouts and even shorter arms have been discovered by…
New research indicates that flexibility was key to an ancient sea creatures’ success. Researchers have uncovered how one unusual species of trilobite — an ancient,…
A team of researchers has uncovered an ancient monkey skeleton at the ruins of Teotihuacán, Mexico, that suggests the earliest evidence of primate captivity, translocation,…
The “curious” creature with no anus was demonstrated to not be related to humans. An international study team has found that a mysterious microscopic creature…
Did the world’s largest prehistoric shark need an orthodontist, or did it just have a bad lunch? Researchers from North Carolina State University (NCSU) and…
Largest ever ichthyosaur tooth is among fossil discoveries including remains of a new beast, sized longer than a bowling alley. Paleontologists have discovered sets of…
A new analysis of the oldest known fossil microorganisms provides strong evidence to support an increasingly widespread understanding that life in the universe is common….
Biologists from Yale University have found an ancient fossil relative of sea urchins and starfish that displays a markedly different water vascular system — used…
Paleontologists now believe that mosasaurs gave birth to their young in the open ocean, not on or near shore. They weren’t in the delivery room,…
The conodont, an extinct primitive marine vertebrate, had the sharpest teeth ever known, with tips just one-twentieth of the width of a human hair, and…