Fossils

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Skull of hummingbird-sized dinosaur found preserved in amber

A photo of a green seaweed fossil dating back 1 billion years. The image was captured using a microscope as the fossil itself is 2 millimeters long, roughly the size of a flea. The dark color of this fossil was created by adding a drop of mineral oil to the rock in which it's embedded, to create contrast © Virginia Tech

Billion-year-old seaweed fossil suggests algae is 200 million years older than we previously thought

Prehistoric scorpion one of the first creatures to scuttle onto dry land (New species of prehistoric scorpion may have been early land explorer © Andrew Wendruff/PA)

Prehistoric scorpion one of the first creatures to scuttle onto dry land

Fossilised skull reveals face of early human ancestor © ESA

Fossilised skull reveals face of early human ancestor

Dinosaurs: now in colour (Caihong juji © Magic Torch)

Technicolour dinosaurs New discoveries are revealing how ancient dinosaurs lived

How do dinosaur footprints get fossilised? © Getty

How do dinosaur footprints get fossilised?

Fossil of first known perching bird found © Lance Grande/Field Museum

Fossil of first known perching bird found

The walk of prehistoric life © Tomislav Horvat (EPFL Lausanne), Kamilo Melo (EPFL Lausanne)

The walk of prehistoric life

What was the ancient animal Orobates? © Thomas Martens

What was the ancient animal Orobates?

Dinosaurs snuffed out in their prime (Reconstruction of a late Maastrichtian (~66 million years ago) palaeoenvironment in North America, where a floodplain is roamed by dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex,Edmontosaurus and Triceratops. Image © Davide Bonadonna)

Dinosaurs snuffed out in their prime

Strange blob-like creature could be the Earth's first moving lifeform © A. El Albani / IC2MP / CNRS - Université de Poitiers

Strange blob-like creature could be the Earth’s first moving lifeform

Recently discovered remains of the extinct Thylacoleo carnifex have forced a rethink of the marsupial lion’s biomechanics © Getty

Skeleton of Australia’s marsupial lion rebuilt

Cliff erosion uncovers treasure trove of dinosaur footprints © Neil Davies

Cliff erosion uncovers treasure trove of dinosaur footprints

310-million-year-old 'line-dancing' footprints discovered © Stephen Rowland

310-million-year-old ‘line-dancing’ footprints discovered

Tubular fossils believed to represent early microbes. © Matthew Dodd

How we discovered the world’s oldest fossils