Articles for tag: Ancient Proteins, Collagen, Extinctions, fossil analysis, megafauna, Paleobiology

Megafauna

What Lurks in Fossil Fragments? Scientists Use Collagen to Rewrite History

Suhail Ahmed

For decades, the fossilized bones of Australia’s megafauna giant marsupials once rovers of the continent have murmured secrets just beyond our reach. Too often, these remains are scattered, degraded, or insufficient to recognize. But now thanks to an unexpected key collagen scientists have opened a fresh window into the past. Three massive extinct species, a ...

Short-beaked echidna walking on the grasses

Ancient Echidna Fossil Challenges Evolutionary Assumptions

April Joy Jovita

A newly analyzed fossil has revealed surprising insights into the evolutionary history of echidnas, suggesting that their ancestors may have lived in water before transitioning to a terrestrial lifestyle. This discovery challenges long-held beliefs about monotreme evolution and highlights a rare instance of mammals evolving from aquatic to land-based existence. The Discovery of Kryoryctes Cadburyi ...