Giant, fearsome octopuses may have once ruled the ancient seas, according to new research that flips the script on their evolutionary past. By uncovering exquisitely preserved fossil jaws hidden inside rock, scientists revealed that early octopuses from the age of dinosaurs weren’t shy, soft-bodied drifters—they were massive apex predators, possibly...
Scientists just discovered Africa is closer to breaking apart than we thought
Beneath East Africa’s Turkana Rift, scientists have found the crust is thinning to a critical point, suggesting the continent is gradually breaking apart. This “necking” process marks an advanced stage of rifting that could eventually lead to a new ocean forming millions of years from now. Surprisingly, the same geological...
Lost Millennium of Galápagos Deep-Sea Corals Linked to Major Pacific Climate Shift
The research, led by the University of Bristol in collaboration with international scientists and published in PNAS today [insert date], analysed more than 900 fossil deep-sea stony corals collected from depths of up to 1,000 metres.
Beavers Leave a Trail as They Head into the Arctic
A study has provided new evidence of beavers’ expansion into the Canadian Arctic by dating the changes they have made to the tundra landscape as they spread northwards.
Fires, Droughts, and Windstorms Reduce the Diversity of Amazonian Vegetation
Even after fires, severe droughts, and windstorms, the vegetation in degraded Amazonian forests demonstrates a high capacity for regeneration, including tree species.
Stunning 132 million-year-old dinosaur tracks are rewriting history
A long-standing mystery in southern Africa’s fossil record is beginning to unravel. After massive lava flows 182 million years ago seemed to erase evidence of dinosaurs in the region, scientists have now uncovered surprising new clues along the Western Cape coast. Dozens of dinosaur tracks, about 132 million years old,...
This 100 million-year-old snake had hind legs and a lost bone that changes evolution
Nearly 100 million years ago, snakes weren’t the sleek, limbless creatures we know today—they still had hind legs and even a cheekbone that has almost vanished in modern species. A remarkably preserved fossil of Najash rionegrina from Argentina has reshaped how scientists think about snake origins, suggesting early snakes were...
Ancient mass grave reveals how a pandemic wiped out a city 1,500 years ago
A newly confirmed mass grave in ancient Jordan offers chilling insight into one of history’s first pandemics. Hundreds of plague victims were buried within days, revealing how the Plague of Justinian devastated entire communities. The findings show that people who usually lived spread out across regions were suddenly concentrated in...
New Website Helps Landowners Track Wildfire Recovery, View History
Following historic wildfires that have burned nearly one million acres of Nebraska grazing lands this spring, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has launched a new online hub that integrates science, mapping and field-based documentation in one place.
Alaska Climate Report: March 2026 Saw Dangerous Weather
March brought a series of dangerous and disruptive weather events across Alaska.