Paleontology Archives

Depiction of Magnicornaspis garwoodi gen. et sp. nov. USNM PAL 801575. A Complete specimen. Boxes with solid lines show close ups C and D. Boxes with dotted lines show areas that were imaged using SEM and EDS maps in Figs. 3 and 4. B Line drawing of specimen. C Close up of cephalon showing hypertrophied spine. D Close up of pygidium, showing terminal spine. E Reconstruction of Magnicornaspis garwoodi gen. et sp. nov. (A, C, D) under flash photography. Abbreviations: On: optical notch. T: thoracic tergite. Numbers (1–7) indicate thoracic tergite numbers -- BMC Biology

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Forgotten Fossil Helps Rewrite Part Of Animal Evolution

by Keith CowingJune 1, 2026June 1, 2026

New research helps to fill in questions about the so-called “Furongian gap” from about 497 million to 485 million years ago, when palaeontologists previously thought there were far fewer fossils […]

Intertwined filaments, as seen in the photo, help corroborate the conclusion that these are not marks left by animals (photo: Bruno Becker-Kerber/Harvard University)

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

Microfossils interpreted as animal traces were actually algae and bactéria

by Keith CowingMay 25, 2026May 25, 2026

A reexamination of microfossils found in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul shows that the marks previously interpreted as traces of worms or other small oceanic animals are […]

XPol with first order red filter micrograph of artificially decayed Meleagris proximal epiphysis of femur. (A) Gold and blue regions suggest bone collagen remnants. Scale bar 200 μm. (B) Gold regions turn blue and blue regions turn gold after rotating the stage showing birefringence that confirms collagen remnants. Lavender regions with little to no birefringence we interpret as collagen-depleted, similar to the patchy pattern of collagen that XPol reveals in fossil bone. -- Analytical Chemistry via PubMed

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Sample Return, Status Report

Biosignatures: Evidence for Endogenous Collagen in Edmontosaurus Fossil BoneAnalytical Chemistry via PubMed

by Keith CowingMay 16, 2026May 16, 2026

Reports of proteins in fossilized bones have been a subject of controversy in the scientific literature because it is assumed that fossilization results in the destruction of all organic components.

SEM photomicrograph -- Geology via PubMed

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Tricks of Nature From the Ancient Earth and Early Mars: Chemical Gardens Generate Biomorphs With High Preservation Potential

by Keith CowingMay 8, 2026May 8, 2026

Observations of morphology are commonly used to evaluate the biogenicity of terrestrial microfossils and could constitute a crucial line of evidence for extraterrestrial life‐detection missions in the future.

a, (i), Lepidodendron reconstruction; (ii), leaf and leaf scar of Lepidodendron; (iii), Lepidodendron strobile and sporangia; (iv), Lepidodendron sporophyll and sporangia; (v), Lepidodendron sporophyll. b, (i), Tomiostrobus reconstruction, modified after ref. 13; (ii) to (iv), Tomiostrobus (= Annalepis) sporophyll with sporangia from Permian–Triassic transitional Kayitou Formation in South China. c, (i), Pleuromeia reconstruction based on in situ Pleuromeia fossil from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China; (ii), Pleuromeia vegetative leaf from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China; (iii), Pleuromeia sanxiaensis sporophyll with sporangia from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China; (iv), Pleuromeia marginulata sporophyll with sporangia from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China. d, (i), One possible reconstruction of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) based on in situ fossils from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China; (ii), adaxial side of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) sporophyll with sporangia; (iii), abaxial side of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) sporophyll. e, (i), Another possible reconstruction of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) based on in situ fossils from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China; (ii), adaxial side of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) zelleri sporophyll with sporangia from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China. f, Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) zelleri sporophyll assemblage in circle from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China. g, adaxial side of the Lepacyclotes (= Annalepis) brevicystis sporophyll with sporangia from Middle Triassic Badong Formation in South China, modified after ref. 29. h, (i), Isoetes sketch; (ii) adaxial side of the Isoetes sporophyll with sporangia. The grey circle inside the sporophyll shows sporangium. -- Nature Ecology & Evolution

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Impact events, Origin & Evolution of Life, Plant Biology, Press Release

How Primitive Plants Evolved To Survive Earth’s Most Catastrophic Extinction Event

by Keith CowingApril 21, 2026April 21, 2026

How primitive plants evolved to survive Earth’s most catastrophic extinction event.

Relationship between total group age T and crown group age tcg across various diversification rates λ − µ, equation 4. The heatmap represents the crown group age for a given rate and total group age (isolines are presented for reference). The orange dot-dashed line is the minimum value for T to fit the observed eukaryotic-grade fossil record of the late Palaeoproterozoic (1780 Ma), the red-dashed isoline is the minimum age for tcg fitting the observed crown-eukaryote fossil record from the end of the Mesoproterozoic (1050 Ma), and the grey interval is the range of possible tcg require to obtain the living diversity for a given rate and total age. The isolines for late LECA (tcg = 1200) or generous late LECA (tcg = 1400 Ma) are the red-dotted lines. -- biorxiv.org

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return, Status Report

Clade Dynamics Support An Early Origin Of Crown Eukaryotes

by Keith CowingApril 7, 2026April 7, 2026

The timing of the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA) remains a fundamental question in evolutionary biology and palaeontology. Unambiguous eukaryotic-grade fossils appear from 1780 Ma, but no crown-group supergroups are […]

The researchers focused on exceptionally well-preserved sedimentary rocks deposited on ancient seafloors in what is now southern Sweden. Credit Unil

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Refining The Clock Of Earth’s Early Complex Animal Life

by Keith CowingMarch 18, 2026March 18, 2026

How can we measure time more than 500 million years into the past? A study recently published in Nature Communications by researchers at the University of Lausanne presents a new […]

Morphological comparison of the Apex Chert and the Strelley Pool Formation microfossils with EM-P. Images (A-D) are TEM images of EM-P cells forming intracellular vesicles (ICVs) and intracellular daughter cells. The numbered arrows in these images point to different stages of ICV formation (see Figure 1—figure supplement 1 and 2). Images (E, F, K & L) show TEM, SEM, and STED microscope images of EM-P cells with ICVs and surface depressions (black arrows). Cells in image F were stained with universal membrane stain, FM5-95 (red), and DNA stain, PicoGreen (green). Images (G-J & M) are spherical microfossils reported from the Apex Chert and the Strelley Pool Formation, respectively (originally published by Schopf and Packer, 1987; Delarue et al., 2020 ; Schopf and Packer, 1987; Delarue et al., 2020). Cyan arrows in images (E-H) point to cytoplasm sandwiched between large hollow vesicles. The arrow in the image I points to the dual membrane enclosing the microfossil. Morphologically similar images of EM-P cells are shown in Figure 1—figure supplement 3. Black arrows in images (K-M) point to surface depressions in both EM-P and the Strelley Pool Formation microfossils, possibly formed by the rupture of ICVs as shown in (D & E) (arrows) (also see Figure 1—figure supplements 4–6). Scale bars: (A-D) (0.5 µm) (E, K, & L) (2 µm), and 5 µm (F). -- eLife

Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Status Report

On The Nature Of The Earliest Known Lifeforms

by Keith CowingFebruary 25, 2026February 25, 2026

Microfossils from the Paleoarchean Eon are the oldest known evidence of life. Despite their significance in understanding the history of life on Earth, any interpretation of the nature of these […]

Source: Vladislav Egorov (3D model), Jaagup Metsalu (render) - Estonian Museum of Natural History - Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0 File:Estonian Museum of Natural History - trilobite - Hydrocephalus.png

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Sample Return

Biosignatures: Detection Of A Biopolymer In 500 Million Year Old Trilobite Fossils

by Keith CowingFebruary 23, 2026February 23, 2026

A UT San Antonio-led international research team has identified chitin, the primary organic component of modern crab shells and insect exoskeletons, in trilobite fossils more than 500 million years old, […]

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release

Huayuan Biota Decodes Earth’s First Phanerozoic Mass Extinction

by Keith CowingJanuary 30, 2026January 30, 2026

Around 540 million years ago, Earth’s biosphere underwent a pivotal transformation, shifting from a microbe-dominated world to one teeming with animal life, as nearly all major animal phyla appeared abruptly […]