14.09.2024
Questions about the gigantism of ancient animals inevitably arise for anyone interested in paleontology. Dinosaurs undoubtedly lead the way in popularity, but other animals—mammoths, dragonflies, sharks, sloths, crocodiles, pterosaurs, and even some species of primates—also capture the imagination. In fact, any ancient creature that exceeds a certain stereotypical size norm often prompts people to ask: Why were animals so much bigger in the past? Before answering this question, let’s explore three popular myths associated with this topic.
13.09.2024
Millions of years ago, during the Devonian period, lobe-finned fish made an evolutionary leap and ventured onto land as amphibians. Their descendants spread across all continents and even conquered the skies. However, some of these creatures returned to their original habitat—the water. These animals are known as secondary aquatic species, as they had to readapt to life in water. Independently of one another, they developed similar adaptations because their new environment, the ocean, was universal. The first to return to the marine world were reptiles, and their golden age occurred during the Mesozoic era. In this article, you will be introduced to the main groups of marine reptiles that inhabited our planet during the time of the dinosaurs.
13.09.2024
Did Dinosaurs Really Go Extinct?
Approximately 66 million years ago, one of the most significant mass extinctions in Earth’s history occurred. Paleontologists refer to it as the “Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction,” but most people know it as the “Dinosaur Extinction.” It is widely believed that this group of reptiles vanished from the face of the planet forever. However, that is not entirely true.
If you ask a specialist, they will tell you that all non-avian dinosaurs disappeared. But birds, which modern research classifies as theropod dinosaurs, survived the extinction and are thriving today. It may feel strange to think of birds as living dinosaurs, but let’s explore whether birds have any unique characteristics that their dinosaur ancestors lacked.
13.09.2024
Tyrannosaurus rex—the true king of dinosaurs. T. rex has rightfully become an icon of paleontology. This enormous seven-ton predator embodied many advanced traits. Let’s take a closer look at them.
13.09.2024
What can we learn about an extinct animal from a single tooth? For example, a dinosaur. Many people believe that paleontologists often speculate when they describe in detail the appearance and lifestyle of these ancient reptiles based on a single find—such as a tooth. Even avid enthusiasts of paleontology sometimes doubt how so much information can be gleaned from such a small bone.