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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the fossils desk.
science
Two nearly complete skeletons from China identify Gerrothorax maritimus, a stem amphibian that lived about 237 million years ago. The fossils’ position far from land and associated strontium isotope evidence suggest it inhabited fully marine environments.
science
A fossil from southeastern China represents a newly described Late Jurassic avialan with a mix of bird-like and troodontid-like features. Its short forelimbs and comparative anatomy support a terrestrial, flightless lifestyle.
science
A nearly complete fossil from China reveals that the Early Cretaceous mammal Dongoconodon replaced teeth in multiple generations at some positions. Its skeleton also points to semiaquatic life and preserves a short connection between the middle-ear region and the jaw.
science
A 57-centimetre fossil from China has been named Norellraptor barsboldi, a new feathered microraptorine dinosaur. Comparing its anatomy with birds, the researchers conclude that many similar aerial adaptations evolved in different sequences in the two lineages.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports nanoscale chemical mapping of a roughly 150-million-year-old Giraffatitan brancai tooth. The researchers identified magnesium, organic-matter clusters and unexpected Cu3As particles in the enamel, offering clues about tooth formation and fossilisation.