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News
New species of extinct walrus discovered from UK fossils
The jawbone of Ontocetus posti helps to reveal how the animals became specialised suction feeders.
13 August 2024 -
Science news
Fossil hunter discovers new species of 210-million-year-old lungfish
Ferganoceratodus edwardsi suggests that many ancient lungfish are more closely related than first thought.
6 August 2024 -
What on Earth?
Griffinflies: The earliest flying insects
With wingspans that stretched a whopping 71 centimetres, these epic insects would have blocked out the Sun as they flew past.
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Science news
Rare 520-million-year-old larva could reveal more about early animal evolution
A three-dimensional preserved fossil larva has been found to contain traces of internal organs.
31 July 2024 -
Science news
Rare tooth from 55-million-year-old predator uncovered by seven-year-old boy
A molar found in sand from south London could shed light on the last days of an ancient mammal.
25 July 2024 -
News
Komodo dragons bite prey with iron-tipped teeth
Iron-rich enamel helps the world’s largest living lizard to keep its teeth sharp.
24 July 2024 -
Science news
Trilobite ‘Pompeii’ reveals 500-million-year-old animals preserved in exquisite detail
Some of the best three-dimensionally preserved fossil trilobites have been revealed from Morocco.
28 June 2024 -
Science news
Ammonite extinction at the end of the dinosaur era was not inevitable
The iconic marine molluscs might be alive today had Earth not been struck by a meteorite.
27 June 2024 -
News
Fossils of ancient predatory reptile named as new relative of crocodiles
A new species of 237-million-year-old reptile has been uncovered in Brazil.
21 June 2024 -
Dinosaurs
The Jurassic Period: How did dinosaurs go from basal to bulky?
By the end of the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs ruled our planet. But how they became such a diverse group remains a mystery.
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Science news
Dinosaurs were thriving in the Western USA before end Jurassic extinction
Scientists are trying to unravel the mysteries of an extinction event that occured in North America at the end of the Jurassic.
13 June 2024 -
News
World’s smallest great ape may have lived in Europe, researchers claim
While the researchers describing Buronius manfredschmidi claim it is a new species, not all scientists are convinced.
7 June 2024 -
News
Face of ancient Australian ‘giga-goose’ revealed after fossil skull found
After more than a century of searching, the head of one of the largest ever birds has been found.
3 June 2024 -
Science news
New species of sauropodomorph dinosaur from Zimbabwe reveals Africa’s hidden heritage
Musankwa sanyatiensis is just the fourth dinosaur species ever found from Zimbabwe.
30 May 2024 -
Science news
New species of ‘Dune-like’ carnivorous worm described from UK fossils
An ancient worm may have dragged itself along the sea floor, consuming whatever prey it could find.
23 May 2024 -
Science news
Earliest animal ecosystems may have played a role in the evolution of complex life
The first animal communities could have impacted on how complex life evolved over 550 million years ago.
17 May 2024 -
News
The world’s largest ever salmon had tusk-like teeth
Scientists now know more about how the three-metre-long Oncorhynchus rastrosus might have looked.
24 April 2024 -
News
Giant marine reptile found in the UK could be the largest ever discovered
A fossil jawbone, which may belong to the largest marine reptile ever discovered, has been found in Somerset.
19 April 2024 -
News
Ancient amphibian species named after Kermit the Frog
Kermitops gratus highlights the number of specimens waiting to be described in the world’s museums.
21 March 2024 -
News
Earliest fossilised forest discovered in Somerset
This rare find gives scientists an insight into how trees shaped life on land 390 million years ago.
15 March 2024 -
Science news
Snakes’ rapid evolution might be the secret of their success
They might not have legs, but snakes are outpacing their relatives in the race to evolve.
22 February 2024 -
Dinosaurs
The seven greatest dinosaur discoveries of the last 200 years
The discoveries that changed our understanding of dinosaurs over the past two centuries.
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News
‘Skin’ of ancient reptile was painted on, new research claims
A new study of Tridentinosaurus suggests that preserved skin is just black paint.
16 February 2024 -
Science news
New pterosaur from Skye reveals the hidden diversity of the Middle Jurassic
Discovered in Scotland, Ceoptera evansae has been named as a new species of pterosaur.
6 February 2024 -
News
Oldest evidence of Homo sapiens in northern Europe discovered
The first modern humans to live in northern Europe arrived more than 45,000 years ago.
31 January 2024 -
Science news
Early giant whale from Australia changes our understanding of whale evolution
A jawbone fragment overlooked for more than 100 years was once part of a nine-metre-long ancient whale.
20 December 2023 -
Science news
Better fossil dating could help to clear up human evolution
Going back to basics could help to unlock the mysteries of our origins.
18 December 2023 -
News
Ancient plant species revealed to be fossilised baby turtles
A case of mistaken fossil identity has been resolved after 20 years.
11 December 2023 -
News
Young tyrannosaurs may have eaten completely different food to their parents
An extraordinary dinosaur fossil has revealed what young tyrannosaurs were eating over 70 million years ago.
8 December 2023 -
Collections
What is a fossil?
Fossils are physical evidence of prehistoric animals and plants, but there may be more to them than you ever realised.
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Science news
Fungus named after Beatrix Potter is one of the earliest plant pests
The oldest disease-causing fungus on record has been found in the Natural History Museum’s collection.
5 December 2023 -
Science news
Unravelling the surprisingly complex history of crocodiles
Crocodiles have a deep and varied evolutionary past.
17 November 2023 -
News
New species of big-thumbed dinosaur discovered in Mongolia
Jaculinykus yaruui is thought to have dug for food using an enormous thumb on each hand.
16 November 2023 -
Science news
Insect trapped in amber reveals the evolutionary battles of ancient Europe
Katydids have been using ultrasounds for millions of years to try and avoid predators hearing them.
13 November 2023 -
Collections
Fossil preparation: How do we get specimens ready for display?
It takes time, endless patience and skill to transform a fossil into a museum-worthy exhibit.
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Science news
400-million-year-old fish fossil reveals how we got our arms
A question that has puzzled scientists for over 150 years may finally have been answered.
1 November 2023 -
Dinosaurs
Prehistoric plants: How to grow a dinosaur garden
Our Evolution Garden shows how plant life has changed over time and includes lots of examples that dinosaurs would recognise.
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News
From staple to superfood: how seaweed fed prehistoric Europeans
Dental plaque may help to reveal what prehistoric humans ate.
17 October 2023 -
Oceans
How trilobites conquered prehistoric oceans
Trilobites survived for more than 250 million years. But what made them some of the most successful early animals?
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Collections
What can shark teeth tell us?
Sharks have been around for millions of years. Their teeth are some of the most common fossils you can find.
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Human evolution
Homo habilis, an early maker of stone tools
This ancient human was once thought to be the first to make stone tools, but is this true?
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Science news
Discovery of Moroccan fossil footprints points to unknown dinosaur diversity
Researchers are hot on the trail of Morocco’s missing dinosaurs.
27 September 2023 -
News
Fossilised trilobite gut contents reveal what ancient arthropods were eating
For the first time ever, researchers have found a trilobite’s final meal.
27 September 2023 -
Dinosaurs
What happens when you find a dinosaur?
If you know what you’re looking at, little bits of bone can add up to something big.
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Science news
Identity of Jurassic plesiosaur fossils from Dorset could finally be revealed
Though the Portland plesiosaur made headlines in the 1960s, it has never been formally described.
21 September 2023 -
Science news
Ancient fish reveals how vertebrates put their heads together
New research on the 450-million-year-old Eriptychius suggests it could be a ‘missing link’ in the evolution of the vertebrate skull.
20 September 2023 -
Science news
Ancient bacteria species among the first of its kind to colonise land
A species of bacteria that lived 407 million years ago would have flourished among early land plants.
8 September 2023 -
Science news
Three-eyed ‘fossil monster’ could help explain how insects evolved
A marine predator living over 500 million years ago might bridge the gap between insects and their ancient relatives.
1 September 2023 -
News
Ancient otter-like seal relative may have used whiskers to find food
Whiskers may have been crucial to allow seals to adopt a life in water.
21 August 2023 -
News
New species of Triassic reptile reveals lifestyle of ancient pterosaur relatives
The new species, named Venetoraptor gassenae, suggests that the lagerpetids were more diverse than previously realised.
17 August 2023 -
Science news
How deep-sea drilling is helping to unravel elephant evolution
Elephants and their relatives evolved in a previously unappreciated way.
14 August 2023 -
Dinosaurs
The Isle of Wight: Welcome to Dinosaur Island
Discover a treasure trove of fossils just off Britain’s south coast.
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Collections
Seven highlights of Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur
Discover seven highlights from our exhibition Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur and uncover the secrets of the largest known animal to have ever walked the planet.
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News
New fossil whale might have been the world’s heaviest-ever animal
Fossils found in Peru are redefining the history of whale evolution.
2 August 2023 -
Fossil hunting: How to find fossils on the beach
All it takes is a bit of practice and plenty of patience.
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Science news
Cambrian apex predator probably preferred soft-bodied prey
A 500-million-year-old murder mystery has been solved.
5 July 2023 -
News
Missing Crystal Palace mammal recreated decades after disappearance
A new statue is joining the world’s oldest display of extinct wildlife in south London.
1 July 2023 -
News
Fossils reveal early modern humans in southeast Asia 77,000 years ago
Our ancient relatives may have reached southeast Asia over 10,000 years earlier than thought.
15 June 2023 -
News
Fossil reveals smallest sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Jurassic
The ancient relative of some of the largest ever animals may have been lighter than some humans.
14 June 2023 -
Science news
X-rays identify a 240-million-year-old mystery fossil
An ichthyosaur fossil found in Svalbard is finally revealing its secrets 15 years after it was discovered.
9 June 2023 -
News
Traces of ancient life found in 1.6-billion-year-old rocks in Australia
A previously unappreciated group of lifeforms are changing what we know about the evolution of life on Earth.
7 June 2023 -
News
Claims that Homo naledi buried their dead could alter our understanding of human evolution
New claims argue that the ancient human species Homo naledi buried their dead and made engravings.
5 June 2023 -
Science news
Bivalves were slow starters during the Cambrian explosion
The bivalves appear to have been left behind in history’s biggest ever burst of evolution.
31 May 2023 -
News
New sabre-toothed species reveals 'unprecedented' impact of largest ever extinction
A new fossil predator has offered an insight into the chaotic final years of the largest extinction of all time over 250 million years ago.
26 May 2023 -
News
New species of spinosaur suggests the predators co-existed in western Europe
Protathlitis cinctorrensis is the latest to be discovered in Spain, adding to the evidence that spinosaurs first evolved in Europe.
18 May 2023 -
Science news
Rare fossils fill a gap in the evolution of major animal groups
Exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Cambrian period have helped fill a gap in our understanding of the origin and evolution of major animal groups alive today.
11 May 2023 -
Science news
Crushed Scottish fossils reconstructed to reveal ancient predator's skull
Digital reconstructions of broken fossils have revealed more about the life of an ancient crocodile-like predator.
2 May 2023 -
Science news
Earliest ichthyosaur fossil discovered on remote Arctic Island
New research suggests that ichthyosaurs may have pre-dated the age of the dinosaurs after surviving Earth's largest mass extinction event.
18 April 2023 -
News
Beetles may have eaten dinosaur feathers and lived in their nests
The insects were frozen in time after being caught in amber, revealing rare evidence of how dinosaurs and insects interacted.
17 April 2023 -
Science news
First British fossils of therizinosaur and troodontid dinosaurs are world's oldest
The isolated teeth were identified using machine learning models, and could represent some of the earliest relatives of birds ever discovered.
14 April 2023 -
News
Oldest bat skeletons ever found described as new species
52-million-year-old fossils of Icaronycteris gunnelli offer researchers a deeper look at how bats evolved.
12 April 2023 -
Collections
Hidden Treasures: Season two of our behind-the-scenes live streams
Explore our collections and discover some of the many specimens you won't see on a regular visit to the Museum.
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Dinosaurs
The Cretaceous Period: What was Earth like before dinosaurs went extinct?
The Cretaceous Period is famous for ending with a massive asteroid impact, but what was our planet like in the millions of years before that?
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News
Dinosaurs may have had scaly 'lips' to protect their teeth from damage
Rather than keeping them permanently exposed, like crocodiles, a new study suggests the teeth of theropods would have been kept behind lips.
30 March 2023 -
Science news
Fossils reveal how giant amphibians swam on shores of ancient sea
Amphibians the size of crocodiles once lurked along the shores of ancient South Africa.
29 March 2023 -
News
The first known dinosaur egg? A new discovery from the Museum's collection
A serendipitous discovery revealed that a beautiful mineral has been hiding a secret for over 170 years.
29 March 2023 -
Science news
Longest ever necked dinosaur discovered in China
The discovery was made three decades after the species was first uncovered as scientists try to understand more about how sauropods evolved in what is now eastern Asia.
15 March 2023 -
News
New fossils challenge the identity of the oldest bryozoan
The oldest colonial animal might actually be one of the oldest types of seaweed.
8 March 2023 -
Behind the Science: Cassius Morrison spearheads inclusivity in the workplace
Museum Palaeontologist Cassius discusses and promotes inclusivity within science and other workplaces.
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Dinosaurs
What was the biggest dinosaur?
Get to know some of the largest dinosaurs to have ever walked the planet.
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News
The largest ever penguin species has been discovered in New Zealand
Kumimanu fordycei weighed an estimated 150 kilogrammes, demonstrating that penguins became large early in their evolution.
17 February 2023 -
News
Carnivorous dinosaur footprint is the largest found in Yorkshire
A fossil found in northern Britain is revealing insights into the behaviour of a 166-million-year-old carnivorous dinosaur.
16 February 2023 -
News
Spinosaur brain scans reveal possible new insights into their senses
It may have been a case of matter over mind for dinosaurs which lived around water.
14 February 2023 -
News
Oldest remains of ancient human relative Paranthropus suggest possible tool use
Early humans, and an ancient relative, may have been using complex stone tools as early as three million years ago.
9 February 2023 -
News
Bizarre filter-feeding pterosaur described from Germany
The ancient flying reptile would have used its toothed snout with a flared end to filter-feed.
27 January 2023 -
News
Fossilised nests of the world's largest dinosaur discovered in India
More than 250 titanosaur eggs have been uncovered in India, revealing more about the lives of some of the largest animals which ever lived.
18 January 2023 -
Science news
Unique trilobite trident could be the oldest evidence of male sexual combat
Fighting for mates may be a behaviour that dates back over 400 million years.
16 January 2023 -
Science news
Earliest insect ears reveal the soundscape of the dinosaur age
Katydids are the earliest known animals to evolve complex communication using sound.
13 January 2023 -
Science news
New species of large tortoise discovered after a century of mistaken identity
Though it may have gone extinct over 600 years ago, understanding more about Astrochelys rogerbouri could help to save its living relatives.
11 January 2023 -
Science news
Early dinosaur skulls show how meat-eaters became vegetarian
The skulls of early herbivores are helping scientists to understand how a diverse group of dinosaurs evolved different ways of eating plants.
4 January 2023 -
Science news
Museum scientists described 351 new species in 2022
It has never been more important to describe as much of the natural world as possible.
30 December 2022 -
News
Ankylosaurs may have used their tail clubs to fight each other, not predators
Competition between ankylosaurs may be responsible for their iconic tail clubs.
7 December 2022 -
Science news
Gloucestershire fossil suggests modern lizards could have Triassic origins
A new species of extinct lizard has been described from the Museum's collections.
2 December 2022 -
Science news
South African fossils reveal the lost world of ancient invertebrates
Leeches, mites and plants found at the site are revealing the ecosystems ancient animals walked over 260 million years ago.
30 November 2022 -
News
Giant glyptodont armadillos may have been hunted by early South Americans
A chink in the armour of giant South American armadillos may have left them vulnerable to human hunting.
25 November 2022 -
News
Evidence of the world's oldest meal may have been discovered
Algae and bacteria were on the menu for the early animal Kimberella shortly before it was buried over 500 million years ago.
24 November 2022 -
News
Europe's largest ever turtle species has been discovered
Measuring almost four metres in length, Leviathanochelys aenigmatica reveals that giant turtles were more common than previously thought.
17 November 2022 -
Science news
Earliest human fossils in the UK reveal how ancient Europeans were connected
Fossils discovered in Sussex were compared to human remains found in Spain from a similar time period to see if the populations are linked.
14 November 2022 -
News
Rediscovered casts bring back historic ichthyosaur fossil destroyed in war
The first complete ichthyosaur skeleton has resurfaced, despite being thought destroyed during World War Two.
2 November 2022 -
Science news
Neanderthal extinction may have been caused by sex, not fighting
The question of how the Neanderthals died out remains one of the biggest mysteries in human evolution.
31 October 2022 -
Science news
Exceptional Jurassic fossil lizard sheds light on early lizard evolution
The most complete Jurassic fossil lizard ever found has been discovered in Scotland.
26 October 2022 -
Science news
Sinuses offer new way of studying the evolution of ancient humans
While their function remains uncertain, the sinuses provide an insight into how ancient human skulls changed over time.
21 October 2022 -
News
Siberian remains could represent first-known Neanderthal community
Neanderthals may have lived in small groups of around 10 to 20, with females moving between the different communities.
19 October 2022 -
News
Mummified dinosaur could show evidence of scavenging by ancient crocodiles
Scavengers could help to preserve the soft tissue of the ancient reptiles by removing flesh and fluid from the body shortly after death.
13 October 2022 -
Science news
Scottish fossil reveals clues about the earliest pterosaurs
Living over 200 million years ago, Scleromochlus helps to show how ancient reptiles took their first steps towards flight.
5 October 2022 -
News
Researcher who sequenced Neanderthal genome awarded Nobel Prize
Professor Svante Pääbo, considered a founding father of palaeogenomics, has helped to reveal how humans evolved, and how we relate to our closest relatives.
3 October 2022 -
Science news
An ancient hairy, armoured worm lived in the oceans over 500 million years ago
A fossil from China has filled in a major gap in the evolutionary tree for life on Earth.
29 September 2022 -
Human evolution
Homo floresiensis: the real-life 'hobbit'?
Fierce debate has raged about the origins of the tiny ancient human species Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the 'hobbit'.
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Science news
The oldest known animal with mammalian-like teeth unearthed in Brazil
The dental record of a small animal has pushed back the origin of mammals by 20 million years.
16 September 2022 -
Science news
Small fossil reptile could help to explain large evolutionary mystery
The description of an extinct lizard-like animal may help reveal why its kind were rapidly pushed to the edge of extinction.
15 September 2022 -
News
Gliding reptiles have been taking to the skies for 260 million years
Researchers have reconstructed one of the first gliding reptiles in extraordinary detail.
12 September 2022 -
Science news
'Bird-hipped' Jurassic dinosaur was one of the first to live in herds
As the world recovered from a volcanic extinction event, Lesothosaurus may have banded together to help ward off predators.
25 August 2022 -
Science news
Detailed record of ancient British birds reveal potential rewilding candidates
For the first time the records of ancient British birds have been formally incorporated into the British List.
24 August 2022 -
News
Fossil teeth could represent Europe's last panda species
While the evolutionary history of the bears remains uncertain, it contributes evidence to suggestions that panda bears could have evolved in Europe.
1 August 2022 -
News
The oldest known animal predator has been uncovered in Leicestershire
The 560-million-year-old specimen of Auroralumina attenboroughii reveals that the origins of complex life may date back further than was previously known.
28 July 2022 -
News
Prehistoric giant stork competed with 'hobbit' human relative for food
Measuring almost two metres tall, Leptoptilos robustus would have lived in a unique ecosystem which included the mysterious miniature human relative Homo floresiensis.
13 July 2022 -
News
New dinosaur species reveals short arms evolved repeatedly in theropods
The tiny arms of Tyrannosaurus rex may bring ridicule, but a new dinosaur reveals they were part of a much larger trend.
7 July 2022 -
Collections
The Irish elk: when and why did this giant deer go extinct and what did it look like?
Fossil bones and antlers in the Museum's collection hold clues about the life and disappearance of Europe's biggest ever deer.
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News
Great white sharks could have contributed to megalodon extinction
Great whites and megalodon may have been competing for the same prey in the last years of the megalodon's life.
31 May 2022 -
News
The first people in Australia likely feasted on the eggs of giant ducks
Genyornis newtoni may have become extinct after humans stole and ate its eggs.
27 May 2022 -
News
Dinosaurs may have evolved from warm-blooded ancestor
Some dinosaurs, such as stegosaurs, may have needed to bask in the sun to keep their body temperature constant.
25 May 2022 -
Dinosaurs
Palaeoart: The history of bringing dinosaurs back to life
How we depict extinct animals has changed significantly over time, as artists keep up with the latest scientific discoveries.
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Science news
'Ghost' fossils reveal how oceans could be affected by climate change
Plankton which help feed the ocean, lock away carbon dioxide and even influence the weather may not be as vulnerable to climate change as feared.
19 May 2022 -
News
Fossil tooth could show the mysterious Denisovans made it to southeast Asia
The tooth of a young girl living hundreds of thousands of years ago may be from the Denisovans, an extinct hominid species of which very little is known.
18 May 2022 -
News
Trilobite fossil reveals how ancient arthropods mated
Male trilobites could have acted like modern horseshoe crabs, using claspers to grip females and increase their chance of fathering young.
11 May 2022 -
Science news
Whale faces reveal how the world's biggest animals evolved
We now know how whales evolved from furry, four-legged critters to giants of the ocean.
9 May 2022 -
News
Giant ichthyosaur fossils reveal the last days of Triassic marine reptiles
Some of the largest animals that ever lived retained their size right up until they were wiped out 200 million years ago.
29 April 2022 -
Science news
Ancient fossil may be the first bryozoan with a hard skeleton
It beats the previous record holder by tens of millions of years.
20 April 2022 -
News
Pterosaurs may have had coloured feathers similar to birds
The world's first flying vertebrates may also have been some of the biggest show-offs.
20 April 2022 -
News
Fossilised leg buried by dinosaur-killing asteroid uncovered in North America
With the finding yet to be published in a scientific journal, debate continues over whether this could be the case.
7 April 2022 -
News
Spinosaurus and Baryonyx may have hunted fish underwater
Spinosaurs were some of the only dinosaurs that spent much of their lives in water.
23 March 2022 -
News
One of the earliest sabre-toothed mammals discovered in the USA
Living over 40 million years before the sabre-tooth tiger, Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae may have preyed on rhinos and primates in the forests of California.
15 March 2022 -
News
Octopus ancestor with 10 arms named after President Joe Biden
The fossil uncovered in Montana suggests the ancestor of all squid and octopus had 10 arms, with some of these then lost by its descendants.
8 March 2022 -
News
Megalodon sharks grew biggest in colder waters
The finding could offer insights into the impact of climate change on its modern relatives.
7 March 2022 -
Science news
New stegosaur dinosaur species could be the oldest ever discovered
Bashanosaurus primitivus adds to evidence the group of dinosaurs may have originated in Asia.
4 March 2022 -
News
Controversial paper suggests there are three Tyrannosaurus species
Palaeontologists have reacted with scepticism over the claims.
1 March 2022 -
Science news
New group of plants was one of the first to colonise the land
Ancient plants measuring just two centimetres long could show what the ancestor of vascular plants looked like.
16 February 2022 -
Science news
New armless abelisaur dinosaur species discovered in Argentina
Scientists believe there could be many as yet unknown fossils to be uncovered in the region.
15 February 2022 -
News
Fossils suggest dinosaurs could get ill from respiratory disease
The neck of a diplodocid shows evidence of a disease that still affects birds today.
10 February 2022 -
Science news
New species of ancient reptile would have been an apex predator of the Middle Triassic
A new species of crocodile-like animal has been described from fossils unearthed in Tanzania.
9 February 2022 -
Science news
Oldest evidence of modern humans in western Europe discovered
Modern humans arrived in western Europe about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought.
9 February 2022 -
News
Fossil-eating sponges discovered in the Arctic
The unique ecosystem is one of the most diverse of the high Arctic.
8 February 2022 -
News
Woolly mammoth and rhino among Ice Age animals discovered in Devon cave
The animals roamed Devon's vast grasslands thousands of years ago.
3 February 2022 -
Science news
Snails narrow down the impacts of the largest ever extinction
A group of fossilised snails and clams are challenging suggestions that ocean acidification contributed to the largest extinction in history.
31 January 2022 -
News
Human ancestor Homo erectus probably wasn't the carnivore we thought
Evidence of increasing carnivory in ancient humans may just be a quirk of sampling.
24 January 2022 -
News
Britain's largest ever ichthyosaur is discovered in Rutland Water
The largest and most complete ichthyosaur ever found in the UK has been unearthed in the nation's smallest county.
10 January 2022 -
News
Velociraptor relative that ambushed dinosaurs is a new species
The first large raptor to ever be discovered in the UK has been described as a new species.
8 January 2022 -
Science news
Dinosaur tracks on Welsh beach are evidence of sauropod gathering
A series of tracks on a public beach point to the presence of large, long-necked dinosaurs in Wales over 200 million years ago.
29 December 2021 -
News
The world's largest arthropod was a car-sized millipede
One of the largest invertebrates to have ever lived once roamed the beaches of ancient England.
21 December 2021 -
News
The largest-ever flying animal behaved like a giant heron
The largest-ever flying animal acted like a giant heron, plucking prey from the water and launching itself into the air.
15 December 2021 -
Science news
New species of chunky sauropod with a large 'funny bone' described from China
The dinosaur was much chunkier than any other sauropod.
14 December 2021 -
News
Early crocodile ancestor shows how the reptiles became feared aquatic predators
An ancient relative of modern crocodiles and alligators shows that their semi-aquatic lifestyle dates back over 150 million years.
9 December 2021 -
News
The world's largest eagle hunted unlike any other bird of prey
Scientists have discovered how a bird of prey dubbed 'the flying tiger' could take down one of the heaviest birds that ever lived.
1 December 2021 -
Science news
The world's smallest elephants led unusually long lives
Ancient elephants that would have been born the size of a puppy lived for decades more than previously thought.
29 November 2021 -
Science news
Neanderthals grew up faster than humans to power brain growth
Neanderthals lived fast and died young, developing their teeth earlier than humans to power their rapid growth.
24 November 2021 -
Science news
New dinosaur species related to Iguanodon found on the Isle of Wight
A new species of dinosaur has been discovered from the Isle of Wight after a case of mistaken identity.
11 November 2021 -
News
Ancient animals show how the elephants got their tusks
The fossils of 'very weird animals' have helped show how elephants and walruses may have evolved their iconic tusks.
6 November 2021 -
News
Potential new human species may redraw the family tree
A new ancestor of modern humans with the potential to rip up the family tree has been tentatively named.
3 November 2021 -
News
Sardinia was once home to a corgi-sized canine
A corgi-sized canine once roamed Mediterranean islands, hunting small prey like birds and pika.
30 October 2021 -
Science news
Ancient bryozoan fossil solves one of early life's greatest mysteries
A conundrum that has foxed scientists for decades has been solved, revealing the origins of an ancient group of animals.
8 March 2023 -
News
Largest known Triceratops fossil sells for £5.6 million
The largest Triceratops ever found has sold for over £5 million in an auction that has caused controversy.
22 October 2021 -
News
Ancient rainforest-dwelling humans ate wide range of foods to survive
Some of the oldest evidence for modern humans living in rainforests has been found in a cave in Southeast Asia.
20 October 2021 -
News
Giant sloth that once roamed South America scavenged for meat
A giant ground sloth that once roamed South America occasionally broke its plant-based diet to eat meat, researchers have found.
14 October 2021 -
News
Our ancestors were pushed to the brink during ancient African extinction event
Most African mammals all went extinct 33 million years ago as the world became dramatically cooler.
13 October 2021 -
Science news
Rocks in ancient Martian lake could hold remains of life
Rocks with the potential to hold fossils of Martian life have been identified by NASA's Perseverance rover.
7 October 2021 -
Science news
New species is oldest meat-eating dinosaur found in UK
The oldest-known meat-eating dinosaur discovered in the UK has been named in honour of trailblazing Museum scientist Angela Milner, who passed away in August 2021.
6 October 2021 -
News
Ancient trilobites had 'hyper-eyes' to see in the dark
A unique 'hyper-eye' consisting of three different levels of vision has been discovered in a prehistoric animal.
6 October 2021 -
News
Fossils of ancient eagle that ate koalas discovered in Australia
A species of eagle that may have eaten ancient koalas over 25 million years ago has been described from Australia.
3 October 2021 -
Science news
Two new species of spinosaur dinosaurs discovered from Isle of Wight
Two new species of carnivorous dinosaurs have been discovered from the Isle of Wight.
29 September 2021 -
News
Nursery for ancient elephants uncovered in Spain
A nursery for the largest land mammals ever to have lived has been uncovered in Spain, offering rare clues to their family lives.
25 September 2021 -
Science news
New species of dinosaur had armour unlike anything seen before
Spicomellus afer is the oldest ankylosaur ever discovered.
23 September 2021 -
News
Oldest known mammal tooth cavities offer glimpse of the world 54 million years ago
Our ancient relatives had a sweet tooth, researchers have found, after uncovering the oldest-known mammalian cavities.
18 September 2021 -
Science news
310-million-year-old fossil shows how little horseshoe crab brains have changed
A new beautifully preserved fossil of a horseshoe crab has revealed that their brains have hardly changed since at least the Carboniferous Period.
5 August 2021 -
Science news
Huge Jurassic seabed uncovered in Cotswolds quarry
Palaeontologists have uncovered thousands of perfectly preserved Jurassic fossils in a sleepy area of the Cotswolds.
21 July 2021 -
Anthropocene
Why woolly mammoth ivory could spell trouble for elephants
Mammoth ivory is appearing from melting permafrost and joining international markets.
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News
High-resolution 3D scanning will help scientists understand insect evolution
Understanding the extraordinary diversity and differences between insects can help us figure out how these species evolved.
1 July 2021 -
Science news
First ever DNA recovered from extinct miniature elephants of Sicily
Over the past few hundreds of thousands of years Sicily was home to two different miniature elephants.
18 June 2021 -
Science news
Evolving a bigger brain isn't always about intelligence
It's more common for mammals to have evolved smaller body sizes which makes it look like the brain is getting bigger.
28 April 2021 -
Science news
Prolonged suckling has vastly limited marsupial evolution
Marsupials have missed out on their evolutionary potential because of how they reproduce.
28 April 2021 -
Science news
The hearing of the Ganges river dolphin is unlike any other cetacean
Their hearing may have been why these dolphins survived when all other relatives died out.
31 March 2021 -
Science news
Fossil evidence of mysterious 'southern Denisovans' yet to be found
When modern humans arrived in the islands of southeast Asia, they may have encountered a range of ancient human species.
22 March 2021 -
Science news
Some trilobites crushed their prey to death with their legs
By studying modern horseshoe crabs, researchers have been able to build up a picture of how some extinct arthropods such as trilobites may have fed on hard-shelled prey.
5 March 2021 -
News
Fossil hunter Mary Anning commemorated with new 50p coin collection
New 50p coin collection honours fossil hunter Mary Anning.
25 February 2021 -
Oceans
What is an ammonite?
The often tightly wound shells of ammonites may be a familiar sight, but how much do you know about the animals that once lived inside?
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Science news
Oldest-ever DNA extracted from a million-year-old mammoth tooth
It is shedding light on how the Columbian mammoth came to be.
7 December 2022 -
Science news
Dinosaur frills were likely the result of sexual selection
It is notoriously difficult to sex a dinosaur.
3 February 2021 -
News
Work to begin on Mary Anning statue for Lyme Regis
A milestone has been reached in the campaign for a statue of fossil hunter Mary Anning in Lyme Regis.
21 January 2021 -
Science news
Fossils of sea monster eyes shed light on animal evolution
Radiodont eye fossils inform scientists of the role of vision in evolution.
2 December 2020 -
Science news
Dinosaurs were not in decline before the asteroid wiped them out
Many groups of dinosaurs were doing rather well right up until the end.
18 November 2020 -
How to make a salt dough ammonite fossil
If you can't get out to the beach to find fossils, why not make your own ammonites instead?
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Science news
Giant dormice the size of cats used to live on Sicily
Why did they get so big?
4 November 2020 -
Science news
How rodents the size of bears arrived in the Caribbean
Rodents of unusual size once lived across the Caribbean.
12 October 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: were ankylosaurs socially distancing?
Were dinosaurs adhering to social distancing rules, or were they living in tight-knit herds?
22 September 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: the first ever 3D fossil of titanosaur embryo
This is the first 3D preserved embryo of a sauropod.
8 September 2020 -
Science news
Bird evolution slowed down after the dinosaurs died
The skull shape of birds is just a tiny fraction of the diversity that would have been seen in their dinosaur ancestors.
18 August 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: human cancer found in dinosaur bone
For the first time ever, evidence of cancer has been found in the bones of a dinosaur.
17 August 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: new 'Captain Hook' dinosaur with clawed hands discovered
A new cat-sized dinosaur with hooks for hands has been described.
3 August 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: this is what dinosaurs evolved from
The origin of dinosaurs, their demise and what Dilophosaurus really looked like.
17 July 2020 -
Science news
Human ancestor Homo erectus had the stocky chest of a Neanderthal
New research on Turkana Boy is changing our understanding of the species Homo erectus.
6 July 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: The first dinosaur eggs were soft
A new study has found that the eggs of the earliest dinosaurs had soft shells.
3 July 2020 -
Science news
Only known drawing of extinct giant sloth lemur found in cave
The painting dates to at least 1,000 years ago.
28 June 2020 -
Science news
Giant relatives of wombats discovered in Australian desert
A new family of ancient marsupials has been discovered, relatives of modern-day wombats and koalas.
25 June 2020 -
Dinosaurs
A shepherd stumbles across sleeping giants in a dinosaur graveyard
This is thought to be one of the most significant dinosaur sites ever found in South Africa.
23 June 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: Fossilised stomach contents reveal a dinosaur's last meal
A 110-million-year-old dinosaur's fossil stomach has been studied by scientists.
19 June 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: Oldest evidence of cannibal dinosaurs uncovered
Explore the latest findings from across the world of palaeontology.
5 June 2020 -
What on Earth?
Snakestones: the myth, magic and science of ammonites
It was once widely believed that ammonites were coiled snakes turned magically to stone.
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Science news
Turtles have lived for 230 million years - but will they survive climate change?
Tracking the diversity of turtles could also give us clues as to how they might respond to increasing pressures in the future.
22 May 2020 -
News
Dinosaur diaries: Spinosaurus, sauropod necks and a new 'starry lizard'
Dinosaur experts share some of the latest science news and views from across the world of palaeontology.
8 May 2020 -
Dinosaurs
Brontosaurus: reinstating a prehistoric icon
For over 100 years palaeontologists thought this dinosaur didn't exist.
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Science news
The most detailed look inside the world's oldest dinosaur eggs
New scans reveal how dinosaur teeth developed.
9 April 2020 -
Science news
We finally know what millipedes looked like when they lived underwater
A new fossil has revealed what they looked like.
7 April 2020 -
Science news
Dating the Broken Hill skull: Homo heidelbergensis was younger than we thought
Africa and Eurasia were inhabited by a whole range of hominin species just a few hundred thousand years ago.
1 April 2020 -
Science news
The first dinosaurs probably didn't have feathers
This may alter the recreation of some non-avian dinosaurs.
26 March 2020 -
Science news
New fossils reveal the earliest evidence of an animal losing its legs
An ancient invertebrate lost its legs to live in tubes.
27 February 2020 -
Science news
Weird skulls of straight-tusked elephants reveal just how many species there were
Straight-tusked elephants were among the largest land mammals ever to have existed.
18 February 2020 -
News
British dinosaurs to feature on UK money for the first time
Three new coins have been designed.
13 February 2020 -
Dinosaurs
The world's first dinosaur park: what the Victorians got right and wrong
They aren't scientifically accurate, but the Crystal Palace dinosaurs have a special place in the history of palaeontology.
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Dinosaurs
Tiny teeth are revealing the true diversity of British dinosaurs
A far greater variety of dinosaurs lived here than we realised.
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Science news
First fossils of crocodile-like phytosaurs from southern Africa
The Triassic reptiles were found in Zimbabwe.
23 January 2020 -
Dinosaurs
Dinosaur footprints: how do they form and what can they tell us?
Dinosaur bones aren't the only way we can learn about the ancient reptiles that once roamed around our planet.
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Science news
Fossils found in Yorkshire are the oldest amphibian footprints from the UK
The footprints were made when an ancient amphibian walked across a river delta.
12 December 2019 -
Science news
The way dinosaurs evolved mirrors life on Earth today
Herbivorous dinosaurs kept evolving the same traits.
6 December 2019 -
Science news
Fossil ice found in meteorite is the first direct evidence of ice in asteroids
The meteorite formed as our solar system was being born.
21 November 2019 -
Dinosaurs
Would you make a good dinosaur hunter?
Find out how well you'd get along on a dino dig to search for famous Jurassic dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus.
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Dinosaurs
What is it like to go on a dino dig?
Explore an interactive story about Museum experts' adventure to Wyoming, USA, when they went off-grid in search of Jurassic dinosaurs.
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Science news
Unusual fossil worms surprise scientists
A species of wormlike marine invertebrate has been uncovered.
19 September 2019 -
Dinosaurs
How are dinosaur fossils formed?
Even though dinosaurs lived millions of years ago, we know about them thanks to fossils. Watch our animation to find out how dinosaur fossils formed.
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Collections
The 330-million-year-old fossil tree that's stood the test of time
Discover the story of the 11-tonne fossil that's been welcoming visitors to the Museum since 1887.
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Dinosaurs
The Triassic Period: the rise of the dinosaurs
What was life like during the Triassic Period?
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Dinosaurs
Where did dinosaurs come from?
When did dinosaurs evolve, and what did the first dinosaurs look like?
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Science news
The oldest stegosaur ever has been discovered in Morocco
A new species of stegosaurian dinosaur, Adratiklit boulahfa, has been described.
20 August 2019 -
Dinosaurs
How to find dinosaur fossils
Discover how palaeontologists find and dig up prehistoric reptiles.
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Dinosaurs
Mission Jurassic dino dig quiz
Have a go at our quiz about Museum palaeontologists' recent adventures on the Mission Jurassic dig.
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Science news
A new look at the Gibraltar Neanderthals
Discover more about some iconic Neanderthal skulls.
15 July 2019 -
Dinosaurs
How to become a palaeontologist
Dr Susie Maidment shares what it's like to be a dinosaur researcher, how she got into this career and advice for budding palaeontologists.
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Science news
Modern humans may have been in Europe 150,000 years earlier than thought
New dating suggests they were in southern Greece 210,000 years ago.
10 July 2019 -
News
A series of Mary Anning films are about to hit the cinemas
Pioneering woman palaeontologist to hit cinema screens soon.
4 July 2019 -
Science news
This is how the ancestor of modern snakes could have looked
What can we learn from scanning snakes?
3 July 2019 -
Oceans
What does it take to study the ocean?
Much of the ocean remains unexplored, but scientists at the Museum are helping unravel the mysteries of the world beneath the waves.
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Collections
Nadine Gabriel: studying 4.6 billion years of history
The face of modern science is young, black, female and ambitious.
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Collections
Ida Slater: a geologist ahead of her time
Discover the important contributions made by one of London's first woman geologists.
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Science news
New species of ancient shark discovered from the coast of Madagascar
The ancient shark was found in an unusual fossil ecosystem.
20 May 2019 -
Science news
Early Neanderthal teeth shed light on the identity of our own ancient ancestors
We've been looking at the wrong species.
15 May 2019 -
Science news
Birds on an island in the Indian Ocean evolved flightlessness twice
This is fastest recorded timeline of a bird losing its ability to fly.
10 May 2019 -
News
Homo luzonensis: new species of ancient human discovered in the Philippines
It has been named Homo luzonensis.
11 April 2019 -
News
Ancient four-legged whale with webbed feet and hooves uncovered in Peru
It is the oldest quadrupedal whale from the Americas.
4 April 2019 -
Collections
Beetles and bloodsuckers
Go behind the scenes at the Museum and discover the huge variety of beetles and parasites in the collection.
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Science news
Museum palaeontologists to join new Jurassic dino dig in Wyoming
The team will help uncover dinosaur fossils and footprints in Wyoming.
25 March 2019 -
Science news
The Cambrian explosion was far shorter than thought
The Cambrian explosion is one of the most important intervals in the history of life.
19 February 2019 -
Science news
A tiny fossil amoeba is helping us to understand how plants first bloomed
The new amoeba species is the earliest of its kind ever discovered.
24 January 2019