What Caused the Late-Devonian Mass Extinction

What Caused the Late Devonian Mass Extinction?

The Devonian period was characterized by fish diversification and the emergence of tetrapods. All this ended abruptly as various factors contributed to a radical die-off of most marine life. The consequences of this mass extinction were far-reaching, altering the evolutionary trajectory of vertebrate life and restructuring marine ecosystems. What could have triggered such a massive and targeted extinction? About 375 … Continue Reading

What Caused the End-Ordovician Mass Extinction

What Caused the End-Ordovician Mass Extinction?

When most people think of mass extinction, their first thought is the end of the dinosaurs. You probably ended up here in search of a much older extinction. We’re going to discuss the first mass extinction: the End-Ordovician event. While you’re better off staying to read up on the topic, I’m sure you want to cut to the chase. What … Continue Reading

why did crocodiles survive the dinosaur extinction

Why Did Crocodiles Survive the Dinosaur Extinction?

As any dinosaur nerd can tell you, the non-avian dinosaurs all died at the end of the Cretaceous when an asteroid struck the Earth around 66 million years ago. There are countless media references to this devastating extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs. But what about the crocodiles? Why did crocodiles survive the dinosaur extinction? The asteroid impact drove many … Continue Reading

How Did Aquatic Dinosaurs Die Out

How Did Aquatic Dinosaurs Die Out?

Some of the most well-known groups of prehistoric animals from the Mesozoic Era are the so-called aquatic dinosaurs, and for good reason: they’re large, fearsome, apex predators. So how did aquatic dinosaurs die out? Some of these creatures have even starred in the recent Jurassic World franchise, further enhancing their fame. The oversized Mosasaurus from Jurassic World elevated the notoriety … Continue Reading

did dinosaurs have feathers or scales

Did Dinosaurs Have Feathers or Scales?

Most people have seen depictions of Tyrannosaurus a thousand times: they’re fearsome, likely hungry given their invariably open mouths, and covered in lizard-like scales. Some artists, however, take a different approach. These deviants show the beloved T. rex covered in feathers. While most people reject change for simply psychological reasons, others may wonder if they’ve been wrong all these years. … Continue Reading

Can Dinosaurs be Resurrected

Can Dinosaurs be Resurrected?

We have all wondered this since our childhood: can dinosaurs be resurrected? As much as technology has advanced, the possibility does not seem so far-fetched. Is it possible to bring back the dinosaurs? The popular notion of dinosaur resurrection through DNA recovery is now known to be impossible. DNA degrades rapidly over time and the non-avian dinosaurs went extinct 66 … Continue Reading

How Do Scientists Determine the Age of Fossils

How Do Scientists Determine the Age of Fossils?

When reading about dinosaurs or visiting a museum you may have wondered: how do scientists determine the age of fossils? Are they millions of years old? How do scientists know that, for example, Tyrannosaurus rex lived about 66 million years ago? Are these estimates verifiable? So, how do scientists determine the age of a fossil? Scientists use two general techniques … Continue Reading

Are Dinosaur Bones in Museums Real

Are Dinosaur Bones in Museums Real?

One of the most famous Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons, “Stan” the T. rex, may also be the most well-traveled T. rex. At the moment, he currently resides in Texas, New Mexico, Washington, D.C., Kansas, Wyoming, Indiana, Wisconsin, the United Kingdom, and even Tokyo, Japan. There’s only one Stan, so how can he be in so many places at once? The answer … Continue Reading

Why Are Fossils Found in Sedimentary Rock

Why Are Fossils Found in Sedimentary Rock?

Most readers will likely be familiar with the three types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Many readers may not realize, however, that fossils only come from sedimentary rocks. Why are fossils found in sedimentary rock? Fossils are found in sedimentary rock because the conditions of sedimentary rock formation are crucial to fossilization, as igneous and metamorphic rock formation would … Continue Reading