fossil

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Dinosaur fossils found in Alberta, Canada.

Know about the fossil collection in the University of California Museum of Paleontology, including the saber-toothed tiger

Track the discovery of dinosaurs from 7th-century griffin legends to Richard Owen's coining of Dinosauria

See samples of what is possibly soft tissue discovered in a Lufengosaurus fossil from the Jurassic Period

For Students

fossil summary

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Skeleton fossil record of ancient reptiles in stone.

Do Fossil Fuels Really Come from Fossils?

Three parasaurolophus stand on a rock beach. Pterasaurs fly over head and a small mammal watches the dinosaurs as they meander along the water's edge.

What Happened to the Dinosaurs?

Skull of Homo heidelbergensis (fossils, hominids).

Human Ancestors

Illustration of a group of Brachiosaurus dinosaurs in the water. Sauropod late Jurassic to early Cretaceous

Why Does -saur Appear So Often in Dinosaur Names?

Did Humans Live at the Same Time as Dinosaurs?

Discover

Figure 13: A Maxim machine gun, belt-fed and water-cooled, operated by German infantrymen, World War I.

7 Deadliest Weapons in History

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy. Giant amphitheatre built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. (ancient architecture; architectural ruins)

New Seven Wonders of the World

Alexandria, Egypt - September 12, 2014 - Wedding Bridesmaids Competition, reward for Best Bridesmaids for participation in competitions. Prize for victory

Who Votes for the Academy Awards?

Nostradamus and His Prophecies

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Marriage. A couple getting married during a church wedding ceremony. (religion, ceremony, bride, groom)

The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church

What Is the “Ides” of March?

Animals & Nature

fossil

paleontology

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 11, 2024 • Article History

fossil

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Category: Animals & Nature

Key People:: Charles Darwin; Georges Cuvier; Alfred Sherwood Romer; George Gaylord Simpson; Mary Anning

Related Topics:: dinosaur; Australopithecus; Homo erectus; Ardipithecus; Neanderthal

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Recent News

Mar. 10, 2024, 1:58 AM ET (Yahoo Movies UK)

Man Found 70 Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Skeleton While Walking His Dog — and Kept It a Secret for 2 Years

Mar. 6, 2024, 4:09 AM ET (BBC)

Dinosaur-age 'nightmarish' sea lizard fossil found

fossil, remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a past geologic age that has been preserved in Earth’s crust. The complex of data recorded in fossils worldwide—known as the fossil record—is the primary source of information about the history of life on Earth. Only a small fraction of ancient organisms are preserved as fossils, and usually only organisms that have a solid and resistant skeleton are readily preserved. Most major groups of invertebrate animals have a calcareous skeleton or shell (e.g., corals, mollusks, brachiopods, bryozoans). Other forms have shells of calcium phosphate (which also occurs in the ...(100 of 970 words)

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