Ancient eagle ruled the roost
A 25-million-year-old eagle fossil found in South Australia adds to the long evolutionary history of raptors in Australia. In a remarkable discovery, Flinders University palaeontologists have […]
How snakes got their fangs
Ever wondered how deadly snakes evolved their fangs? The answer lies in particular microscopic features of their teeth, research led by Flinders University and the South […]
Voyages très extraordinaires of French discovery
Early French voyages, led by commanders like Baudin, Bougainville, Lapérouse, D’Entrecasteaux, Freycinet, Duperrey and Dumont d’Urville, were the first to name, describe and beautifully illustrate many […]
Bushfires have reshaped life on Earth before
The catastrophic bushfires raging across much of Australia have not only taken a huge human and economic toll, but also delivered heavy blows to biodiversity and […]
Fossils shed light on snake bite and legs
New fossils of an ancient legged snake, called Najash, shed light on the origin of the slithering reptiles. The fossil discoveries, revealed in Science Advances , […]
Tropical snake uses its head to ‘breathe’
Humans use a snorkel and fish have gills. Now researchers have found a sea snake which uses a complex system of blood vessels in its head […]
New twist in the ‘Big Bang’ theory
Animal life’s evolutionary ‘Big Bang’ ended much sooner than previously thought, a new study has found. An international team of scientists led by Professor John Paterson […]
Baby snake in amber a golden find
Newly discovered prehistoric fossils are painting a colourful picture of the biodiversity of the former supercontinent called Gondwana. Among these discoveries are a range of invertebrates, […]
When is a croc not a croc? When it’s a thoracosaur
The fearsome Thoracosaurus, a dinosaur-era reptile from North America with jaws like giant pincers, bears an uncanny resemblance to a modern fish-eating croc called a gharial. […]