Paleontology

3 articles

Microscopic view of ancient microbial colonies glowing faintly on the preserved skin of Ötzi the Iceman, highlighting the discovery of revived life.

Ancient microbes found growing on Ötzi the Iceman's 5,300-year-old body

Imagine baking a loaf of sourdough bread with yeast that last fermented 5,300 years ago, harvested directly from the gut of Ötzi the Iceman.

Dr. Evelyn Reed·June 7, 2026

A 3.5-million-year-old Protarctos abstrusus bear in the ancient High Arctic, with evidence of a carbohydrate-rich diet suggested by its surroundings.

Cosmos & Physics

Ancient bear's surprising diet revealed by High Arctic fossils

A 3.5-million-year-old bear, identified from Canada's High Arctic, had cavities in its teeth, indicating a diet surprisingly rich in fermentable carbohydrates. The skeletal remains of this basal ursin

Dr. Evelyn Reed·June 6, 2026

A colossal mantle plume erupting from the Earth's core, triggering widespread volcanic eruptions and threatening a prehistoric landscape with dinosaurs.

Cosmos & Physics

Mantle plumes trigger mass extinctions, new research reveals

65 million years ago, a deep mantle plume beneath what is now Réunion Island likely unleashed volcanic activity reaching the distant Deccan Plateau.

Dr. Evelyn Reed·May 28, 2026