Want to survive a mass extinction event? Ask the ancient lizards how
USC Dornsife paleontology doctoral student Hank Woolley is digging into our warmer past to help us understand how we might survive climate change.
Analysis of famous fossil helps unlock when humans and apes diverged
The USC-led study examined the shoulder assembly of Little Foot, an Australopithecus that lived more than 3 million years ago, and may have confirmed how our human ancestors used their arms.
Godzilla vs. Kong: A functional morphologist uses science to pick a winner
In the epic battle between the giant reptile and the giant primate, each would have relative biological advantages and disadvantages.
Fossilized teeth found in Peru hint that ancient monkeys crossed the Atlantic
The discovery by USC researchers helps date the more than 900-mile migration to about 34 million years ago.
Not your typical paleontologist: USC alum takes pride in breaking molds
After earning her PhD in Earth sciences from USC Dornsife, Jingmai O’Connor has carved out an award-winning career as a paleontologist in China.
USC scientist and colleagues identify new species of giant flying reptile
The creature is similar to the largest pterosaurs known. Key characteristics were gleaned from a cache of bones unearthed in Canada.
Sharks in the sky? It’s not a bad movie; it’s natural history
USC researchers, studying bones at the L.A. County Natural History Museum, find evidence of a fearsome shark taking to the sky to take down a pterosaur, a formidable flying reptile.
Why you should care about this 130-million-year-old fossil
The ancient find, unearthed in Utah, bridges the transition from reptiles to the beginning of mammals and changes our view of continental drift, too.
Why a medical school professor studies fossils
An anatomical sciences expert looks back at the arm and leg bones of ancestors to gain insight on how they interacted with their environment.
Tiny fossils reveal backstory of the most mysterious amphibian alive today
The discovery fills a significant gap in the evolutionary history of frogs, toads and other amphibians.
Newfound primate teeth fill a gap in the evolutionary tree of life
The species of primate from India is distantly related to the lemurs of Madagascar.
Dispelling Dinosaur Movie Myths
The facts and fiction behind Hollywood’s depiction of dinosaurs
Accurate or not, USC professor Mike Habib says big-screen portrayals have shaped the public perception of prehistory’s most popular animals.
Dinosaur Depicter
A talented USC Roski alumna brings the prehistoric Mesozoic Era to life.
Newly discovered fossil is the oldest of its kind
The sea urchin fossil found by a USC team had been buried in a rock formation that dates back nearly 270 million years.
The sky’s the limit for rising scholar and teenage student following flight of a prehistoric dinosaur
Unlikely duo builds a there-dimensional model of an 85 million-year-old Pteranodon wing whose span can be six meters wide.
Tiny sponge fossil predates the Cambrian explosion
The finding questions accuracy of long-standing evolutionary theory, paleontologists say.
A love for dinosaurs is just one of Mike Habib’s many passions
From field to campus and back again: Popular Science names the peripatetic professor one of this year’s Brilliant Ten.
Whale reproduction: It’s all in the hips
New study turns a long-accepted evolutionary assumption on its head, finding that whale pelvic bones play a key role in mating.
Feathered fossil find in China builds the case for flying dinosaurs
“At a foot in length,” says Luis Chiappe, “the amazing tail feathers of Changyuraptor are by far the longest of any feathered dinosaur.”
Ancient Tibet was the cradle of evolution for cold-adapted mammals
Paleontologists believe the extinct Tibetan fox used its cold surroundings as a training ground for the Ice Age.
David Bottjer awarded for pushing boundaries in paleontology
Scientist studies how early animals evolved on Earth and how the planet’s ecology changed.
Pristine specimen offers clues to flight of ancient birds
New findings add a layer of understanding to the evolution of birds from dinosaurs, thanks to a study by USC and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.
How did dinosaurs fly? These scientists may have cracked the case
The mystery of how dinosaurs first began to fly may have finally been cracked by a USC-led team of scientists whose groundbreaking study has been honored by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.