paleontology – Kettinki

2026-04-02 @ 11.03.28 ∈ In English

Researchers present first fossilized 'emperor' butterfly

Butterfly fossils are rare, and finds that preserve fine anatomical details and wing patterns are an absolute exception. An international research team[…] has now described an exceptionally well-preserved [Apaturinae] fossil, approximately 34 to 28 million years old.

2026-03-26 @ 13.18.40 ∈ In English

Massive insect body size 300 million years ago may not have been due to high atmospheric oxygen

[The study] found that the space occupied by tracheoles in the flight muscle is typically only 1% or less in most species[.] This suggests that the flight muscles of insects are not constrained by atmospheric oxygen levels as they could easily add tracheoles in the muscle, since they take up so little space.

2024-10-01 @ 12.07.38 ∈ Suomeksi

Kauniit maapallon renkaat ja Fennoskandian kraatterit

Syyskuussa Earth and Planetary Science Letters -lehdessä julkaistu [artikkeli] haastoi viimeisten vuosikymmenten käsitykset ordoviikkikauden kivisateesta. [Artikkeli ehdottaa], että kaukana asteroidivyöhykkeellä tapahtuneen L-kondriittien emäkappaleen hajoamisen sijasta säpinää oli paljon lähempänä.

2023-08-03 @ 20.07.54 ∈ Suomeksi

Suuret muinaiseläimet | Löytyi sinivalaan haastaja – muinainen valas on ollut painonsa puolesta suurin eläin

Perucetuksen arvioidaan olleen 17–20 metriä pitkä. […] Muinaisen valaan luiden massa arvioidaan kuitenkin 5,3–7,6 tonniksi. Kun tähän lisätään valaan elimet ja rasvat, päästään jättivalaan painossa suurimmillaan jopa 340 tonniin.

2023-05-16 @ 17.37.02 ∈ In English

Butterfly tree of life reveals an origin in North America

About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night, taking advantage of nectar-rich flowers that had co-evolved with bees. This single event led to the evolution of all butterflies.

2022-10-21 @ 20.31.56 ∈ In English

(From June)

Fossil-finding ants amass huge haul of ancient creatures

Paleontologists have just discovered 10 new species of ancient mammal thanks to the tiny mound-building insects.

2022-01-13 @ 19.58.39 ∈ In English

Ichthyosaur: Huge fossilised ‘sea dragon’ found in Rutland reservoir

The creature lived more than 90 million years ago and its remains were found poking out of the mud.

2019-04-04 @ 20.22.57 ∈ Suomeksi

Tutkijat löysivät 42,6 miljoonaa vuotta sitten eläneen neliraajaisen valaan, joka pystyi kävelemään myös maalla - Tekniikan Maailma

Tutkijat ovat löytäneet 42,6 miljoonaa vuotta vanhan valaan jäänteet Perun rannikolta Etelä-Amerikasta. Sen sormissa ja varpaissa olevien pienten sorkkien sekä eläimen lonkan ja raajojen muodoista tutkijat ovat päätelleet, että eläin on pystynyt liikkumaan veden lisäksi myös maalla. Eläin oli jopa n…

2019-03-22 @ 8.42.07 ∈ In English

A new treasure trove of Cambrian secrets unearthed

Researchers have discovered an early Cambrian fossil assemblage located along the bank of the Danshui River in China. t contains more than 50 previously undescribed animal species, they say. According to the results, this new fossil assemblage has the potential to rival important, previously described Cambrian sites, such as the Burgess Shale.

2018-12-25 @ 10.40.24 ∈ In English

No, Cretaceous sharks did not leap from the water to eat flying pterosaurs

As I've outlined here, this is entirely false, and not representative of our ideas at all. Any hope that our paper could be used to broadly communicate some cool ideas about pterosaur ecology, the role of sharks as important predators throughout the Mesozoic, or even the simple fact that pterosaurs could likely swim has been lost behind ridiculous headlines based on erroneous readings of my picture.