Cretaceous period

Fossil findings shed light on a little-known group of Cretaceous-era beasts—and indicate that the combination of a large head and diminutive arms was no evolutionary fluke.

Researchers determined the season during which the meteor struck by studying the bones of fish excavated from a contentious field site.

A report of preserved fragments of nuclei and chromatin in a fossilized femur of a 125-million-year-old Caudipteryx dinosaur elicits skepticism.

A newly discovered fossilized skull is between 66.8 million and 66.7 million years old and bears similarities to modern-day chickens and ducks.

A roughly 99-million-year-old piece of amber from northern Myanmar contains the skull of what appears to represent the smallest known dinosaur of the Mesozoic era.

Carbon cycle modeling and paleotemperature records argue that an asteroid impact—not volcanic fumes—was the main driver of the dinosaur die-off.

These ancient insects ate dinosaur feathers during the Cretaceous period.

An ancient animal’s hammer, anvil, and stirrup bones are at the base of the jaw but completely detached from it.

A 99-million-year-old beetle preserved in amber alongside grains of pollen likely pollinated prehistoric plants.

Scientists have found the 99-million-year-old remains of a baby snake.

Paleontologists find fossils from at least seven species of the flying reptiles in Morocco.

This discovery closes a 170-million-year gap in the fossil record.

The fossil booty includes some eggs with embryo remains inside, and points to group nests involving long-term parental care.

Scientists think dinosaurs brushed these ancient flowers into pools of tree resin, creating fossils preserved in amber.