Paleontology facts

Explore 3 curated paleontology facts on ScienceCards. Discover surprising, well-sourced science one card at a time.

• Whales evolved from Pakicetus, a cat-sized, four-legged… — Whales evolved from Pakicetus, a cat-sized, four-legged land animal that lived ~50 million years ago. Fossil evidence confirms this transition.
• Some Microraptor, Borealopelta, and Psittacosaurus fossils… — Some Microraptor, Borealopelta, and Psittacosaurus fossils were so well preserved that scientists inferred colors—Microraptor’s feathers were iridescent black like a raven’s; others had spots for…
• The Archaeopteryx fossil discoveries show bird feathers… — The Archaeopteryx fossil discoveries show bird feathers with dinosaur traits like claws and teeth, proving birds are living dinosaurs as evolution’s story continues today. Birds are dinosaurs!