Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin analyzed the calcium isotopes in the teeth enamel of four different dinosaur species to discover what they ate. They found that some dinosaurs were discerning eaters, with different species preferring different plant parts. This helps explain how these dinosaurs, which all roamed the western U.S. during the Late Jurassic, were all able to coexist in the same ecosystem.

Body coverings such as hair and feathers have played a central role in evolution. They enabled warm-bloodedness by insulating the body, and were used for courtship, display, deterrence of enemies and, in the case of feathers, flight. Their structure is characterised by longer and more complex skin outgrowths that differ significantly from the simple and flat scales of reptiles. Complex skin outgrowths have previously only been observed in mammals in the form of hair and in birds and their closest fossil relatives, dinosaurs and pterosaurs, in the form of feathers. An international team led by palaeontologists Dr Stephan Spiekman and Prof Dr Rainer Schoch from the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Germany, describes a previously unknown tree-dwelling reptile from the early Middle Triassic in a recent study published in the prestigious journal Nature. The 247-million-year-old reptile 'Mirasaura grauvogeli', whose name means 'Grauvogel's Wonder Reptile', had a dorsal crest with previously unknown, structurally complex appendages growing from its skin with some similarities to feathers. The crest was probably used for display to other members of the same species. The find shows that complex skin structures are not only found in birds and their closest relatives but may predate modern reptiles. This important discovery forces us to reconsider our understanding of reptile evolution.

A fossil discovered in a rock on display at the Nariwa Museum of Art in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture, has been identified as Japan’s first Late Triassic ichthyosaur and the first ichthyosaur ever found in western Japan. The find was made by Professor Takafumi Kato and colleagues during a museum-based educational event. CT scans revealed 21 bone fragments, including vertebrae and a scapula, confirming the fossil’s identity. Experts say the discovery offers rare and valuable insight into the evolution and distribution of ichthyosaurs during the Norian stage, when open-ocean species emerged. The fossil is now on public display and is expected to inspire local education and scientific interest.

A new review scrutinizes recent fossil and genomic evidence to address the long-standing debate over the origin of modern birds. It highlights growing support for a Late Cretaceous origin of major avian lineages, predating the K/Pg mass extinction. This early diversification coincided with the Cretaceous Angiosperm Terrestrial Revolution, a period of rapid ecological change prompting the emergence of flowering plants, insects, mammals, and ray-finned fishes. The review emphasizes the critical role of newly discovered Mesozoic bird fossils in clarifying the timing of the modern bird radiation.