Modern humans have existed for only a tiny fraction of Earth’s history. During that time, our species has survived ice ages, ...

What was the largest land creature 415 million years ago? A scorpion over a meter long, far more imposing than any of its ...

Lichens were already widespread more than 410 million years ago, according to a new international study that identifies a fossil from Brazil as one of the oldest lichen in Earth's history. The team ...

Diverse and full of sea life, the Earth's Devonian era—taking place more than 370 million years ago—saw the emergence of the first seed-bearing plants, which spread as large forests across the ...

Prototaxites taiti may belong to an unknown multicellular lineage. This 26-foot fossil puzzled scientists for over 165 years. Advanced analysis shows it is unlike any plant, animal, or fungus. Did our ...

Scientists have unearthed South African fossils of prehistoric Devonian Period amphibians believed to be the earliest known four-legged vertebrates at a site called Waterloo Farm in Grahamstown. The ...

Safe distance: supernova SN 1987A as seen by the ESO Schmidt Telescope. Located 168,000 light-years away, this object posed no danger to Earth. (Courtesy: ESO) The explosion of a nearby star could ...

Plant resin is primarily a lipid-soluble mixture of volatile and nonvolatile terpenoid and/or phenolic secondary compounds, typically secreted in specialized structures either internally or on plant ...

A recently published study puts forth a new theory that volcanic eruptions combined with widespread ocean detoxification pushed Earth's biology to a tipping point in the Late Devonian era, triggering ...