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Natovenator polydontus may be the first known nonbird dinosaur to have possessed a streamlined body comparable to that of modern diving birds, researchers report December 1 in Communications Biology. A dinosaur unearthed in Mongolia is making a splash among paleontologists, as its sleek physique may add evidence to the idea that some dinos were suited for life in the water. Natovenator and other closely related dinosaurs may have been swimming predators, the researchers say, challenging the popular notion that dinos were landlubbers. [Extracted from the article]

The article offers information on the discovery of the fossils braincases of the Homo erectus and the Paranthropus robustus which will help in knowing the several aspects of human evolution. It mentions the uncertainties in the estimates of the age ranges in the hominid lineage, along with challenges in precise dating of cave sediments.

The article discusses the discovery of dating for Homo (H.) naledi fossils in southern and South Africa caves that are from between 236,000 and 335,000 years ago, including through referencing a study led by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and geoscientist Paul Dirk in the journal "eLife." The H. naledi's relationship with the Homo genus's evolution is discussed.

The article reports on research by paleoclimatologist Svetlana Botsyun of the University of Tübingen, Germany, regarding the age of the Tibetan Plateau. It mentions the use of paleoaltimetry to measure change in elevations, the levels of oxygen isotopes which help determine age, and the evidence of fossilized palm tree leaves.

The article discusses the discovery of a possible partial Homo sapien jaw with an estimated age between 177,000 and 194,000 years old that was found in Misliya Cave on Mount Carmel in Israel. It explains how the jawbone could indicate that humans left Africa and reached the Middle East approximately 60,000 years earlier than previously believed by scientists.

The article discusses the geological dating of plate tectonics to 3.5 billion years ago, including the role that titanium isotopes over silicon dioxide played in this regard, referencing a report coauthored by scientist Nicolas Greber in the September 22, 2017 issue of "Science" journal.

The article discusses the discovery of a fossil skeleton, dubbed Little Foot, from the species Australopithecus prometheus in the Sterkfontein Caves of South Africa, as described in a report published in the April 2, 2015 issue of "Nature." Topics include how this species lived during the same time as Australopithecus afarensis, how scientists measured the decay of surrounding radioactive sediment to determine the fossil's age, and its distinct features such as the shape of its teeth and face.

The article discusses the evolution and dating of the ray-finned fishes Polypterus and Fukangichthys, following the discovery of the later's fossil in China, referencing an online article coauthored by paleontologist Matt Friedman in the August 30, 2017 issue of "Nature" journal.

The article discusses the age and DNA of the fossil tooth of a Denisovan female found in the Denisova Cave, Siberia, Russia, referencing a study coauthored by evolutionary geneticist Viviane Slon in the July 7, 2017 issue of the "Science Advances" journal.

The article discusses the discovery of purported Homo sapiens fossils and stone tools that are about 300,000 years old at Jebel Irhoud, Morocco. Reports on the finds in the June 8, 2017 issue of the journal "Nature" are noted. Topics include the relation of the fossils to human migration from Africa, the dating and classification of the fossils, and the relation of the fossils to those of the species Homo erectus.

The article provides information on the discovery of fossils likely belonging to microorganisms that were found in rocks from Quebec, Canada dating back between 4.28 billion and 3.77 billion years ago. Details are included on the microfossils found by a team led by Matthew Dodd, a biogeochemist at the University College London.

The article discusses research by geologists on the extent of the Permian mass extinction in relation to land animals. Topics include the redating of fossils of the species Dicynodon and Lystrosaurus, research by a team led by geologists John Geissman and Robert Gastaldo in South Africa's Karoo Basin, and the data of rock accumulation in relation to zircon crystals found in the basin. The research was presented on November 4, 2015 at a Geological Society of America meeting in Baltimore, Maryland.