Biology Discoveries

Hypothesis that a massive asteroid impact caused the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction 66 million years ago, including the demise of non-avian dinosaurs.

Discovery of a remarkably complete 3.2-million-year-old hominin skeleton in Ethiopia, providing key evidence for bipedal locomotion in early human ancestors.

Discovery of exceptionally preserved soft-bodied fossils in the Burgess Shale, revealing the rapid diversification of animal body plans during the Cambrian period.

First scientific descriptions of dinosaurs: Megalosaurus (Buckland) and Iguanodon (Mantell), establishing that giant reptiles once dominated Earth.