The discovery of North America’s oldest known pterosaur has sent shockwaves through the scientific community. A team of researchers led by paleontologist Ben Kligman has unearthed the fossilized jawbone of a new species, Eotephradactylus mcintireae, in the remote Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The find dates back to the late Triassic period, around 209 million years ago, and sheds light on a dynamic ecosystem where diverse groups of animals coexisted.

The Owl Rock Member, a geologic outcrop rich in volcanic ash, has allowed researchers to date the site to around 209 million years old. This makes it one of the park’s youngest rocks and provides a unique window into the Triassic period. The exposures of the Owl Rock Member are found in very remote areas, making them less studied than other geological members in the park.

The team discovered over 1,200 individual fossils, including bones, teeth, fish scales, and coprolites (fossilized poop). This assemblage contains 16 different groups of vertebrate animals that once inhabited a diverse ecosystem. The region’s braided rivers were filled with fish, like freshwater sharks and coelacanths, as well as ancient amphibians, some of which grew up to 6 feet long.

The surrounding environment was home to fearsome reptiles that evolved earlier in the Triassic, including armored herbivores and toothy predators that resembled giant crocodiles. Living alongside these strange creatures were a variety of more familiar critters, including relatives of tuataras and early frogs.

One of the most significant finds is the fossils of an ancient turtle with spike-like armor and a shell that could fit inside a shoebox. This tortoise-like animal lived around the same time as the oldest known turtle, whose fossils were previously uncovered in Germany.

The team also discovered a new species of pterosaur, which would have been small enough to comfortably perch on a person’s shoulder. The tooth-studded jaw revealed crucial clues about how the earliest pterosaurs lived. Because the tips of the teeth were worn down, the team concluded that the pterosaur likely fed on the site’s fish, many of which were encased in armor-like scales.

The bonebed is the latest research collaboration between the National Museum of Natural History and Petrified Forest National Park. Smithsonian scientists have collected petrified wood, fossils, and archaeological objects from the region since the turn of the 20th century.

This remarkable discovery has shed new light on the Triassic period and highlights the importance of continued exploration and research in our understanding of ancient ecosystems. The find also underscores the significance of preserving and protecting our natural heritage for future generations.

The discovery of ancient human footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park has sent shockwaves through the archaeological community. The footprints, estimated to be between 23,000 and 21,000 years old, are rewriting American history by suggesting that humans arrived in the Americas much earlier than previously thought.

Vance Holliday, a University of Arizona archaeologist and geologist, first visited White Sands in 2012 as part of a research project. He was invited to examine the geologic layers in trenches dug by previous researchers, but it wasn’t until he asked about a site on the adjacent missile range that the footprints were discovered.

Researchers from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom and the U.S. National Park Service excavated the footprints in 2019 and published their findings in 2021. However, critics have questioned the dating of the footprints, citing concerns over the reliability of ancient seeds and pollen used to determine the age.

Undeterred, Holliday led a new study that relied on radiocarbon dating using ancient mud instead of seeds and pollen. The results, published today in Science Advances, confirm that the footprints are between 20,700 and 22,400 years old, corroborating the original finding.

The new study marks the third type of material used to date the footprints, with two separate research groups producing a total of 55 consistent radiocarbon dates. As Holliday notes, “It’s a remarkably consistent record.”

While the discovery is significant, it raises questions about why there are no signs of artifacts or settlements left behind by those who made the footprints. Holliday acknowledges that this remains a mystery, but suggests that hunter-gatherers may have been careful not to leave behind any resources in their short time frame.

The discovery of ancient human footprints in White Sands National Park is rewriting American history and has significant implications for our understanding of when humans first arrived in the Americas. As Holliday says, “You get to the point where it’s really hard to explain all this away.”

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In ancient Ireland, around 5,000 years ago, the notion that an incestuous social elite ruled over the people was questioned by new research. The study examined DNA evidence from burials at Newgrange, a prehistoric monument, which previously led to speculation about a ruling class or royal family being buried there.

Researchers analyzed a bone skull fragment found in the chamber and discovered that it belonged to an individual who was likely born of incestuous relationships, but also distantly related to others buried in the same tomb. This finding suggested that only certain individuals were buried in the chamber, implying they held special positions in society.

However, researchers from the University of York and University College Dublin have now shown that there is no evidence of an elite class existing economically or socially among nearby settlements, dietary practices, or trade. They believe that ancient Irish society was more equal, as evidenced by shared resources, similar dwellings, and a lack of large settlement systems or trade mechanisms.

Professor Penny Bickle stated, “The evidence points to a much more collective ethos.” She added, “We can only begin to understand these monuments and tombs if we examine the social lives or the communities that built and used them.”

Newgrange is an ancient monument older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza, believed to have been built by a farming community in County Meath. The original burial place of the skull fragment, NG10, dated to 3340-3020 BC, was questioned, as its genetic clustering typically reflects distant biological relationships rather than close familial ties.

Associate Professor Jessica Smyth noted that people were selected for burial in passage tombs, but the reasons behind this selection are unknown. She also mentioned that bodies were broken down and mixed with cremated remains before being placed in megalithic monuments, making it unclear who the parents of certain individuals might have been.

Professor Penny Bickle concluded, “It is by no means clear that the monument was the first burial site of NG10.” She added, “As it stands, the incestuous origins of NG10 are a one-off compared to all of the DNA data we have for Neolithic Ireland.”

The research, published in Antiquity, suggests that ancient Irish society might have been more inclusive and equal than previously thought.