We as a species often enjoy looking into the past. As science enthusiasts, this becomes all the more important to properly see into the mistakes made, and what we may learn from them. Today, the world of science changes rapidly, and nowhere is this change clearer than in paleontology. Today’s paleontologists use the latest in computer technology, from scanners to 3D-modeling software and a number of other methods to gather data from whatever is dug up. And the power of social networking helps to publicize the latest news much faster than ever before.
This is a list of the top ten animal fossil discoveries of 2015, not a simple list to compile when considering the number of new animals unearthed and the breakthroughs made in the field. Most findings are revealed, only to be shelved away and forgotten by the public. But every so often something bizarre may turn up. They may just be old bones that are getting new names, or may indeed be new animals that have helped to rewrite the history of life on the planet.
Sometimes, the newest discoveries are so surprising that they break the internet with little effort. For example, nobody guessed that a little dragon-winged dinosaur might reach meme status overnight, or that a new ancestor of mankind would be discovered. And nobody guessed that a prehistoric okapi would wear a fictional character’s headdress on its skull. The most talented artists have now joined us to bring you the best of the best, the top ten fossil finds of the year.
Palaeoloxodon namadicus
Location: Asia
Age: Pleistocene Epoch
