Jackson Chambers

Jackson Chambers

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11 pieces

earth
October 3, 2016

The Great Permian Extinction: When all life on Earth almost vanished

Of the five mass extinction events on Earth, the one 252 million years ago during the Permian Period was the most devastating. The Permian mass extinction, or “Great Dying,” killed 9 out of every 10 species on the planet and its effects are still seen today.
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earth
July 4, 2016

Is the Yellowstone Supervolcano due for a big eruption?

The Yellowstone Supervolcano is one of the most geologically active locations on the planet. It was the site of numerous lava flows and minor volcanic eruptions as well as three of the largest and most catastrophic eruptions in Earth’s history.
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earth
May 20, 2016

Life on land made possible by ozone layer

The ozone layer, primarily known today for its role in shielding us from harmful ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburns, may have played an important role in the colonization of life on land.
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fossils
February 20, 2016

The 244-million-year-old male fish endowed with a hook

A study done in January 2017 involving 30 fish fossils from Middle Triassic China revealed anatomical differences that helped scientists set apart male from female fish.
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fossils
January 21, 2016

The burrowing ancient spadefoot toad from Mongolia

Spadefoot toads (Pelobatoidea) are a group of toads which posses a bony “spade” on their foot that they use to burrow underground. A fossil found in Mongolia from the Paleocene suggests that burrowing did not evolve as a response to aridity as previously thought.
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fossils
January 16, 2016

America’s 7-million-year old giant camel

An ancient fourteen-foot tall camel was excavated by paleontologists at the University of Louisiana. This specimen is the most complete giant camel fossil to date.
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fossils
September 14, 2015

Miniature Crocodile Ancestor Uncovered on Scottish Island

The discovery of a 168 million year old jaw fragment on the Isle of Skye in Scotland provides new information on the evolution of “dwarf crocodiles” and other crocodilians.
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fossils
September 9, 2015

“Lightning Claw”: Australia’s largest carnivorous dinosaur

Paleontologists have discovered the largest known carnivorous dinosaur ever found in Australia. “Lightning Claw,” as it has come to be known, had large, grappling hook-like claws that it used to ensnare its prey.
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fossils
August 6, 2015

Walruses did not always have tusks: Archaic walrus ancestors were sea-lion look-alikes

Scientists have uncovered a 10 million year old walrus fossil in Japan. Despite lacking the tusks that modern walruses are famous for, the fossil is still part of the same family as present-day walruses.
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fossils
May 21, 2015

Where did snakes come from?

A new study of lizards and snakes suggests that the iconic elongated body plan that snakes are famous for originated on land in the southern hemisphere approximately 128 million years ago.
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fossils
December 9, 2014

South Korea's first complete small dinosaur skeleton

For the first time in the country’s history, a complete fossil skeleton of a theropod dinosaur was found in South Korea. It was found in Hadong County in southern South Korea by a fisherman and was in near perfect condition. The rocks here are from around 110-120 million years ago.
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