Fossil record

Scientists discovered that the crust beneath East Africa’s Turkana Rift is thinning to a critical point, indicating the continent is nearing a breaking apart stage. This process, called 'necking,' could eventually form a new ocean millions of years from now and may explain the region’s rich fossil record, suggesting Turkana preserves humanity’s story rather than being its birthplace.

Scientists in southern Africa have discovered 132-million-year-old dinosaur tracks near Knysna, Western Cape, marking the youngest such findings in the region. These tracks, uncovered after ancient lava flows obscured earlier evidence, are reshaping understanding of the area's prehistoric history.

An ancient crocodile relative, Sonselasuchus cedrus, discovered to have transitioned from a four-legged to a two-legged stance as it matured, challenging previous assumptions about reptile locomotion in the fossil record. The poodle-sized creature lived during the dinosaur age and its unique adaptation is rarely documented in prehistoric species.