Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. Fossil discoveries unlock chapters of our planet’s storied ...

(CNN) — When a fossil preserves an animal’s complete body in a death pose, seeing it is observing a snapshot in time. Several such fossils exist for Archaeopteryx — the earliest known bird — and now, ...

Argentavis magnificens was so massive it should’ve stayed grounded. Yet, this giant prehistoric bird still ruled the skies of ...

Fossils reveal that prehistoric cicadas’ wings evolved to help them evade hungry predators with feathers and beaks, scientists say. By Jack Tamisiea Today, few critters are as abundant as cicadas.

(CN) — Birds didn’t just inherit their dinosaur lineage — they rewired it. That's according to researchers in a study that say as their brains grew, birds' skulls became more flexible, unlocking new ...

The birds of today descended from the dinosaurs of yore. Researchers have known relatively little, however, about how the bird's brain took shape over tens of millions of years. "Birds are one of the ...

Ch. 1. From Protoavis to Pigeon -- Ch. 2. The Design of an Airframe -- Ch. 3. The Triassic Treasures of Texas -- Ch. 4. A Portrait of Protoavis -- Ch. 5. The Jurassic Birds -- Ch. 6. The Birds of the ...