The Most Fascinating Fossil Finds From This Century

Archaeopteryx Fossil (2011): A remarkably well-preserved Archaeopteryx fossil found in Germany, showing detailed feather impressions, confirming its status as a transitional species between dinosaurs and birds.

Homo naledi (2013): Discovered in South Africa, this new species of early human has a mix of primitive and modern traits, suggesting a complex and varied evolutionary history of the genus Homo.

Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus Tail (2020): Fossil evidence found in Morocco revealed that Spinosaurus had a tail adapted for swimming, indicating it was likely the first-known swimming dinosaur.

Denisovan Fossils (2010): Bone fragments from Denisovans, an extinct hominin species, were discovered in Siberia, providing crucial DNA evidence that has helped map out their interbreeding with modern humans and Neanderthals.

Ichthyosaur Fossil (2012): The discovery of a pregnant Ichthyosaur fossil in China provided the earliest evidence of live birth in these ancient marine reptiles.

Jurassic Sea Predator (2021): A near-complete skeleton of a pliosaur, a large marine predator, was unearthed in England, offering insights into the diversity and evolution of marine reptiles during the Jurassic period.

Amber-Trapped Dinosaur Tail (2016): A piece of amber from Myanmar containing a feathered dinosaur tail provided unprecedented details about the feathers and structure of small dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period.

Oldest Known Homo sapiens Fossils (2017): Fossils discovered in Morocco pushed back the date of the emergence of Homo sapiens to about 300,000 years ago, altering the timeline of human evolution.

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