April 2019

Largest Spider Fossil Found in Volcanic Ash

Fossil female golden orb-weaver spider (Nephila jurassica) from the Middle Jurassic of China. Credit: Paul Selden. T…

The Largest Tyrannosaurus Rex Ever Discovered

© iStock/oversnap Paleontologists have discovered the biggest Tyrannosaurus rex fossil yet found, according to a new …

In Diamonds' Flaws, Finding the Secret History of Continents

A raw diamond from Sierra Leone with sulfur-containing mineral inclusions. The longevity of Earth's continents in…

Second-Biggest Diamond in History Found

The 1,758-carat diamond found in Botswana. Source: Lucara Diamond Corp. A giant 1,758-carat diamond, the second-bigge…

Earthquakes Happen Every 3 Minutes in Southern California, Study Shows

The San Andreas Fault system, which stretches more than 800 miles in California, causes a powerful earthquake about…

New Species of Giant Fossil Carnivore Found in Kenya

Simbakubwa kutokaafrika, an extinct hyaenodont, with a skull as large as that of a rhinoceros and enormous piercing canin…

"Ridiculously Rare" Gemstones Found in Northern Canada

"Ridiculously Rare" Gemstones Found in Northern Canada. Vivid blue spinel with white carbonate in calc-silicate…

Visitor Uncovers 1.5-carat Diamond in Arkansas Park

A Crater of Diamonds State Park visitor found a 1.52-carat diamond on April 2, 2019. It's believed to be the largest …

Four-legged Whale With Hooves Fossil Discovered

Artistic Reconstruction of Four-legged Whale. Credit: A. Gennari Fossil find: Whale with legs could stand on land a…

Grape Agate: Properties, Formation, Occurrence

Grape agate is a botryoidal variety of chalcedony , distinguished by its clusters of tiny grape-like spheres. Its name deriv…

66-Million-year-old Deathbed Linked to Dinosaur-Annihilating Meteor

A group of fish fossils from the Tanis surge deposit. Credit: Courtesy of Robert DePalma Fossils discovered from the…

California Should Have Had a Major Earthquake by Now, Geologists Warn

California Seismic Hazard Map, USGS There have been no major ground rupturing earthquakes along California's thre…

Worms Frozen for 42,000 Years in Siberian Permafrost Wriggle to Life

Tiny nematodes like this one were found to be unexpectedly hardy, reviving after thousands of years frozen in Arctic ice.…