#fossil-discovery

#fossil-discovery

A fossilised human skull unearthed in China and dated to around one million years ago may radically change what we know about the origins of our species. Researchers say the analysis suggests Homo sapiens may have emerged at least half a million years earlier than previously thought. The skull, known as Yunxian 2, was discovered in Hubei Province decades ago, but had long been assumed to belong to Homo erectus - the first large-brained human ancestor.

An Australian fossil enthusiast has uncovered the 'most complete' skeleton of a gargantuan dinosaur-age sea creature ever found in the country. The almost entirely intact ichthyosaur skeleton was unearthed about 100km south of McKinlay, on Toolebuc Station in western Queensland, by local landowner and fossil enthusiast Cassandra Prince after she noticed a tiny bone poking above the dirt. Experts say the 90 per cent intact skeleton measuring 7.1metres in length is one of the most scientifically valuable marine fossils ever found.

Around 1,000 eggs, some as big as 30 centimetres in diameter, have been found here in recent years in an area measuring less than a hectare.