For a long time, dinosaur research in Korea has shown an intriguing pattern: trackways and egg fossils are exceptionally abundant, yet direct skeletal evidence has remained very scarce. This imbalance has left Korean paleontologists with relatively limited anatomical material for studying the morphology, taxonomy, and evolutionary relationships of the region's dinosaurs. Against that background, the discovery of a small dinosaur skeleton represents an important find. This fos

Here is your science article translated into English, with wording aligned to the terminology and interpretations used in the referenced paper: Fossils do not only record the anatomy of organisms—they can also preserve their behavior. Traces such as footprints, trackways, burrows, and borings are known as trace fossils, representing the activities left behind by ancient organisms. By studying these traces, researchers can infer how animals moved, foraged, and even whether the

Deep beneath Earth's surface lies a realm that has long remained largely unknown. Unlike the dynamic water cycle at the surface, water in the deep continental crust can become trapped within rock fractures and mineral structures, potentially remaining isolated for immense spans of geological time. A research team working in a mine near Timmins in Ontario, Canada collected water and gas samples from fractures in rocks roughly 2.4 kilometres below the surface. These rocks belon

The habitat preferences of different members within fossil communities are an important aspect of understanding ancient ecosystems. The preferences of different biological groups help researchers infer their diets, living spaces, and interactions with other organisms sharing the same habitat. However, due to the rarity of fossils, preservation and sampling biases make it very difficult to accurately estimate the habitat preferences of ancient organisms. For example, the Late

In middle-school geography classes, many students learn that limestone can form through both chemical precipitation and biological activity. Among biologically produced limestones, coral-reef limestone is the most famous example. From the Cambrian to the present day, corals have played a central role in reef construction for most of the history of animal life. Yet within this long coral-dominated history of marine ecosystems, there was an unusual interval when a very differen

Does a rhinoceros necessarily need a sharp horn on its nose? If a rhinoceros lacks that iconic spike, can it still be called a rhinoceros? And if an animal carries a pair of tusks, should we think of a rhino—or a wild boar? In previous discussions, we have explored many animals that resembled rhinoceroses, such as brontotheres and other massive herbivores that once roamed prehistoric landscapes. Yet the rhinoceros family itself contains a remarkable diversity of forms, many o

In the rush and pressure of modern life, many people occasionally dream of simply lying back and letting the world take care of itself. Imagine a life where food appears without effort and daily responsibilities melt away. If such a fantasy has ever crossed your mind, there is no need to feel embarrassed. Humans are not the only organisms that have entertained such a lifestyle. More than 500 million years ago, during the Cambrian Period, a peculiar group within the trilobite

Have you ever seen an animal with two massive horn-like structures on its head resembling those of a rhinoceros, accompanied by two smaller bony horns on the top of the skull? Imagine a creature whose limbs are thick and pillar-like, similar to those of elephants or rhinos, and whose diet consists entirely of plants. Some readers might immediately think of the brontotheres discussed previously. However, the animal introduced here does not belong to Brontotheriidae or Rhinocer

Today we are going to explore one of the most peculiar fossils ever discovered: Cothurnocystis . Among the countless forms preserved in the fossil record, few appear as abstract and bewildering as this animal. Cothurnocystis  lived during the Ordovician Period. Although its Chinese name contains the character “fruit,” it is in fact an animal rather than a plant. Paleontologists currently place it within the phylum Echinodermata, the group that includes modern sea stars, sea u

Do you like Pokémon? Recently, packs of the Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG) have been appearing in convenience stores everywhere. This collectible card game has brought many Pokémon back into the spotlight. Among them, one that left a particularly strong impression on me is the Generation VIII pseudo-legendary Pokémon Dragapult . What makes this Pokémon so memorable is that its design is inspired by a mysterious prehistoric animal— Diplocaulus . Official artwork of Dragapult