Teeth originated in an armoured ray that swam the oceans 100 million years ago, according to new research. They evolved from jagged spikes along the snout of the primitive sea predator named Ischyrhiza mira. Known as rostral denticles, they helped the beast forage - and fight off bigger fish. The…
Research of a 3D reconstruction of the largest shark that has ever lived reveals that it was capable of devouring prey up to eight metres long in one piece. The megalodon is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago. Meaning ‘big tooth’,…
A 10-year-old boy died in agony when he was torn apart in an attack by a wild jaguar in the Brazilian Amazon. The attack was reportedly so savage that the lad's face was ripped off by the big cat's claws and teeth. Police in Para state, northern Brazil, are now…
Spanish archaeologists have made an astonishing discovery of what they believe is the lower jaw of possibly the oldest hominid ever found in Europe. The amazingly well-preserved body part - estimated to be 1.4 million years old - was discovered at Level TE7 at the Sima del Elefante site in…
The ultimate predator of predators was a massive 50-foot-long shark that was so powerful it even ate predators that ate other predators. Prehistoric megatooth sharks that got their name from their massive teeth, which can each be bigger than a human hand, included the Megalodon, the largest shark that ever…
An international team of researchers has authored a study claiming that they may have discovered what is possibly the oldest human fossils in existence in China. Researchers from the National Centre for Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) in Spain, as part of a team of Chinese, Spanish and French scientists,…
Terrifying videos showing a pet snake shedding its skin and another sinking its teeth into a mouse have been released by a dedicated python fan. Snake-mad Jacop Frank, 29, told Newsflash in an exclusive interview: "I have been keeping different reptiles on and off for around 15 years. "But I…
Scientists in Switzerland have discovered two previously unknown dolphin species that inhabited the area of today’s landlocked mountainous country 20 million years ago. Palaeontologists at the University of Zurich said they used fragments of ear bones, teeth and vertebrae to determine the characteristics of the two species. They added that…
Nano-sized robots manipulated using a magnetic field can help kill bacteria deep inside teeth to ensure the success of root canal treatments after the living tissue has been removed. Root canal treatments are routinely carried out to treat tooth infections in millions of patients. The procedure involves removing the infected…
A tiny sharp-toothed rodent that roamed the earth 220 million years ago has emerged as a missing ancestor of today's mammals. The rat-like creature - called a cynodont after its huge canine teeth - walked the earth with dinosaurs in the Triassic period. Now a study published in Scientific Reports…