Dinosaurs could also be lengthy extinct, however 2025 made it abundantly clear that they’re something however settled science. Over the previous yr, new fossils, reanalyses of well-known specimens and the usage of more and more subtle instruments have continued to upend what we thought we knew about how these animals lived, moved, fed and developed.
Some discoveries crammed in long-missing gaps within the fossil file, whereas others pressured researchers to confront the uncomfortable actuality that just a few long-held assumptions have been merely unsuitable.
From reinterpretations of iconic predators to historical trackways that seize fleeting moments of Jurassic life, this yr’s analysis confirmed how a lot info continues to be locked inside bones, enamel and footprints which have been studied for many years. From rewriting evolutionary timelines to difficult how briskly dinosaurs actually have been, the yr reminded us that paleontology is just not about dusting off the previous, however opening new home windows for us to see into it.
