Discover, rate, and discuss biology preprints.

The paper responds to a claim that Oculudentavis khaungraae is a squamate, arguing that the evidence is inconclusive and the specimen remains enigmatic.

The paper describes the discovery of endochondral bone in an Early Devonian placoderm-like fish, challenging previous assumptions about the evolution of bone in jawed vertebrates.

The paper tests an epidemiological model of cultural evolution using rock art data and population density estimates, finding that population density above a critical threshold is necessary for cultural innovation stability.

The paper presents a high-resolution Cambrian fossil dataset and a new preservation bias measure to analyze trophic interactions using network science, finding a shift from specialist to generalist interactions.

The paper reports 3.4 Gyr-old microfossils with appendages suggesting active motility, challenging previous assumptions about early life movement capabilities.

The paper assesses how well plant fossils from the late Miocene reflect past environments in the Florina-Ptolemais-Servia Basin by comparing fossil assemblages to modern vegetation and climate data.

The paper presents new chronostratigraphic data from Koziarnia Cave, Poland, confirming the presence of Jerzmanowician and related occupations with a younger chronology than previously thought.

The paper analyzes palynomorph assemblages from lower Eocene coastal wetlands in Northern Germany to distinguish vegetation changes from climate perturbations and infer climate conditions.

The paper uses phylogenetic analysis and ancestral state reconstruction to estimate flight potential in early birds and their relatives, finding that powered flight potential emerged multiple times from ancestors with high potential.

This paper reanalyzes CT scan data of Oculudentavis and concludes it is a squamate, not a bird or archosaur, based on morphological evidence.

The paper models stem and crown group diversity using a birth-death model to explain patterns in the fossil record and their implications for evolutionary dynamics.

The paper describes a Cretaceous insect with exaggerated leaf-like antennae, suggesting sensory organs played a significant role in sexual selection and evolutionary trade-offs.

The paper describes a new myrmecophagid genus and species from the Miocene of Colombia, revises the taxonomy of Neotamandua, and proposes a model for the diversification of anteaters.

This paper describes the cotype of Tupandactylus imperator, highlighting the preservation of a collagenous septum and cranial integuments in a pterosaur from the Crato Formation.

The paper reports the first occurrence of the bivalve genus Schedocardia in Cuba and suggests the Madruga Formation may extend into the early Eocene.

This study examines the role of humans in Antillean vertebrate extinctions using fossil and archaeological data from Cuba, identifying three extinction waves linked to human activity.

This study uses biomechanical modeling to analyze the predatory role of baurusuchids in Late Cretaceous Brazil, showing their unique adaptations as apex predators.

The paper reports Late Holocene fossil remains from a Cuban cave, providing last appearance dates and paleoecological insights into extinct and threatened species.

This study uses stable isotope analysis of mammoth and mastodon remains to examine ecological and behavioral changes during the late Quaternary, revealing increasing niche overlap and seasonality as these species approached extinction.

This paper describes the discovery of the oldest freshwater crabs, Dinocarcinus velauciensis, from the Upper Cretaceous of France, indicating early freshwater colonization by brachyuran crabs.