The Biggest Paleontology Discoveries of 2022

As the year comes to an end, we are looking back at some of the coolest and weirdest fossils in the news this year and what we learned from them!

Hosted by: Stefan Chin (he/him)
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[Mini_Squatch]

I love when new paleontological discoveries happen because someone opened a drawer in the back of a museum for the first time in decades lol

[elmohead]

The way abelisaurids position their arms naturally (swept back) means they were the first creatures ever to be doing the Naruto run.

[tonyb]

I worked on a construction job in a residential neighborhood in Los Angeles a few weeks back. The job was shut down when prehistoric critter bones were dug up. It's just a few miles from LaBrea Tar pits but just a few feet from houses.

[spartanog]

Tiny arms are the "poster child" for use it or lose it. Happy New Year SciShow!

[tenchuu]

The vampire name is in part due to it having spiked "teeth" instead of suckers. When you see one inverted looking like a hedgehog it's a lot less cute. They definitely not give good hugs.

[JohnCena]

I'm suprised the new discoveries about Spinosaurus weren't mentioned.
Probably because they will be outdated again in a few weeks, haha. The never ending struggle with Spinosaurus will continue in 2023.

[SourDeeSloth]

You've made crocodiles even more terrifying.

[caianmarcaccini]

Another great episode, thanks for your work on making the scientific discoveries of varying fields accessible to people

[sarahwbs]

I'd love to see you guys do a Crash Course Paleontology someday! 🙏🏻

[b.sylphaen]

Hey! I live very close to where the Meraxes Gigas was found, like two hours away by car. Good to know we contribute to the fossil record. The museum in Plaza Huincul is really cool.

[Bogwedgle]

Huh I'd always just assumed large carnivores had small forelimbs so they could have heavier heads and keep their balance. The head of a T rex weighed as much as a small car, if it had massive arms too it would need like a 40 foot long tail to function. Nice to see science catching up to my random assumptions.

[hannahbrown]

Ill never forget the scene from Meet the Robinsons where the dinosaur had a translator and hes trying to get someone but theyre hiding in a corner and he laments

"IVE GOT A BIG HEAD! AND LITTLE ARMS!"

[Wispertile]

I always had a feeling geckos were ancient 🦎 considering they have the most variation and most sub species of any genus in the squamate order to date!!! Geckos for the win!!!! 2023!!! I am so excited about this discovery!

[Studycase]

OMG that pic of Meraxes Gigas! I'm always interested but every once in a while I'm transported if you will. That may be my new "Dino Crush" it happens so often as so many discoveries are made. Awesome work and upload as usual, Thank you and Happy Holidays to ALL involved!

[buhbird]

I would love to see a video summarizing what we believe about the when/where the different animal kingdoms split from each other. For example how diapsids split into the ancestors of lizards (lepidosaurs) and archosaurs (predecessor to dinosaurs and crocodilians)

[joeshabado]

Some dinos small arms are akin to the tiny nub wings on terror birds. Kinda makes sense they are becoming vestigial.

[darkangelprincess]

My theory is the small arms are wings like with chickens and Im sticking to that because I love the idea of giant dinos having chicken wings

[tkzsfen]

Wasn't there an entirely preserved leg with skin of a dinosaur discovered this year? I thought that this was going to be the biggest news in paleontology.

[pjpisczak]

Very professional! Enjoyed every minute. At one time we'd need to pay $$ in order to get this information. But now we have this great content come forward, I believe out of the love of the subject. Great job!

[vashthestampede]

i wish i would have gone with my childhood dream of being a paleontologist, unfortunately the difficulty of finding a job where you ear a living kept me from ever persuing it