It's common knowledge that the human race is made up of one species. Scientists have said, however, that our line was nearly split in two at some point in our history. The cause may have had something to do with living conditions in Africa. More splits occur in the full article after the jump.

Scientists have dug up quite a find in France. A lot of amber with animals trapped inside has been unearthed, and it's now being analyzed with some sophisticated viewing methods. A host of animals dating from 100 million years ago have been discovered within, opening a lot of possibilities for paleontologists to learn new thins. Details after the jump.

A new species of prehistoric crocodile was recently discovered in South America. As far as crocodiles go, this one was a veritable Leviathan - spanning over ten feet long. The crocodile has been named "the warrior of the seas." Details in the full article

Scientists have always believed that at one point in time, the human race transcended the ape family when they started walking on two feet. The latest findings observed from Orrorin fossils in Kenya, however, show shocking evidence that the transition may have taken place much earlier than originally estimated. The fossils suggest that our ancestors probably started prancing around on twos as early as four million years ago. Details in the full article.

It's no Godzilla at length, but it'll probably keep you out of water for quite a while. The National History Museum in Oslo, Norway has officially announced that the fossil they've unearthed in Spitspergen, Svalbard up in the Arctic is the largest sea reptile ever. And "The Monster," as they've called the pliosaur fossil remains, makes the previously discovered Australian Kronosaur look like a platypus. The makings of horror monster inspirations unfold at the full story.

Here's a logic statement to chew on: all birds are dinosaurs, all pterodactyls are dinosaurs, but birds aren't pterodactyls. The discovery of a fossil in China reveals a sparrow-sized pterodactyl - the smallest pterosaur ever discovered - could give scientists a clearer picture of how flying creatures evolved since the age of the dinosaurs. Details, and a picture of the tiny dino, lies in the full article.

A new species of prehistoric predator that could prove to be the missing link between prehistoric and present-day crocodiles was unveiled by Brazilian paleontologists, Thursday. Learn more about this agile predator in the full article.

If you thought that once upon a time, happy dinosaurs were killed off by a giant, blazing rock with "death from above" written all over it, you may only be half right. According to the latest research, the impact probably killed the larger land creatures, but the smaller species could have succumbed to a more watery fate. Curious? read the full article for the skinny on it.

It was recently revealed that an almost complete fossilized human skull estimated to be around 80,000 to 100,000 years old has been unearthed in Xuchang. The skull was dug up last month after over two years of excavation.

Interestingly enough, the significance of the find is still being debated on. For more information on this find and the issues surrounding it, head on over to the full article.

Hey, ever wonder why the first enemies you'd have to fight in some RPGs are just big-ass rodents? We guess it's because someone had an inkling that such creatures did exist and they would be great first level fodder. Well that someone was spot on with the first assumption: giant rats were once a reality. On the other point, however - imagine taking this monster with your measly butter knife and flimsy panlid. Seriously. Get the full story here.