What if everything we thought we knew about our human ancestors was wrong? New research is challenging the way we classify our evolutionary family—and it could completely change our understanding of where we came from.
Hattie graduated with her Master’s in Science degree in Palaeontology with Geology in May 2024 at the University of Birmingham. During her time at University, she completed an internship for the Jurassic Coast Trust, Dorset, which involved significance assessments of fossils as well as interpretive writing based on these fossils.
She was a volunteer for three years with the Natural History Museum in Oxford, where she completed two projects. This included cataloguing the John Eddowes Bowman Collection and Mammals of the Pleistocene of the Upper Thames Valley. Hattie’s obsession with fossil teeth may have started due to these projects. She then went on to boost science communication efforts for the collection’s hidden stories.
As an Editor at YourWeather, she is excited to share her enthusiasm for all things science. Palaeontology will always be her childhood passion, and you will never find her happier than being covered in mud on Charmoth beach searching for ammonites.
News by Hattie Russell
What if restoring the world’s forests didn’t mean planting millions of trees? New research suggests simply giving nature room to recover could deliver major climate and biodiversity benefits—at a fraction of the cost.
Dinosaurs are known for their enormous size, but scientists have uncovered a surprising mystery about why some dinosaurs never became truly tiny, revealing clues about their evolution.
Scientists suggest protecting key animal species could play a crucial role in tackling biodiversity loss, with new research saying there is still time to prevent a sixth mass extinction.
Scientists studying exceptionally rare Neanderthal infant fossils have uncovered surprising evidence that challenges long-held assumptions about our ancient relatives, raising intriguing new questions about what really set them apart.
A major biodiversity study has found that species facing greater extinction risk are more likely to show local declines over time, offering researchers a potential early-warning tool for conservation efforts.
New research suggests Earth’s earliest complex life forms lived in shallow, oxygen-rich coastal seas around 1.7 billion years ago. The findings challenge previous theories and offer new clues about life’s evolution.
Scientists have gathered unprecedented evidence showing how surface melting may accelerate Antarctic glacier movement, offering new insights into ice loss and its potential consequences in a warming world.
Scientists have identified a newly discovered hamster-sized mammal species from 75 million years ago, offering rare clues about how small, adaptable ancestors may have survived the extinction that doomed the dinosaurs.
Researchers have uncovered a giant new dinosaur species in Thailand, believed to be the largest ever found in Southeast Asia, shedding new light on the region’s prehistoric past and ancient wildlife.
Scientists discovered fossils showing ancient octopuses were enormous, intelligent apex predators with powerful bites. The finding reshapes ideas about prehistoric oceans and reveals that octopuses evolved complex behaviour far earlier than expected.
Scientists studying ancient DNA in southern Germany found that after the Roman Empire fell, people moved in small groups and slowly mixed together, rather than large “Germanic” migrations happening at once.
Scientists have discovered that stressed rocks emit subtle chemical signals before breaking, and developed a model to track these changes—offering a potential new way to warn of earthquakes, landslides and other hazards.
Scientists have created a hemp-based plastic that is durable, heat-resistant and highly stretchable, offering a greener alternative to conventional plastics, though scaling up production remains a key challenge.
Scientists have discovered tiny pieces of DNA that play a big role in human language. These ancient traits existed before Neanderthals and stayed largely unchanged due to limits linked to brain growth and childbirth.
New research suggests malaria helped shape early human history, driving populations from high-risk regions and fragmenting groups, with lasting effects on genetic diversity—highlighting disease as a key force alongside climate.
A new study shows liquid biochar fertilisers boost crop yields, improve nutrient efficiency, and offer strong economic benefits, suggesting a scalable, sustainable alternative to conventional fertilisation without disrupting soil health.
Climate change is gradually increasing wildfire spread and season length, putting many species at greater risk. A new study suggests impacts may grow, though reducing emissions could help limit future damage.
Hidden in Ecuador’s forests, a newly discovered glassfrog dazzles with translucent skin and mystery—hinting at vast, unseen biodiversity while quietly facing potential threats from human activity nearby.
In a new paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers describe a new species of ancient animal after discovering eight fossils in a dry river bed in Brazil.