MUSE: Paleontology is a science with one very squishy problem. Actually, oceans of squishy problems.

Fossils can tell scientists a lot about dinosaurs, which left behind plenty of bones and teeth. Animals with shells, too, are easy to find in the fossil record. Yet the earliest ancestors of today’s vertebrates (backboned animals, including humans) had soft bodies. That means that when it comes to learning about vertebrate evolution, some of the most important animals left behind the fewest clues. Read more.

Copyright 2013 Cricket Media.