New Map Points to Earth’s Hidden Prehistoric Species

WHO:

Yahoo News UK - Paleontologists Thomas A. Neubauer of the Bavarian State Collections of Natural History in Germany and Mathias Harzhauser of the Natural History Museum in Vienna conducted the research.

Yahoo News UK - Neubauer said, “The fact that many regions of the Earth remain unexplored offers hope for valuable new discoveries.”

Yahoo News UK - Neubauer said the work could help researchers worldwide focus on “still largely unexplored areas” and provide “a valuable guide for planning future projects and excavation campaigns.”

WHAT:

Yahoo News UK - The researchers created a map identifying regions where fossils of previously unknown prehistoric marine species may remain undiscovered.

Science Daily - A global analysis of 540 million years of marine fossils found gaps in knowledge of Earth’s ancient life and identified opportunities to discover previously unknown species.

Yahoo News UK - The researchers found that the Cenozoic Era offers particularly promising opportunities to expand the fossil record, despite the common assumption that older geological periods offer the greatest discovery potential.

Yahoo News UK - The Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras have produced major discoveries, but many of their shallow marine deposits have already been extensively studied.

Yahoo News UK - The map does not guarantee discovery of a new species; it is intended to make fossil searches more targeted.

Yahoo News UK - The researchers said the approach could also direct attention to fossils in museum collections that have remained unexamined.

WHERE:

Yahoo News UK - The researchers mapped fossil records and potential fossil-bearing rock formations around the world, including regions that have received little exploration.

Yahoo News UK - The study focused on animals from shallow marine environments.

WHEN:

Yahoo News UK - The analysis covered 540 million years of fossil records.

Yahoo News UK - The Cenozoic Era began about 66 million years ago.

WHY:

Yahoo News UK - The researchers sought to help paleontologists decide where to search next because only a small fraction of ancient organisms were preserved, and fewer still have been discovered.

Yahoo News UK - The map aims to help scientists prioritize less-studied regions rather than spend as much effort in locations already extensively explored.

HOW:

Yahoo News UK - Neubauer and Harzhauser used the Paleobiology Database, a global collection of published fossil records, to map where ancient marine species have been found and where records are missing.

Yahoo News UK - They compared fossil records with geological data to identify accessible areas containing potentially fossil-bearing rocks.

Yahoo News UK - The researchers said strategic prioritization could help fill gaps in the fossil record through new excavations and examination of existing museum collections.

(UPDATED November 13, 2026 03:08 UTC)

Scientists mapped promising places worldwide to find fossils of previously unknown prehistoric marine species. Their analysis found the Cenozoic Era offers especially strong prospects for new discoveries. The map guides targeted searches, including unexplored regions and overlooked museum collections.