Will Newton
Will Newton is a freelance science writer with a passion for all things prehistoric, from dinosaurs to Ice Age humans. He is also a PhD student at the University of Manchester, where he studies 400-million-year-old, armoured fish known as Ostracoderms. He has written for both BBC Wildlife and BBC Science Focus, as well as several other popular publications. When he's not writing about ancient animals, he can be found with his elbows deep in one of the many fish tanks currently overtaking his home office."
Recent articles by Will Newton
Deadly prehistoric cats: 10 ruthless hunters that roamed the planet thousands of years ago – including one that was the size of a polar bear
From tigers to tabbies, today’s cats come in many different shapes, sizes, and temperaments.
Their ancestors were just as diverse, if not more so, says Will Newton. Here are our top 10 prehistoric cats…
Many prehistoric animals – especially dinosaurs – were absolutely enormous. A scientist explains why they were so darn big
The Earth has always been home to giants, but during prehistory there were a lot more giants than there are today - why is that?
Which dinosaur would make the best pet? Here's what a scientist thinks
Not all dinosaurs were massive, meat-eating monsters; some were no bigger than labradors, covered in downy feathers, and cuter than buttons…
The biggest-ever penguin was a prehistoric monster that weighed as much as a sumo wrestler
Tipping the scales at nearly 160kg, Kumimanu is by far the largest penguin that has ever lived and heavier even than today’s largest living bird, the common ostrich…
How old is life on Earth? Well, it depends on what you mean by 'life'
Ever wondered how old life on Earth is? Well, it depends on your definition of 'life', says Will Newton
Are humans really descended from fish?
Our evolutionary origins can be traced far back through Earth’s long history, but are we really related to those strange fish that crawled out of water 375 million years ago?
What is the largest shark of all time? Meet the ocean giant with a bite force ten times stronger than a great white
Ever wondered what the largest shark of all time is? Will Newton take a look at the evidence
What was the first ever shark? Meet the prehistoric predator that survived five mass extinctions
Sharks are one of the greatest modern day apex predators – but what was the first shark? And was it just as terrifying as we find them today?
It was 4 meters tall, twice as heavy as an elephant, had teeth 30cm long and needed 140kg of meat per day - meet the fiercest, deadliest predator of all time
It's only 15cm long, looks like a weird mouse, outlived the dinosaurs – and humans are descended from it
Meet the tiny mammal that survived the dino-killing asteroid to became our earliest ancestor
10 deadly, utterly terrifying prehistoric fish
The saying ‘there’s always a bigger fish’ rings particularly true when looking at these monsters from prehistory…
What were the fastest dinosaurs – and just how fast were they? Meet 10 prehistoric speed machines
Not all dinosaurs were lumbering giants, some were streamlined speedsters that would have given today’s fastest animals a run for their money…
The world's most ferocious ocean predator ever? This prehistoric, 11 metre long, whale-cross-crocodile monster had a bite as strong as a T-Rex
The world’s oceans were home to many monstrous marine reptiles during the Mesozoic, and chief amongst them were the pliosaurs…
This utterly terrifying, armoured, prehistoric millipede was the size of a double duvet and the biggest bug to ever walk the Earth
300 million years ago, there was a giant bug that looked like a millipede but grew as large as the width of a small car…
What was the first animal to fly?
These prehistoric terror birds – with 'walking bolt cutters' for beaks – would have petrified early humans
Carnivorous terror birds would have towered over humans and may have torn off flesh using their hooked beaks.
Terminator pigs: These 2-metre-tall prehistoric monsters – with their bone-crushing jaws – were one of the most ferocious predators to have ever lived…
These huge, terrifying, prehistoric pig-like creatures were the t-Rex of their day, says Will Newton
This prehistoric monster is the largest dog that ever lived and was able to crush bone with its deadly teeth – but was wiped out by cats
Similar in size to the fictional dire wolves from George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, Epicyon is widely considered the biggest canid of all time…
With lethal blades instead of teeth this prehistoric super predator could have had the deadliest bite ever known
Living fossils: Discover 10 ancient animals with prehistoric roots that are still alive today
eet the ‘living fossils’ that look just like their ancient ancestors and give us an idea of what life on Earth may have been like millions of years ago…
10 prehistoric mega-species that ruled before the dinosaurs – including one that would have been able to crush steel with its bite
Meet the bizarre prehistoric animals that once ruled the world millions of years ago - and they're not dinosaurs
What was the first animal to have sex?
We might have written the book on sex, but animals have been practising this intimate act for hundreds of millions of years. The question is, what were the first animals to ever do it?
Meet Megarachne, the giant prehistoric spider, with a whopping 50cm leg span, that turned out to be something else entirely
10 deadly prehistoric snakes: from dinosaur-eaters and ferocious ocean predators to giant serpents as long as a bus
Meet the snakes that once slithered underneath dinosaurs, swam the world’s oceans and terrified our ancestors…