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Mark P. Witton

Research Fellow in Palaeontology, University of Portsmouth
I'm a palaeontological author, artist and researcher based on the south coast of the UK and affiliated with the University of Portsmouth. I'm best known for my research on pterosaurs and, more recently, my contributions to palaeoart - the evidence-led restoration of extinct organisms in drawings, paintings, sculpture and film.

My background is based more in scientific research than writing and artistry. I obtained my PhD from the University of Portsmouth in 2008 after three years of studying pterosaurs, the flying reptiles contemporaneous with non-avian dinosaurs. I remain active in pterosaur research, but since completing my thesis I've found myself employed more as an artist and consultant on the life appearance of extinct animals than as a traditional academic. My career has thus shifted focus to reconstructing extinct animals, and I now spend more of my time considering the history, methods and technical details of this topic than flying reptiles. I've been lucky to impart some of this knowledge to major media clients, with my creature designs and input being used by the BBC, National Geographic, Royal Mail and the Royal Mint. Alongside my papers, books and book chapters on palaeoart, I also post regularly about palaeoart topics at my blog. My artwork has been displayed around the world in venues such as the Natural History Museum, American Museum of Natural History, Yale Peabody Museum and London's South Bank.

Economy

US-Iran Framework Deal Raises Hopes for Strait of Hormuz Reopening

Iran and the United States have reportedly moved closer to ending their two-month conflict after both sides reached a preliminary framework agreement, according to comments from an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson...

Oil Prices Drop Below $100 as U.S.-Iran Talks Ease Strait of Hormuz Fears

Oil prices plunged on Monday after signs of progress emerged in negotiations between the United States and Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most critical oil shipping routes. The decline in...

Dollar Weakens as Iran Peace Deal Hopes Boost Global Market Sentiment

The U.S. dollar declined in thin holiday trading as growing optimism surrounding a potential U.S.-Iran peace agreement increased investor confidence and reduced demand for safe-haven assets. The dollar index slipped 0.3%,...

Japan Plans $19 Billion Extra Budget as Bond Market Faces Pressure

Japans government will prepare an additional budget worth around 3 trillion yen ($19 billion), Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Monday, raising concerns about further fiscal expansion and growing pressure on the...

Trump Faces Pressure as Fed Chair Kevin Warsh Takes Over

President Donald Trump can no longer blame former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for the state of the U.S. economy after appointing Kevin Warsh as the new head of the Federal Reserve. With Warsh now leading the...

Politics

Trump-Taiwan Call Could Reshape U.S.-China Relations, Says Taiwan Foreign Minister

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung said on Monday that a potential phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Taiwan President Lai Ching-te would be welcomed by Taipei, though any initiative depends entirely on...

Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 to Focus on Iran War, Taiwan Tensions and U.S. Role in Asia

The ongoing war in Iran, growing tensions over Taiwan, and concerns about U.S. military commitments in Asia are expected to dominate discussions at the 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue, Asias leading defence and security forum...

U.S.-Iran Talks Advance as Trump Signals Tough Stance on Hormuz and Nuclear Deal

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that Washington would either secure a good agreement with Iran or address the situation through another way, as negotiations between the two countries continue amid ongoing...

Turkey Opposition Crisis Deepens as Police Storm CHP Headquarters

Turkeys political tensions escalated sharply after riot police forced their way into the headquarters of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) in Ankara, intensifying concerns over the future of Turkish...

Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Assault on Kyiv, Killing Civilians and Damaging Historic Sites

Russia carried out one of its largest attacks on Kyiv and nearby regions since the war began, launching hundreds of drones and missiles, including the nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile. The overnight assault...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Morgan Stanley Names Top AI Security and Data Center Stocks for 2026

Morgan Stanley has identified five leading companies in the growing Security, Identity, and Data Centers for AI Agents sector, highlighting firms expected to benefit from rising enterprise demand for secure artificial...

Macquarie Names Five Taiwan AI Stocks Set to Benefit From Data Center Growth in 2026

Macquarie has highlighted five major Taiwanese electronics stocks that it believes are well positioned to benefit from rising artificial intelligence infrastructure spending, data center upgrades, and next-generation...

Huawei Chip Breakthrough Sparks Rally in Chinese Semiconductor Stocks

Chinese semiconductor stocks surged Monday after Huawei announced a major breakthrough in advanced chip technology, fueling optimism about Chinas push for semiconductor self-sufficiency amid ongoing U.S. export...

Meta AI Push Could Add $26 Billion in Revenue by 2027, Wolfe Research Says

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) is projected to generate more than $26 billion in additional revenue by 2027 through artificial intelligence products, subscription services, and new advertising tools, according to a recent...

SpaceX Starship V3 Test Flight Boosts IPO Momentum Ahead of Historic Market Debut

SpaceX successfully completed a major test flight of its upgraded Starship V3 rocket, marking a significant achievement for Elon Musks aerospace company as it moves closer to a highly anticipated initial public offering....