Pterodactyl Blamed for Car Crash

A 29-year old man has blamed a pterodactyl, a common term used to describe flying reptiles or pterosaurs for causing his car to crash into a street lamp.  The incident took place in Wenatchee, a small town in Washington state, USA, on Thursday evening around 11.30pm.

Pterodactyl Blamed for Car Crash

When asked by police officers who attended the incident the driver simply stated that he had been forced off the road by a pterodactyl.  It was not reported what the police officers thought of this reply, perhaps the most unusual excuse that any of them had heard.  Not surprisingly the driver was tested for alcohol in his bloodstream, the police suspecting a drink-driving offence but a local source claimed only a “minimal” amount of alcohol was found in his system.

According to witness reports, the car drifted onto the wrong side of the highway before crashing into the street lamp.  No one else reported seeing any sort of flying reptile so the young man’s story could not be corroborated.

No Serious Injuries

Fortunately, there were no serious injuries and after a brief spell in hospital the man was released into the hands of the local law enforcement officers who have subsequently charged him with first degree negligent driving.

The town of Wenatchee in Chelan county in the south of Washington state nestles between two rivers, the Columbia and Wenatchee.  At this time of year, temperatures rarely rise above freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), and although many scientists think pterosaurs were covered in fur they would have needed some heavy duty insulation to make them feel at home in such cold weather.

It is unlikely that cryptozoologists will be rushing up to the nearby Cascade Mountain range in the hope of finding an animal new to science, but at least the excuse provided by the driver is an original one.

Pterosaurs were not “flying Dinosaurs”, they were not members of the Dinosauria clade but reptiles, who like the dinosaurs evolved from the archosaurs.  Pterosaurs evolved around the middle of the Triassic and they were the first back-boned animals to take up an aerial life style.  The pterosaurs were around for 160 million years, with the last of their kind becoming extinct at the very end of the Cretaceous – 66 million years ago.

A pair of Mojo Fun Tropeognathus pterosaurs.  Examples of typical flying reptiles (pterosaurs).

It is thought that the rapid expansion of the birds during the later stages of the Cretaceous hastened their decline, with only the likes of the Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus genera lasting until the very end of the Age of Reptiles.

To view a model of Pteranodon and other flying reptile figures: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Partial Hypsilophodontid Skeleton from Victoria Described.

A team of palaeontologists working on the rugged coastline of Victoria state have uncovered the first partial skeleton of a dinosaur, the first such find in the area for nearly 20 years.  The team led by scientists from the Museum Victoria and Monash University have published their findings on a small plant-eating dinosaur found near Cape Otway

This small dinosaur, known as a hypsilophodontid, part of the ornithopod group, probably stood about a metre tall and would have been a fast runner.  The rocks the fossil was found in date from approximately 106 million years ago (Lower Cretaceous – Albian faunal stage).

A Typical Hypsilophodontid Dinosaur Drawing

A typical hypsilophodontid dinosaur.

It is only the third partial skeleton of a dinosaur ever found in Victoria. The first two – of similar dinosaurs – were found about 20 kilometres away at the famous site known as Dinosaur Cove.  Since then, only isolated dinosaur bones and teeth have been found in Victoria.

To view models of Australian dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models and Replicas.

Research leader and Museum Victoria vertebrate palaeontologist Tom Rich, who with his wife Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich of Monash has led and funded the dinosaur operations in Victoria since 1978, have named and described a number of hypsilophodontids including Leaellynasaura and Qantassaurus

The latest discovery, from a sandstone shore platform, was first uncovered by the research team in November 2005, but details had not been publicly reported.

Exciting Fossil Discovery

The fossils reveal the rear half of the dinosaur’s spinal column, including the tail and a foot.  Unfortunately, the front half of the fossil had already been washed away by the sea.  However, tests carried out in the area reveals that this was probably a prehistoric log jam caused as rivers in flood gathered materials in a certain spot.  This may mean that other fossils and evidence from the Cretaceous will have been preserved at this site, so there might be more dinosaur remains waiting to be discovered.

Around 106 million years ago this part of Australia was located approximately 75 degrees south, these little hypsilophodontids would have inhabited a polar forest, enduring freezing temperatures in the long Southern Hemisphere winter and survived in total darkness for 3-4 months of the year as the sun remained below the horizon.

One of the peculiarities about this group of little dinosaurs, is how they got their names.  Leaellynasaura was named after Tom Rich and Professor Patricia Vickers-Riches’ daughter.  Fair enough, but due to the sponsorship of the dig site and the support required from commercial organisations for the researchers to actually extract the fossils, some dinosaurs have ended up with strange names.  For example, Qantassaurus is named after the Australian national airline, an important sponsor, and the small hypsilophodontid Atlascopcosaurus was named after Atlas Copco, another company that helped fund the dig and supplied important equipment.

The Famous Dinosaur Cove

An articulated partial skeleton of an Atlascopcosaurus found at the Dinosaur Cove mine provides an insight into the lives of these little dinosaurs.  The left tibia (the shin bone) shows signs of an acute infection of the bone (osteomyelitis).  Such a condition would have made this animal incapable of moving very far and would have effectively crippled it.  However, this Atlascopcosaurus lived for many years with this painful condition.  Scientists have speculated that this animal may have been part of a small family group and it was its clan members that looked after it.   Also, this fossil evidence may indicate that these animals were year-round residents of the polar forests and did not migrate backwards and forwards following the sun, as some scientists have postulated.  This Atlascopcosaurus would not have been capable of making such a long journey.  Finally, the crippled Atlascopcosaurus may indicate that there were few predators around, as such a severe handicap would have made this little dinosaur an easy meal for any passing theropod.

Potential Trouble over new Chinese Law making all Fossils State Property

The Liaoning Province of northeastern China has become world-renowned for the amazing prehistoric animal fossils that have been recovered from its sediments.  Indeed, much of the current work on the relationship between birds and theropod dinosaurs would not be taking place had not little feathered dinos such as Sinosauropteryx and Sinornithosaurus been discovered.

Despite the considerable palaeontological resources of scientific bodies such as the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology based in Beijing, it is not possible to explore this vast hinterland without the help and co-operation of the local peasant farmers.

A Feathered Dinosaur Fossil (Sinosauropteryx )

Sinosauropteryx on display – the first feathered dinosaur described.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Earning Extra Income

Many local farmers have supplemented their meagre earnings from agriculture by digging pits into the fine sediments, finding fossils and selling them onto dealers and brokers, or even direct to the research institutes Thousands of individual specimens have been found by the peasants, carefully picking through layer upon layer of rocks and doing much of the “donkey” work for the palaeontologists.

This kind of “free market” approach has benefited science, a young boy found the first Chinese fossil bird Sinornis and a farmer discovered Sinosauropteryx.  Only a few of the discoveries made to date have actually been made by palaeontologists and researchers, it is the farmers and peasants that have made the discoveries.

Naturally, the locals are curious to hear more about the strange,ancient creatures lurking in the ground but the real incentive is the possibility of finding an excellent specimen and cashing in on it.

Fossils are State Property

However, a new law which came into force in 2006 is now beginning to make its presence felt.  The new law makes all dinosaur fossils state property, its aim is to cut down on the amount of small time excavation work and to prevent fossils being sold to dealers who then smuggle these items out for sale on the black market.

In November, matters came to a head when the issue of who actually owes fossil finds led to a court case in the central Henan province, where seven peasants were jailed for trying to prevent local officials from confiscating fossils they had collected.

If farmers are prevented from selling fossils openly, they will either give up digging, which could dramatically cut the supply of specimens to the museums or they could go literally “underground” and sell everything illegally on the black market.  Which ever route is taken it spells bad news for palaeontologists.

They will lose a keen and willing workforce with local knowledge and a lot of fossils will simply leave the country via various illegal means and be lost to science forever as these finds will be destined for the private collections of the wealthy individuals of Europe, Japan and the USA.

Striking a Balance

Perhaps a balance could be struck with the setting up of  local, unbiased vetting stations.  Finds could be brought in by the farmers for examination by scientific staff, who the state could provide funds to, allowing them to purchase any finds.  Those fossils not deemed worthy of further study could be returned to the discoverer who would then be free to sell his fossil on the open market.

No matter what system is proposed there is always the possibility of misrepresentation and corruption.  However, if the palaeontologists and the state museums are given the funds to allow them to have first choice of the fossil finds, then the peasants will be disinclined to turn to the black market and they will be properly rewarded for their digging.

We suspect there are many more amazing discoveries awaiting us in the vast fossil rich sediments of China, how many actually see the light of day, how many end up in private collections before they have a chance to be studied has yet to be decided.

Amazing Fossil Discoveries

The dinosaurs from Liaoning and other parts of China have helped to revolutionise the way scientists think, thanks to these amazing discoveries our knowledge of dinosaurs and their kin has been changed forever.  At Everything Dinosaur we are being asked more questions about feathered dinosaurs than 2 years ago, they really seemed to have captured people’s imaginations.  We are working on a number of feathered dinosaur projects, for example new models are being introduced by most of the major model manufacturers that reflect these new ideas and dinosaur interpretations.

One of our popular sales products this Christmas has been the Feathered Dinosaur Tube, a set of models showing feathered and non-avian dinosaurs.  These models have been designed by the palaeontologists at the American Museum of Natural History (New York) and the tubes contain a variety of dinosaur models including the likes of Microraptor, a feathered Velociraptor, Caudipteryx, the small Theropod Dilong as well as some non-feathered dinosaurs such as Chasmosaurus and Protoceratops to keep them company.

Everything Dinosaur Dinosaur tube: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

An Illustration of the Typical Contents of a Feathered Dinosaur Tube

A set of feathered dinosaurs.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Forget the Boxing Day Sales – how about Bidding for a Tyrannosaur at an Auction?

Today is the day when lots of people brave the high street crowds in a bid to snap up a bargain at the traditional Christmas holiday sales.  Lots of shoppers may be looking for the latest HD ready television or the next game for their X-box 360 but if you want to purchase something a little different this year then an auction house based in the famous ski resort of Aspen (Colorado), is offering a tyrannosaurid head for sale.

Tarbosaurus Dinosaur Skull

However, be prepared to face up to some high rollers as dinosaur fossils and other prehistoric relics are being purchased by celebrities and other well-to-do folk.  With a price tag of £225,000, this tyrannosaur skull is going to take a big bite out of your Christmas budget.

True enough, dinosaur fossils have become extremely popular over the last few years with many movie stars and celebrities purchasing rare items for their own private collections.  Last summer Nicholas Cage and Leonardo Di Caprio went head-to-head bidding for another tyrannosaur skull at a Beverley Hills auction house.

To read this article: Dinosaur Bidding Wars.

The tyrannosaur skull has been classified as belonging to a Tarbosaurus bataar (means alarming reptile), a Late Cretaceous, Asian relative of Tyrannosaurus rex.

The 45 kilogramme skull which consists of about 75% fossil material, the remainder being restoration materials used to complete the skull, is being auctioned by the Nature Gallery by Rick Rolater, the gallery owner.

Rick has specialised in the sale of unusual and rare collectibles for more than 30 years, explaining people’s interest in the fossil he stated; “I think all of us are fascinated with dinosaurs”.

An Asian Tyrannosaur

Tarbosaurus was an Asian tyrannosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous.  Its remains were first found in the late 1940s when a joint Mongolian/Soviet expedition explored the Gobi desert.  It may have reached lengths of 14 metres or so, making it the largest predator in the area at the time and top of the food chain.  Despite the relatively abundant skull material that has been recovered (skull material is very important as it helps palaeontologists trace relationships between different genera); it is still debated whether Tarbosaurus is a separate genus.

There is a lot of conjecture as to whether this animal is sufficiently different from Tyrannosaurus to be granted its own distinct genus.  What is for certain is that whether or not tarbosaurs and tyrannosaurs are different enough to merit their own individual genera, they are very closely related.

The tyrannosaur family tree remains shrouded in controversy. The lack of fossil evidence makes it very difficult to piece together the relationships between all the different types of Tyrannosauroidae.  The earliest tyrannosaur remains have been ascribed to a small bipedal dinosaur found in Portugal but this has been challenged recently with possible Jurassic tyrannosaur finds in China (Guanlong – estimated to be 160 million years old).

At Everything Dinosaur we have been able to source a beautifully illustrated poster that shows the evolution of tyrannosaurs.  It explains how these predators came to dominate food chains and charts their rise to prominence (and infamy) in the dinosaur pecking order.

The Evolution of the Tyrannosaurs Poster

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To purchase posters and other dinosaur themed items: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

A founder of the chain of Discovery channel stores in the USA, Rick commented that his reputation as a seller of rare items and his network of contacts in the fossil hunting community enabled him to land the most prized items for sale at his Aspen gallery.  Mr Rolater has run a similar venture at the exclusive ski resort of Beaver Creek before opening the gallery in nearby Aspen in 2005.

The well preserved skull is one of six that were exported out of Mongolia about 10 years ago.  The skulls of large theropods are extremely scarce and this sale represents a rare opportunity to purchase a piece of palaeontology all for yourself.  After all, they stopped making tyrannosaur skulls about 65 million years ago!

Dubai’s Ruling Family Plans Robotic Prehistoric Animal Theme Park

Moving away from their dependence upon oil revenues, developing the state of Dubai as a world class destination has been the vision of the Al-Maktoums, Dubai’s ruling family for some time.  The waterfront along the city of Dubai has been completely redeveloped over the last few years with a huge boom in tourist attraction construction, from the building of famous landmarks such as the seven star Burj Al Arab, the giant sail-shaped hotel to the creation of artificial islands to enhance the areas leisure facilities.

The “Restless Planet”

Now a new attraction called “Restless Planet” will take visitors on an amazing tour of the Earth’s history, with the star attractions being a number of high-tech, super realistic giant animatronic prehistoric creatures.  There are plans to feature more than 100 robotic animals, a total of 40 different species in a visual panorama of the Mesozoic era – a sort of “Jurassic Park” but in real life.  The aim of the attraction is to create a cross between a conventional museum and a theme park with the robotic animals reacting to visitors as they roam freely throughout the exhibit.

Robotic Reptiles

Imagine how a party of tourists might feel when, on hearing their approach a 40 foot Tyrannosaurus suddenly wheels round and roars at them!

For Audrey O’Connell, the museum’s project co-coordinator one of the biggest tasks is to re-create Mesozoic landscapes which are scientifically accurate.  To assist her she has called upon the expertise of the Natural History museum in London plus the world renowned American palaeontologist Jack Horner.  Jack, an expert on Late Cretaceous dinosaurs (hadrosaurs are his favourite), advised Steven Spielberg on the Jurassic Park films.  Jack, with his long hair, dark beard and penchant for wearing stetson hats  even inspired a character from the second movie – “The Lost World”.  Unfortunately, this character, one of the palaeontologists with the larger Hammond expedition ended up being eaten by a Tyrannosaurus rex.

A Robotic Tyrannosaurus rex Life-size Replica

A well-known Frankfurt landmark. The T. rex outside the Naturmuseum Senckenberg .

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Audrey stated “we wanted to create a hybrid of a theme park and a museum which would allow people to experience a Jurassic era habitat in a scientifically realistic environment”.

A New Attraction

This new attraction will be sited just 6 miles from the coast in an area of development called the City of Arabia and it should be open in 2010, although once opened the attraction management team hope to be able to continually update their exhibits to reflect new discoveries and new research into prehistoric animals.

It will be the size of 10 football pitches and consist of two climate-controlled buildings, one of them dome-shaped. It will contain grassland and woodland divided into several different micro-environments, within which the various animals will wander.  As well as the dinosaurs, pterosaurs will swoop overhead and amphibians will swim in a large, artificial lake.

Inspired by Jurassic Park

The park’s developers hope to set new standards in the realism of animatronics in the same way that Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park was a landmark in computer graphics with its dramatic portrayal of dinosaurs on screen.

An international team of scientists led by the museum are advising on the accuracy of details such as the stretching of the dinosaurs’ skin, their colour, the flaring of their nostrils and the smell of their breath.

In addition to the dinosaurs, the park will include displays showing the development of Earth from the big bang to the creation of oceans and mountains, before arriving in the age of the dinosaurs. An adjoining exhibition hall will house temporary exhibitions, some of which are likely to be loaned from leading Natural History museums.

The Dubai Project

The Dubai project is the first of a series of four scientific theme park-style attractions which the museum plans to develop overseas.  It seems apt that having built up the state on a fossil fuel economy, that other fossils should now act as the inspiration for the development of Dubai as a major tourist attraction.

The emphasis will be on realism, with realistic prehistoric animals wandering a realistic prehistoric landscape.

The Press Release

Below is a copy of the press release sourced from the Restless Planets own site:

“Imagine going back 100 million years or more… to feel the power of the cosmic forces that helped shape our planet, and come face to face with giant dinosaurs. Restless Planet is a unique electronic media and natural history experience… where visitors enter a prehistoric world.

Restless Planet offers the world’s ultimate theme ride back into the mists of time – through the state-of-the-art electronics of today. Here, in the glittering new City of Arabia, you are transported back millions of years into the prehistoric kingdom of the dinosaurs. The world-renowned Natural History Museum of London has drawn on the elite of science, entertainment and technology expertise to realise the dream of bringing these giant creatures and the mysteries of the nature of our planet to life.

Along with the acclaimed dinosaur authority Jack Horner, Tokyo-based animatronics team Kokoro have recreated the real life creatures of the Jurassic era, the visitor experience is designed by international theme park specialists Jack Rouse Associates and is enclosed by a 75-metre dome, designed by international specialists firm RH Architects.

Gathered from the latest research available, the creators of the Restless Planet transport you into an age where earth-shattering events impacted the world. From earthquakes, eruptions and meteor strikes, the evolving shape of our planet will come alive before your eyes.

Step Back in Time

Step back in time to when our Earth was young. Feel your heart race as you travel through a Jurassic landscape alongside gigantic dinosaurs. Restless Planet is a unique, world-class natural history phenomenon, designed to draw tourists and investment and put Dubai into the scientific spotlight on the international stage.

A first of its kind in the world, Restless Planet will respond to breaking dinosaur discoveries through an ongoing programme of exhibits, announcements and events. No visit to Dubai will be complete without the thrill of stepping into our primitive world. Real natural history and entertainment – more exciting and authentic than ever before, and an attraction for all ages.”

With the world-wide “Walking with Dinosaurs” tour continuing to pack stadia I am sure this attraction will prove a success.  However, whether or not they are able to satisfy the keen eyed palaeontologists on the exhibits accuracy is a different kettle of animatronic fish.  For example, in the publicity DVD to promote the park, a tracking shot of brachiosaurs and stegosaurs majestically walking across a plain is interrupted by the passing overhead of a large pterosaur.  The problem is that the flying reptile is clearly modelled on an Pteranodon ingens, pterosaurs like this evolved long after the likes of brachiosaurs and stegosaurs had disappeared – never mind.

For models and replicas of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Land Dwelling Potential Ancestor of Whales Described

Researchers at the North-eastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy have published a paper on a land dwelling animal that shows links to the ancestry of whales.  The discovery of this animal could possibly provide evidence of a missing link in how terrestrial animals adapted to a marine existence.

Scientists have speculated that the ancestor of whales (cetaceans) was probably a carnivore with the otter-like Ambulocetus from the Eocene being a strong contender.  Ambulocetus means “walking whale” , the remains of this animal, which could reach lengths of 3 metres or more, have been found in Pakistan, now a new fossil from Kashmir, provides further insight into the evolution of modern whales.

Fossil From Kashmir

This new fossil, which was actually unearthed 30 years previously, but has only recently been studied closely, is of a small deer-like animal, about the size of a large domestic cat, that roamed the dense rain-forests of Kashmir around 48 million years ago.  It had been thought that the ancestors of whales had adapted to a life in water as they hunted fish or became waterside ambush predators similar to crocodiles.  However, this little animal was definitely herbivorous, perhaps taking to an aquatic lifestyle to munch on lush water plants much as rodents like the South American Capybara do today.

This little animal has been named Indohyus,  although the skeleton is not complete the skull has been found and the preserved middle ear structure is identical to that found in the cetacean group.  Isotope analysis of the teeth is a little ambiguous, but has led to speculation that this animal was probably a herbivore and that it may have fed in water, although another interpretation of this data would conclude that Indohyus probably fed on land but spent a lot of time in an aquatic environment.

Ancestor of Whales

Lead researcher Hans Thewissen commented “what we think happened is that the ancestors of both Indohyus and whales were animals that looked like tiny deer”.  Discussing the apparent herbivorous habit of Indohyus he added “apparently the dietary shift to hunting animals, as modern whales do, came later than the habitat shift to the water”.

The research team, whose work has just been published in the journal Nature conclude that Indohyus was probably not a direct ancestor of modern cetaceans as the fossil remains of this little animal date 48 million years ago, whilst remains of marine mammals such as Pakicetus date from at least 50 million years ago.

For models and replicas of prehistoric mammals and other extinct creatures: Prehistoric Animal Models