All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
21 05, 2010

Happy Birthday Mary Anning

By |2023-03-06T07:32:00+00:00May 21st, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Famous Figures, Geology, Main Page|0 Comments

Remembering Mary Anning a Pioneering English Fossil Collector and Palaeontologist

Today, the 21st of May, is the anniversary of the birth of Mary Anning, a pioneering English fossil collector and amateur palaeontologist.  Mary was born in the small, seaside town of Lyme Regis, an area of Britain’s coast famous for its Jurassic sediments and fossils of marine animals (and pterosaurs plus one dinosaur genus).

Mary Anning

Her father was a carpenter by trade, although he supplemented the family’s income by also selling curios (fossils) that they had found on the beach and in the cliffs that surround Lyme Regis.  Mary became prominent as an expert in fossils and fossil finding, although she did not receive the full credit for her contribution to science during her lifetime.  She discovered the first plesiosaur fossils in 1821 and the first pterosaur (flying reptile) fossils in England in 1828.

Many of her specimens can be seen in museums today, her finds helped to build up the collections of a number of wealthy individuals but often no record was kept of her contribution or role in the research and study of such specimens.

Mary died in 1847, she is buried at St Michael’s church which stands above the cliffs at Lyme Regis.

A Picture of the Grave of Mary Anning and her Brother Joseph

Mary Anning's grave.

Mary Anning’s grave at St Michael’s Church on the hill overlooking Lyme Regis.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Ammonite Fossils

Thousand of people every year visit the UNESCO Jurassic coast to go hunting for fossils such as ammonites. They are following in the footsteps of Mary Anning.

Typical Fossils Found on the Beaches at Lyme Regis

An Ammonite fossil. The geological hammer provides a scale (geology hammer).
A big fossil close to the Ammonite Pavement. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For replicas of ammonites and other prehistoric creatures, take a look at Everything Dinosaur’s extensive range of models and figures: Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

20 05, 2010

The “My First Dinosaur Range” from Everything Dinosaur

By |2023-01-06T08:30:51+00:00May 20th, 2010|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur Team Formerly Launches the “My First Dinosaur” Range

Following research amongst our customers, Everything Dinosaur, the UK based dinosaur company run by parents, teachers, real dinosaur enthusiasts and experts has formerly launched a dinosaur themed product range especially for very young dinosaur fans.

Children as young as two years of age can develop a fascination with prehistoric animals, particularly dinosaurs and as they grow; getting to grips with all the long scientific names is second nature to them.  In response to requests from parents, the team members at Everything Dinosaur have grouped together a range of dinosaur themed merchandise and clothing that has been specially designed with little ones in mind.

My First Dinosaur Range

The My First Dinosaur range includes clothing, eating utensils, reading materials, educational games designed to stimulate and encourage literacy and numeracy through creative play, as well as a hand selected range of soft, pliable rubber dinosaur toys.  With a target audience of knowledgeable two to three year olds, the dinosaurs featured in this range include Triceratops, T. rex, Stegosaurus and Parasaurolophus.  These are animals that these young children are becoming familiar with as they become aware of dinosaurs.

Examples of the My First Dinosaur Range from Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur

The product range is aimed at linking in with National Curriculum objectives to help pre-schoolers learn about the world around them and develop communication skills.  For parents keen to encourage their own budding young palaeontologist, the products are available on one specific site on the Everything Dinosaur website.  These dinosaur toys and games have been specially designed to appeal to very young children in terms of their creative play potential.  The range consists of dinosaur toys for very young children.

To view the extensive range of dinosaur toys and gifts: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We are amazed how quickly young children learn about dinosaurs and pick up on their characteristics and behaviours.  At this young age, their minds are like sponges and we get asked all sorts of amazing and imaginative questions when we visit nursery schools and pre-school teaching schemes.  It makes sense to listen to the requests of parents and put a range of specially selected dinosaur themed items in one place on our website to cater for the needs of this age range”.

A Range of Top Quality Dinosaur Themed Merchandise

Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur logo – a symbol of choice and quality.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Who knows, perhaps the launch of the “My First Dinosaur range” from Everything Dinosaur, will help encourage the next generation of young palaeontologists.

19 05, 2010

Demoting a Dinosaur New Skull Material Takes Azendohsaurus out of the Dinosauria

By |2023-03-06T07:33:51+00:00May 19th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|1 Comment

Azendohsaurus – Not a Dinosaur, as Homer Simpson would say DOH!

A prehistoric reptile that roamed what was Africa in the middle of the Triassic that was once thought to be a primitive herbivorous dinosaur has been proven to be something altogether different.  Analysis of new fossil material has identified this plant-eating reptile that shared the Triassic with the diversifying dinosaurs and pterosaurs, an animal named Azendohsaurus, as a member of the Archosauromorpha.

Azendohsaurus not a Dinosaur

A careful new analysis of Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis using more complete skull material aligns this Middle Triassic reptile with a very different and very early branch of the reptile evolutionary tree.  Although it has several anatomical features that are similar to early herbivorous dinosaurs, new research by a team of scientists at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), indicates that this animal was wrongly assigned to the Dinosauria.

The holotype specimen of Azendohsaurus consists of fragmentary teeth and jaws that were discovered in 1972 close by (and named after) a small village in the Moroccan Atlas mountains.  The perils of naming a genus of dinosaur based on teeth evidence alone is well documented, take for example the taxonomic difficulties which are still being encountered nearly 200 years after the naming and describing of the dinosaur genus known as Iguanodon.

The Crystal Palace Iguanodon Figures

Iguanodons at Crystal Palace.

A pair of Iguanodons study the Crystal Palace landscape.  This dinosaur genus was first identified from fossil teeth. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

However, the discovery of new, much more complete fossil material, including skull material and a number of individual specimens at a site in southwestern Madagascar has enabled scientists at the American Museum of Natural History (New York) to revise the classification of this particular Triassic reptile.

In a paper published in the scientific journal “Palaeontology”, the researchers state that many aspects of Azendohsaurus are far more primitive than previously assumed, which in turn means that its plant-eating adaptations, similar to those found with some early dinosaurs, were developed independently.  This is evidence of covergent evolution, where different organisms evolve the same adaptations to cope with their environments and the ecosystem.

Commenting on the new research, John J. Flynn, curator in the Division of Palaeontology at the AMNH stated:

“Even though this extraordinary ancient reptile looks similar to some plant-eating Dinosaurs in some features of the skull and dentition, it is in fact only distantly related to Dinosaurs.  With more complete material, we re-assessed features like the down-turned jaw and leaf-shaped teeth found in A. madagaskarensis as convergent with some herbivorous dinosaurs.”

Diagrams show a reconstruction of the skull of the new species of Azendohsaurus.  On top is a lateral or side view, and on the bottom, a palatal or roof of the mouth view.  Note the teeth covering the palate, a highly unusual feature among reptiles, and the down-turned front end of the lower jaw, a feature found independently in many herbivorous archosauromorphs.

This particular creature was initially described and published as an early dinosaur in the scientific journal “Science” over a decade ago, but the completeness of the more recently unearthed and studied fossils has provided the first complete glimpse of what this animal looked like and was related to.  A. madagaskarensis was not a dinosaur.

A Member of the Archosauromorpha

A. madagaskarensis lived during the period of time that dinosaurs and other archosaurs such as crocodiles and pterosaurs were beginning to diversify.  During this part of the Mesozoic one hemisphere (western) was dominated by a huge ocean (the Panthallassic Ocean) and the other hemisphere (eastern) was dominated by an enormous super-continent (Pangaea).  It is possible to have fossils of the same animal found in Morocco and the island of Madagascar today, as during the Triassic, Madagascar and Morocco formed part of Pangaea.  Madagascar did not break away from Africa until towards the end of the Mesozoic.

A. madagaskarensis was 2 to 4 metres long and weighed between 20 and 50 kilogrammes.   A. madagaskarensis was an efficient herbivore with teeth modified for slicing vegetation covering not only its jaws but also the roof of its mouth.

John J. Flynn described this animal as:

“a veritable four-legged weed-whacker.”

Even though early archosaurs were commonly thought to be primarily carnivorous, A. madagaskarensis shows that traits associated with herbivory were much more widespread across archosaur reptiles.

Commenting on this new study, André Wyss, Professor at the University of California (Santa Barbara) stated:

“Now there are many more cases of herbivorous archosaurs.  We are rethinking the evolution of diet and feeding strategies, as well as the broader evolution of the group.”

“This is the way science works,”

added Flynn, commenting on the reinterpretation of the fossils.

“As we found and analysed more material, it made us realise that this was a much more primitive animal and the dinosaur-like features were really the product of convergent evolution.”

André Wyss went onto state, that in many ways Azendohsaurus was turning out to be much more interesting as a non-dinosaur archosaur, than scientists could have imagined if it has stayed assigned to the Dinosauria as just another generic herbivore from the Middle Triassic.

Piecing together a prehistoric animal even when there is a copious amount of fossil material and data to work on is a very difficult task, with just the teeth and fragments of jaws to work with misinterpretations can occur.  However, once more fossils have been discovered a more thorough analysis can take place.  It is not uncommon for new material to lead to the revision of previously accepted work.  So Azendohsaurus is not a member of the Dinosauria after all, as Homer Simpson would say Doh!

We are grateful for the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) for information on this subject area.

Everything Dinosaur stocks an extensive range of models of archosaurs, including dinosaurs, pterosaurs and crocodilians: Archosaur Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

18 05, 2010

Devonian Mass Extinction Event Cleared the way for New Vertebrates

By |2023-03-06T07:35:44+00:00May 18th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Mass Extinction Event Opened up New Opportunities for Vertebrates

A paper published in the scientific journal “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, by a team of American researchers points to a “seismic shift” in vertebrate evolution at the end of the Devonian Period.  A mass extinction event, some 360 million years ago, so affected life in freshwater and marine habitats that the older forms of vertebrate life effectively gave way and new vertebrates, our distant ancestors, had the chance to take over.  The road was laid open for the surviving tetrapods that would eventually lead to the dinosaurs, birds, mammals and of course our own species.

Late Devonian Mass Extinction

The Late Devonian mass extinction is also known as the Hangenberg event, named from the Hangenberg shale formations that help to mark the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary.  It is one of the “big five” extinction events known in the Phanerozoic Eon.  Although, there has always been a level of background extinctions and there have been many incidences of significant extinction events throughout the history of life on Earth, scientists have identified five especially severe extinction events in the Phanerozoic Eon.

The Late Devonian extinction event severely affected many invertebrate and vertebrate families, especially those of tropical reef-dwelling organisms such as corals, brachipods, bivalves and ancient sponges.  However, it is the demise of prehistoric fish groups such as the placoderms and the actinistians (lobe-finned fish) that may have led to the rapid diversification of the ray-finned fish and the early tetrapods.

The authors of this scientific paper, postulate that the mass extinction of prehistoric fish some 360 million years ago, cleared the way for the evolution of modern vertebrates.

Lead author, Lauren Sallan of the University of Chicago stated:

“Everything was hit, the extinction was global.  It reset vertebrate diversity in every single environment, both freshwater and marine, and created a completely different world.”

Compared to earlier mass extinction events in the Palaeozoic, the Late Devonian extinction does not seem to have been as severe, when the percentage loss of marine invertebrate genera (easier to measure in fossil record) is calculated.  However, by the Late Devonian, life on planet Earth had become more diverse than in earlier periods such as the Cambrian and Ordovician.  There were far more species in total and many more species per genera.  The Late Devonian mass extinction event wiped out a far higher number of taxa in absolute terms.

Devonian Mass Extinction

While the mass extinction at the end of the Devonian period is among the five most significant in the Earth’s history, researchers are not certain as to how it was triggered or indeed what the major causes of the extinction were.  The Late Devonian event, in common with most other extinctions does not appear to have been caused by a single overriding factor, this extinction seems to have been precipitated by a combination of factors that lasted over the course of some 20 to 25 million years.

Scientists have found evidence of extraterrestrial impacts in the geological record and also traces of iridium from volcanic eruptions, these factors may have helped cause instabilities in food webs and this may have contributed to the extinction event.  Although, global sea levels were much higher than they are today throughout the Devonian, there was a dramatic fall in sea level towards the end of the Devonian period.  Substantial glacier formation has been indicated, the onset of a global cooling.

This would have triggered climate change and put ecosystems under pressure.  The formation of glaciers would have locked up large amounts of water and this would have led to the lowering of sea levels, substantially affecting marine and subsequently freshwater faunas and floras.

A Model of a Placoderm – Dunkleosteus

Zaha the Dunkleosteus (PNSO)

A stunning model of a placoderm – the PNSO Dunkleosteus model.

The placoderm model (above) comes from the PNSO range, to see this range: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.

The establishment of the first masses of plant materials on land, the first forests and such like could also have had a radical effect on the atmosphere, which in turn could have affected life on Earth.

What Caused the Extinction Event?

Whatever, the cause (or causes) of the extinction event, those groups of fishes such as the armoured placoderms and the lobe-finned fish which had dominated ecosystems were replaced by the ray-finned fish in a demographic shift that persists to this day, according to the authors of this research paper.

It is certainly true, that impressive beasties such as the fearsome, 10-metre long Dunkleosteus (Placoderm) became extinct, providing an opportunity for other organisms.  Dunkleosteus (D. terrelli) was a formidable predator of marine environments feeding on fish, including primitive sharks and cephalopods.  With two pairs of tooth plates (extensions of the jaw bone) and an interlocking plate in the lower jaw, Dunkleosteus is armed with jaws that resemble a razor sharp vice.  However, these animals were to become extinct by the end of the Devonian.

A Scale Drawing of the Fearsome Placoderm Dunkleosteus

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the Dunkleosteus model used  in the diagram and other prehistoric animal figures: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World.

Commenting on the extinction event that led to the demise of such fish groups as the placoderms, co-author of the paper, biologist and anatomist at the University of Chicago, Michael Coates stated:

“There is some sort of pinch at the end of the Devonian.  It’s as if the roles persist, but the players change; the cast is transformed dramatically.  Something happened that almost wiped the slate clean and, of the few stragglers that made it through, a handful then re-radiate spectacularly.”

This is certainly true for the ray-finned or bony fishes, today for example there are an estimated 30,000 species world wide.  By examining the vertebrate fossil record, the authors of this paper, Sallan and Coates were able to pinpoint a critical shift in the diversity of vertebrates at the time of the Hangenberg extinction.

While the earliest four-limbed creatures, or tetrapods, made the first tentative steps toward a land-dwelling existence prior to this extinction event, there was a 15 million year stretch of the fossil record almost barren of tetrapods.

Sallan stated:

“Something that’s seen after an extinction event is a gap in the records of survivors.  You have a very low diversity fauna, because most things have been killed off.”

The limited number of tetrapods which survived the extinction were likely to be the early ancestors of the vast majority of modern land vertebrates, the authors speculate.  It is certainly true, that extinction events remove biodiversity and can allow niches to appear that can be readily exploited by other species.

Coates added:

“Extinction events remove a huge amount of biodiversity.  That shapes in a very significant way the patchiness of biodiversity that persists to the present day.”

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented:

“A mass extinction event can lead to a sudden reduction in biodiversity, then as the fauna and flora begins to recover new types of animal can adapt and evolve to exploit those environmental niches that are effectively empty.  This can cause a seismic shift in the evolution of life on Earth.”

17 05, 2010

Happy Anniversary to Tyrannosaurus rex “Sue”

By |2023-01-05T22:46:05+00:00May 17th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page|0 Comments

10th Anniversary of “Sue” Tyrannosaurus rex on Display at the Field Museum

Today, May 17th, marks the 10th anniversary of the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as “Sue” going on display at the Field Museum, Chicago (United States).  The dinosaur is called “Sue” after Sue Hendrickson who discovered the remains of this Tyrannosaurus rex eroding out of a butte in South Dakota (August 12th 1990).

Although, recently resized resulting in the loss of a foot or two, “Sue” is still the largest, most complete and one of the best preserved of all Tyrannosaurus rex fossils ever found.  Since her debut, ten years ago today, many millions of visitors have seen her at the Chicago Field Museum.

This particular Tyrannosaurus rex fossil is believed to be a female, so the name “Sue”, is entirely appropriate.  Although scientists cannot be certain about the gender of this specimen, if the first chevron bone morphology mimics that found in extant crocodiles then this is a good indicator and would suggest that this T. rex is indeed a girl.

It is important that “Sue” looks her best for her anniversary celebrations, so over the last few weeks she has been undergoing a spring clean.  This is a long and laborious process, with workers at the museum, carefully dusting and cleaning the specimen.  For those tricky parts such as up her enormous nostrils, feather dusters have been used.

Tyrannosaurus rex on Display

T. rex on display.

Ferocious T. rex part of an exhibition.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Bill Simpson, the vertebrate fossil collection manager at the Field Museum is dusting the caudal vertebrae of the Tyrannosaurus rex specimen.  Although, a recent analysis has resized this T. rex making her slightly shorter, the scale of this animal in relation to an adult human is clear to see.

Not only has “Sue” proved to be an immense draw at museum, she is also very important to palaeontologists having provided a wealth of data and new dinosaur information.

To read more about “Sue’s” importance to palaeontology: Tyrannosaurus rex “Sue” a bargain at $8.36 million USD.

The Field Museum plans a number of events and presentations to celebrate the anniversary of their most famous exhibit going on display.  These events and activities will run until the end of the year.  For “Sue” an apex predator, we are sure that she will take it all in her stride, after all, she has been used to the limelight for ten years now.

For models of Tyrannosaurus rex and other theropod dinosaurs: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.

16 05, 2010

That Personal Touch – Customer Service at Everything Dinosaur

By |2023-03-05T14:23:32+00:00May 16th, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Personal Service at Everything Dinosaur

In these days of electronic communications, the art of letter writing, a more old fashioned form of correspondence may be in decline.  However, we at Everything Dinosaur are aware that not everybody has embraced the IT revolution and taken to email and the Internet.

For example, we review all the correspondence we receive, be they letters, emails, drawings of dinosaurs from young dinosaur fans or faxes and we note the requests we receive for specific items or merchandise related to a dinosaur species.  Today, we have to commence writing letters to all those people who have written to us requesting information on new dinosaur models and other items due in to our warehouse this Summer.  The careful notes that we have made of all the requests will now form the basis of personal letters to these Everything Dinosaur contacts helping them to acquire the dinosaur items they were looking for.

This also gives us the opportunity to include any information that we have on the dinosaur or prehistoric animal concerned.  For instance, a request from a potential customer for the Amebelodon (primitive elephant) model from Safari’s Prehistoric Life collection is about to be fulfilled as these models are due in shortly and we already have reserved a model for her. In the letter sent will be some additional information on the animal – all part of our customer service.

A Selection of Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models

Wild Safari Prehistoric World models.

“Wild Dinos”, Wild Safari Prehistoric World models.

Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of prehistoric animal models available in the Wild Safari Prehistoric World series: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World.

All the team members have quite a few letters to get through, we each have designed our own template which we have saved as a word document.  This allows us to save time by not having to re-type the same opening and closing paragraphs for each personal letter.  This template along with our slow grasp of how to use mail merge is helping to speed up our letter writing.  The project should be completed in the next few days, by mid week all the personal letters will have been sent out and our promise of keeping customers in touch with new dinosaur toy and prehistoric animal model developments and other items that they have requested will have been met – at least until the middle of the Summer anyway.

15 05, 2010

Sue a Bargain at $8.36 million USD

By |2023-01-05T18:53:55+00:00May 15th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page|0 Comments

Sue the Tyrannosaurus rex a $8.36 Million Dollar Bargain say Chicago Field Museum Officials

When Sue Hendrickson, noticed some fossilised bones eroding out of a butte in South Dakota in August 1990, she had no idea that her discovery would lead to the excavation of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex fossil known to date.

The Tyrannosaurus rex specimen known as Sue, (after Sue Hendrickson) was sold at auction by Sotheby’s for the still world record amount for a fossil of $8.36 million USD and she made her debut as an exhibit at the Chicago Field Museum on May 17th 2000AD.

Sue the T. rex

Every day ever since; the museum has been packed with visitors eager to see the largest and most spectacular of T. rex fossils.  Although there are a number of replicas on display, the “real deal” at the Chicago museum still continues to be a major tourist attraction and officials at the museum are keen to celebrate her 10th birthday on display.

A number of events are planned at the museum to acknowledge the tenth anniversary of her being unveiled to world.  Although she was purchased for a whopping $8.3 million dollars, museum administrators and officials believe that she was a bargain.

A T. rex Fossil Specimen on Display

Tyrannosaurus rex cast skeleton on display

A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton on display.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

As well as proving to be a major tourist attraction for the Field Museum and the Chicago area in general, this particular fossil has provided scientists with an unprecedented amount of data on the physiology and the lives of large Theropods.  For example, ontogenic analysis and bone studies indicate that Sue was approximately 28 years of age when she died.  A “robust” T. rex she is believed to be a female and scientific study has shown how closely related Tyrannosauridae dinosaurs were to modern birds.  Interestingly, ontogenic (growth studies) have shown that large meat-eaters like T. rex grew throughout their lives, the rate of growth did alter, but even as a mature and relatively old (for a T. rex) age, she was still capable of growing by approximately 2 kilogrammes per day.

Back in the Maastrichtian faunal stage of the Cretaceous, a visit to what was to become South Dakota, would have been a foolish undertaking, with 40 feet long predators on the prowl.  The T. rex known as Sue was probably one of the largest in the area and a formidable predator.

The high price paid for her at auction, also changed the landscape for dinosaur hunting, not always in positive ways.  The controversy over her discovery and ownership fed an emotional debate that preceded the passage of legislation to protect fossils on public lands, legislation signed into law by President Obama.

T. rex Skeleton

Looking back, Field Museum President John McCarter said he thought that the 1997 purchase, using funds from museum patrons and corporate donors, was a good gamble merely to raise the Field’s profile a bit.  But the commotion of winning the bid, by far the most ever paid for a dinosaur, raised instant excitement about the fossil that has never really died down.

He went onto comment:

“The thing that we didn’t understand at the time was the iconic nature of Sue.  We didn’t understand the worldwide impact.”

Since Sue went on display on the 17th May, ten years ago, an estimated 16 million people have come to see her.  An estimated 6.5 million have paid to see two replicas of the fossilised skeleton in temporary exhibits and many more have seen a third replica on display at Disney World’s (Florida) Animal Kingdom.

For palaeontologists, Sue has proved to be a treasure trove of new information and discoveries. Most dinosaur species are known from just a few recovered fossil bones of any one individual animal.  With Sue, 73 percent of her approximately 300 bones were recovered, and the missing ones mostly were small ones from her ribs, tail and left foot.  Although, members of the public in our surveys always state that T. rex is the most famous of all dinosaurs, very few articulated and even associated specimens have ever been found.  Only six other discoveries to date yielded more than 40 percent of the entire skeleton.  Most importantly of all, the skull material with Sue, although a little compressed is exquisitely preserved.

Commentating on her importance to palaeontology the Field Museums Geology Collections Manager Bill Simpson stated:

“She is the Rosetta Stone for anybody who wants to study Tyrannosaurus rex and other large Theropods.  It is the completeness of her skeleton that really makes her shine in the world of palaeontology.”

The earliest studies on Sue revealed, among other things, that her large olfactory bulbs meant she had a very keen sense of smell, and the architecture of her feet suggested T. rex was not the speedy hunter some originally thought.  Estimates from work published by Manchester University don’t make T. rex a slow coach either, this research work based on computer modelling estimated an adult T. rex could run at approximately 18 miles per hour (about as fast as a professional soccer player).

To read more about the work on T.rex locomotion: So Tyrannosaurus rex could run down David Beckham.

In the last ten years, a steady stream of scientists have trooped to the Field to study her, and the Field’s chief dinosaur expert, Peter Makovicky, has enlisted collaborators from all over the world.

He added:

“We are beginning to get a better understanding of the biophysics of an animal this big.  She represents a biological extreme that exists in no other period in Earth’s history.”

The research on Sue continues, for example, a Chicago police forensics team have been training their laser scanner on her skeleton, making a 3-D computer model of it like they make of crime and accident scenes.  The model, which revised Sue’s length down from 42 to 40.5 feet, is now with a biophysicist in England who is using it to create a more accurate estimate of Sue’s body mass, her centre of mass, how much muscle was in her legs and how fast she could run and shift directions.

Papo of France have made a number of Tyrannosaurus rex models and a replica of another tyrannosaur. To view this range: Papo Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

With such a complete specimen, one that has been so beautifully preserved and carefully prepared, there are still many new discoveries waiting for us in Sue’s 66 million year old bones.

14 05, 2010

Early Birds Not Flyers but Gliders and Parachutists According to New Research

By |2023-01-05T18:49:10+00:00May 14th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page|0 Comments

Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornithids Not Flyers as Feathers Not Strong Enough

An Anglo/Irish team of scientists have published research that questions the flying abilities of some of the earliest birds known in the fossil record.  The research carried out into the structure, shape and thickness of the feathers on these ancient creatures indicates that they were perhaps gliders or parachutists and not able to achieve flapping flight.

The team, consisting of scientists from University College Dublin (Ireland) and the University of Manchester have published their findings in the scientific journal “Science”.  They report that whilst the feathers of the crow sized Archaeopteryx (Archaeopteryx lithographica) and the similarly sized Confuciusornis (Confuciusornis sanctus?) were similar to those of modern birds (Neornithes), they were not robust enough to keep these ancient birds aloft with sustained flapping flight.

A Model of the Early Cretaceous Bird Confuciusornis

PNSO Confuciusornis model.

“A bird in the hand”, the Confuciusornis model from PNSO. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The model in the photograph (above) is the PNSO Conufciusornis model.

To view the rest of the PNSO model range: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models.

This research contradicts a lot of the recent work and studies into birds of the Mesozoic.  For example, research by the Natural History Museum (London) on Archaeopteryx, known from 145 million year old limestone strata from Germany (Upper Jurassic strata), suggests that this primitive bird had sophisticated balance and a brain capable of coping with the co-ordination demands of powered flight.

To read an article on the London research: Let’s hear it for Archaeopteryx.

Commenting on the paper, Dr Gareth Dyke, a senior lecturer at the University College of Dublin’s School of Biology and Environmental Science, stated:

“They [Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis] were either parachuters or gliders.”

Fossils of Confuciusornis have been found in the northern Chinese province of Liaoning.  Many specimens have been collected and a number of genera have been described.  Confuciusornis is associated with rocks dating from Early Cretaceous (approximately 120 million years ago).  It is the most common avian fossil in the Jehol deposits of Liaoning.  Confuciusornis, although still very primitive when compared to extant birds, does show a number of anatomical and morphological differences when compared to Archaeopteryx.  For example, Confuciusornis had a toothless beak, similar to the beaks seen in birds today, whilst Archaeopteryx had teeth.

Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornithids were Gliders

The researchers analysed a number of fossils, Confuciusornis fossils are relatively common in the Jehol deposits, so there were plenty of specimens able to be included in the study.  Wing shape, body shape and the structure and size of the feathers were studied and the team concluded that the central rib of the feathers (rachis or quill) was too thin to permit flapping flight.

Dr Dyke went onto state that the primary feathers of these two creatures were just too weak to sustain flapping flight.  Having calculated the forces that would have been applied to the feathers in flight, the feathers of these ancient creatures would have bent or broken under the strain.

The researchers then calculated the forces that would act on the feathers during a glide or during a parachute-style leap with curved wings used to slow the descent.  According to this new study, the feathers of Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis were better suited to this type of flight activity.

Feather strength is linked to the strength of its rachis or quill.  The quill supports the feather and prevents bending and breaking.  Although these extinct birds have feathers very like those of modern birds, their feather quills are much thinner and weaker.  For example,an Archaeopteryx feather is ten times more likely to break than the feather of a modern bird of similar size, and a Confuciusornis feather is a hundred times more likely to break than one of a modern bird of the same size.

Dr Dyke added:

“If the feather structure of these animals was the same as modern birds . . . these animals could not beat their wings.  They would have broken their feathers.”

The team have concluded that, gliding may have been beyond them, although they have the correct muscles and shoulder anatomy to allow this.  Confuciusornis for instance, has a particularly deep breast bone, which some scientists believe indicates the presence of large and powerful flight muscles, but this new research into wing shape and feather strength contradicts the earlier work that indicated that some Cretaceous birds were relatively strong fliers.

Arboreal Animals

The Anglo/Irish team put forward the hypothesis that these animals were arboreal but parachuted from tree to tree, using their curved wings to help slow their descent.  If this is the case then the clawed fingers on the hands of these ancient creatures would have been used to help them climb up tree trunks as they would have been incapable of leaping into the air and sustaining powered flight by beating their wings.

13 05, 2010

Yoga Instructor Seeking Karma finds Dinosaur Footprints Instead

By |2023-01-05T14:01:00+00:00May 13th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

Giant Dinosaur Footprints Discovered in Argentina

A yoga instructor practising some exercises has discovered the fossilised footprints of  giant sauropods (long-necked dinosaurs) in southern Argentina.  The dinosaur footprints, which scientists have stated represent herbivorous dinosaurs that lived 90 million years ago (Cenomanian faunal stage of the Cretaceous), were found at Los Barreales in Neuquen province, an area which is well known for its Cretaceous-aged dinosaur fossils.

Dinosaur Footprints

The dinosaur footprints measure up to 1.2 metres in diameter and scientists are hopeful that the trackways will help them to learn more about the locomotion of these huge plant-eaters.  Jorge Calvo of the National University of Comahue commented that the footprints were in an excellent condition of preservation and that the tracks probably represented different sized individuals walking in the same direction.  It can be assumed that this is evidence of herding behaviour with these large dinosaurs moving around in herds, just like many large, extant herbivores such as elephants do today.

This part of Argentina is considered to be one of the most important palaeontological sites in South America.  A region where in 1993 remains were found of the Giganotosaurus carolinii, one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs known from the fossil record.  Although Giganotosaurus fossil material is known from older rock strata, if large meat-eating dinosaurs in excess of 13 metres in length were roaming this part of South America 90 million years ago, living in a social, herd would have been a good strategy for survival.

A Colourful Model of a Giganotosaurus (Schleich)

The Schleich Giganotosaurus dinosaur model.

A model of a Giganotosaurus.  The Schleich “Giant Southern Lizard” figure. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view Schleich models and replicas: Schleich Prehistoric Animal Figures and Dinosaurs.

12 05, 2010

Most Complete Fossil of a Crocodylotarsian found in Brazil

By |2023-01-05T13:55:14+00:00May 12th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page|0 Comments

Ancient Crocodile Ancestor Fossils Discovered in Brazil

The most complete fossil of an ancient member of the crocodile lineage of archosaurs, a crocodylotarsian has been discovered in Brazil.

The archosaurs, the group of reptiles that the dinosaurs and pterosaurs evolved from originated in the latter stages of the Palaeozoic.  However, after the mass extinction that took place at the end of the Permian period this group rapidly diversified into many different forms to fill the vacant niches in the early Triassic ecosystem.  The archosaurs essentially split into two main forms, the ornithodirans (dinosaurs, pterosaurs and Aves) and the crocodylotarsians – the crocodile-group reptiles.

Crocodylotarsian

One of the most successful of the crocodile-group of archosaurs were the rauisuchians.  These animals were characterised by their long hind limbs and slightly shorter front legs that were positioned directly underneath their bodies.   Many were deep skulled, large predators some of which were the apex predators of the Middle to Late Triassic and would have preyed upon the first dinosaurs.  A number of genera are known with fossils of these creatures having been found in places as far apart as Europe and Argentina.  However, it must be remembered that during this part of the Earth’s history, most of the continents were formed into a single giant land mass called Pangea.

One of the best known, large Triassic rauisuchian predators is Prestosuchus chiniquensis and a new specimen of this fierce meat-eater discovered this year is being heralded by scientists as the best preserved and most complete example of a large rauisuchian ever found.

A Replica of Prestosuchus

Prestosuchus model.

The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Prestosuchus model.

The image (above) shows a replica of Prestosuchus from a model range, see it at Everything Dinosaur’s website and other figures in this range: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World.

Pictures show the fossil of the Prestosuchus and its matrix in the white plaster jacket ready for transport away from the dig site.  The superbly preserved skull can be seen on the right of the picture in this almost fully articulated specimen.  The large, curved teeth in the upper jaw are prominent, but surprisingly, the distinctive downward bend at the tip of the snout, a characteristic feature of this genus cannot easily be made out.

A Triassic Lakebed

The specimen was discovered by a team of Brazilian palaeontologists and field workers from the Lutheran University of Brazil, the fossil was discovered in rock strata that had once been an ancient Triassic lakebed some 238 million years ago.  The excavation site is near to the town of Dona Francisca in the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

The specimen, one of the largest rauisuchian fossils ever discovered is over 7 metres long, far larger than other fossils of Prestosuchus chiniquensi excavated in the area.  It is thought that this large creature would have weighed close to one Tonne.  It probably died close to where the carcase was buried, if the body had been transported any distance after the animal died it is highly unlikely that the remains would have stayed as complete and in almost perfect articulation.

Commenting on the discovery, a spokesperson stated:

“It is something that we could never imagine, the quality of preservation and the size of the fossils are sensational.”

The scientists are hopeful that when the individual bones are extracted from the matrix in the preparation laboratory, it may give them the chance to learn more about the anatomy of these creatures.  The well preserved hind leg (seen in the pictures, being carefully brushed by a researcher in the background), could help solve a mystery regarding rauisuchian locomotion.  Some scientists have speculated that these animals were facultative bipeds – spending a large part of the time on four feet, but being capable of walking on their hind legs when required.

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur stated:

“A large predator such as Prestosuchus may have been capable of bipedal locomotion, raising itself onto its hind legs in order to pursue its prey of large vertebrates such as dicynodonts and rhynchosaurs.”

The Prestosuchus may have been a lake side resident, large enough to defend a prime hunting site from other smaller predators.  As herds of herbivores came down to drink, the Prestosuchus may have ambushed them.  The Brazilian team hope to complete their work on the fossil specimen in the next two years or so and when it is ready for display they are keen to see it sent to a Brazilian museum so the fossil can remain within the country.

An Illustration of a Rauisuchian

Postosuchus illustration.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

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