Deinosuchus Skull to Tour Utah Schools

Students at a number of schools in the U.S. state of Utah are being given the opportunity to get up close to one of the state’s ancient predators as the Bureau of Land Management has arranged for the skull of a giant, extinct crocodile to visit schools as part of a touring science outreach programme.

Giant Fossil Crocodile Skull

The cast of the giant, Late Cretaceous crocodilian Deinosuchus is due to visit a number of schools in Utah, as the fossil from which this replica was cast was found at the nearby Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  This site is world famous for its excellent dinosaur body and trace fossils.  The skull, representing a 12-metre plus crocodile that lived alongside duck-billed dinosaurs and the tyrannosaurs, indicates that Deinosuchus lurked in the swamps, rivers and lakes that once covered this part of the western United States.

A Model of a Hatchling Deinosuchus

The Rebor Club Selection: Meta the Hatchling Deinosuchus Swamp Variant is featured in an Everything Dinosaur video showcase.  A model of a hatching Deinosuchus.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The photograph (above) shows a Rebor Club Selection limited-edition hatchling Deinosuchus. To view the Rebor range: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

The skull is part of a travelling exhibit assembled by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, showcasing some of the amazing fossil discoveries found around the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  The skull of this “predator of predators” will tour a number of schools before taking up permanent residency at the new Utah Museum of Natural History (Salt Lake City).

Commenting on the skull, Bureau of Land Management palaeontologist Alan Titus, stated:

“It [Deinosuchus] was the biggest and baddest predator of its day.”

He went onto add, that thanks to the presence of volcanic ash in the rock deposit associated with the skull material scientists were able to estimate the age of the fossil – around 75 million years old (Campanian faunal stage).

To read more about the giant crocodile Deinosuchus and how a study of coprolite (fossil poo) is helping scientists to learn more about the diet of this large predator: Ancient Crocodile Poo Provides Evidence of Deinosuchus Diet.

Everything Dinosaur team members also take fossils and other artefacts to schools, either as part of a dinosaur workshop or as part of other outreach science activities such as teaching about fossils in primary schools.

New Pterosaur perhaps the Oldest Known Pteranodontidae from Texas

Texas, the second biggest state in the United States is a part of the world where things can be found on a very large scale.  From amazing sporting arenas such as the Dallas Cowboys stadium to huge portions of fries served up at some of their highway restaurants and from our perspective, some spectacular dinosaur body and trace fossils. Added to this heady mix is a set of remarkable Pteranodon fossils.

In terms of Pterosauria, the huge azhdarchid pterosaur, arguably the largest known to science, Quetzalcoatlus (Q. northropi) heralds from that part of the world, but thanks to the hard work of one American amateur scientist an important new pterosaur discovery can be added to the fossil record of the lone star state.  It is not the size of this pterosaur that is important, although only  a portion of the entire skeleton was found, it has been estimated that this flying reptile had a wingspan of around 4 metres, it is the age.

Pteranodon Fossils

This new specimen, most probably representing a new species of Pteranodon was found in marine strata dating from approximately 89 million years ago (Turonian faunal stage).  This would make it the oldest known specimen of a pteranodon ever found in North America.

Pterosaurs are an extinct group of flying reptiles, with no close living relatives.  Their wings were formed by a stretched membrane of skin that was supported by an elongated fourth digit.  The wings extended along the arms and down the body and these creatures dominated the skies for much of the Mesozoic and in some cases evolved into giant forms, the largest flying animals ever.

The fossilised bones were discovered by amateur palaeontologist Gary Byrd as a new culvert drain was being excavated north of Dallas.  It appears that this poor unfortunate creature, was flying over the Western Interior Seaway, when for some reason it crashed into the sea.  It probably drowned and the corpse sank to the bottom where over time it was covered with sediment and preserved as a fossil.

Commenting on his discovery, Gary stated:

“I found a couple of parts from a fish, and then when I saw these [pterosaur bones] my initial thought was that they were not fish.  I knew it was something different, a bird-like thing.  It is very rare to find those long, thin bones.”

He donated his discovery to Southern Methodist University’s Museum of Palaeontology and scientists at the museum identified the bones as belonging to the left wing of a member of the Pteranodon genus.

A Model of a Pteranodon Flying Reptile (CollectA Pteranodon Figure)

The CollectA Deluxe Pteranodon model in 1:15 scale.

In a statement issued by the University, one of the palaeontologists responsible for the analysis of the fossil material said:

“It it wasn’t crushed so badly, it would be possible to determine if it really is a Pteranodon.  These bones are easily flattened.  They are hollow inside, because they have to be lightweight to allow a pterosaur to fly, so they compress like a pancake as they are embedded in layers of rock.”

To view the range of pterosaur figures available in the CollectA Deluxe scale model series: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life Models.

Certain structures on the bone suggest this was indeed a member of the Pteranodon genus.  It had, for example, a “prominent warped deltopectoral crest” characteristic of members of the Pteranodontidae family.

Before this discovery, these type of pterosaurs were known from other parts of the United States, most notably Kansas, but this specimen pre-dates the oldest found in the USA by at least 1.5 million years.  If this specimen is proved to be a true member of the Pteranodon genus then it is in the running to be the oldest known example of this genus in the world.

If this Texas fossils proves to be an actual Pteranodon, it will be the oldest example of the species in the world.

This new specimen also lived at an important time of transition for pterosaurs.  During this time, around 80-90 million years ago, the winged reptiles were diversifying from toothed forms to toothless varieties like the Pteranodons and the Azhdarchidae.

A spokesperson commented:

“This new specimen adds a lot more information about pterosaurs in North America.  It helps constrain the timing of the transition from toothed to toothless because there’s only a few million years separating this specimen and Aetodactylus.”.

Aetodactylus was a toothed pterosaur (Aetodactylus halli).  Its fossils have been found in north-eastern Texas and the strata from which the fossils were excavated has been estimated to be around 95 million years old (Cenomanian faunal stage).

Denver Museum Reaches Agreement with Contractors

The Denver Museum of Science and Nature has reached agreement with contractors and the state’s historical preservation office to permit palaeontologists and field workers to return to a reservoir construction site where Ice Age fossils including of a number of prehistoric elephants have been discovered.

Ice Age Fossils

The site at Ziegler Reservoir has already yielded a number of very well preserved Ice Age mammal fossils including Woolly Mammoth specimens, one of which has been named “Snowy” by local residents as the location is near to the small town of Snowmass.

To read more about the discoveries, including the finding of the fossilised skull of a huge extinct species of bison: Huge Prehistoric Bison Skull Unearthed in Colorado.

The agreement permits the museum staff to spend seven weeks from mid May until July 1st continuing the excavation work that commenced last October, after the first fossils were found by builders extending the reservoir.  The site marks an ancient lake bed which seems to have preserved a large number of mega fauna specimens, large Ice Age mammals including Mastodon and Mammoth remains.

The Ziegler Reservoir Agreement

The agreement will allow the scientists to have the extra time they need to explore and map the site before the bulldozers move in.  Hopefully any more large specimens can be located and extracted before the reservoir extension work goes ahead.

Described as a “once in a lifetime discovery”, by museum staff, the Snowmass site can provide vital information about the local large mammal population that roamed the area more than 10,000 years ago.

To view models and replicas of Ice Age creatures: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric World Models.

The Worm that Walked Tall – Diania cactiformis

Approximately 520 million years ago (Middle Cambrian), slowly stalking its way across the muddy seabed of what was to become the Yunnan province of southern China was a strange worm-like creature that had ten pairs of partially-jointed, armoured legs.  This peculiar creature, just one of many bizarre Cambrian animals, may represent the type of transitional animal between soft-bodied, legless worms and the armoured arthropods such as trilobites, crabs and lobsters.

Bizarre Cambrian Animals

The creature has been named Diania cactiformis it may have only been six centimetres long, but this is quite a large size when compared to other animals that existed at the time or indeed when compared to older fossil organisms from the Burgess Shale locations.

Nick-named the “walking cactus”, this animal seems to have a distinctive head, or at least one end of it ended in a swollen bulbous appendage that may have been the site of sensory organs.  The creature’s remains were discovered in 2006, in Cambrian aged strata in the county of Chengjiang in southern China’s Yunnan province.  Chinese palaeontologists from the country’s Northwest University found the fossil and have ascribed it to the Lobopodia, a long-extinct group of organisms that outwardly resemble worms with legs.  Diania cactiformis differs from other members of the Lobopodia by seeming to have spiny, armoured legs.

The discovery and research into this ancient creature has been documented in the latest edition of the scientific publication “Nature”.  Dr Liu Jianni, leader of the research team from the Northwest University expressed excitement at having had the opportunity to study what may be an extremely important fossil, helping to explain the evolution of hard-bodied animals from soft-bodied animals during the early Phanerozoic.

Bizarre Cambrian Animals

Say hello to Cambrian wildlife. Bizarre Cambrian animals.

It is thought that the bulbous appendage seen in the top left of the picture represents the head end, but scientists remain uncertain with regards to the exact anatomical structure of this strange creature.  The head reminds us at Everything Dinosaur, of the bizarre structure to be found at one end of that famous Burgess Shale animal – Hallucigenia.  Whether Hallucigenia actually had a head is open to debate, the head-like structure on the fossils found may not be related to the specimen at all, but fossils of this animal, classified as an arthropod have been found in China.  Perhaps, this walking cactus is related to Hallucigenia in some way.

Diania cactiformis

Looking like a 520-million-year-old pressed flower, the fossil of Diania cactiformis is very well preserved and the spiky appendages on the leg-like structures can clearly be made out.  This animal may have walked tall across the muddy sediments at the bottom of the shallow sea that covered China.  It may hold the key to the development of the Arthropoda a huge Phylum that contains something like 80% of all known living species.

The arthropods show great diversity and morphology and includes the crustaceans, insects, millipedes, spiders, scorpions and trilobites.

Commenting on the discovery, Professor Shu Degan, head of the Northwest University’s Early Life Institute commented on the evolution of the leg-like structures:

“With these appendages, arthropods were able to run faster, jump higher and move with more agility.  Some appendages even evolved into preying instruments.  They helped arthropods become powerful and eventually dominant members of marine, freshwater, land and air ecosystems.”

To view models of ancient prehistoric creatures: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures.