All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
21 08, 2012

Laos Man – Rare Fossil Skull Suggests Humans Spread Rapidly into South East Asia

By |2024-04-23T15:06:36+01:00August 21st, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Palaeontological articles|1 Comment

Laos Fossil Skull Indicates Rapid Human Migration

Most palaeontologists believe that hominids (that group of upright apes to which our own species H. sapiens belongs) evolved in Africa.  This is why that continent is often referred to as the “cradle of mankind”.  However, there is still debate as to how our species came to be so widespread.  Did modern humans evolve in Africa and then migrate across the world, or did more primitive hominids living elsewhere in the world evolve into more modern humans independently?

Human Skull Fossil

The discovery of a modern human skull (Homo sapiens), found in a mountainous region of northern Laos (south-east Asia), suggests that modern people were living in this part of the world 20,000 years earlier than previously thought.  This discovery, suggests that if modern humans evolved in Africa and then spread across the world, their migration was either much more rapid than previously thought, or the spread of modern humans began earlier than the current fossil evidence from Africa and the Arabian peninsula proposes.

Ancient Human Skull from Laos

Oldest Asian back-packer known to date.

Picture credit: PNAS (USA)

The two theories of modern human evolution are known as the “multi-regional hypothesis” and the  “out of Africa theory”.  The multi-regional hypothesis, supported by a minority of palaeoanthropologists argues that modern humans evolved gradually from different populations of an earlier hominid species Homo erectus.  Constant contact and interbreeding between these populations led to the evolution of similar traits and characteristics that came to define our species, H. sapiens.

The second theory, the “out of Africa” theory proposes that the origin of our species can be traced back to Africa.  Modern humans evolved in Africa and then they spread out and displaced other indigenous hominid populations around the world.  Genetic evidence supports this theory and most palaeoanthropologists tend to support this hypothesis over the “multi-regional” concept.

Modern Humans in Asia

However, this new discovery provides evidence that modern humans had reached south-east Asia around 63,000 years ago, much earlier than other human fossil finds have indicated.  If H. sapiens fossil discoveries are plotted onto a map of the world with their estimated ages, it reveals a fascinating pattern.  Generally, the earliest dated fossils are found in locations close to Africa.  The earliest modern human fossils found outside of Africa have been found at coastal locations such as Ksar Akil (Lebanon) and in Israel at Qafzeh and Skhul.  The further away from eastern Africa you travel, the more recent the fossils of modern humans.  For example, there is fossil evidence to indicate that modern humans crossed the Beringia Land Bridge from Siberia into North America as recently as 15,000 years ago.  This Laos skull, throws the timing of human migration into south-east Asia and into Australia out, with perhaps some populations reaching Australia earlier than the currently thought 45,000 years ago.

The skull was found in the Annamite Mountains, three years ago, but the scientific paper describing the find and detailing the methods used to estimate the age of the fossil has just been published in the academic journal “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – United States”.

Laura Shackelford (University of Illinois), one of the authors of the scientific paper commented that:

“There are other modern human fossils in China or in Island Southeast Asia that may be around the same age but they either are not well dated or they do not show definitively modern human features.  This skull is very well dated and shows very conclusive modern human features.”

Although there is an amount of archaeological and genetic data to suggest a rapid migration out of Africa for modern humans this skull provides the earliest evidence known of modern people living in south-east Asia.  The location of the fossil find also suggests that these human settlers did not migrate along coasts to the islands of the Pacific, inhabiting environments which were familiar to them.  This is evidence that some of the first settlers in Asia were prepared to explore and inhabit environments that were very alien to them.

Dr Shackelford went on to add:

“This fossil find indicates that the migration out of Africa and into east and Southeast Asia occurred at a relatively rapid rate, and that, once there, modern humans weren’t limited to environments that they had previously experienced.  We now have the fossil evidence to prove that they were there long before we thought they were there.”

No other remains or artefacts such as stone tools were found in association with the skull material so the scientists believe that the bone was probably washed into the cave.  The cave site was probably not inhabited or used as a burial chamber.  The fossil was excavated from a layer of strata located 2.5 metres below the floor of the cave, radiocarbon tests and luminescence techniques indicate that the sediment is between 46,000 and 51,000 years old, but uranium/thorium degredation studies place the date of the skull at around 63,000 years.

For models and replicas of hominins and prehistoric creatures: Hominins and Prehistoric Animal Models (Wild Safari).

This modern human probably came across a much more primitive hominid, very different in appearance to modern people – “Upright Man” –Homo erectus.  It is very likely that H. erectus evolved in Africa and that in the 2 million years or so that this species has existed, it too migrated “out of Africa”, spreading as far as south-east Asia.  H. erectus may have been established in Asia for many hundreds of thousands of years before the arrival of modern humans.

The story of human evolution is very complicated, fossil evidence is fragmentary and the relationships between the various species of hominids that lived in Africa is difficult to interpret.  Recently, scientists uncovered evidence to suggest that as recently as two million years ago at least three species of hominid lived together in eastern Africa.

To read more about these fossil discoveries: Three of a Kind from Lake Turkana.

20 08, 2012

Message Box added for Customers when Placing Orders

By |2023-02-04T11:18:26+00:00August 20th, 2012|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Press Releases|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur Improves Customer Service Provision

Customers placing orders with Everything Dinosaur, on the company’s website: Everything Dinosaur have the added assurance of being able to send the packer responsible for preparing, packing and despatching the order a personal message.  Everything Dinosaur has just installed an updated order message component to the back office administration area of its website.  As customers proceed through the checkout process, if they want to leave a message, provide some assistance with delivery or just reiterate a preference of an item they have selected in the shopping basket, well now they can do just that without having to email the company.

Everything Dinosaur

The new order message box is located at the final step in the checkout process just before a customer actually places their order with the UK-based dinosaur business.  The message facility strengthens the company’s two-way communication with its customers and provides users with a very convenient way of providing additional information about their order.

The New Order Messaging System is Now in Place

Order comments box.

Picture credit: Everything dinosaur

Message Box at Everything Dinosaur

The order comments box is the white field at the bottom left of the screen.  It can be used to provide additional information about the order being placed, orders which include Everything Dinosaur toys and dinosaur models.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated:

“Personal service is very important to us, we do all we can to support, help and assist our worldwide customer base, in trials using this new order messaging service we had all kinds of information provided to us by our customers.  Comments included confirmation of the delivery address, instructions as to where to leave any parcels should they be delivered whilst the recipient was out and even some unusual comments such as asking us to close the gate after we had delivered the parcel as the householder did not want the dog to get out.”

The order messaging service is easy to use, customers simply type in their request/information and the packer responsible for sending out the item will respond.  For comments that require a reply or clarification the purchaser can rest assured that a team member from Everything Dinosaur will email a response.

This new addition to the Everything Dinosaur website is part of an ongoing investment programme undertaken by the dinosaur experts, teachers and parents at Everything Dinosaur.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s user-friendly website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

19 08, 2012

Dinosaur Age Meets Space Age – Rare Fossil Footprints Discovered

By |2024-04-24T16:27:00+01:00August 19th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Dinosaur Footprint Discovered at NASA Campus

Scientists at the NASA complex located at Greenbelt, Maryland have a more down to Earth scientific distraction to study as it has been revealed that a fossilised dinosaur footprint has been discovered in the grounds.  For the scientists and support teams that work at the Goddard Space Flight Centre the elephant foot-sized trace fossil has afforded them a glimpse into the environment approximately 112 million years ago (Aptian/Albian  faunal stage of the Cretaceous) when huge, heavily armoured, herbivorous dinosaurs roamed the area.

Fossilised Dinosaur Footprint

The trace fossil, a single footprint is slightly eroded, the back of the foot, the heel area is crumbling away but a careful examination reveals four distinct toe marks at the front, a print of a dinosaur walking over soft mud back in the Cretaceous geological period.   It is not just natural processes that have caused the print to become less than pristine, palaeontologists and ichnologists (scientists who specialise in studying fossil tracks and track-ways), have remarked that parts of the footprint seem to show damage from a recent encounter from a grass strimmer.  It seems one of the gardeners may have clipped the thirty-five centimetre wide trace fossil when they were cutting down weeds.

The fossil was found by Ray Stanford, an expert in finding dinosaur tracks on the eastern side of the United States.  For Ray, finding this particular specimen came after a hunch to explore a part of the Goddard site, where previously he had found tantalising evidence of a dinosaur footprint.  The fragment of a print he had found a few years ago, represented an unknown type of fast-running but small meat-eating dinosaur.  That fossil indicated to Ray that the conditions had been right for permitting footprint preservation, so it was simply a question of returning to the area to explore the site a little more carefully to see what might turn up.  His chance came when he and his wife were at the Goddard Centre’s cafe enjoying lunch back on June 25th, when Ray made his excuses and set out to examine the grassy, overgrown bank where the previous fossil discovery had occurred.

Nodosaurid Print

The print is believed to have been made by the back left foot of a nodosaurid, a member of the dinosaur clade known as the Thyreophora – armoured dinosaurs.  Nodosaurids are generally similar to the better known ankylosaurs.  However, they were more primitive and lacked the club-like projection on the end of their tails.  Most of these types of dinosaurs had body armour that consisted of spines and spikes and their narrow snouts indicate that nodosaurs were specialised low browsers.  Fossils of this type of dinosaur have been found in Europe (including England) and North America.

An Illustration of a Typical Nodosaurid Dinosaur

An armoured “Tank” of a dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Ray Stanford has made a specialism out of studying dinosaur track-ways on the eastern side of the United States, however, he has a special affinity for finding nodosaur remains.  This type of plant-eating dinosaur was not known from the strata of Maryland, however, Stanford has found a number of nodosaur tracks indicating that these elephant-sized animals were present in the region and he and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, Maryland) discovered the fossilised remains of a baby nodosaurid near to the University of Maryland Campus.  This baby, the first juvenile nodosaur fossil to be found, represented a new species and it was named Propanoplosaurus marylandicus.  This unique dinosaur fossil is now part of the fossil vertebrate collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington D.C.).

To read more about the dinosaur tracks and footprints found in Maryland: Dinosaur Tracks Found Close To Washington D.C.

A team of NASA officials and representatives of the media were taken to the see the single footprint on Friday by Stanford.  It has been speculated that from the shape and deformation of the print the dinosaur was moving relatively quickly when it left the impression of its back left foot in the soft sediment.  Ray speculated that this dinosaur could have been running away from a meat-eating dinosaur.

For Alan Binstock, the Goddard site’s Architect and Facility Manager, the print might cause him something of a headache.  As far as he could recall no dinosaur fossils had ever been found on any of the other nationwide NASA locations but plans would be put in place to ensure that no trophy hunters or curious amateur palaeontologists could remove the print from the location.

Jennifer Groman, NASA’s federal preservation officer, more used to dealing with space age issues was part of the inspection team last Friday.  It is going to be her responsibility to safeguard the footprint whilst it remains on NASA property.

She commented:

“It’s not something I want to make a tourist attraction at this point.  We don’t want people barreling down there with shovels.  We can’t have anyone pick it up and take it off property.”

The site will remain secure for the time being.  Officials at NASA are working with a team of palaeontologists who intend to undertake a more thorough and protracted examination of the location to see what else might be found there.  Who knows, as NASA’s mission to Mars searches for signs of life on the amongst the Martian rocks, on a grassy bank at Goddard Flight Centre, a team of palaeontologists assisted by NASA’s space scientists might be shedding light on the exotic yet long extinct life forms that once roamed the eastern coast of America.

For models and replicas of nodosaurids and other armoured dinosaurs: CollectA Deluxe Scale Dinosaur Models.

18 08, 2012

Big Ichthyosaurs – Remarkable Fossil Discoveries

By |2024-04-24T16:27:41+01:00August 18th, 2012|Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities|0 Comments

Shonisaurus – Vertebrae the size of Dinner Plates

At Everything Dinosaur we field the myriad of questions about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals as best we can.  One emailer asked which was the biggest ichthyosaur of all time?  An interesting question, there are certainly a number of contenders, for example the Triassic ichthyosaur Cymbospondylus at over ten metres long is worth consideration.  Fossils of this apex predator have been found in North America and Europe.  A streamlined predator, this animal hunted fish, cephalopods and probably other marine reptiles.  Cymbospondylus  fossils date from around 240 million years to approximately 210 million years ago.  The name means “boat vertebrae”.

Biggest Ichthyosaur

Larger still, was the Late Triassic Shonisaurus (S. popularis), not to be confused with the Jurassic sauropod from China Shunosaurus (Shunosaurus lii).  The first fossils of Shonisaurus, this giant marine reptile were found by miners around the now deserted mining town of Berlin, Nevada in North America.  The fossils were so plentiful that miners used them to decorate their dwellings and some of the large, flat vertebrae were even used as dinner plates!  Reports of these fossils had been made from as early as 1869 but the miners were too busy digging for gold and silver to worry.  Shonisaurus popularis is the largest ichthyosaur to have been discovered to date in the United States and was believed to be the biggest in the world until fossils of a new species of ichthyosaur over 23 metres long were unearthed in Canada.

For models and replicas of ichthyosaurs and other marine reptiles: Ichthyosaurs and Marine Reptile Models (CollectA).

A Scale Drawing of Shonisaurus

Giant ichthyosaur of the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To read a feature on giant ichthyosaurs: Giant Ichthyosaur Fossils Discovered.

17 08, 2012

T. rex Makes Excellent Scarecrow

By |2023-02-04T11:01:52+00:00August 17th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Press Releases|0 Comments

Tyrannosaurus rex Rules the Vegetable Patch

After one of the wettest summers on record, many gardeners and growers have seen their vegetable patches decimated by all the pests that the wet weather has encouraged.  However, for one group of enterprising dinosaur enthusiasts hungry birds have been put off their greens thanks to the employment of a Tyrannnosaurus rex model that has turned out to be a highly effective scarecrow.

Tyrannosaurus rex Model

The gardener-friendly T. rex stands nearly three feet tall and once team members at Cheshire-based Everything Dinosaur placed the fearsome predator in their vegetable plot, attacks from pigeons stopped and the staff were able to enjoy growing crops of lettuce as well as peas.

T. rex on Garden Patrol

Dinosaur “scarecrow” defeats pigeons.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The large, plastic dinosaur model, nicknamed “goggle eyes” as his eyes move; was placed in the middle of the vegetable patch in desperation after repeated attacks from pigeons had wiped out all the lettuce seedlings that team members had planted.  The pigeons seem to have taken an instant dislike to the dinosaur and have kept away ever since.

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We thought it was worth giving T. rex a try as everything else had failed.  If palaeontologists are correct, then birds and Tyrannosaurus rex are related but pigeons certainly aren’t keen to get acquainted.”

Team members move the model dinosaur around the vegetable beds every few days, just to keep the pigeons “on their toes” and this unusual tyrannosaur tactic seems to have worked as staff at the Cheshire based company tuck into lettuces, peas and beetroot with a bumper crop of onions and courgettes likely to follow.

Mike Walley, one of the team members at Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We are not really sure why goggle eyes has had such a big effect, it could be his fearsome look with his jaws wide open, or perhaps it is the smell of the plastic model the birds can detect.  As the wind blows so the eyes on our dinosaur wobble and this may frighten the birds away.”

Tyrant Lizard King

For one group of vegetable growers thanks to the intervention of the Tyrant Lizard King it seems that their crop of lettuces will not be going extinct.

Tyrannosaurus rex Makes Effective Bird Scarer

“Goggle Eyes” on patrol.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For models of tyrannosaurs and other dinosaurs: Tyrannosaur and Dinosaur Models.

16 08, 2012

BBC Test New Dinosaur Programmes in 3-D

By |2024-04-24T16:28:11+01:00August 16th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, TV Reviews|0 Comments

“Ultimate Killers” Documentary to air in 3-D

Technicians at the BBC are preparing to test a number of 3-D viewing platforms by showing a dinosaur themed documentary entitled “Ultimate Killers”.  This hour long programme has been compiled using footage from the six-part BBC television series “Planet Dinosaur” that aired last autumn.  The broadcast will take place on Sunday the 19th of August with the programme starting at 5.35pm BST.

To view the original trailer for the BBC television series “Planet Dinosaur” check out YouTube.

Planet Dinosaur

The programme being shown on Sunday evening is only going to be available in 3-D so the technicians at the BBC will be testing the “Watch in 2-D” applications on the Freeview and Freesat platforms.  Andy Quested, the Head of BBC’s 3-D and high definition projects is asking for feedback from viewers with regards to the “Watch in 2-D” option.

Dinosaurs – TV Programme Helps Out the BBC

Dinosaurs help out with BBC research.

Picture credit: Ebury Publishing

This documentary will also be available on the BBCiPlayer format.  A number of different encoded versions will be available for download depending on which platform the viewer is on.  Not all the devices used to show the programme will be able to accommodate the 3-D images, but the idea at this stage is to gauge people’s reactions to the different formats and platforms and gather opinions.

Specifically the BBC technicians need to obtain information about the platform used to view the programme, Freeview, via PC or via the iplayer function, as well as the approximate speed of your broadband connection and the make/model of your TV or set top box.

3-D Television Projects

Sources close to Everything Dinosaur have been informed that  the BBC is currently working on a number of 3-D projects including a new, feature length adaptation of the “Walking with Dinosaurs” franchise that is due to be aired in 2013.

Suggest you log onto the BBC Internet Blog for more information.  Team members at Everything Dinosaur worked on a cast of characters for the original BBC television series and advised CGI staff on some of the dinosaurs featured as well as writing a review of the book that accompanied the television programmes.

Who would have though it – dinosaurs such as  Mapusaurus, Allosaurus, Daspletosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus helping the BBC with their research into 3-D technology.

For models and scale figures of Mapusaurus, Allosaurus and Daspletosaurus (whilst stocks last): Dinosaur Theropods and Prehistoric Animals (CollectA Models).

15 08, 2012

Rare Triceratops Fossil Unearthed in Drumheller (Alberta, Canada)

By |2024-04-24T16:28:36+01:00August 15th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Palaeontologists Excited by Triceratops Discovery

Scientists from the world-famous Royal Tyrrell museum based in the province of Alberta have been expressing their excitement at the discovery of a partial Triceratops fossil skeleton, found just thirty minutes drive from the museum’s doors.

Triceratops Fossil

Triceratops is perhaps one of the most famous of all the dinosaurs.  The name means “three-horned face” as this enormous, Late Cretaceous herbivore had two large horns, one over each eye and a third, smaller horn located above the naris.  Although there have been a number of Triceratops fossils found in North America, particularly in the American state of Montana (the famous Hell Creek Formation) and in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, fossils of this particular genus of ceratopsian are extremely rare in Alberta.

Most of the exposed Cretaceous strata in Alberta relate to sediments laid down between 76 million and 70 million years ago (including  material from the Campanian faunal stage).  Triceratops fossils are found in strata laid down at the very end of the Cretaceous period (Maastrichtian faunal stage).  The fossilised bones of this herbivore were first spotted by a former Royal Tyrrell Museum employee whilst exploring a part of the Drumheller Badlands not known for its vertebrate fossils.  A team of field workers under the supervision of the Museum’s curator of dinosaur palaeontology Dr Francois Therrien was despatched and after about a fortnights excavation about 30% of the entire fossil skeleton was recovered.

Jumbled Up Bones

The bones of this dinosaur were jumbled up, a result of the remains of this animal being washed into a river and deposited in a slack part of water.  When buried, the strata preserved what has been described by scientists as a “log jam of Triceratops bones”.  Some of the dorsal vertebrae are an impressive sixty centimetres tall with rib bones although cracked and broken in places, approaching two metres in length.  Much of the specimen has already been transported back to the Royal Tyrrell Museum’s preparation laboratories, the fossil bones protected by field jackets made up of burlap and plaster.  The largest piece to transport was a single jacket measuring 2.5 metres by 1.3 metres and weighing more than two metric tonnes.

Although the fossil specimen is yet to be formally declared as Triceratops material, Dr Therrien believes that based on the shape and size of the bones and the geological layer in which the fossils were found, it is very likely that what they have discovered relates to this famous genus of horned dinosaur.  The Royal Tyrrell Museum may be world-famous for its vast collection of Cretaceous vertebrate fossils, but surprisingly it only has fragmentary Triceratops remains in its collection.  With the newly discovered fossil material, the Royal Tyrrell Museum now has the opportunity to study associated bones from a single individual.

A Triceratops Specimen on Display at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg

Triceratops on Display

A cast of a Triceratops skeleton on display at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg (Natural History Museum – Frankfurt). On the left a wall mounted example of a Plateosaurus can be seen.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Museum staff are keen to start work preparing the fossils in readiness for display.  Some of this work can be viewed by visitors to the museum as part of the preparation area of the museum is behind a huge glass fronted viewing area, which allows observers to see the care and dedication required to prepare fossil material for use in exhibits.

For models and replicas of Triceratops and other horned dinosaur figures: Horned Dinosaurs and Other Models (CollectA Deluxe).

14 08, 2012

A Review of Deposits Magazine (New Issue 31)

By |2024-04-24T16:29:02+01:00August 14th, 2012|Geology, Magazine Reviews|0 Comments

Deposits Magazine Reviewed

Chance to review the latest issue of Deposits magazine (issue 31), our copy has been in the office for a few weeks, all the team members have been through it but now we have time to write a proper review at this popular magazine aimed at fossil hunters and geologists.

Once again this edition of the quarterly magazine features a wide range of topics, everything from trilobites from Portugal to straight-tusked elephants from northern Greece.  It is the elephant that features on the front cover, it is a spectacular life-size model, at first glance it looks like the animal is alive, but inside there is a highly informative article all about the Siatista Historical Palaeontological Collection and its collection of important elephant fossils.

Deposits Magazine

Elephas antiquus (Straight-tusked Elephant) at the Museum

Superb model made for new Greek Museum.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dr Neale Monks contributes with an intriguing look at the mass extinction events that have been recorded in the geological record.  The article also provides information on those types of organisms that have survived extinction events, ferns, lungfish and the chelonians for example.

One of the regular features in the magazine is the news snippets section.  This provides a brief synopsis of stories that have appeared in the media over the last three months or so.  There is also a handy glossary of terms which provides a useful reference.  Dr David Penney and Dr David Green have written a fascinating piece about the sub-fossils in copal.  This is illustrated by some amazing photographs showing some of the creatures that have been trapped in this precursor of amber.

There is even a feature on the geology of the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, the first part of what promises to be  very detailed tour of the geology of this part of the world.  The dromaeosaur Utahaptor is given a make-over, fossil collectors finds are displayed, the geo-diversity of Jamaica is explored and there is an informative review of the book which provides a guide to the geology of Dorset – so much in the news recently due to the number of landslides that have occurred in that part of the south coast.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

13 08, 2012

Brave Fishery Officials Catch Freshwater Crocodile (Conservation Success for Rare Species)

By |2024-04-24T16:33:52+01:00August 13th, 2012|Animal News Stories|0 Comments

Lungfish Survey Leads to Crocodile Capture

Fishery officers carrying out a survey of fish species in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of Queensland got a shock when the weir they were surveying turned out to be the home of a Freshwater crocodile.  The quick thinking fishery officials were able to tape the animal’s long jaws closed and prevent themselves or indeed the crocodile, from being hurt.

Freshwater Crocodile

The close encounter with a crocodile took place at Mundubbera’s Jones Weir last week, whilst the fishery team were carrying out lungfish research.  Mundubbera may be the confluence of three rivers, but Australian Freshwater crocodiles (Crocodylus johnsoni) are not known from this part of Queensland, indeed the nearest population of wild Freshwater crocodiles are to be found in most northerly parts of the State where it is much more humid and generally warmer throughout the year.

How the one-and-a -half-metre-long reptile got into the weir remains a mystery but staff from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry suspect that this male crocodile had been taken from the wild and kept illegally before getting too big and dangerous for the owner to cope with.  The crocodile was most probably dumped at the weir location and may have been there for some time before the survey team came to their study and discovered what must be the weir’s most unexpected resident.

The fishery survey team were releasing electrical charges into the water to stun fish so that the population and diversity of the species could be logged.  After one electric shock was delivered, the stunned reptile floated to the surface, much to the amazement of the research team.

Australian Freshwater crocodiles are to be found in Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the far north of Queensland.  Much smaller than the other crocodile species that is indigenous to Australia, the Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), this species only rarely attacks people, but the long, narrow jaws lined with sharp teeth are very capable of inflicting a severe injury should a crocodile be provoked into an attack.

 Catch of the Day – The Mundubbera Crocodile

At least six hundred miles from home.

Picture credit: Dept. of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry

The weir is a popular fishing spot but the Mundubbera Anglers and Fish Stocking Association president Kyle Gleich stated that none of the local fisherman had reported anything unusual from the location.  The crocodile has been checked over by veterinary staff and given a clean bill of health, despite living in much cooler conditions and being over six hundred miles away from its natural habitat.

The freshwater crocodile probably survived by feeding on fish, frogs and flying foxes.  Commenting on the unusual discovery, Mike Devery, a wildlife manager at the Environment and Heritage Protection Department stated:

“It is likely the crocodile had been released there at some time.  We have had a number of incidents where Freshwater crocodiles have been found that had probably been acquired as pets and then the owners decided they didn’t want it and let it go.”

The fishery staff surveying the watercourse deserve praise for their quick thinking, grabbing and securing the crocodile after it had been stunned before it could pose a threat to the research team.  For this crocodile, being returned to the wild is not an option.  He has been exposed to an environment that would be alien to wild populations, a transfer to the wild could mean the spread of disease.  The future for this particular reptile is uncertain, Government officials are hoping that a zoo will take him in, otherwise he might end up at a commercial crocodile farm.

For replicas and models of crocodilians and extinct archosaurs: Models of Extinct Archosaurs and Dinosaurs.

12 08, 2012

Everything Dinosaur’s Exclusive Back to School Newsletter 2012

By |2024-05-02T12:27:20+01:00August 12th, 2012|Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Newsletters, Press Releases|0 Comments

Back to School with Dinosaurs

We are well into August and as we await some decent summer weather, our thoughts are already turning to the autumn term.  Our team members have lots of dinosaur themed workshops and teaching sessions booked up and down the country. The teaching team at Everything Dinosaur have been busy preparing and revising lesson plans to ensure they encompass the science teaching objectives laid down in the national curriculum.

Everything Dinosaur

To view more details about Everything Dinosaur’s extensive range of educational products including replica fossils and models: Dinosaur Crafts and Educational Items.

In the meantime, stocks of dinosaur themed school items, everything from pencils and erasers to super quality backpacks and rucksacks have been selling well.  Mums and Dads keen to equip their young palaeontologist have been snapping up the Everything Dinosaur back to school range of school kits and stationery quicker than a T. rex tackles his dinner.

School Items in Stock at Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaurs for school.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We have an enormous range of dinosaur themed stationery, pens, notepads and lunch boxes all with a dinosaur inspired design available.  We even have a metal water bottle, exactly the same as the ones we take on fossil hunts, which has proved to be a big hit with young dinosaur fans wanting to have an extra-special drinks bottle for school.

Everything Dinosaur’s Back to School Newsletter

Updates about new products, dinosaur finds, even tips on fossil hunting.

Image:  Everything Dinosaur’s Back to School 2012 Newsletter

As part of Everything Dinosaur’s promotional activities we have sent out a newsletter.  It showcases some of the products we have in the “Back to School” range as well as providing updates on dinosaur news stories and tips on fossil hunting.

If you want to receive more information about Everything Dinosaur’s school products, the dinosaur themed items we supply or if you simply want to ask our experts a question about dinosaurs, drop the team an email: Email Everything Dinosaur.

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