2012 | Everything Dinosaur Blog

25 09, 2012

Saltwater Crocodile Beheaded in Protest by Queenslanders

By Mike|2023-03-06T15:09:46+00:00September 25th, 2012|Animal News Stories|0 Comments

Locals Take Action to Cull Crocodiles as Fears over Attacks Increases

Queensland environmental officers have discovered the torso of a Saltwater crocodile at a popular North Queensland beach and believe the animal was caught and beheaded by local residents protesting about the Governments failure to act to control crocodile numbers. A local member of Parliament has commented that this beheading is a sign that Queenslanders have lost patience with the State and the National Government’s plans to manage the growing population of Saltwater crocodiles.

Saltwater Crocodile

The body of the eight foot long reptile was discovered just yards from where a border collie dog, a pet of a local fisherman, was snatched and dragged into the water by a large predator a few days earlier. Andrew Powell (Environment Minister), said in a statement that it appeared that the crocodile had been caught on a baited, stainless steel hook, this was found embedded in the animals torso.

Rangers discovered the body at Kewarra Beach, north of Cairns, a popular location with tourists and fishermen. The officers had been at the beach, setting traps in a bid to catch the crocodile that killed the dog, tests are being carried out to see if the beheaded crocodile was responsible for the attack.

Dealing with Resident’s Concerns

Although State officials are very aware of the concerns of residents, local people have been reminded that crocodiles remain a protected species and people illegally killing these reptiles can face fines of up to $24,000 AUD if caught and prosecuted.

In a bid to reassure residents, Mr Powell stated that the State Government was committed to a new crocodile management plan that would hopefully reduce the risk of attacks on people. The plan entails putting in place a number of security measures to prevent large crocodiles entering areas used for swimming or for other water activities. Crocodiles showing aggressive, unprovoked behaviour towards people are automatically removed to more remote wildlife habitats and there is a programme in place to routinely capture and remove any crocodile seen basking on ramps or marinas.

To see models of prehistoric animals including extinct archosaurs: Safari Ltd Dinosaur Models.

When asked to comment on this specific incident of the beheaded crocodile, Mr Powell said:

“We will take action to address this issue … but it is not safe or appropriate for anyone to take part in this sort of behaviour.”

Local Residents are Angry

Other politicians have commented that local residents are angry at what is seen to be a lack of action from State officials, the slaying of the crocodile is believed to be a sign that local people have lost faith in the authorities and are prepared to take matters into their own hands.

Although hunted to near extinction in the early part of the 20th century, Saltwater crocodile numbers in Queensland have been steadily increasing since 1970. These crocodiles are man-eaters and even a relatively small specimen at a little over a metre in length is capable of inflicting severe injuries to a person should the crocodile be given the opportunity to grab them.

State officials are confident that the existing measures being implemented should be enough to reduce the risk of attacks, but local residents have been urged to take note of the numerous crocodile warning signs that are being placed alongside beaches, rivers and other stretches of water where large crocodiles have been spotted previously.

24 09, 2012

Have Fun Fossil Hunting in London

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:36:31+01:00September 24th, 2012|Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Geology, Palaeontological articles|1 Comment

Fossils are Abundant in London – If you Know Where to Look

When asked where to go fossil hunting many people advise a trip to the seaside to explore cliffs or perhaps a trip to a local quarry to study the sediment being exposed, but ironically if you know what to look for and where to look, a trip to a big city can yield a surprising number of exciting fossil discoveries. For example, you can go fossil hunting in London.

Fossil Hunting in London

A visit to London is no exception. This city may not be the obvious choice for a person to go fossil hunting but amongst the paved streets and buildings, an observant palaeontologist can find some remarkable evidence of ancient life. London itself, has yielded many important fossil discoveries the London clay preserves a sub-tropical, estuarine environment recording a rich diversity of life including crocodiles, turtles, birds, mammals and a number of plant fossils from a time after the extinction of the dinosaurs. The fossilised bones of Pleistocene lions and hippos have been discovered by workmen digging under Trafalgar Square, but you don’t need to excavate or even to carry a geological hammer to find fossils in a place like London. All you need are a sharp pair of eyes and a camera to record your discoveries.

Fossils at St Paul’s Cathedral

Take a visit to St Paul’s Cathedral for example. Whilst visitors are admiring the dome and the beautiful facia of the cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren, take a moment to examine the steps that lead up to the main entrance. The polished flagstones that can be found at the top of the steps leading up to the main thoroughfare contain a number of very well-preserved specimens of ancient cephalopods. The stone for these flags came from Sweden. They represent marine strata laid down something like 480 million years ago in the Early Ordovician geological period (Tremadocian faunal stage). Preserved as fossils in these stones are the remains of straight-shelled nautiloids. Nautiloids were actively swimming creatures distantly related to octopi and squid that lived in straight-chambered shells. Some of these creatures evolved into huge predators, the first sea monsters that ever lived, with genera such as Cameroceras and Endoceras reaching lengths approaching ten metres. These animals are only distantly related to the modern Nautilus but they had basically the same body plan. Their long conical shells were divided internally into many chambers, these were joined by a long tube that was used to control the amount of water in each of the chambers (siphuncle). The largest, end chamber housed the actual animal with its head, powerful beak and grasping tentacles.

Ordovician Nautiloids at St Paul’s Cathedral

Fossils to be seen in London.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur (Geologist provides foot for scale)

The fossils seen on the steps of St Paul’s do not represent huge specimens but the individual chambers (septa) of the shells can be clearly made out as the specimens are viewed in cross-section. Some of these fossils are more than thirty centimetres in length.

Portland Stone

Much of the stone used to build the Cathedral is Portland stone. This limestone, quarried from Portland in Dorset, was formed in a shallow, tropical Jurassic sea towards the end of this geological period (Tithonian faunal stage). This type of stone adorns many of the well-known public buildings of London. The white/grey limestone has been used as a building material in the United Kingdom since Roman times. The splendid Guildhall of London, built in the fifteenth Century, is one such building and a careful examination of the stone blocks that make up the facia of the building opening out into the main courtyard, can yield some fossil finds for an observant palaeontologist. The internal moulds of gastropods (snails), their argonite shells long dissolved away have been preserved, these are known as “Portland screws” as they are locally abundant in Portland limestone. Alongside the gastropods the moulds and casts of bivalves and other invertebrate creatures can be clearly made out. Many tourists visit the Guildhall to admire the galleries and the treasures they contain, but to a keen fossil hunter, there are 150 million year old treasures to be found in the stones that make up the building itself.

Evidence of Jurassic Invertebrates at the Guildhall

Looking for fossils of bivalves at the Guildhall.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Cross the river Thames using Waterloo Bridge and take a little time to examine the coping stones that make up the supports to the pedestrian railings. This bridge may be used by thousands of commuters and tourists each day, but how many of them stop to look carefully at the building stones on the side of the walkways. These stones are also limestone, but they are not Portland stone. However, they do contain fossil evidence of a catastrophe that devastated a marine environment during the age of the dinosaurs. The limestone material represents Upper Jurassic strata and a close examination will reveal that it is packed with hundreds of fossils of marine invertebrates, all smashed up and jumbled together. This sediment has preserved the devastation caused by a major storm event such as a tsunami that destroyed a marine ecosystem. This habitat was probably close to shore and the shallow seascape took the fall force of huge natural disaster such as a hurricane or a tsunami. The remains of bivales such as oysters can be clearly seen, the shells mostly a bleached white against the grey limestone matrix. The remains of the calcite skeletons secreted by coralline algae can be made out as well, evidence of the destruction of a marine ecosystem preserved in the walls of a famous London landmark.

Fossils Preserved in the Limestone Used to Build Waterloo Bridge

Jurassic fossils on Waterloo Bridge.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

It is not just London where such fossils can be found, many forms of sedimentary rock are used as building materials and with a keen eye fossils that record evidence of ancient life can be found at the very heart of big cities and towns.

For replicas of iconic fossil animals: Models of Iconic Fossil Animals.

You don’t need to go to a quarry or the seaside to go fossil hunting, next time you are in a big city take a close look at the stone building materials that are around you, or that you are walking on. After all, most of these hidden treasures go unnoticed by the thousands of people who walk by them every day.

More Fossils found on Waterloo Bridge

Fossil hunting in the middle of London.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

23 09, 2012

Neolithic Dentists Described in New Study

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:37:00+01:00September 23rd, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories|0 Comments

Stone Age Toothache Eased by Beeswax Filling

A trip to the dentist may be regarded by many as one of the perils of modern-day living but surprisingly there is a considerable amount of fossil evidence to suggest that Stone Age people may have practised some rudimentary dentistry. Scientists using a partial human jawbone that had been found in Slovenia more than one hundred years ago, got a surprise when they used this specimen to test a new X-ray imaging machine. The researchers discovered something remarkable in a canine tooth, the tooth had a long, vertical crack down it and an area of the crown, the enamel, had been worn away to reveal a large cavity. A broken and worn tooth of an ancient human is not a surprise, after all, teeth were worn down by the harsh and abrasive diet endured by our ancestors. However, this particular tooth, showed signs that somebody had attempted to give the tooth a filling. Could this be evidence of Neolithic dentists?

Neolithic Dentists

A plug of material had been carefully applied to the hole, covering the sensitive dentine and filling the cavity. The material, once analysed using infrared spectroscopy was identified as beeswax and remarkably the filling was over six and a half thousand years old. This suggests that either the owner of the tooth or another member of the tribe has plugged the worn tooth either whilst the owner was still alive or shortly after the person died. If the tooth was repaired when the person was alive, then this is one of the oldest examples of Stone Age dentistry found to date.

A Picture Showing Various Images of the Tooth and the Human Jawbone

Evidence of Neolithic Dentistry.

Picture credit: Journal PLoS One

This example of Neolithic dentistry is not an isolated case, American researchers reported back in 2001 of evidence of flint drills being used to make holes in teeth from people that lived between 9,000 and 7,500 years ago in Pakistan. However, none of these drilled teeth showed any signs of having received a filling – but why beeswax?

Beeswax and Propolis

Beeswax and a substance called Propolis are used extensively in herbal medicines today. Propolis is a natural, brown, sticky substance that is collected by honey bees from trees and other plants. It contains a mixture of plant resin, waxes and essential oils. Just like that other product of the honey bee – honey, these substances have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Beeswax crammed into a tooth cavity might have eased any toothache to some degree and helped to prevent infections. Beeswax also has the added advantage of having a low melting point so it can be easily worked. At body temperature the waxy esters and other long chain molecules solidify and make a strong, stable bond, effectively providing a strong cap for the hole in the tooth.

It seems our ancient ancestors may have known a thing or too about dental hygiene. The fossil human jawbone was found in a cave system, near the town of Lonche in what is now Slovenia today. It is believed the jawbone is from an adult male who was aged between 24 and 30 years old when he died.

A Remarkable Discovery

The scientists who made this remarkable discovery, Claudio Tuniz and his colleague Federico Bernardini at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics based in Trieste, cannot be certain that the tooth filling was not applied post mortem. There is some evidence in the fossil record of human teeth have been treated as part of burial ceremonies as corpses are prepared for the afterlife. If this is an example of early dentistry, helping a patient overcome the pain from a toothache then this practice did not die out at the end of the Stone Age. Beeswax and other materials were used in ancient Egypt to help with a variety of ailments, these substances also had important roles to play in the Egyptian mummification process – helping to preserve soft tissue.

What is intriguing is that other teeth in the ancient human jaw bone used to test the X-ray machine had cavities as well, but only the canine tooth was filled. Perhaps this tooth was particularly troublesome, or perhaps if the prices paid today for dental work reflect the price paid in the Neolithic for such treatment our Stone Age patient could not afford any more dental work. Of course this is pure speculation, one other point to note is that was the treatment self administered or was there a special person in the tribe, perhaps a shaman or wise elder who was tasked with looking after the health and well-being of other tribe members?

22 09, 2012

New Dinosaur Head with Dinosaur Models Play Sets Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:37:37+01:00September 22nd, 2012|Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases, Product Reviews|0 Comments

Dinosaur Play Sets Reviewed

Novel dinosaur play sets are quite difficult to source these days. There are a number of dinosaur themed play sets available, but one that has proved particularly popular with young dinosaur fans is the dinosaur head which has a screw-lid in the base that once undone reveals a set of twelve prehistoric animal models inside. There are two dinosaur head play sets available, one featuring a T. rex and the other the head of a plant-eating dinosaur a Triceratops.

Dinosaur Models

Dinosaur Heads with Models

Dinosaur play sets and dinosaur models.

Dinosaur Play Sets

The plastic heads stand about twenty centimetres high and feature a dinosaur roaring, inside there are twelve different prehistoric animal models to discover. The T. rex head and the Triceratops both feature the same assortment of prehistoric animals. In the sets we examined, we found that each set of models included a Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops dinosaur model. The other ten models consisted of two long-necked, sauropod dinosaurs, a Brachiosaurus and a diplodocid dinosaur. It is rare to find long-necked dinosaurs in a model set, manufacturers seem to shy away from making small models of these types of dinosaurs, but in this set the models are well-crafted and bound to please young dinosaur fans.

As well as the long-necked dinosaurs and the T. rex, Triceratops combination the models inside the heads that we looked at were an Ankylosaurus, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Pachycephalosaurus, Styracosaurus and a Velociraptor-like dinosaur, perhaps a fearsome Utahraptor. The other two models in this colourful series were not dinosaurs. In common with other prehistoric animal model sets, there was a model of a flying reptile, a pterosaur (Pteranodon flying reptile). This flying reptile model,showed the creature with its wings outstretched and it had an orange head crest painted on it. Although the standing position of this pterosaur model is not anatomically accurate (pterosaurs could, most likely not stand fully upright ), the model is well made and would be good for creative, imaginative play.

Colourful Dinosaur Models

The last of the twelve models is a bright orange model of a pelycosaur, most probably a Dimetrodon. As with the pterosaur model it is quite common to see a “dinosaur model set” featuring a mammal-like reptile. All the models contained within the heads are colourful and skilfully crafted. This dinosaur head play set would make an ideal gift for a young dinosaur fan from about three years and upwards. The screw lid that makes up the base of the head even has a little carry handle built in to it, so this play set can be carried around.

Dinosaur Models (Twelve Well-crafted Dinosaur Models)

Dinosaur Models Play Set.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A cleverly designed dinosaur play set, the actual heads themselves may not reflect quite the appearance of the dinosaur they represent. For example, Triceratops did not have teeth quite as depicted on this model, but the figures inside are great for creative, dinosaur themed play.

To view the Everything Dinosaur range of dinosaur models and toys: Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

21 09, 2012

Homo heidelbergensis – A Skilled Craftsman and Hunter

By Mike|2023-02-04T18:38:39+00:00September 21st, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Ancient Spears show Early Humans were Highly Skilled

Researchers from the University of Tubingen in the southern German state of Baden-Württemberg have reported on their analysis of the animal remains, flora and evidence of skilled human craftsmen and hunters. This study indicates that hominids that once roamed southern Germany 400,000 years ago were capable of making strong, sturdy spears tipped with finely knapped flints. The scientists have concluded that these spears are evidence of skilled hunters, who would have used careful planning and foresight to ensure a successful hunt. These weapons are believed to be some of the oldest ever discovered and they have been ascribed to a hominid known as Homo heidelbergensis. The use of such sophisticated technology as early as the Middle Pleistocene epoch suggests many accepted theories on primitive human behaviour and capabilities may have to be re-written.

A Close up of One of the Flint Spearheads

Crafted with considerable skill.

Picture credit: Dr Nicholas Conrad/University of Tübingen

Homo heidelbergensis

In 1907, a workman found a human jawbone in a sand quarry near the small village of Mauer, to the south-east of the German town of Heidelberg. Otto Shoetensack, a renowned German palaeontologist, had been convinced that early human remains would be found in the ancient layers of sand at this site and the jawbone was evidence of a primitive Neanderthal-like hominid having once lived in that area. Subsequent skull discoveries, this time in Africa led to this jawbone and the skulls being ascribed to a new species of early human – H. heidelbergensis. Although known from only a few fragmentary fossil bones, including a massive shin bone found in West Sussex, this hominid is believed to have been the direct ancestor of both the Neanderthals and modern humans. H. heidelbergensis may have evolved from Homo ergaster and it was the first hominid to colonise the colder parts of northern Europe. The flint spearheads and beautifully well-preserved wooden spear shafts have been found at an opencast coalmine just one hundred kilometres away from the site of the original H. heidelbergensis jawbone discovery.

Eight Spears Found

A total of eight spears were found at the coalmine location. A team of researchers from the University of Tubingen’s Institute of Prehistory led by Dr Jordi Serangeli and Dr Nicholas Conrad are continuing to study the site and the remarkable information it is providing about life in the Pleistocene epoch. The human artefacts have been found amongst the remains of butchered horses, water buffalo and aurochs (ancient cattle). It seems that these early hunters were capable of tackling and bringing down large prey. The site has also provided the scientists with information about the flora in Germany at the time, leaves of alder and the pine cones of fir trees have been preserved, along with pollen from many types of plants. The weapons have been ascribed to Homo heidelbergensis, although no human remains have been found at this site, amongst the bones of elephants, rhinos and even lions.

One of the Wooden Spear Shafts Found at the Site

Ascribed to H. heidelbergensis.

Picture credit: Dr Nicholas Conrad/University of Tübingen

The strata that contains the preserved Pleistocene evidence had been under the water table and this watery environment may have helped preserve the remains, permitting the scientists to learn so much about life in northern Europe for some of our ancient ancestors. The wooden spears do not seem designed for throwing. They were most likely used as thrusting weapons at close quarters. The flint spearheads show considerable skill in their construction and they would have been carefully joined onto the thick, wooden spear shaft using animal sinews. Based on the fossil evidence and these spears, it seems clear that H. heidelbergensis was physically bigger and stronger than modern people. Palaeoanthropologists have estimated that both males and females may have stood over six feet tall and that the males would have weighed around eighty kilogrammes with the females slightly lighter. These eight spears, so carefully crafted by our ancestors may prove to be the oldest weapons ever found in Europe.

For replicas and models of ancient hominins and prehistoric animals: Models of Prehistoric Animals, Dinosaurs and Hominins.

20 09, 2012

Back into the Fold – Fossils Found

By Mike|2023-02-04T18:34:51+00:00September 20th, 2012|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Retrieving Ammonite Fossils

Lost but then they were found. We have been sent two ammonite fossils (Dactylioceras spp.) that were part of our extensive collection of fossils from Lower Jurassic strata of North Yorkshire. Although these Jurassic fossils of cephalopod molluscs are common and we do have lots of ammonite fossils in our collection it was great to see these two specimens again.

Ammonite Fossils

Ammonite Fossils Back in Everything Dinosaur’s Collection

Back into the Fold.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Such fossils have become part of ancient folklore, they are referred to as “snakestones”. The snakestone term is believed to have come from the Whitby area (North Yorkshire), although there are references to such stones from Somerset as well. The Whitby connection is that the Saxon Abbess St Hilda, on finding an area of land infested with snakes, turned all the reptiles into stones so that an abbey could be built. As locals wondered why no heads of the snakes had been preserved, only the coiled bodies, heads were often carved onto specimens to make them look more authentic. Some holotype specimens making up important museum collections have a snake carving on them, we think the holotype for the ammonite species Dactylioceras commune could be such an example.

There were no snake heads preserved as these fossils are the chambered, coiled shells of cephalopods related to cuttlefish and squid.

To view replicas of ammonites and other important creatures represented by common fossils: Ammonite Replicas and Other Prehistoric Animal Themed Teaching Materials.

19 09, 2012

New “Spot the Difference” Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzle Reviewed

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:38:18+01:00September 19th, 2012|Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Novel Twist on the Traditional Jigsaw

Dinosaur obsessed children aged six and over can have their observation skills tested with this novel, dinosaur jigsaw puzzle. As well as putting together the colourful puzzle, young palaeontologists then have to spot the differences in their puzzle when compared to the puzzle picture on the box. The puzzle is exactly the same as the picture, except there are twelve subtle differences. Complete the jigsaw and then try to find the differences.

Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzle

This one hundred piece jigsaw has been well made, the individual puzzle pieces measure approximately three centimetres in diameter, making them easy to handle for you young children. The lugs on each piece are robust and the pieces fit together well, helpful when you have to spot small differences in the puzzle that the child has put together when compared to the picture displayed on the front of the box.

The Colourful “Dino Park” Jigsaw Puzzle

A dinosaur jigsaw with a twist.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Jigsaws can help children develop hand-eye co-ordination as well as motor skills. The puzzle pieces are very tactile and the colourful, cartoon style picture with its twelve differences to spot aids in a child’s development of their observation skills. The theme of the jigsaw is a visit to an imaginary dinosaur theme park, a sort of cartoon dinosaur land. Eleven dinosaurs are featured, there is even a blue and yellow Dimetrodon (a pelycosaur) lurking in the background. This colourful puzzle also features a number of flying reptiles. One thing to note is that there is a pterosaur nest hidden in the picture, can your child spot it?

Everything Dinosaur’s range of educational products for children: Learning with Everything Dinosaur.

All the popular and best known dinosaurs feature somewhere on the puzzle. There is Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and the duck-billed dinosaur Parasaurolophus with its huge head crest amongst the herbivores in the dinosaur theme park. There are even two armour plated Ankylosaurus battling with each other in one corner of the jigsaw. As for the meat-eaters, there is of course, the obligatory Tyrannosaurus rex and by the looks of things this large, Late Cretaceous predator is about to make a meal of some of the visitors to the Park’s restaurant. There is certainly a lot going on in the completed puzzle, it took a six year old more than thirty minutes to complete the jigsaw and then another fifteen minutes or so to find all the differences. It was pleasing to note that the young girl thoroughly enjoyed making her dinosaur theme park and as each dinosaur was completed she insisted on telling us a little bit about it.

The Artwork in the Dinosaur Themed Jigsaw Puzzle

A busy Dinosaur Theme Park!

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The answers to the spot the difference part of the puzzle are contained on an answer sheet provided in the jigsaw puzzle box. This is very helpful, although we would recommend that the answer sheet be folded up to prevent the child seeing the answers prematurely.

This puzzle with its spot the difference element, being themed around the story of a dinosaur park we think would be especially popular with young boys who have a fascination with dinosaurs. The puzzle is robust, colourful and we loved the additional element of finding the differences between our puzzle and the one featured on the box.

18 09, 2012

Turning Triceratops into a Innovative Trojan Horse

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:38:52+01:00September 18th, 2012|Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates|0 Comments

Dinosaur Themed Activities Inspire Young Children to Learn About Science

A child’s fascination with dinosaurs and all things prehistoric is helping to motivate and inspire pupils at many schools. With the advent of a more creative curriculum, teachers and teaching assistants are using children’s love of dinosaurs to create dinosaur themed activities to help enthuse them about science subjects and to explore concepts such as how to develop and test theories.

Dinosaur Themed Activities

Described as using a “Triceratops as a Trojan Horse”, students are able to explore scientific concepts and methodologies using a range of activities enabling differentiation in the classroom setting as well as providing ready-made opportunities for extension activities and supported learning. With a new dinosaur species being named every twenty to thirty days or so and something like twelve hundred dinosaur genera already described, these prehistoric animals always seem to have a high profile in the media. This can help teachers to write inspiring lesson plans based on these long extinct reptiles.

Turning Triceratops into A Trojan Horse

Dinosaurs help school pupils.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Working with Key Stage Two Children

An example would be working with children studying the national curriculum key stage two (children aged between 7 and 9 years typically in primary school years 3 to 5). The concept of “deep time” can be explained using a timeline which they construct showing when dinosaurs lived in relation to people the children may have already studied as part of previous term topics – The Romans, Ancient Greeks etc. By plotting a scale line showing the millions of years that dinosaurs existed, students, under the supervision of the teaching staff can build up a linear diagram that shows when the dinosaurs lived and relates this time to the time of Ancient Rome, the Greek civilisation and such like. With a time scale of one centimetre representing a million years the children can place events in the correct periods of time, an objective outlined within the national curriculum teaching objectives. By placing individual dinosaurs in the correct geological period, Apatosaurus within the Jurassic and Tyrannosaurus rex within the Cretaceous, pupils can gain an appreciation about which dinosaurs lived when and what other prehistoric animals lived at the same time. Secondary resources can then be used to get the children to learn more about individual dinosaurs and this leads onto extension activities such as each child researching, drawing and writing about their own prehistoric animal.

Dinosaur Timeline

When making my own timeline with school children, my tip would be to use a scale of one centimetre equals one million years and plot the history of life on Earth from the present day back to 250 million years ago, the beginning of the Triassic geological period and just before the dinosaurs came to prominence in terms of land animal populations on Earth. This means that a timeline some 2.5 metres in length can be created, easily able to be fitted along part of a classroom wall for display purposes.

With children from under three years beginning to learn about and show knowledge about these long extinct reptiles, the Dinosauria lend themselves to working with reception/foundation aged children. When consulting on Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) teaching it is important to help children understand the nature of materials and the world around them. The EYFS framework has recently been revised and remains the statutory framework for the teaching standards required for early years providers. This teaching framework helps to prepare reception/foundation aged children for school and ensures that children acquire the skills needed to help them make good progress in future through their academic studies. A number of teachers are making “Dinosaurs” the first term topic that the children encounter, fossils and models can help them explore the properties of different materials and even different dinosaur toys can help them learn about different parts of the body. Simple selection and counting games can be encouraged such as picking out all the models of prehistoric animals that have four legs, count the number of green ones and such like. These types of activities also lend themselves to a number of extension activities such as grouping animals together that share the same characteristics and such like.

Exploring the Properties of Different Materials with Dinosaurs

Examining dinosaur hands (Key Stage 2/3). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Simple Maths

When working with older children, a simple maths lesson can be made more challenging and fun by creating a dinosaur track way with pretend dinosaur foot prints. The children can learn to measure and calculate using these simple yet imaginative props. At one school, a headmaster was asked to step in and conduct a hour long maths class with a group of year 7 children (Key Stage 3 age 11-12 years). He borrowed some footprint drawings and laid out a series of dinosaur tracks in the school hall and then by splitting the class into groups he challenged them to use rulers and tape measures to work out as much information about the animal that left the tracks as possible. He was able to develop this lesson plan by introducing the concept of scale drawings and the average measures (the arithmetic mean). It was certainly a memorable and rewarding maths based lesson that helped the pupils get to grips with simple scientific concepts such as mapping and plotting as well as introducing simple equations and use of numeracy.

To learn more about Everything Dinosaur’s wide range of dinosaur themed toys and gifts: Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

Exploring Dinosaurs and Fossil Finds with Classroom Activities

“Hands on” practical dinosaur workshops.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Teachers and teaching assistants can use children’s interest in prehistoric animals to help them learn about the world around them and simple scientific principles. Finding out about who the dinosaurs were, where they lived, what they ate, when they lived, how big they were etc. can all help teachers to ensure that the objectives of the national curriculum are being met. Importantly, it also means that imaginative and inspiring lesson plans are being devised, plans that will permit plenty of differentiation and extension as well as dove-tailing into different needs of pupils and learning styles.

17 09, 2012

Potential New Plesiosaurus Species Discovered in Canada

By Mike|2023-02-04T18:25:57+00:00September 17th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Grandfather finds Plesiosaur Fossils

Palaeontologists in the Grande Prairie region of Alberta (Canada), have something new to study after a retired farmer and his grandson discovered the fossilised remains of a Cretaceous plesiosaur whilst walking along the Smoky River. For many palaeontologists, including Dr Philip Bell who was asked to examine the fossils, this summer has been a particularly stressful one after a number of vertebrate fossil sites were attacked by vandals and looted.

Cretaceous Plesiosaur

For Dr Bell the prospect of studying a potential new species of marine reptile may go some way to compensate him and his colleagues over the loss of hadrosaur material after the spate attacks on fossil dig sites.

To read more about the vandalism: Vandals in Alberta damage Duck-Billed Dinosaur Skeleton.

Norm Dyck and his young grandson were just walking along the banks of the Smoky River when they stumbled upon the large matrix of fossilised bones that had eroded out of one of the banks. Knowing that they had found fossil bone, but not knowing quite what animal it might be, they took their discovery along to Dr Bell.

For Dr Bell, a project palaeontologist at the nearby Pipestone Creek Dinosaur Initiative, a preliminary examination proved that this was not dinosaur material, he stated:

“I realised that these were not dinosaur bones, they were something different”

The fossils have been identified as articulated vertebrae (back bones) from a long-necked pliosaur (plesiosaur). Plesiosaurs were a group of marine reptiles, distantly related to the Dinosauria. These animals evolved in the Mesozoic and lived right up until the end of the Cretaceous. Many were long-necked, fish-eaters and some specimens grew up to more than 12 metres in length.

An Illustration of a Typical Plesiosaur

Agile Mesozoic marine reptiles.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The vertebrae and other fragments of fossil bone found by Mr Dyck suggest that this individual may have been about three metres long. It is not known at this time whether the fossils represent a new species.

A New Species?

The Grande Prairie region may be better known for its Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils, but towards the end of the Cretaceous the Western Interior Seaway (an inland sea that covered much of Canada, the United States and ran down to the Gulf of Mexico), waxed and waned and the Grande Prairie area found itself part of this shallow, tropical sea.

Other plesiosaur fossils have been found in the Canadian Province of Alberta. For example, plesiosaur fossils occur throughout the Dinosaur Park Formation across the Dinosaur Provincial Park, but they are rare and generally poorly preserved. Other plesiosaur fossils have been found in the south of the Province, discovered in oilsands.

To read about a recent Canadian plesiosaur fossil discovery: Plesiosaur rises to the Surface.

As Dr Bell freely admits, some of the strata along the Smoky River has yet to be fully mapped and explored by his team. This discovery “bodes very well for the future”, according to Dr Bell. It is likely more marine reptile fossils are out there awaiting discovery. Dr Bell and his colleagues hope to be able to explore the area where the grandfather and grandson team made their fossil find.

The fossil has been donated to collection being prepared for the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum which is under construction at the nearby town of Wembley.

For Philip Bell and his colleagues after the trouble they have had from vandalism, the discovery is a welcome silver lining to a trying summer when several sites were looted and wrecked. Norm Dyck’s action in donating the fossil shows the supportive side to the community.

Dr Bell added:

“It’s really heartening to see people are genuinely interested and supportive of this work. They want to see this museum [Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum] built, they want to see these treasures protected for future generations.”

Let’s hope that the Smoky River plesiosaur proves a welcome tonic for the palaeontologists and field workers of Grande Prairie.

For models and figures of plesiosaurs and other marine reptiles: Papo Marine Reptile Models and Figures.

16 09, 2012

A Dinosaur Named “Martha” is Scientifically Described

By Mike|2024-04-24T16:39:28+01:00September 16th, 2012|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Martharaptor Named in Honour of Dedicated Employee of Utah’s Geological Survey Team

The exposed Early Cretaceous strata of Eastern Utah (United States), may not be quite as famous as the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation when it comes to dinosaur fossil finds but recent work by state palaeontologists and the Geological Survey Team of Utah is beginning to reveal an extensive and rich, ancient fauna which was dominated by the Dinosauria.

This part of eastern Utah, with its dry, arid and harsh environment, has already provided palaeontologists with a number of unique dinosaur fossil discoveries and now a new theropod dinosaur has been named and described from the area. The dinosaur, known as Martharaptor greenriverensis has been named to honour the contribution made by Martha Hayden who for more than twenty years has worked to uncover the rich array of vertebrate fossils to be found in the area.

Cedar Mountain Formation

The Cedar Mountain Formation that is exposed around the Green River region of eastern Utah lies on top of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation. The layers of sedimentary rock that make up this part of the geological record of the western United states is divided into stratigraphic levels known as members. A primitive example of the therizinosaur dinosaur clade (Scythe Lizards) has already been named and described from some of the oldest rocks laid down at the very beginning of the Cretaceous.

Falcarius utahensis

This dinosaur is known as Falcarius utahensis, recent field work has identified the fragmentary fossilised remains of another possible member of the therizinosaurid clade, but this time from younger rocks at a higher stratigraphic level in the Cedar Mountain Formation. Although palaeontologists would like to find more skeletal material to be absolutely sure that they have found another herbivorous therizinosaur, the dinosaur has been described as the holotype for a new genus of therizinosaur known as Martharaptor greenriverensis.

An Illustration of a Typical Therizinosaur

Bizarre theropods.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Therizinosaurid Dinosaurs

The therizinosaurids represent a bizarre group of theropod dinosaurs that seem to have given up their meat-eating ways and taken up an almost entirely herbivorous diet. Although classified as members of the Coelurosauria, a clade of theropod dinosaurs that also includes the likes of Tyrannosaurus rex, the therizinosaurs seem to have adapted to a browsing and grazing habit. Fossils of therizinosaurs have been found in Asia and North America.

The fossils almost exclusively date from the Cretaceous geological period, with the exception of one, controversial Chinese fossil find that places therizinosaurids in the Early Jurassic. A single fossil lower jaw has been tentatively described as therizinosaur material, this dinosaur has been named Eshanosaurus deguchiianus. This specimen has been dated to around 195 million years ago, pre-dating any other known therizinosaur fossil material by more than sixty million years. This dinosaur was named to honour the Chinese county where it was found (Eshan county) and an influential Chinese scientist called Hikaru Deguchi who helped inspire a number of palaeontologists at the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing.

A New Therizinosaur

This latest potential addition to the therizinosaur clade has been named to honour Martha Hayden, an assistant to a number of state palaeontologists and an archivist at the Utah Geological Survey. Unlike the Chinese Early Jurassic fossil find where the genus name cites the location of the discovery whilst the species name honours an influential person in palaeontology, in the Utah discovery’s case; it is the genus that honours a person (Martha Hayden) whilst the species name of this holotype cites the location of this fossil discovery (Green River area of Utah).

Martha has worked for more than two decades assisting a number of palaeontologists and geologists and is a keen field worker, happy to get involved with digs and dinosaur excavations. Her contribution has been recognised by having her own dinosaur genus named after her.

Martharaptor greenriverensis

When asked about her dinosaur, Martha is reported to have said that she is a “little bit embarrassed” by all the fuss but she did concede that her mum was very pleased and proud, after all, not many people get a dinosaur named after them. Martha greenriverensis is known from a disarticulated and jumbled collection of bones that were found within two metres of each other in a mudstone block. The bones probably represent a single individual.

The fossil material collected represents fragments of vertebrae, a scapula (shoulder bone), elements of the limb bones and an ischium (hip bone). Amongst the fossilised remains, some of which were too badly eroded and fragmentary to identify, were several fossils of the claws on the hands (manual unguals) and elements of the feet (pedal unguals). It is from an analysis of the morphology and characteristics of the hand claws that has led scientists to place this dinosaur amongst the therizinosaurids.

Taxonomic Relationships between the Theropoda

Martharaptor classification.

Picture credit: PLoS One

Field teams from the State Geological Survey hope to find further remains at the quarry where the first fossils of this new dinosaur were excavated. Hopefully, with the discovery of more fossil material, a better understanding of the taxonomic relationship between Martharaptor and other Early Cretaceous (Barremian faunal stage) theropods can be established.

To view models and replicas of Early Cretaceous theropods including therizinosaurs: CollectA Deluxe Scale Models of Dinosaurs.