All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
//March
31 03, 2014

The World’s Most Northerly Dinosaurs

By | March 31st, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Geology|0 Comments

Duck-Billed Dinosaur Bone from Axel Heiberg Island

Much has been discovered about the northern ranges of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs over the last two decades or so.  Palaeontologists now recognise that during the last few million years of the Cretaceous geological period a number of different dinosaur genera adapted to living at high latitudes, year round residents of territory which today is well within the Arctic Circle.  There have been a number of important fossils finds at locations such as those from the Prince Creek Formation (North Slope Borough, Alaska), only recently a new genus of pygmy tyrannosaur was scientifically described – Nanuqsaurus hoglundi.

Northerly Dinosaurs

To read more about this new tyrannosaur: The “Polar Bear” Tyrannosaur.

Although the climate was much milder, the weather at these very high latitudes would have been seasonally extreme.  There would have been long periods of total darkness with the sun never ascending over the horizon with snow falls and temperatures close to or below freezing for prolonged periods.  In the summer, the high latitude would have have guaranteed twenty-fours of daylight for a number of weeks and the overall climate, based on studies of plant fossils and pollen suggests an environment similar to the state of Oregon in the United States or perhaps British Columbia (Canada).

Prince Creek Formation

The fossils found in the Prince Creek Formation are certainly important, but they do not represent the most northern dinosaur discovery to date.  That honours goes to a single, fossil bone found during a geological survey of the remote Axel Heiberg Island in 1992.  Axel Heiberg Island is seventy-nine degrees north and is one of the larger islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.  It is uninhabited, although some research teams set up seasonal summer camps.

The highly abraided dinosaur bone was determined as being a hadrosaurine veretebra (back bone), although the genus remains uncertain.  It was found in the Kanguk Formation which consists of marine strata laid down during the Late Cretaceous.  A number of other vertebrate fossils have also been found but to date only one dinosaur bone.  It is likely that this fossil was deposited during the Campanian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous (around 83 – 74 million years ago).

The Canadian Arctic During the Campanian

During the Campanian, the eastern Canadian Arctic was likely isolated both from western North America by the Western Interior Seaway and from more southern regions of eastern North America by the Hudson Seaway.  This fossil suggests that large-bodied hadrosaurid dinosaurs may have inhabited a substantial polar insular landmass during the Late Cretaceous, where they would have lived year-round.  Being effectively marooned on the land mass, these dinosaurs were unable to migrate southwards  to escape the worst of the winter weather.

It is possible that the resident herbivorous dinosaurs could have fed on non-deciduous conifers, as well as other woody twigs and stems, during the long, dark winter months when most deciduous plant species had lost their leaves and others would have died back due to the lack of sunlight.

It is likely that other dinosaur fossil discoveries await on the islands that make up the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, however, the difficulty in reaching them, the extreme climate and the lack of a road network or suitable airstrip means that much more research has been carried out in Alaska than on the islands of the high Arctic.  Palaeontologists are confident that further research will establish a rich and diverse Late Cretaceous ecosystem that was dominated by dinosaurs.

For models and replicas of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals: Mojo Fun Prehistoric and Extinct Models.

30 03, 2014

A Morning Studying Dinosaurs

By | March 30th, 2014|Educational Activities, Teaching|0 Comments

Christ Church Primary School Pupils Study Dinosaurs

Year 1 pupils at Christ Church Primary School (Stoke on Trent, England), got the chance to get up very close to some dinosaur fossils as they studied prehistoric animals as part of their term topic.  Under the tutelage of one of the school’s Key Stage 1 tutors Miss Bryant, ably assisted by teaching assistant Mrs Dyer, the children have been learning about life in the past and how fossils are formed as they study dinosaurs over the spring term.

Schoolchildren Study Dinosaurs

A team member from Everything Dinosaur had been invited into the school to assist with the teaching work and to undertake a whole morning of dinosaur themed activities and exercises as part of a dinosaur workshop.  The classroom was very colourful with lots of dinosaur artwork and posters on display and the children were very keen to complete morning registration so that the dinosaur themed teaching activities could start.

Casting Fossils

The children were challenged to have a go at casting museum quality replica fossils from Everything Dinosaur’s own fossil collection and with one group of children led by Mrs Dyer and the second group supervised by Miss  Bryant, two lovely replica fossils were cast.  The size and scale of some dinosaurs was considered and the children were encouraged to compare bones in their body to those of famous dinosaurs.  The brain of an armoured dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous being confirmed as being about the size of a six-year old child’s fist, whilst the same dinosaur could happily sit five Year 1 pupils in its body cavity.

Thank you Letter Sent in by Ocean

Ocean says thank you to Everything Dinosaur for school visit.

Ocean says thank you to Everything Dinosaur for school visit.

Picture credit: Ocean (Christ Church Primary School)

There were lots of questions asked and the pupils showed a good degree of independent learning as the Everything Dinosaur team member discussed meat-eating dinosaurs and compared them to plant-eating dinosaurs.  Over the course of the morning, a lot of different types of fossil were examined and at the end of the visit an Everything Dinosaur “pinkie palaeontologists challenge” was set before the class.  Could the children demonstrate the ability to recall information and write a thank you letter to our dinosaur expert?

Dinosaurs as a Teaching Topic

Dinosaurs as a teaching topic lends itself to all sorts of innovative learning activities that dove-tail into the outcomes and aims expected from the National Curriculum.  Creating a thank you letter permits the teaching team to introduce a recounting element into the teaching work.  This helps to check understanding and reinforce learning.

Often a problem when developing literacy exercises for Year 1 pupils is how to give the children  a purpose for writing, a thank you letter to a school visitor fits the bill nicely.

School Children Send In Thank You Letters

Wonderful writing from Year 1.

Wonderful writing from Year 1.

Picture credit: Phoebe (Christ Church Primary School)

 All the letters that we received were carefully read by our team of dinosaur experts and we have posted them up onto a big display board, a special thank you to all the budding palaeontologists who wrote thank you letters.  It seems that the teaching staff had fun teaching about dinosaurs in school and the school children loved learning all about prehistoric animals.

To learn more about Everything Dinosaur’s range of toys and gifts including replicas of iconic fossil animals: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models including Fossil Replicas.

30 03, 2014

Christ Church Primary School Pupils Study Dinosaurs

By | March 30th, 2014|Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Christ Church Primary School Pupils Study Dinosaurs

Year 1 Study Dinosaurs All Morning

Year 1 children at Christ Church Primary School (Stoke-on-Trent, England), were visited by Everything Dinosaur and they took part in a series of fossil themed activities as part of a dinosaur workshop.  The children had been learning about life in the past over the spring term and they were keen to demonstrate their knowledge and to explain to our expert how fossils were formed.

A team member from Everything Dinosaur had been invited to attend the school and conduct a dinosaur workshop with the enthusiastic young palaeontologists.  The classroom was filled with examples of the children’s work, including some excellent posters and clay models of dinosaurs.

Dinosaur Workshop

As part of our work with the children, we challenged them to have a go at casting museum quality replica fossils from the company’s own extensive fossil collection.  We compared our bones and bodies to that of a typical dinosaur (ornithopod) and we learned all about how the dinosaurs lived and when they become extinct.

An Example of the Writing Extension Exercise

Dinosaur notebooks created by pupils on display.

Helping to encourage young children with their writing. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Our dinosaur expert set a “pinkie palaeontologist challenge”, could the children write a thank you letter to Everything Dinosaur?  Would they be able to use proper sentences?  What would be the best way to start the letter and to conclude it?  Could they include a comment about their favourite part of the morning?

With the teaching team’s help the children set about this challenge in the afternoon.  A few days letter we received a set of thirty thank you letters from the children.  In this instance, dinosaurs as a subject area is helping Lower Key Stage 1 children to write more confidently and to expand their vocabularies.

To see the extensive range of toys and gifts available from Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur Toys and Games.

29 03, 2014

Bullyland Lambeosaurus Dinosaur Model in Stock

By | March 29th, 2014|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

New for 2014 the Bullyland Lambeosaurus Replica

Everything Dinosaur has just received its stock of the new Bullyland Lambeosaurus dinosaur model.  Over the next few days, our team members will be busy contacting all those customers and dinosaur model fans who requested that we let them know when this new duck-billed dinosaur model arrives.

The Bullyland Lambeosaurus Dinosaur Model

New Lambeosaurus from Bullyland

New Lambeosaurus from Bullyland. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Bullyland Lambeosaurus Dinosaur Model

The model is very well painted (all Bullyland models in the company’s “Prehistoric Life” range are hand-painted), and we love the bright red crest on the skull of “Lambe’s Lizard”.  The Lambeosaurus is posed in a quadrupedal position and it gives the impression of a dinosaur trotting along, this herbivore is depicted as a dynamic, active creative.  This model is an improvement on other replicas that depict duck-billed dinosaurs in a “kangaroo-like” posture.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of Bullyland prehistoric animal models: Bullyland Museum Line Models and Replicas.

The Lambeosaurus is the only hadrosaur currently represented in the Bullyland range, it joins the Europasaurus as the second and final new prehistoric animal model introduction by Bullyland for 2014.

28 03, 2014

Australia Rejects Controversial Saltwater Crocodile Hunting Ban

By | March 28th, 2014|Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

Crocodile “Trophy Hunting” Plan Turned Down

A controversial plan to allow safari hunters in Australia’s Northern Territory state to kill crocodiles, has been rejected by the federal government in Canberra.  This is the latest set back for campaigners demanding a sustained and extensive cull of the many large, Saltwater crocodiles that inhabit water courses in the Northern Territory.

Saltwater Crocodile

Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt said “trophy hunting” would not be appropriate.  The proposal, which was backed by the authorities and governors in Northern Territory, would have permitted up to fifty crocodiles to be shot for sport.  Currently, around five hundred crocodiles are culled in the region every year.

Those campaigners that put the proposal forward in the first place, argue the plan would bring in much-needed income for some of the indigenous people in the region.   The ability to put on such hunts would attract a lot of interest from shooting enthusiasts and this would give the State a considerable boost to its tourist incomes, but Greg Hunt’s decision to reject the plan has angered some Territorians living in some parts of Australia’s remote outback.

Bess Price, Minister for Wildlife and Parks commented:

“Greg Hunt has made a decision which will do nothing to improve the lives of indigenous Territorians living in remote communities.”

Crocodylus porosus

Saltwater crocodiles, otherwise known as Estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) can grow to a length in excess of seven metres and large males can weigh more than a tonne.  They are responsible for a number of attacks on people, pets and livestock in Australia each year, their numbers having bounced back dramatically since a hunting ban was imposed in 1971.

A number of these attacks prove fatal, once these crocodiles are over five feet in length they are regarded as man-eaters.  In January, two crocodiles were shot by park rangers as they tried to recover the body of a twelve year old boy that had been attacked.  In August of last year, team members from Everything Dinosaur reported on the recovery of the body of a twenty-six year old man who had been killed by a crocodile whilst attempting to swim across the Mary River during a birthday party.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website for models and replicas of archosaurs including ancient crocodilians: Ancient Archosaurs Models and Replicas.

27 03, 2014

Win an Oviraptor Dinosaur Soft Toy with Everything Dinosaur

By | March 27th, 2014|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products|0 Comments

Win “Ovi” the Oviraptor Soft Toy with Everything Dinosaur

This competition has now closed.

Lots of entrants in our “Win Ovi the Oviraptor” soft toy competition already.  Some very creative and clever surnames for our Oviraptor soft toy have been suggested but there is still time to enter as the closing date for this competition is not until Friday April 11th.

We thought it would be fun if we could come up with a contest with an egg theme as Easter approaches and so we come to Oviraptor, the dinosaur whose name means “egg thief”.  When the fossils of this dinosaur were first discovered, it was mistakenly believed that the Oviraptor had been eating the eggs of another dinosaur.  Scientists now know that although the diet of the virtually toothless Oviraptor is uncertain, the dinosaur whose fossils were found was actually protecting a nest of its own eggs.

Oviraptor

Some very clever names for “Ovi” have been suggested, “Ovi Oswald”, “Ovi wan Kenobi”, “Ovi Osborne” and “Ovi Ovious”.  When the competition closes, we will put all the entrants into a hat and select a winner at random.

Win “Ovi the Oviraptor” Dinosaur Soft Toy with Everything Dinosaur

Visit Everything Dinosaur's Facebook Page, give our page a "like", leave a comment suggesting a surname for "Ovi".

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s Facebook Page, give our page a “like”, leave a comment suggesting a surname for “Ovi”.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Soft Toy

For your chance to win a super, soft and cuddly “Ovi” the  Oviraptor soft toy simply log on to Everything Dinosaur’s Facebook page, (click on the picture above or the Facebook logo below), “like” our page and leave a comment on the “Ovi” the Oviraptor picture suggesting a surname for our “Ovi”.

“Like” Everything Dinosaur’s Facebook Page 

Click the logo to visit our Facebook page and to give our page a "like".

Click the logo to visit our Facebook page and to give our page a “like”.

Good luck and have fun coming up with names of our “Ovi”.

To view the range of dinosaur soft toys available from Everything Dinosaur: Dinosaur Soft Toys – Prehistoric Plush.

This competition has now closed.

26 03, 2014

New Data on Mesozoic CO2 Levels Can Help Map Today’s Climate Change

By | March 26th, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Geology, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Mesozoic CO2 Levels Much Higher than Today

A new study published by University of Utrecht researchers and published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” suggest that for much of the Mesozoic, carbon dioxide levels in the Earth’s atmosphere were much higher than they are today, even with global warming caused by greenhouse gases such as higher levels of CO2.  Earlier studies had come to similar conclusions but this new research suggests that at the onset of the Triassic and into the Jurassic global CO2 levels could have been as much as five times their current levels.

Mesozoic

The new methodologies used to model the ancient CO2 levels could have implications for how climatologists plot changes in our environment as CO2 levels rise.

Scientists have known for some time that a large amount of volcanic activity results in more CO2 being released, but with previous analytical methods, it had been tricky to weigh up all the variables and to come up with an overall assessment of CO2 concentrations.

Lots of CO2 Around in the Mesozoic with the Dinosaurs

A warm and humid Earth back in the early Mesozoic.

A warm and humid Earth back in the early Mesozoic. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

As the Mesozoic progressed so the super-continent of Pangaea began to break up into two smaller landmasses, essentially Laurasia in the Northern Hemisphere and Gondwana further south.   The huge amount of plate movements led to extensive subduction and a great deal of volcanic activity.  It was this volcanism that drove the release of CO2 into the Earth’s atmosphere, thus leading to a “greenhouse” world which was warm and humid and the dinosaurs thrived in.

CO2 Levels in the Atmosphere

Lead author of this new study, geoscientist Douwe van der Meer, (Utrecht University), explained that previous research had led to widely varying amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, making such work of limited use when trying to model current climate change.

The Utrecht University research team used a state-of-the-art imaging technique called seismic tomography to reconstruct 250 million years of volcanic CO2 emissions.  Seismic waves were analysed as they travelled through the rock layers that make up the Earth’s crust, this gave the team the opportunity to create a model of the structure of the Earth’s interior.

For dinosaur models, clothing and toys: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

Lead author, van der Meer stated:

“This method is comparable to CT scans used in hospitals to image inside bodies.  With sufficient earthquake wave travel times, we can create a velocity model of the Earth.  Faster regions are more dense, colder material plates that sank into the Earth as a result of subduction processes due to plate tectonics.”

Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas.  Herbivorous dinosaurs may have played an indirect role in global warming by producing a lot of methane as they digested large amounts of plant matter.

To read an article about the role of sauropod dinosaurs in global warming: The Winds of Change – Methane Produced by Dinosaurs May Have Led to Global Warming.

25 03, 2014

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi – An update on “Polar Bear Lizard”

By | March 25th, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Palaeontological articles|2 Comments

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi – Tyrannosaur from the High Arctic

Earlier this month, an academic paper was published on a newly discovered tyrannosaur which once roamed the very far north of an ancient Cretaceous strip of land called Laramidia.  This new dinosaur might only be known from a few fragmentary fossils, fossils which were overlooked at the time they were first found back in 2006, but it is believed that this member of the tyrannosaurine may have been very closely related to T. rex.

Nanuqsaurus hoglundi

Named Nanuqsaurus hoglundi the fossils of this predatory dinosaur were found in a well-known horned dinosaur excavation site more than five hundred kilometres inside the Arctic Circle.  The site is called Kikak-Tegoseak and it represents Upper Cretaceous deposits that form part of the extensive Prince Creek Formation in North Slope Borough, Alaska.  The fossil material consists of three disarticulated pieces of skull including elements from the front of the jaw.  These pieces were found in close proximity to each other and are believed to represent fragments from the same skeleton.

Comparison with Other Tyrannosaurs

Based on comparisons with better known tyrannosaurs, this dinosaur is believed to have been a “pygmy tyrannosaur”.  It bucks the trend seen in tyrannosaurids known from the Maastrichtian faunal stage of the Cretaceous, when if anything, the tyrannosaurs roaming North America at the very end of the Cretaceous period tended to be bigger than their forebears from the Campanian faunal stage.

The Fossil Material Discovered to Date – Nanuqsaurus hoglundi 

The fossil material.

The fossil material.

Picture credit: PLOS One

Diagram A indicates where on the tyrannosaur skull the three pieces of fossil would be located.  The actual shape of the skull is based on more complete specimens.  The research team led by Dr Anthony Fiorillo and Dr Ronald Tykoski of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas came across the fossils in 2006 when trying to locate more material related to a horned dinosaur, one that would turn out to be a new species of Pachyrhinosaurus (P. perotorum).

It was only later, back in the preparation laboratory that the scientists realised the importance of their discovery.

To read more about the discovery of the third species of pachyrhinosaur: New Species of Polar Horned Dinosaur is Announced.

The Tyrannosaur Family Tree

This latest edition to the tyrannosaur family tree, measured around six metres in length.  It was approximately half the size of its more illustrious cousin from the south, Tyrannosaurus rex.  The name Nanuqsaurus hoglundi  is derived from the local dialect for Polar Bear, a reference to the fact that as far as any one knows, this dinosaur was the apex predator in the environment.  The specific or trivial name honours Forrest Hoglund in recognition of his career in the Earth Sciences and his work to help fund the Perot Museum.

A team member from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Although this part of the world was not as cold back in the Late Cretaceous as it is now, Nanuqsaurus lived in a high-latitude continental environment with seasonal extremes.  It may have been covered in a thick, coat of shaggy feathers, helping to insulate this dinosaur from the worst of the winter weather.”

The team member went onto state:

“For a significant amount of the year, the sun would not have risen above the horizon, its world would have been a very dark place, which explains why analysis of the skull material discovered to date suggests that this predator had a powerful sense of smell.  Helpful when you live in a world of almost perpetual twilight for much of the year.”

Everything Dinosaur’s Illustration of Nanuqsaurus hoglundi

Potentially a very, shaggy coated Tyrannosaur!

Potentially a very, shaggy coated tyrannosaur!

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The academic paper’s authors have suggested the smaller body mass of Nanuqsaurus hoglundi compared to other Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurs may reflect an adaptation to the fluctuating amount of food resources available in its Arctic environment.  In the summer, when daylight was almost constant, it is likely that large numbers of herbivorous dinosaurs migrated northwards up Laramidia to take advantage of the huge amounts of plant food available.

For models and replicas of members of the Tyrannosauroidea: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular Models.

As the days grew shorter, the carnivores had much slimmer pickings as many prey animals probably moved out of the area.  Of course, this is just speculation, this tyrannosaur may have migrated northwards from lower latitudes following the herds of herbivores.

The diversification of the Dinosauria in this part of the Americas at the end of the Cretaceous may stem from the partial isolation of the very northernmost parts of Laramidia with the pushing up of a mountain range (the Brooks Range), which may have cut-off part of the north of Laramidia during the Late Campanian faunal stage.

A Comparison of Nanuqsaurus hoglundi with other Tyrannosaurs

N. hoglundi compared to other Tyrannosaurs and predators from the Arctic.

N. hoglundi compared to other Tyrannosaurs and predators from the Arctic.

Picture credit: PLOS One

The diagram above compares N. hoglundi with T. rex (B – Sue from the Field Museum), a second Tyrannosaurus rex from the American Museum of Natural History (gracile form) – (C).  Other theropods depicted include Daspletosaurus torosus (D) and Albertosaurus sarcophagus (E).

The other two theropods featured in the diagram above are not tyrannosaurs.  The discovery of a “pygmy tyrannosaur” has intrigued a number of palaeontologists who are trying to build up a detailed picture of the fauna at the “top of the world” during the Late Cretaceous.  Back in 2008, Dr Fiorillo discovered some super-sized troodontid teeth from the Colville River area.  The Alaskan fossils represented animals that were 1.5 times bigger than the Troodons known from more southerly latitudes.  In the diagram, Troodon formosus is represented by (F), the much large Troodon species from Alaska is (G).

In the diagram the scale bar equals 1 metre.

Why should we have much larger Troodon type predators yet evidence of a “pygmy” tyrannosaur living in the same environment?  A number of theories have been proposed.  Perhaps the proportionately larger eyes of the troodontids enabled them them to hunt larger prey than their southern cousins which did not have the predatory advantage of all that darkness.

24 03, 2014

Man Charged over Dinosaur Footprint Theft In Utah

By | March 24th, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Man Charged with Stealing Fossilised Dinosaur Footprint

A grand jury has charged a resident of the town of Moab (Grand County, eastern Utah), with four federal offences related to the theft and subsequent loss of a fossilised dinosaur footprint from Bureau of Land Management administered land.  Thirty-five year old, Jared Frederick Ehlers has been indicted on one count each of removal of palaeontological resources, depredation of government property, destruction of evidence and theft of government property.

Dinosaur Footprint

The motive for the removal of the three-toed dinosaur footprint from a sandstone ridge near to the Hell’s Revenge off-road jeep trail and the alleged subsequent dumping of the fossil in the Colorado river remains unclear, however, given the high prices the sale of such fossil material can fetch on the black market, it is suspected that the fossil was stolen for commercial gain.

Staff have been monitoring the progress of the investigation closely since Everything Dinosaur team members carried the story of the fossil theft on this blog back on February 22nd.

To read about the fossil theft: Dinosaur Footprint Stolen in Utah.

Fossil Theft

Over the weekend of 8th/9th March, Utah State officials organised a dive team to search an area of the Colorado River as it was believed that the fossil specimen had been thrown into the water from the Dewey Bridge but despite an intense search the fossil was not retrieved.

Explaining how difficult it was to search the riverbed, Grand County Sheriff Steven White stated:

“You’re searching by Braille, everything is by hand.  You have zero visibility, you’re dealing with changing currents, you’re dealing with obstacles.  It was very hazardous diving conditions.”

The river search was instigated after a suspect came forward and informed State officials where the 190 million year old, Early Jurassic print had been allegedly dumped.  It remains unclear as to whether this person was Jared Ehlers.

Facing Prosecution

Ehlers is facing prosecution under the Paleontological Resources Preservation Act, (American spelling), a law that was passed by the United States Government to help prevent the theft of fossils from public land and to prosecute any person or persons who vandalises fossils.  Violators face civil and criminal penalties including fines and possible incarceration.

Moab Man Charged with Four Federal Offences Related to Fossil Footprint Theft

Jared Ehlers facing four federal charges over alleged fossil theft

Jared Ehlers facing four federal charges over alleged fossil theft.

Picture credit: Grand County Jail

A Maximum Prison Sentence of Twenty Years

The most serious count, that Elhers is facing, the destruction of evidence, carries a maximum prison sentence of twenty years.  The other three counts carry a maximum prison sentence of between five and ten years.  No date has been set yet for Mr Ehler’s first court appearance, if he is convicted on all four counts, he could face a maximum possible sentence of forty-five years in prison.

A spokes person from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“The federal authorities are to be congratulated for the swift and speedy way in which they have pursued this case.  However, the fossil specimen itself remains lost and as it is sandstone, it will quickly begin to erode and abrade if it remains in the river.  At this juncture, it is very hard to say whether or not the fossil will ever be recovered.  Even if the fossil is found, it may be virtually destroyed as a trace fossil.”

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Dinosaur Toys, Models and Games.

23 03, 2014

Dr Phil Manning to Present at the Bollington Science Festival

By | March 23rd, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Famous Figures|0 Comments

Cayman Caves to Badland Dinosaurs: Dr Phil Manning

Dr Phil Manning from Manchester University’s School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, will once again be presenting at the forthcoming Bollington Festival which takes place in May.  Dr Manning who heads up the palaeontology research group at the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences has had a very busy year and his talk will focus on his travels over the last twelve months or so.

Bollington Science Festival

Entitled “Cayman Caves to Badland Dinosaurs”, Dr Manning will discuss giant rats from the Cayman Islands as well as the continuing work on a number of Upper Cretaceous dinosaur fossils from the rugged, exposed outcrops of South Dakota.

The last time we caught up with Phil was when he was in America, at the “Duelling Dinosaurs of Montana” auction.  He was lobbying to try to ensure whoever purchased this remarkable pair of dinosaur fossils, that the specimens would be made available for further study.

To read more about the auction of the “Duelling Dinosaurs”: D-Day for Duelling Dinosaurs.

Dr Manning was busy with a number of media commitments, enthusiastically talking about the importance to science of these two dinosaur fossils.  He was even interviewed on the Simon Mayo radio 2 programme about this particular fossil discovery.  An excellent and engaging communicator, the talk, which is scheduled for Thursday 29th May (7.30 pm start) and will take place at the Bollington Civic Hall and it is bound to be one of the highlights of the whole of the Bollington Festival.

Tickets on Sale

Tickets for this event are priced at just £3 for adults and £1 for children.  The talk will be suitable for age 11+ and no doubt members of the audience will get the chance to ask questions at the end of the presentation.

Dr Phil Manning Examining a Theropod Footprint

Potential Tyrannosaurid Print

Potential tyrannosaurid print.

Picture credit: Dr Phil Manning (Manchester University)

The Bollington Festival covers a wide range of topics aimed at participants of all ages.  Themes which are extremely varied from flamenco, to brass bands, literature to comedy and it has a number of science events crammed in amongst the one hundred or so planned performances.  The festival is celebrating its fiftieth year and with the likes of Dr Phil Manning talking about dinosaurs it is bound to be another “roaring success”.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.

Load More Posts