All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
4 07, 2014

CollectA Quetzalcoatlus with Prey Video Review

By |2023-03-14T08:42:58+00:00July 4th, 2014|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Everything Dinosaur videos, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Video Review of the Quetzalcoatlus with Prey Model (CollectA)

In 2014, those clever people at CollectA introduced another pterosaur model into their not-to-scale range of prehistoric animals.  Not only did this new figure depict a flying reptile on the ground and not in a flying pose with wings outstretched, it also portrayed Quetzalcoatlus as a hunter of dinosaurs.  The Quetzalcoatlus with prey model shows this large pterosaur with a baby Alamosaurus in its huge beak.

CollectA Quetzalcoatlus with Prey

The Quetzalcoatlus with Prey Model (CollectA)

A Quetzalcoatlus has snatched up a baby dinosaur.

A Quetzalcoatlus has snatched up a baby dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of CollectA, not-to-scale prehistoric animal figures: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models.

With such an amazing model in the CollectA range, our experts at Everything Dinosaur felt compelled to make a short video review of this replica.

Everything Dinosaur’s Video Review (CollectA Quetzalcoatlus with Prey Model)

Video credit: Everything Dinosaur

In this five minute video (four minutes fifty-seven seconds), Everything Dinosaur looks at this model in a little more detail.  Why the unfortunate Alamosaurus model was chosen as the prey is explained and team members comment on the colouration, size and scale of this replica.

As for pronunciation, the only species in the Quetzalcoatlus genus named to date is Q. northropi named in 1975.  The genus name comes from the feathered serpent God of  the Aztec people called Quetzalcoatl.  The genus name is pronounced kwet-zal-co-at-lus or kwet-zal-coat-lus, but one thing is for sure, the genus name of this huge, Late Cretaceous, azhdarchid pterosaur needs a bit of a run up when it comes to saying it.

3 07, 2014

Feathers Evolved Before Flight? Archaeopteryx had Feathered Trousers

By |2023-03-14T07:52:51+00:00July 3rd, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page|0 Comments

Archaeopteryx Fossil Suggests Origins of Flight Complex

Adorning the front cover of the latest edition of the academic publication “Nature” is a beautiful colour photograph of the eleventh specimen of Archaeopteryx found.  The fossil might be in the hands of a private collector, but here is an example of wonderful co-operation between an individual and an academic institution.  For permission has been granted for this fossil, discovered in southern Germany in 2011, to be extensively researched and the first studies into this remarkable fossil have just been published.  We have a car manufacturer too, to thank for this research.

The Eleventh Archaeopteryx Specimen

Excellent feather preservation

Excellent feather preservation.

Picture credit: Helmut Tischlinger

The Archaeopteryx Specimen

The picture above shows the Archaeopteryx fossil that has been the subject of this research.  Although, like the majority of Archaeopteryx specimens the fossil has been crushed, the impressions of feathers on the wings, the tail and most significantly on the hind limbs can be clearly made out.  Everything Dinosaur has added labels to help readers to understand what this fossil shows.

The plumage is extremely well preserved and even under normal light, impressions of feathers can be clearly made out.  This has permitted a research team from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) to study the feathers of this iconic creature and to compare them with feathered dinosaurs and bird fossils from China.

Palaeontologist Dr Oliver Rauhut of the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences (LMU) and at the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology (Munich) and a co-author of the study commented:

“For the first time, it has become possible to examine the detailed structure of the feathers on the body, the tail and, above all, on the legs.”

Feathers Evolved Before Flight

Previous studies of this transitional fossil showed that Archaeopteryx possessed pennaceous feathers, the same sort of feathers associated with extant birds that can fly.  The feathers were asymmetrical and helped maintain an aerodynamic shape in the air of this “dino-bird”.  The presence of such pennaceous feathers on the hind legs had puzzled scientists.

Flight feathers on the hind limbs had led some palaeontologists to consider whether Archaeopteryx used its back legs in flight, it was, in effect, a four-winged glider.  Or did the feathers on the hind limbs serve another purpose, perhaps for display or for insulation, helping to keep this warm-blooded (very likely), little theropod warm.

Specimen number eleven shows for the first time an imprint of virtually all of the plumage of Archaeopteryx including the tail feathers that measure up to 11.4 centimetres in length and those controversial feathers on the hind limbs that range in length from 4 to 4.5 centimetres.  Analysis of the feathers on the hind legs show that they were symmetrical on either side of the stem (rachis), unlike aerodynamic feathers that have one long side and one narrower side (like an asymmetrical aircraft’s wing).  It seems that the feathers on the hind limbs described as “feathered trousers” did not have a role in flight.

“Feathered Trousers”

This finding contradicts the theory that the flapping flight of modern Aves was preceded by an intermediary stage involving four-winged gliding.

A Close up of the Feathers on the Hind Leg

Feather impression in the rock clearly visible.

Feather impression in the rock clearly visible.

Picture credit: Helmut Tischlinger

The tail feathers, which were more than half the length of the caudal vertebrae (tail bones), were asymmetrical indicating that the tail could have been involved in flight, perhaps helping to provide lift and control.  Co-author of the study Dr Christian Foth (LMU) along with Dr Rauhut and photographer Helmut Tischlinger examined a number of feathered bird and dinosaur fossils.

They discovered that these specimens showed a great deal of variation in feathers.  Many of the feathered creatures in the study would have been incapable of flight as their arms were too short, other fossils had feathers in impractical places to permit a flight function.

The research team outline a new hypothesis that after feathers evolved, they became adapted for a range of different purposes, for display, for camouflage, to help keep animals warm and when the Dinosauria et al began to take to a more arboreal or aerial existence they evolved further to become more useful in flight and more aerodynamic in their shape.   This theory suggests that there was not one single origin of bird flight, but that it may have evolved in a number of species over a significant time period – an example of convergent evolution.

 A Model of an Archaeopteryx (Papo Archaeopteryx)

New from Papo for 2014 a model of Archaeopteryx.

New from Papo for 2014 a model of Archaeopteryx.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Papo Archaeopteryx

The Papo Archaeopteryx model introduced in 2014, depicts Archaeopteryx with “feathered trousers”.  The feathers although unlikely to have a role in powered flight, may have helped keep the legs warm or offered protection from bites from any of the prey of this carnivorous creature.  Perhaps these feathers acted like air brakes helping to increase wind resistance as the animal came into land, thus slowing Archaeopteryx down and assisting with landing.

To view the range of Papo prehistoric animal figures: Papo Prehistoric Animal Models.

The German based researchers conclude that their study of the pennaceous feathers on Archaeopteryx, advanced maniraptoran dinosaurs and primitive birds indicates that these structures evolved in a functional context and not specifically for flight.  Such feathers were slowly adapted for a role in the flight function, several lineages may have followed similar evolutionary developments leading to the aerodynamic, asymmetrical flight feathers occurring in a number of species.  If this is the case, then the origin of powered flight might be a whole lot more complex than previously thought.

We have the German car manufacturer Volkswagen to thank for this research.   The detailed analysis of the fossil was made possible by financial support from the Volkswagen Foundation.

A spokes person from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“The few fossils we have of Archaeopteryx may even represent sub-species or separate species.  We could imagine a scenario whereby on the relatively isolated islands of the Solnhofen archipelago, different types of feathered, Archaeopteryx evolved.  They may have once shared a common, mainland ancestor, but as populations became separated onto different islands, these weak-flyers evolved specific forms for each island habitat, a sort of Darwin’s finches as found on the Galapagos today but in this case, evolutionary dynamics driven by flight capabilities and not beak shape or size related to food resources.”

2 07, 2014

Papo Dilophosaurus Reviewed

By |2023-03-14T07:47:15+00:00July 2nd, 2014|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

A Review of the Papo Dilophosaurus Dinosaur Model

One of three new models introduced into the Papo dinosaurs range in 2014, is this super replica of the Early Jurassic carnivorous dinosaur known as Dilophosaurus and this is a review of this replica by Everything Dinosaur team members.  This year marks the 60th anniversary of the naming of this meat-eating dinosaur.  The first fossils ascribed to Dilophosaurus were found in the state of Arizona, in the USA, more specimens have been discovered in similar aged rocks but this time in China.  This suggests that dinosaurs like Dilophosaurus were a very widespread and successful genus during a time when the number of different types of carnivorous dinosaur was rapidly increasing.

The Papo Dilophosaurus Dinosaur Model

Fossils found 60 years ago helped to describe Dilophosaurus.

Fossils found 60 years ago helped to describe Dilophosaurus.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Papo Dilophosaurus Dinosaur Model

The model is posed with the three-fingered claws of the right hand resting on the ground.  This helps balance this replica and permits the design team at Papo to keep the hind feet roughly in proportion to the rest of the animal’s body.  Compared to later, larger theropods, the arms of Dilophosaurus were relatively long.  The hands and claws would have helped this dinosaur grasp and overcome struggling prey, as the jaws, although lined with sharply pointed teeth were actually quite weak.

The most significant distinguishing feature of this dinosaur are the pair of thin, semi-circular crests that run the length of the top of the skull.  The crests reflect the known fossil material very accurately, they even retain a small, backward pointing extension at the rear of the crest, the “Dilophosaurus notch” as it is often referred to as.

The artists have painted the pair of crests a bright crimson colour.  These crests, were probably used for display or for signalling.  As far as we at Everything Dinosaur know, the crests have never been found attached to the skull.  However, the standard restoration with a pair of parallel crests running along the snout seems the most convincing interpretation of the fossil material.

“Double Crested Lizard” – The Papo Dilophosaurus

Papo Dinosaur Dilophosaurus Model

Papo Dilophosaurus dinosaur model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The model measures 14 cm in length, but as the tail is curled back over the body, the actual figure is nearer 18 cm to 19 cm in length.  Based on the species from Arizona named Dilophosaurus wetherilli, we estimate that this model is in approximately 1:35 scale, although the maximum size of Dilophosaurus species remains unknown.  Some individuals could have exceeded 6 and 1/2 metres in length.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of Papo prehistoric animal models: Papo Dinosaur Models.

An Excellent Replica

The replica is exceptionally well painted and seems to depict Dilophosaurus on the move.  This model does have an articulated jaw, on some of the models the jaws are quite stiff but if the head is dipped in hot water for a few seconds then the jaw joint becomes more flexible and the beautiful detail inside the tooth lined jaws can be seen.  Even the distinctive kink in the upper jaw can be clearly made out.

The Papo Dilophosaurus Does Have an Articulated Lower Jaw

The Papo Dilophosaurus dinosaur model has an articulated jaw.

The Papo Dilophosaurus dinosaur model has an articulated jaw. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The light tan underside gives way to a darker greyish/brown top colouring with flashes of blue stripes along the back, the tail and down the hind legs.  There is also a metallic orange stripe running from the back of the skull, down the long neck finishing at the hips.  This is a very striking replica and an excellent addition to the Papo Dinosaurs model range.

One of the nice things that we are seeing as Papo extends their model series, is that new models such as this Dilophosaurus work very well to scale when compared with existing Papo replicas.  For example, the Dilophosaurus is in a comparable scale to the Late Jurassic Allosaurus model also made by Papo.

The Papo Allosaurus and the Papo Dilophosaurus Dinosaurs

The Papo Allosaurus and the Papo Dilophosaurus dinosaur models are roughly to the same scale.

The Papo Allosaurus and the Papo Dilophosaurus dinosaur models are roughly to the same scale. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

All in all this is an excellent Dilophosaurus dinosaur model and one that is a welcome addition to the Papo prehistoric animals model range.

1 07, 2014

How Triceratops Got its Horns and Beak

By |2023-03-14T07:43:17+00:00July 1st, 2014|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Insights into the Evolution of Triceratops

It might sound like a Rudyard Kipling “Just So” story but scientists from Montana State University have been working out how Triceratops got its beak and horns.  The team of researchers had spent the past fifteen summers mapping and excavating Triceratops skull material from the Badlands of eastern Montana, from the world famous Hell Creek Formation.  University PhD candidate John Scannella and his three co-authors have published a paper in the “Proceedings of the  National Academy of Sciences”, that reports on the study of more than fifty Triceratops specimens and plots how this dinosaur gradually changed over two million years.

The Location of Each Triceratops Fossil Recorded

The team recorded the precise stratigraphic location for each Triceratops fossil.  The shape and characteristics of any skull material was then carefully analysed and this permitted the researchers to see evolutionary trends in the Triceratops genus through the Late Maastrichtian faunal stage.

The team noted that over one to two million years, the Triceratops skull specimens slowly changed.  They went from having a small nose horn and a long beak to having a longer nose horn and a shorter beak.

The two recognised species of Triceratops can be distinguished from each other by the shape and size of the beak and the shape and size of the nose horn.  Triceratops horridus has a small nose horn and a long beak, whereas, the second species in the genus Triceratops prorsus has a longer nose horn and a shorter beak.  Triceratops horridus fossils were confined to the older strata, the lower portions of the Hell Creek Formation, whilst fossils of T. prorsus were found in younger rocks at the top of the Hell Creek Formation.  Skulls found in the middle portions of the Formation displayed characteristics of both Triceratops species.

New Study Plots the Evolution of the Triceratops Genus

New study charts the evolution of Triceratops.

New study charts the evolution of Triceratops.

Picture credit: Montana State University

The picture above shows that at rock layers dated to around 67.5 million years ago, fossils of Triceratops horridus with its large beak and short nose horn can be found.  In the Middle Hell Creek Formation, Triceratops skulls display a mix of T. horridus and T. prorsus traits.  In the youngest, top sediment layers, it is the T. prorsus skull morphology that dominates.

Commenting on this research, student John Scannella stated:

“This study provides a detailed look at shifts in the morphology of a single dinosaur genus over time.”

Two Species Found at Different Horizons

The Triceratops research, identifying that specimens of T. horridus and T. prorsus are found at different horizons, specifically Triceratops prorsus is confined to the upper third portion of the Hell Creek Formation.  The fact that these fossils are restricted to different stratigraphic levels confirms that there are indeed at least two species of Triceratops present.

A number of hypotheses had been proposed previously to help explain the different skull morphology, for example it had been suggested that the skull morphologies were a result of differences between males and females or due to ontogenetic (growth) variations between individuals of a single species.

 The Triceratops Family Tree is Explained

A colourful "Three-horned Face" Replica

A colourful “Three-horned Face” Replica (big beak, small nose horn = T. horridus).

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

Mapping the Fauna and Flora of Hell Creek

A number of academic institutions have been working together to map and record the flora and fauna preserved in the Hell Creek Formation.  The Hell Creek project involved Montana State University, The University of California plus the universities of North Dakota and North Carolina with the support of a number of academic and professional bodies.  The strata covers Montana, North and South Dakota and Wyoming in the Western United States and it represents a series of freshwater and brackish deposits laid down on the edge of the Western Interior Seaway.  The geology records the very end of the Cretaceous with the very youngest rocks ascribed to the Danian faunal stage (Palaeocene) , the first faunal stage after the Cretaceous mass extinction event.

A Changing Ecosystem

The project examined both vertebrates, invertebrates and plants in a bid to learn about the changing ecosystems in that part of the world from the latter stages of the Cretaceous and into the Age of Mammals (Cenozoic).  Over the course of the project, the team discovered that the Triceratops species were the most common dinosaur in the Hell Creek Formation.  Although, it is very difficult to give an accurate figure, something like forty percent of all the dinosaur fossil material recovered from the Hell Creek Cretaceous layers represent the Triceratops genus.

Discussing the relative abundance of Triceratops fossil material, Scannella explained:

“Most dinosaurs are only known from one or a handful of specimens.  Some dinosaurs are known from a large number of specimens, but they’re often found all in one place – on a single stratigraphic horizon.  The great thing about Triceratops is that there are a lot of them and they were found at different levels of the Hell Creek Formation.”

The importance of the relatively large sample size (in excess of fifty specimens), was emphasized when he added:

“So we can compare Triceratops found at different [stratigraphic] levels.  When you have a larger sample size, you can learn much more about variation, growth and evolution.”

Evidence of a Genus Transformation in the Late Maastrichtian

Triceratops changed over time.

Triceratops changed over time.

Picture credit: Holly Woodward

Triceratops

Other authors of the research paper that appears in the latest edition of the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, include Regents Professor of Palaeontology Jack Horner, Montana State University graduate student Denver Fowler and palaeontologist Mark Goodwin (University of California).

In July 2010, Everything Dinosaur team members reported on a paper produced by Scannella and John “Jack” Horner that proposed that Triceratops underwent such dramatic changes in its skull shape as it grew and matured that the dinosaur known as Torosaurus (T. latus), was not a separate genus at all, but the fossils of elderly Triceratops specimens.

To read more about this research: Torosaurus Extinction Second Time Around.

PhD student Scannella added:

“The new study finds evidence that not only did Triceratops change shape over the lifetime of an individual, but that the genus transformed over the course of the end of the age of dinosaurs.”

This study represents one of the most thorough and detailed examinations yet on ceratopsian head shields, their skulls and growth patterns.  Many of the specimens recovered from the Hell Creek Formation did not show signs of distortion or crushing, factors that could have skewed any analysis into skull shape and morphology, although a number of specimens were fragmentary and many others shattered into numerous pieces.

The project team are to be congratulated for the painstaking work carried out as scientists attempt to learn more about the evolution of one of the most famous dinosaurs of all “three horned face”.

It is fitting that the last word on Triceratops evolution (for now) should go to John Scannella.  He stated:

“The study emphasized how important it is to know exactly where dinosaur fossils are collected from.  A beautiful Triceratops without detailed stratigraphic data cannot answer as many questions as a fragmentary specimen with stratigraphic data.”

Eofauna Triceratops Figure

Recently Eofauna Scientific Research produced a replica of what they describe as a transitional Triceratops species.  To view the range of Eofauna figures: Eofauna Scientific Research Models.

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