Last week, was a very busy week for the teaching team at Everything Dinosaur. They have lots of dinosaur and fossil workshops to try to fit in before schools begin preparing for the end of the autumn term. On Friday, one of our teaching staff visited The Berkeley Academy in Cheshire to work with two Reception classes who had been studying life in the past and prehistoric animals. Whilst being given a tour of the school by the dedicated teaching staff, our dinosaur expert spotted several examples of the children’s dinosaur themed arts and crafts on display.
One classroom (Class 2), had even constructed a dinosaur den in a part of their classroom.
Class 2 Children (Reception) Had Created a “Dinosaur Den” in their Classroom
Children in Class 2 (Berkeley Academy) have a dinosaur den in their classroom.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dinosaur and Fossils Workshop
There were lots of fiction and non-fiction prehistoric animal themed books for the children to peruse. The mission statement for the school is “It’s all about doing your best” and some of the Year 5 students had helped with decorating the dinosaur den, creating some very colourful examples of dinosaurs out of pieces of tissue paper. These had been placed alongside some “Plateosaurs” that the Reception children had made.
Tissue Paper Dinosaurs and “Plateosaurs” Decorate the Dinosaur Den
Children in Year 5 at Berkeley Academy (Cheshire), helped to decorate the dinosaur den in the Reception class. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Berkeley Academy aims to create a learning environment in which all the children can thrive. The eager, young palaeontologists had been developing their knowledge about dinosaurs and during our dinosaur expert’s visit the children were keen to demonstrate their pre-knowledge and they were very confident answering questions and contributing to the workshop.
Year 5 Have Helped to Decorate the Reception Class
A brightly coloured meat-eating dinosaur created with tissue paper by Year 5 children.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A Dinosaur Den
The dinosaur den makes a wonderful safe, secure and stimulating environment for the young children to learn about simple food chains, what animals need to keep them happy and to discover famous fossil hunters like Mary Anning.
To help develop hand-to-eye co-ordination and motor skills, the children had been challenged to write their names inside a silhouette of a dinosaur. These dinosaurs were posted up onto a “wow wall”, we hope the dinosaur feet we provided will help to further stimulate the children’s writing skills.
Writing and Dinosaurs Combine to Help Reception Children Improve their Motor Skills
The Reception class children wrote their names on a dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: The Berkeley Academy/Everything Dinosaur
For further information about Everything Dinosaur’s work in schools and their dinosaur and fossil resources visit the company’s website: Everything Dinosaur.
The Quagga (Equus quagga), was a type of zebra (plains zebra), that lived on the savannah and scrublands of southern Africa. Sadly, with the arrival of European settlers, this animal was hunted as it was thought that it would compete with domestic livestock for grazing. It was also hunted for its meat and hide. Within two hundred years of the founding of the first Dutch settlement in what was to become South Africa, the once common and ubiquitous Quagga was a rare sight. The last population of wild animals lived in Orange Free State, but soon their numbers dwindled and the last known wild Quagga died 140 years ago (1878).
The Last Quagga in the Wild
Everything Dinosaur’s Scale Drawing of a Quagga
A scale drawing of Equus quagga.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Quagga was once thought to be a distinct species of zebra, but genetic research, including a study carried out ten years ago (2008), using the few hides and bones that had been retained by museums and zoological collections, revealed that it was the southern-most sub-species of the geographically widespread plains zebra (Equus quagga).
Replicas of this sadly extinct member of the Perissodactyla (odd-toed, hoofed mammals), are few and far between, but fortunately Mojo Fun have produced a figure (see above), it is included within their “Prehistoric and Extinct” range of models.
The Mojo Fun Quagga Model
Measuring around ten centimetres in length and with a head height of nine centimetres (approximately), this figure is a welcome addition to the Mojo Fun model range and joins the Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger), as representatives of recently extinct animals within the “Prehistoric and Extinct” portfolio.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“With so much pressure on megafauna today and with so many iconic, large terrestrial mammals in danger of becoming extinct, it is important to remember animals such as the Quagga, that were driven to extinction due to the behaviour of our own species. Let us hope that replicas such as the Mojo Fun Quagga can help to educate and to lead to improved conservation policies to help to protect animals endangered today.”
Here is the second part of our series of articles introducing the new for 2019 prehistoric animal models from CollectA and fittingly, part two features two new figures to be added to the range.
The two new prehistoric animal figures are:
A 1:20 scale replica of the sail-backed reptile Edaphosaurus (available first quarter 2019).
A 1:40 scale replica of the “meat-eating bull” Carnotaurus (available first quarter 2019).
The New for 2019 CollectA 1:20 Scale Edaphosaurus Model
The CollectA 1:20 scale Edaphosaurus model.
The CollectA Deluxe 1:20 Scale Edaphosaurus Model
CollectA have expressed a wish to increase the number of Palaeozoic creatures represented in their range, hence the introduction of the Permian pelycosaur Edaphosaurus. This beautiful figure is a great accompaniment to the Dimetrodon model that came out last year. It is great to see another synapsid introduced into the CollectA range, especially a herbivore.
Commenting upon the 1:20 scale Deluxe Edaphosaurus model, designer Anthony Beeson stated:
“I have tried to make the Deluxe Edaphosaurus a more active animal than generally portrayed and again less sprawling. My version of the sail is quite thickly fleshed, unlike the sails of Dimetrodons and you will see that only the knobs of the cross-pieces protrude from the sides. I have always liked Edaphosaurus and never really understood why there are so few toy versions around. The shape of the sail is very pleasing.”
The CollectA Deluxe 1:40 Scale Carnotaurus
2019 will see CollectA add to their collection of abelisaurid dinosaurs. Joining the Rugops, Rajasaurus and the Majungasaurus will be a spectacular Carnotaurus figure. Unlike the existing members of the Abelisauridae within the CollectA portfolio, this will be a scale model (1/40th), the first of this type of dinosaur to be added to CollectA’s Deluxe range.
The New for 2019 CollectA 1:40 Scale Carnotaurus Dinosaur Model
The CollectA Age of Dinosaurs 1:40 scale Deluxe Carnotaurus dinosaur model.
Fans Requesting Carnotaurus
Fans of the CollectA dinosaurs have been requesting a Carnotaurus for quite a while. It is wonderful to see a replica of this Argentinian giant from the Late Cretaceous added to the scale model range. Dinosaur enthusiasts will probably know that skin impressions have been found in association with the fossils of this dinosaur.
A considerable portion of the right side of the dinosaur left a skin impression which was preserved in the rock. The design team at CollectA have taken great care to ensure that the texture of their Carnotaurus reflects what is known about the skin of this carnivore, although, the striking flashes of colour on the head and neck are purely speculative.
The short, deep skull and those amazing horns that give this dinosaur its name have been beautifully crafted. Note the use of a base to support the figure, this has permitted the sculpting team to give the Carnotaurus appropriately sized feet, after all, this dinosaur was nicknamed by palaeontologists studying the locomotion of this theropod, the “Dinosaur Speed Demon” .
Commenting on the introduction of a Carnotaurus, designer Anthony Beeson remarked:
“The Deluxe Carnotaurus is the result of repeated requests from fans for a CollectA version of this creature. I was never very keen to do it in the past as, when we started, almost every firm was producing models in the wake of the Disney dinosaur film and Jurassic Park. I am glad that we waited. I have tried to emphasise in the tail the shape proposed in the work of Currie and Persons and the fact that the caudofemoralis muscle in Carnotaurus was very large enabling great speed to be maintained.”
It was W. Scott Persons IV and Phil Currie who looked at the tail muscle structure in Carnotaurus sastrei and published a paper in 2011, suggesting that this dinosaur had a larger caudofemoralis muscle than any other Theropod described at the time – hence the “Dinosaur Speed Demon” nickname. This muscle provides the power to help move the dinosaur forward and such a huge muscle indicated that Carnotaurus was capable of great bursts of speed. Ironically, straight line running was its speciality, the shape of the muscle and the tail bones supporting it suggested that Carnotaurus was not so good at making tight turns.
We suspect that both the new 1:40 scale Deluxe Carnotaurus and the 1:20 Deluxe Edaphosaurus will be flying off our shelves in the warehouse when they come into stock in early 2019.
Model Measurements
Here are those all-important model measurements:
CollectA Edaphosaurus 1:20 scale – length 20 cm, height of sail just under 8 cm.
Carnotaurus Deluxe 1:40 scale The Age of Dinosaurs – length 28 cm, height 10.5 cm.
To view the current range of CollectA Deluxe scale prehistoric animal models including that superb Dimetrodon: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life.
Reception Children at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Learn About Dinosaurs
The children in the two Reception classes at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy (Caterpillars and Bees), have had a very busy term learning about fossils and dinosaurs. As part of a rich and diverse scheme of work devised by the hard-working teaching team, a staff member from Everything Dinosaur was invited into the Birmingham-based school to spend a morning delivering two workshops to the eager, young scientists. The enthusiastic learners were keen to demonstrate their knowledge about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals and our workshops were well received by the children and teachers alike.
Fossils and Dinosaurs
Prior to the start of the school day, our dinosaur expert was given the opportunity to view some of the wide range of activities that the classes had undertaken. Part of one of the well-appointed and very tidy Reception classrooms had been turned into a special “dinosaur” exhibit. The centrepiece of this display was a beautiful volcano that had been made from crumpled brown paper with bright red cellophane making excellent lava.
A Centrepiece of the Dinosaur Display in the Reception Classroom
Reception classes learn about volcanoes and dinosaurs.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy
Lots of Amazing Arts and Crafts on Display
The children had been making their very own fossils out of clay and during our workshop we explored in simple terms how fossils are formed and helped the children to learn about some of their properties (hard/soft, heavy/light, hot/cold). Our dinosaur expert spotted some dinosaur bones made out of straws that the children had used to create shapes and patterns.
Creating Shapes and Patterns Using Straw Dinosaur Bones
Using straws to make dinosaur skeletons – shapes and patterns. A varied term topic learning about fossils and dinosaurs.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy
At Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy, the dedicated staff encourage the children to think big and to push boundaries so as to build their confidence. One of the teachers explained that the children had been making dinosaurs out of paper plates and she was amazed when our dinosaur expert explained that there actually was a dinosaur called Plateosaurus! The young palaeontologists had not just been looking at dinosaurs, their cousins the pterosaurs (flying reptiles), had been studied too.
A beautifully crafted model of a pterosaur had been carefully placed above one of the dinosaur themed areas of the Reception classroom.
Flying High Over the Classroom Dinosaur Display
A beautiful flying reptile flying high over a dinosaur classroom display at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy
Plant-eaters, Meat-eaters, Habitats and Homes
The Academy had been graded “Outstanding” in all areas following a recent Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills), inspection. There was certainly much to admire in the Foundation Stage part of the school that our dinosaur expert visited. The staff were highly motivated and our team member observed that the school was providing a very creative and exciting curriculum for the pupils. We are confident that the additional resources that we supplied and the lesson plan suggestions would help to augment the challenging and inspirational scheme of work that had been devised for the Reception classes. The children seemed to be enjoying learning about fossils and dinosaurs.
The children in Bees and Caterpillars had been learning about meat-eating and plant-eating dinosaurs along with the sort of conditions a dinosaur needs to be happy and to feel safe. The Reception classes had even built one or two little dinosaur worlds for their dinosaur figures to live in.
An Armoured Dinosaur Finds a Home in the Dinosaur Display
An armoured dinosaur (Ankylosaurus) finds a home at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur/Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy
Reception Classes at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Explore Dinosaurs
The eager young pupils in the two Reception classes (Bees and Caterpillars), at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy (Birmingham, West Midlands), have been learning all about dinosaurs and life in the past this term. Under the tutelage of the enthusiastic teaching team, the budding palaeontologists have been exploring dinosaurs and using a variety of media to study prehistoric animals and their fossils.
Plenty of space had been set aside in the spacious classrooms to allow the children’s work to be displayed. One corner of a classroom had been turned into a special exhibit showcasing some of the activities.
Dinosaurs on Display in One of the Reception Classrooms
An armoured dinosaur (Ankylosaurus) finds a home at Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The armoured dinosaur model (above) was made by Safari Ltd.
A team member from Everything Dinosaur had been invited into the school, recently graded as “outstanding” in all areas by Ofsted, to deliver a dinosaur and fossil themed workshop with each class. Part of the school’s ethos is to inspire a passion for lifelong learning and the children were very keen to demonstrate their pre-knowledge and to take part in the various activities that we had prepared for them.
Our dinosaur expert set the children a special challenge, could they draw their very own dinosaur? This extension idea along with the other resources and lesson plan suggestions made by “dinosaur Mike” were well received by the dedicated teaching team.
Dinosaur and Fossil Workshop
There was plenty of good listening in evidence during the workshop, the children are certainly very knowledgeable about dinosaurs and they enthusiastically demonstrated T. rex fingers and T. rex arms. The pronunciation guide we provided should help the teachers when it comes to tackling all those tricky dinosaur names.
At Everything Dinosaur, we have lots of books about prehistoric animals. We were happy to provide a new dinosaur book, an addition to the school’s well-stocked library to help enthuse and inspire the next generation of scientists.
Everything Dinosaur team members are preparing for the arrival of some of the new for 2019 Wild Safari Prehistoric World models including the Prestosuchus replica. The beautiful Prestosuchus figure is just one of a number of new Wild Safari Prehistoric World figures that Everything Dinosaur hopes to stock before Christmas.
Coming Soon – The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Prestosuchus Model
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Prestosuchus model.
A Formidable Predator of the Middle Triassic of Brazil
Prestosuchus (P. chiniquensis) was not a dinosaur, but a member of the Archosauria, just like the dinosaurs, but from a lineage that is more closely related to modern crocodilians than to living birds and extinct dinosaurs. Fossils of this large predator have been found in south-eastern Brazil from strata that date from the Middle Triassic. Prestosuchus was named by the German palaeontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1942, the genus name honours Brazilian self-taught palaeontologist Vicentino Prestes de Almeida and the trivial name honours the town where Vicentino Prestes de Almeida was born (Chiniquá, Rio Grande do Sul).
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Prestosuchus Model
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Prestosuchus model. A close-up view of the new for 2019 P. chiniquensis model from Safari Ltd.
Producing a Scale Drawing
It had been thought that this animal measured around 5 metres in length, about the size of a Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus), however, a specimen described in 2010 indicated that this quadruped may have reached lengths of around 7 metres and it might have weighed 1,000 kilograms or more. Everything Dinosaur team members have had to examine a number of scientific papers in order to produce a scale drawing for use in their Prestosuchus fact sheet. This fact sheet will be sent out with purchases of the Prestosuchus model.
By Mike|2023-11-08T13:46:36+00:00November 7th, 2018|General Teaching, Key Stage 1/2|Comments Off on Flip Facts “Dino Record Breakers”
Flip Facts “Dinosaur Record Breakers”
Here’s a great little book all about dinosaurs, the biggest, fastest, most heavily armoured and so forth. The book entitled “Dino Record Breakers”, consists of sixty, tough, wipe clean pages in a flip chart format that provides lots of amazing facts about dinosaurs.
“Dino Record Breakers”
The Front Cover of “Dino Record Breakers”
The front cover of the recently published book “Dinosaur Record Breakers”.
Amazing Dinosaur Facts
Children enjoy learning lots of facts about dinosaurs and prehistoric animals and this little book caters for their needs providing details on the biggest predator, which dinosaur had the strongest bite and which was the “fuzziest” dinosaur. The most popular dinosaurs such as Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex are featured along with some of the more obscure ones such as Pentaceratops, Edmontonia and Pelecanimimus. Produced by Carlton Books, this publication has been written by the renowned English palaeontologist Darren Naish, so you can expect the information contained therein to be accurate.
The text is written in a child-friendly format with lots of short sentences, interspersed with diagrams, fact files and clever illustrations to help inform and to educate.
The book does not just feature dinosaurs, members of the Pterosauria such as Quetzalcoatlus and the huge marine reptile (Pliosauridae), Liopleurodon are included too.
Dinky Dinosaurs – Fruitadens – The Smallest Plant-eater
An illustration of perhaps the smallest dinosaur known Fruitadens.
Picture credit: D. Trankina/NHMLAC
This colourful book makes a great Christmas gift for a budding palaeontologist and a super resource for use in schools to help educate and inform children when it comes to conducting independent research on dinosaurs and compiling non-chronological reports.
Written by the famous English palaeontologist Darren Naish, Flip Facts “Dino Record Breakers” is crammed full of super dinosaur and prehistoric animal facts and information.
This morning, we feature a superb illustration of the Late Jurassic armoured dinosaur Stegosaurus by the renowned palaeoartist from China, Zhao Chuang. Enormous diamond-shaped plates were located on the neck, back and tail of Stegosaurus. These plates were not just made of bone, they also had a horny, keratin covering. This covering has not been preserved in the known fossil record so palaeontologists don’t know how big the plates were or indeed, what shape they were in life.
A Life Reconstruction of the Armoured Dinosaur Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus illustration by Zhao Chuang.
Picture credit: Zhao Chuang
What Colour were the Plates on Stegosaurus?
When first described by the American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1877, the bizarre plates of Stegosaurus were thought to provide protection against attack. They were regarded as armour, however, it was soon noted that although their exact position in life was difficult to determine (the plates are embedded in the skin and not attached to the bone), it was likely that these structures were too high on the back to be effective armour-plating for this plant-eating dinosaur.
As palaeontologists employed more sophisticated techniques to study these plates, it was revealed that they were quite thin with lots of blood vessels running through them. The theory that these plates played a role in thermoregulation was postulated. On cold mornings a Stegosaurus could face towards the sunrise and warm its plates. The blood running through the vessels close to the surface of the plates would then be warmed up, helping the dinosaur to raise its body temperature. Furthermore, in order to cool down, the Stegosaurus could face the sun in such a way that only a small surface area of the plates was exposed, thus permitting the body to cool down.
Thermoregulation
As the largest plates were high on the animal’s back, their position several metres in the air, would permit cooler air away from the ground surface to circulate around them, thus cooling the dinosaur still further.
It was the scientist Kenneth Carpenter who first proposed that the plates could be flushed with blood at will and this led to the idea that these adornments could be used to display or to intimidate predatory dinosaurs. As a result, numerous Stegosaurus illustrations and indeed models, have tended to give Stegosaurus some reddish colour plates.
A Model of a Stegosaurus (Bullyland Stegosaurus) with Red Coloured Plates
Bird-like Lungs Could Have Helped Dinosaurs to Dominate
There has been a great deal of debate regarding the rise of the Dinosauria. How and when did these relatively unassuming members of the Dinosauria, which only made up a small proportion of terrestrial biota during the Middle Triassic, rise to dominance, out-competing a host of other reptilian groups? The respiratory system of dinosaurs could provide a clue. In a new study published in the open access journal of the Royal Society (Royal Society Open Science), a team of researchers postulate that the lung-air sac system could have helped dinosaurs thrive in Earth’s oxygen-depleted atmosphere.
Did a Super-efficient Pulmonary System Help the Dinosaurs to Thrive?
New research suggests super-efficient dinosaur lungs assisted the rise of the Dinosauria.
Picture credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Studying the Breathing Systems of Modern Birds and Alligators
Birds have a super-efficient respiratory system that is unique amongst the vertebrates. However, palaeontologists remain uncertain as to when the avian-style lung evolved. Did it evolve in dinosaurian ancestors or is it restricted to birds? After all, if you are going to fly, then you need a very efficient and powerful set of lungs to get enough oxygen to your flight muscles.
This area of anatomy has attracted a great deal of debate. Recently, Everything Dinosaur reported on a study conducted on a specimen of Archaeorhynchus spathula, a primitive bird (basal member of the Ornithuromorpha), from the Lower Cretaceous of China, that may show preservation of an advanced avian lung. To read more about this research: Breathing Life into the Bird Lungs Debate.
The scientists, including researchers from the University of Manchester, compared dinosaur lungs to those of living crocodilians and the lungs of extant birds. Lead researcher, PhD student Robert Brocklehurst (School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Manchester University), stated:
“The respiratory system of non-avian dinosaurs has been the topic of considerable study over the years, both in an attempt to shed light on the biology of now extinct members of the dinosaur family, and in order to understand the origins and evolution of modern birds and reptiles.”
Low Oxygen Levels in the Triassic and Early Jurassic
Today, our atmosphere contains approximately 21 percent oxygen, however, things have not always been like that. During the Middle Triassic, through to the Early Jurassic, a time that saw the evolution and the radiation of the Dinosauria, the atmospheric oxygen percentage of our planet fell to around 15-17%. With less oxygen in the air, a group of vertebrates with more efficient lungs would have had a definite evolutionary advantage over other terrestrial animals.
During the Triassic A Wide Variety of Terrestrial Reptilian Vertebrates Co-existed
Dinosaurs, aetosaurs, phytosaurs and and rauisuchians co-existed in the Triassic, but did super-efficient lungs help the Dinosauria to become dominant.
Picture credit: Victor Leshyk
Studying the Lungs of the Dinosauria
To investigate the different kinds of respiratory systems the team used Computerised Tomography (CT) scans to look at the lung cavities of four modern crocodilians and twenty-nine modern birds, including the largest living bird today, the ostrich and compared their structure with those of sixteen different dinosaur species. The detailed scans revealed that all the dinosaurs had vertebrae more similar in shape to those of birds than those of crocodilians. In addition, the scientists discovered that the dinosaur vertebrae jutted into the lung cavity, the same as found in living birds.
Robert explained:
“We thought some of the dinosaurs would have lungs more like birds, and others would be similar to reptiles, but this wasn’t the case at all. Every dinosaur sample we scanned just looked like the birds we scanned.”
Dissection Used in this Study
As well as using CT scans, the team removed the lungs of an alligator and an ostrich, and found the skeletal support structures surrounding the lungs were very different in each animal. The alligator’s lung cavity was smooth and allowed the lungs and other internal organs to glide as they move to pump air in and out while the animal swims. However, the ostrich lung cavity was found to be furrowed, similar to the anatomical condition found in the dinosaurs.
The scientists concluded that having more efficient bird-like lungs permitted the dinosaurs to adapt and thrive in an oxygen depleted environment, whereas other groups including the the Crurotarsi clade of archosaurs that gave rise to modern crocodiles, struggled.
Commenting on the research, co-author Professor Bill Sellers (Manchester University) added:
“If even the very first dinosaurs to evolve had bird-like lungs, this goes some way to explaining why dinosaurs became the dominant animal species of their time. Other animal groups simply may not have had lungs as well suited to extracting oxygen from the air. That simple evolutionary difference may have let dinosaurs rule world.”
An Anatomical Advantage for the Dinosauria
The scientists concluded that respiratory and pulmonary modifications would have provided dinosaurs with more efficient means of oxygen uptake relative to other vertebrates during the environmentally hypoxic conditions which pervaded much of the early part of the Mesozoic. This anatomical advantage enjoyed by the Dinosauria could thus potentially have contributed to their radiation and dominance over terrestrial ecosystems, which was to last for around 150 million years.
The Lungs of Dinosaurs Helped to Power Their Evolutionary Success
The air sacs of Ingentia prima (green) the lungs shown in brown. This large, Early Jurassic sauropod had a super-efficient respiratory system.
Picture credit: Jorge A. González
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from Manchester University in the complilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Vertebral Morphometrics and Lung Structure in Non-avian Dinosaurs” by Robert J. Brocklehurst, Emma R. Schachner and William I. Sellers published in Royal Society Open Science.
Lavocatisaurus agrioensis – A New Long-Necked Dinosaur from Argentina
A team of palaeontologists from Argentina and Spain have announced the discovery of a new species of long-necked dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Argentina. The dinosaur, represented by a set of bones that indicate the remains of at least three individuals, has been named Lavocatisaurus agrioensis and it will help to shed more light on a rare and enigmatic group of sauropods known as the rebbachisaurids.
A Skeletal Reconstruction and Photographs of Key Fossils from L. agrioensis
Skeletal reconstruction based on the holotype and paratype specimens of Lavocatisaurus agrioensis. Scale bars = 10 cm.
Picture credit: AFP/Agencia CTYS
The picture above shows the skeletal drawing of the adult dinosaur with illustrations of key bones from the excavation. Most of the neck and the skull has been recovered. Cranial fossils associated with the Rebbachisauridae are rare, the discovery of these specimens from Agrio del Medio (Neuquén Province, Argentina) will help scientists to better understand taxonomic relationships amongst members of this sauropod family, largely associated with Gondwanaland fossil deposits.
Fossils of a Family Group?
Writing in the journal “Acta Palaeontologica Polonica”, the scientists report the discovery of one large, presumably adult animal with two smaller sub-adults found in association. The fossil material come from terrestrial sandstone deposits laid down around 110 million years ago (Aptian to Albian faunal stage of the Early Cretaceous), in an arid environment with isolated oasis and other water sources (Rayoso Formation).
One of the authors of the scientific paper, José Luis Carballido, of the Egidio Feruglio Museum (Argentina), stated:
“We found most of the cranial bones: the snout, the jaws, a lot of teeth, also the bones that define the eye sockets for example and in that way, we were able to create an almost complete reconstruction. Not only is this the discovery of a new species in an area where you wouldn’t expect to find fossils, but the skull is almost complete.”
Lavocatisaurus agrioensis
The fossils represent one large dinosaur estimated to be around twelve metres in length and two smaller animals around six to seven metres in length. The research team postulate that this could represent a family group that lived together and perished together, perhaps unable to find a water source in a time of drought.
Preparing to Move Some of the Fossil Material (Lavocatisaurus)
The jacketed remains of one of the Lavocatisaurus specimens is prepared for transport away from the dig site.
Picture credit: AFP/Agencia CTYS
Lead author of the paper, José Ignacio Canudo (Zaragoza University, Spain) added:
“This discovery of an adult and two juveniles also signifies the first record of a group displacement among the Rebbachisaurus dinosaurs.”
The Rebbachisauridae Family
The Rebbachisauridae family of sauropods are a group of basal members of the Diplodocimorpha clade that includes more famous Late Jurassic dinosaurs such as Diplodocus, Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus. The rebbachisaurids are known from both Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous strata and had a wide geographical distribution throughout Gondwana and southern Laurasia with fossils reported from north and central Africa as well as South America and Europe (Spain).
An Illustration of a Typical Rebbachisaurid Dinosaur (R. garasbae)
Scale drawing of Rebbachisaurus (R. garasbae). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
