All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
13 04, 2020

Chirping Caribbean Coquí Frogs from the Oligocene

By |2024-02-17T15:52:48+00:00April 13th, 2020|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

The Oldest Record of a Frog from the Caribbean

Researchers from the Florida Museum of Natural History (Florida University) and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County have published a scientific paper describing a portion of a left humerus (upper arm bone), discovered in north-western Puerto Rico that represents the oldest fossil remains of a frog ever found in the Caribbean.  The tiny bone, it measures less than one centimetre in length, has been assigned to the genus Eleutherodactylus, colloquially called coquí frogs in reference to the distinctive “coe-kee” call made by the males of some species as they seek to attract a mate.

The Fossilised Humerus is Compared to the Humeri of Extant Genera

Comparing the fossil material to extant genera.
Comparisons of the fossil specimen to representatives of each extant Caribbean frog genus as well as each Caribbean subgenus of Eleutherodactylus (Eleutherodactylus, Euhyas, Pelorias and Schwartzius).  Note various views LACM 162445 anterior, medial, posterior and lateral views.  Scale bar = 1 mm.

Picture credit: Blackburn et al (Biology Letters) with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur

The authors of the scientific paper comment that it is fitting to have discovered this fossil bone in Puerto Rico, as the coquí is one of the national symbols associated with this tropical island.

From the San Sebastian Formation and Estimated to be 29 Million Years Old

The tiny bone was found by co-author Jorge Velez-Juarbe (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County), in a mudstone layer of the San Sebastian Formation, exposed by a river (Rio Guatemala), in the north-western portion of the island, close to the town of San Sebastián.  The mudstone layer has been dated to 29.47 million years ago (+/- 300,000 years) and it represents an estuarine environment.  Other vertebrate fossils associated from this location include turtles, gharials and rodents.

Commenting on the discovery, lead author David Blackburn (Florida Museum of Natural History), stated:

“It’s a national treasure.  Not only is this the oldest evidence for a frog in the Caribbean, it also happens to be one of the frogs that are the pride of Puerto Rico and related to the large family Eleutherodactylidae, which includes Florida’s invasive greenhouse frogs.”

A Life Reconstruction of the Prehistoric Frog

Ancient frog from the Oligocene of Puerto Rico.
The 29-million-year-old Eleutherodactylus frog life reconstruction. Based on measurements of the partial humerus, the scientists estimate the extinct frog to have measured around 4 centimetres in length.

Picture credit: Jorge Velez-Juarbe (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County)

Looking for Evidence of Oligocene Frogs

Scientists studying data from phylogenetic assessments had postulated that these types of frogs had established themselves in the Caribbean during the Oligocene but until now there was no fossil evidence to support this line of research.  The bones of frogs tend to have a poor preservation potential.   They are small, light and any corpse would very likely, quickly decompose in the hot, humid tropical conditions.

Possibly first arriving in the Caribbean by rafts of vegetation displaced from South America, these small tree frogs in the genus Eleutherodactylus, which encompasses some 200 species, dominate the Caribbean today.  Coquís differ from most other frogs as they usually do not lay their eggs in water.  They do not have a hatching tadpole stage, instead the tadpole stage takes place within the egg, the male carefully tending the nest and ensuring that the eggs remain moist.  When the eggs hatch, the young emerge as fully formed froglets.

A Male Coquí Frog Protecting a Clutch of Eggs

Male coquí frog protecting a clutch of eggs.
A male coquí frog protecting a clutch of eggs.

Picture credit: Jorge Velez-Juarbe (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County)

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Florida in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “The earliest record of Caribbean frogs: a fossil coquí from Puerto Rico” by David C. Blackburn, Rachel M. Keeffe, María C. Vallejo-Pareja and Jorge Vélez-Juarbe published in Biology Letters.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

12 04, 2020

The Origins of the Easter Bunny

By |2024-02-17T15:45:33+00:00April 12th, 2020|General Teaching|Comments Off on The Origins of the Easter Bunny

Remarkable Rabbits

The rabbit, an animal often associated with this time of year (Easter), is not a rodent, although many members of the public think this chisel-toothed animal is.  After all, rodents have chisel-teeth too.  However, whilst both rodents and rabbits tend to be small, often burrow dwellers and herbivorous with ever-growing front incisors, there are notable differences.  For example, rabbits, hares and pikas (referred to as lagomorphs), have two pairs of upper chisel-like incisors whilst rodents only have one pair.

The Evolutionary History of Lagomorphs

Rabbits also differ from rodents in that they have short tails, long ears that also help them to radiate excess heat as well as listen out for predators and long hind legs adapted to a jumping gait.

Although, they are related to rodents, where rabbits and their kin fit into the history of mammal evolution remains hotly debated.  The earliest fossils associated with these types of creatures date back to just a few million years after the extinction of the dinosaurs.  Whilst only two families of rabbits survive today – the Leporidae (hares and rabbits) and the Ochotonidae (pikas), in the past they were much more diverse and these animals have an extensive fossil record.

Nuralagus rex

Some prehistoric rabbits were giants such as Nuralagus rex which inhabited the Spanish island of Menorca until about 3 million years ago.  This giant bunny is estimated to have weighed more than twenty kilograms and it was so large and heavy it probably lost the ability to hop.

A Comparison of the Giant Pliocene Rabbit Nuralagus rex with a Pet Rabbit

Nuralagus rex.
The prehistoric rabbit Nuralagus rex compared in size to a domestic rabbit.

Picture credit: Mary Persis Williams

Rabbits might be associated with this time of year (Easter), but to a vertebrate palaeontologist, these lagomorphs have a long and diverse fossil record and some ancient rabbits were giants.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

12 04, 2020

Homo erectus Originated in Africa

By |2024-02-17T06:42:21+00:00April 12th, 2020|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Homo erectus Evolved Earlier Than Previously Thought

A partial skull, painstakingly reconstructed from more than 150 fragments has revealed that Homo erectus existed at least 100,000 years earlier than previously thought.  In addition, the fossil remains, excavated from the Drimolen Fossil Hominin site in the Cradle of Humankind, northwest of Johannesburg (South Africa), suggest that this hominin evolved in Africa and not in Asia.

The Reconstructed Partial Skull of the Homo erectus Infant from the Drimolen Fossil Hominin Site

Partial H. erectus cranium from the Drimolen Fossil Hominin site.
The partial H. erectus cranium (specimen number DNH 134),  from the Drimolen Fossil Hominin site.  The skull pieces have been carefully reconstructed and superimposed on the outline of a Homo erectus skull.

Picture credit: La Trobe University (Australia)

The African Origins of Homo erectus

This week, an academic paper has been published in “Science” detailing the research into a fragmented hominin skull representing a toddler that was approximately 2-3 years old.  The Drimolen Fossil Hominin site was discovered in 1992 by geologist André Keyser.  The sediments represent cave deposits but as the rocks that made up the caves have been eroded away, the breccias in which the fossils are located are exposed.  The site is one of the most important in the world for early hominin remains, with more than a hundred individual fossil specimens described to date.

Lead author of the study and project director Professor Andy Herries (La Trobe University), explained that it had taken five years to excavate the specific fossil site and retrieve all the skull fragments.

He stated:

“The Homo erectus skull we found, likely aged between two and three years old when it died, shows its brain was only slightly smaller than other examples of adult Homo erectus.  It samples a part of human evolutionary history when our ancestors were walking fully upright, making stone tools, starting to emigrate out of Africa, but before they had developed large brains.”

Dating the Fossil Skull Fragments

The fossilised fragments, first spotted by student Richard Curtis during field work five years ago, were subjected to a variety of dating techniques including uranium-lead dating of associated flowstones, palaeomagnetism of sediments and uranium-series electron spin resonance using fossil teeth found in the same strata.  Each of these different dating methods produced a constrained dating range for the site.

The fossils from the Drimolen Fossil Hominin Main Quarry were between 2.04-1.95 million years of age.  This indicates that the skull fragments are around two million years old, suggesting that Homo erectus existed some 100,000 to 200,000 years earlier than previously thought.  In addition, prior to the publication of this paper, the oldest H. erectus fossil specimen known had been found in Georgia (Dmanisi).  It had been dated to between 1.85 and 1.78 million years ago and consequently scientists had argued that Homo erectus evolved in Asia, but this newly described, much older fossil skull supports the theory, that like most other types of hominid, H. erectus originated in Africa.

Professor Herries explained that unlike the world today, where our species (Homo sapiens), is the only hominin in existence, in southern Africa around two million years ago, our direct ancestors shared the environment with other hominins and closely related species.

A Model of H. erectus (Bullyland Figure)

H. erectus illustration.
The dating of the Drimolen skull fragments suggest that this hominin lived 2 million years ago.  Homo erectus mastered fire and made stone tools.

The picture (above) shows a hominin figure from the Bullyland model range.

To view this range of figures: Bullyland Figures.

The professor stated:

“We can now say Homo erectus shared the landscape with two other types of humans in South Africa, Paranthropus and Australopithecus.  This suggests that one of these other human species, Australopithecus sediba, may not have been the direct ancestor of Homo erectus, or us, as previously hypothesised.”

Different Hominins with Different Adaptations Sharing the Same Environment

The paper, is one of a number published recently that leads to the conclusion that several early types of human shared the same environment.  Palaeoanthropologists now have an intriguing question to answer – how did these different species, with quite different adaptations co-exist?

Co-author of the scientific paper, Dr Justin Adams (Monash University, Melbourne, Australia), suggested that the new date for the Drimolen skull raised fascinating questions about how different species survived in the same landscape, but eventually as habitats changed, what role did Homo erectus play, if any in the extinction of the other species.  Furthermore, how did Homo erectus survive and yet australopithecines and Paranthropus did not?

Similar Trends in Mammal Species from the Pleistocene

The authors of the paper, note a similar trend in other mammal species in southern Africa during the Pleistocene Epoch.  For instance, more than one species of prehistoric felid from the genus Dinofelis has been recorded from this area.  South African fauna during the Early to Middle Pleistocene comprised a mixture of different evolutionary lineages, a mixed community of ancient and more modern mammalian species.

An Illustration of a Prehistoric Cat – Dinofelis

Prehistoric cat Dinofelis.
The prehistoric cat Dinofelis.  These agile predators probably hunted hominins.

Picture credit: BBC

The publication of this paper and the study into Homo heidelbergensis reported upon by Everything Dinosaur earlier this week, suggests that we still have a lot to learn about our origins.

The H. heidelbergensis article: Homo heidelbergensis Younger Than Previously Thought.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

11 04, 2020

The New Issue of Prehistoric Times (Spring 2020)

By |2024-02-16T22:47:35+00:00April 11th, 2020|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Magazine Reviews, Main Page|0 Comments

Prehistoric Times (Issue 133 – Spring 2020)

The next edition of the quarterly magazine “Prehistoric Times” is on its way to Everything Dinosaur.  This magazine will be arriving at our offices in the very near future.  The Editor, our chum and long-time collaborator Mike Fredericks, sent us an image of the front cover of the forthcoming issue (spring 2020 – issue number 133).

The Front Cover of “Prehistoric Times” Issue Number 133

Prehistoric Times magazine cover (spring 2020).
The front cover of Prehistoric Times magazine (spring 2020) issue 133.

Picture credit: Mike Fredericks

“Prehistoric Times” to Feature Tylosaurus and Triceratops

The featured prehistoric animals are Triceratops and Tylosaurus, readers can expect an in-depth and up-to-date review on the science behind these inhabitants of the Late Cretaceous by Phil Hore.  Phil’s articles will be illustrated by lots of reader supplied artwork of “first horned face” and “protuberance lizard”.

The illustrations and drawings sent into the magazine are always a highlight.  On the subject of highlights, look out for an interview with renowned palaeontologist Robert Bakker by Tony Campagna.  We wonder what the interview will cover, perhaps a reassertion that the majority of the dinosaurs were endothermic (warm-blooded), or that the evolution of the angiosperms (flowering plants), was strongly influenced by herbivorous dinosaur feeding strategies?  Maybe, the debate about whether Tyrannosaurus rex was primarily a hunter or a scavenger will rear its head?

Tylosaurus Will Feature in the Next Issue of Prehistoric Times Along with More Artwork from Zdeněk Burian

The Western Interior Seaway (Late Cretaceous)
A dramatic scene from the Western Interior Seaway painted by Burian.  A Tylosaurus is shown in the foreground fighting with an elasmosaurid, whilst a flock of Pteranodon (P. longiceps) pterosaurs soar over their heads.  The next issue of “Prehistoric Times” will feature more artwork from Zdeněk Burian.

Picture credit: Zdeněk Burian

On the subject of Tylosaurus artwork, the front cover art featuring this marine reptile along with some teleosts was produced by the American artist Chuck Egnaczak.  The front cover illustration is most impressive, we really admire the little details such as the scars clearly visible on the tip of the jaw of the marine reptile and the way in which the fish have been painted to provide the illusion of rapid, fleeting movement.

News Stories Covered in the Palaeonews Section

Perhaps the palaeonews section will cover some of the news stories and articles that we have recently featured on this blog.

“Prehistoric Times” Subscribers Can Expect to Come Face to Face with Triceratops in the Next Issue

The anterior portion of Triceratops
Coming face to face with Triceratops.  This iconic Late Cretaceous dinosaur features in the next issue of “Prehistoric Times” magazine – issue 133. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Team members are looking forward to receiving their copy.  In these challenging and difficult times, it is great to have something to look forward to.

For further information on “Prehistoric Times” magazine and for details how to subscribe: “Prehistoric Times” Magazine.

10 04, 2020

Everything Dinosaur Provides a Crossword Challenge

By |2024-02-16T17:21:51+00:00April 10th, 2020|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Press Releases|0 Comments

A Crossword Inspired by the Rebor Range of Prehistoric Animal Replicas

Everything Dinosaur has designed a crossword puzzle themed on the exciting range of Rebor replicas and prehistoric animal models.  This crossword is available as a free, pdf download helping to entertain all those fans of Rebor models currently at home due to the global coronavirus outbreak.  The crossword has been compiled by team members to test the product knowledge of dinosaur fans and model collectors.

Everything Dinosaur’s Rebor Replicas Inspired Crossword

Rebor inspired crossword designed by Everything Dinosaur.
The Rebor inspired crossword designed by Everything Dinosaur.  All the answers in the grid relate to the Rebor range in some way.  Can you solve it?  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

From One Across to Twenty-seven Down the Rebor Replicas Inspired Crossword

The first Rebor models came out in 2014.  Since then, the range has grown and developed and consists of a huge variety of dinosaurs, pterosaur models and special figures such as the limited edition models, the Rebor “Oddities” and the recently introduced Komodo dragon, the first figure in the eagerly anticipated “GrabNGo” range.

The Rebor Range Features a Wide Range of Prehistoric Animals and Other Replicas

The Rebor range of prehistoric animal models.
The Rebor range has grown and includes dozens and dozens of .replica scale models. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the extensive range of Rebor models available from Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animal Models.

Rebor Replicas – Testing the Knowledge of Collectors

The crossword has been designed as a bit of a challenge for the fans of the Rebor range.  Since the introduction of these models six years ago, the range has increased and now contains a very wide range of dinosaurs – Velociraptors, tyrannosaurids, Stegosaurus, Acrocanthosaurus, armoured dinosaurs and ornithopods.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We have tried to feature as many Rebor figures and replicas as we could in our crossword puzzle.  The crossword has been designed to test knowledge about the Rebor model range and we think that the clues, some of which are cryptic, make this quite a challenge.  It was certainly a lot of fun creating the puzzle and it is available free from Everything Dinosaur.”

Free Rebor Themed Crossword Puzzle

To request your free Rebor crossword, simply contact Everything Dinosaur by email: Email Everything Dinosaur for your Free Rebor Inspired Crossword.

Some of the Rebor Themed Clues in the Crossword

Rebor inspired crossword clues.
Some of the clues in the Rebor inspired crossword that has been designed by Everything Dinosaur.  Can you solve our crossword puzzle? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

If you email Everything Dinosaur, we will send out two pdf documents.  One will contain the crossword grid to fill in, the second pdf will contain the actual crossword clues.  Our team members have prepared an answer grid as well, if participants get stuck, then all they have to do is to email Everything Dinosaur and our staff will be happy to email over the answers.

We would like to wish everyone the very best of luck with this very special crossword challenge.

To contact Everything Dinosaur about the free Rebor inspired crossword puzzle: Email Everything Dinosaur.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

9 04, 2020

Massospondylus Eggs Give Up Their Secrets

By |2024-02-16T17:15:06+00:00April 9th, 2020|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Dinosaur Eggs from the Late Triassic Reveal Their Contents

Researchers from the University of Witwatersrand (Johannesburg, South Africa), have utilised the high-powered and intense energy of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), located at Grenoble in France to unscramble the embryonic development of dinosaurs.  The study, published in the journal “Scientific Reports”, demonstrates that dinosaur embryos show many similarities to the embryonic development of their living archosaurian relatives – birds and crocodiles.  In addition, the scientists found that in the dinosaur studied (the Sauropodomorpha Massospondylus carinatus), a set of simple teeth developed, in addition to the teeth the animal would have when it hatched.

Massospondylus carinatus

These simple teeth (null-generation teeth), were either reabsorbed into the jawbone or shed prior to the animal breaking out of the egg.  This anatomical trait is found in crocodiles and lizards such as geckos (Order Squamata).

A Computer Generated Image of a Massospondylus Embryo Showing the Skull Bones

Synchrotron analysis to reconstruct dinosaur embryos.
Identifying the skull bones of Massospondylus carinatus using synchrotron analysis.  The individual bones of the tiny skull have been highlighted in different colours.

Picture credit: Dr Kimberley Chapelle (University of Witwatersrand)

Lizards are not members of the Archosauria, they are not closely related to dinosaurs (nor to birds or crocodiles for that matter), this suggests that the production of null-generation teeth that are lost prior to hatching is an embryonic trait which is basal within the Class Reptilia and that, in essence, the embryonic developmental pattern in reptiles was established early in their evolutionary history.

Digitally Reconstructing the Skulls of Baby Dinosaurs

In the study, led by Dr Kimberley Chapelle and Professor Jonah Choiniere of the Evolutionary Studies Institute, based at the University of Witwatersrand, three-dimensional, computer generated images were created of the less than 2 cm long skulls of the embryonic dinosaurs.  The clutch of eggs was discovered in 1976 at a location within the Golden Gate Highlands National Park (Free State Province), the fossil specimens represent some of the oldest dinosaur eggs known to science.

The Clutch of Massospondylus Eggs Discovered in 1976 (Free State Province)

Clutch of Massospondylus carinatus eggs discovered in 1976
The clutch of Massospondylus carinatus eggs discovered in 1976 and the subject of the new scientific paper.

Picture credit: Brett Eloff

Amongst the Rarest of Dinosaur Fossils

The fossilised remains of dinosaur embryos are among the rarest of all vertebrate fossils.  However, if palaeontologists can study them, then they can provide unique insights into the development of baby dinosaurs and permit comparison with the development of living archosaurs such as birds and crocodiles.

The powerful X-rays generated by the synchrotron allowed the researchers to obtain extremely detailed images of the fragile contents of the eggs, in what is a non-destructive technique.  The study commenced in 2015, when the fossils were transported to the ESRF at Grenoble.  It took nearly three years to process all the data generated back at the University, but the work was worth it as the scientists were able to reconstruct the delicate, tiny skulls of the dinosaurs in exquisite detail.

The fossil specimens were scanned at an unprecedented level of detail, the team were able to define and map individual cells within the fossilised bone.

Views from Various Angles of the Tiny Skull of a Massospondylus Embryo

The skull of a Massospondylus embryo.
Views of the skull of an embryonic Massospondylus.  It took 3 years to process all the data generated from the synchrotron X-ray scans.

Picture credit: University of Witwatersrand/Scientific Reports

Working Out the Developmental Age of the Dinosaur Embryos

It had been thought that the fossilised Massospondylus eggs represented a clutch that had perished just prior to hatching.  An analysis of the state of the skull bones and direct comparison with the development stages of crocodile, chicken, turtle and lizard embryos revealed that the Massospondylus embryos were much younger than previously thought.  These dinosaur babies were only 60% of the way through their incubation.  This makes them some of the ontogenetically youngest dinosaur embryos known.  All other dinosaur embryos in the literature with ontogenetic age estimates are believed to represent dinosaurs in the last third of their development in the egg or close to hatching.

Hatching Massospondylus Dinosaurs in the Late Triassic of South Africa

Massospondylus nesting site - life reconstruction.
Massospondylus (basal Sauropodomorpha) nesting site.  The study provided new information on  how to estimate the ontogenetic age of dinosaur embryos.

Picture credit: Julius Csotonyi

The Discovery of Null-generation Teeth in Dinosaur Embryos

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that each tiny embryo had two types of teeth preserved in its developing jaws.  One set was very similar to the teeth associated with Massospondylus adults, the second set consisted of tiny, very simple triangular teeth that were either reabsorbed into the jaw or shed prior to hatching.  These types of teeth are referred to as null-generation teeth and they are found in crocodilians and some types of extant lizard embryos such as geckos.

An Illustration of the Tooth Crowns of an Adult Massospondylus

Adult Massospondylus dinosaur teeth.
The teeth of an adult Massospondylus dinosaur.  The teeth of Massospondylus are proportionately quite long and the crowns end in a broad, leaf-shaped structure with distinctive ridges on their tips and sides.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur from Gow et al (University of Witwatersrand)

Commenting on the discovery of null-generation teeth in the jaws of the dinosaur embryos, lead author, Dr Chapelle stated:

“I was really surprised to find that these embryos not only had teeth, but had two types of teeth.  The teeth are so tiny, they range from 0.4 to 0.7 mm wide.  That’s smaller than the tip of a toothpick!”

The scientists conclude that dinosaurs developed in their eggs in very similar ways as extant archosaurs, so what we know about the development of birds and crocodiles in the egg can be confidently applied to extinct archosaurs such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs too.  The development traits shared with members of the Squamata Order (lizards and snakes) would permit these findings to be applied generally to a much wider variety of extinct reptiles, such as those assigned to the Lepidosauria clade, the sister clade to the Archosauria, reptiles on a different branch of the Reptilia family tree.

Synchrotron Analysis Likely to Lead to Further Insights into Dinosaur Development

The research team hope to utilise the thousands of scans they have amassed to better understand the post-cranial development of sauropod dinosaurs.  They will be examining the rest of the skeleton of the Massospondylus embryos to see if this dinosaur shares similarities in development with extant archosaurs.  The scientists hope to shed further light on how these dinosaurs moved about when they first emerged from the nest.  Palaeontologists think that these types of dinosaurs hatched as bipeds before adopting a quadrupedal stance as these animals grew and matured.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Witwatersrand in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Conserved in-ovo cranial ossification sequences of extant saurians allow estimation of embryonic dinosaur developmental stages” by Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Vincent Fernandez and Jonah N. Choiniere published in Scientific Reports.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

8 04, 2020

Lower Triassic Fossil from Brazil – The Origins of the Tanystropheidae

By |2024-02-16T17:07:19+00:00April 8th, 2020|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Elessaurus gondwanoccidens – Unlocking the Origins of the Bizarre Tanystropheidae

After the mass extinction event that marked the end of the Permian many new types of terrestrial vertebrate evolved.  The archosaurs radiated and developed into a variety of forms, one of the most bizarre groups to emerge were the Tanystropheidae, epitomised by the amazing Middle Triassic Tanystropheus with its hugely elongated neck.

The origin of the tanystropheids remains shrouded in mystery.  The paucity of the fossil record has hindered palaeontologists in their research.  However, a team of scientists have reported the discovery of fossils in southern Brazil that may shed light on the ancestry of these incredible reptiles.

Elessaurus gondwanoccidens

Writing in the academic journal PLOS One, the researchers which include Tiane De-Oliviera of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, describe and name Elessaurus gondwanoccidens.  It had long legs and very probably a long tail.  The genus name being inspired by the Elvish name (Elessar), a character from Lord of the Rings also known as Aragorn played by Viggo Mortensen in the trilogy of films directed by Peter Jackson.

A Life Reconstruction of the Newly Described Archosauromorph Elessaurus gondwanoccidens

Elessaurus life reconstruction.
A life reconstruction of the newly described Elessaurus from the Lower Triassic of Brazil.

Picture credit: Márcio L. Castro

An Illustration of the Bizarre Tanystropheus with its Greatly Elongated Neck

A drawing of Tanystropheus.
A drawing of the bizarre Triassic reptile Tanystropheus.  Elessaurus has been described as the sister taxon to the Tanystropheidae. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Fragmentary Fossil Material – The Posterior of an Early Triassic Archosauromorph

The fossil material used to describe this new species consists of a partially articulated hind limb and associated fossil elements including parts of the pelvis and caudal vertebrae.  The specimen was collected at the locality Bica São Tomé, Sanga do Cabral Formation (Sanga do Cabral Supersequence, Paraná Basin of southern Brazil).

Based on other fragmentary vertebrate fossils known from this area, the rocks that contained Elessaurus are believed to date from the Lower Triassic.  Although the Elessaurus fossil material represents just a portion of the skeleton and no bones from the anterior part of the animal are known, these fossils represent the most complete post-cranial fossil material obtained to date from the Sanga do Cabral Formation.

Elessaurus Fossil Material (UFSM 11471) and an Accompanying Line Drawing

E. gondwanoccidens fossil material and accompanying line drawing.
Elessaurus gondwanoccidens fossil material and accompanying line drawing showing limb, pelvis and tail elements.  Abbreviations fi = fibula, ti = tibia, gr = groove, fe = femur, il = ilium, sv = sacral vertebra, cv = caudal vertebra.  Note scale bar equals 10 mm.

Picture credit: De-Oliveira et al (PLOS One)

A Phylogenetic Assessment

A phylogenetic assessment of Elessaurus places this genus as a sister taxon to the Tanystropheidae.  The analysis suggests that E. gondwanoccidens was closely related to the tanystropheids and as such it can provide information into the origins of these bizarre reptiles.  Most tanystropheid fossils are found in Middle to Late Triassic rocks of North America, Europe and Asia.  These fossils tend to be strongly associated with marine deposits, indicating that most later tanystropheids adapted to an aquatic or semi-aquatic lifestyle.

The discovery of the closely related but earlier Elessaurus in continental deposits from the Lower Triassic of Brazil, indicates that the origin of this group may lie in the southern continents, the landmass known as Gondwana.  The location of the fossil was the inspiration for the trivial (specific), name of this reptile.  The specific name is derived from the super-continent Gondwana and the Latin adjective “occidens” which means western.

Map (A) Showing the Location of the Fossil Find (B) Stratigraphic Diagram and a Skeletal Reconstruction of Elessaurus

Elessaurus map, stratigraphic profile and skeletal reconstruction.
A map showing the location of the fossil find, along with a stratigraphic profile of the outcrop and a skeletal reconstruction of Elessaurus (known fossil material in grey).

Picture credit: De-Oliveira et al (PLOS One)

A Terrestrial Animal

The long legs of Elessaurus seem to be suited to a terrestrial existence.  This suggests that the ancestral tanystropheids may have been entirely terrestrial before later species adapted to a more aquatic life.  The discovery of Elessaurus provides a clearer view of the origins of the Tanystropheidae, the scientists hope that further fossil finds will shed more light on the ancestry and evolution of these very unusual tetrapods.

The scientific paper: “A new archosauromorph from South America provides insights on the early diversification of tanystropheids” by Tiane M. De-Oliveira, Felipe L. Pinheiro, Átila Augusto Stock Da-Rosa, Sérgio Dias-Da-Silva and Leonardo Kerber published in PLOS One.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

7 04, 2020

New CollectA Baryonyx Dinosaur Model “Turntable Tuesday”

By |2024-02-10T08:11:12+00:00April 7th, 2020|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Everything Dinosaur videos, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases, Product Reviews|0 Comments

New for 2020 CollectA Baryonyx Goes for a Spin

It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time to put another prehistoric animal model through its paces as we take out our turntable and give it a spin.  This time, it is the new for 2020 CollectA Baryonyx dinosaur model that is in the spotlight.

The CollectA Baryonyx Dinosaur Model “Turntable Tuesday” with Everything Dinosaur

Video credit: Everything Dinosaur

The New for 2020 CollectA Baryonyx Dinosaur Model

In this short video, (it lasts a fraction under one minute fifty seconds), the new for 2020 CollectA Baryonyx dinosaur model is highlighted.  The figure is mounted on a base so that the hind feet can be kept in proportion to the rest of the body.  The base itself shows some nice detailing, even a couple of leaves are depicted.  The base gives the impression that this dinosaur, associated with aquatic environments, is walking through soft sand or mud.

The CollectA Baryonyx Dinosaur Model is Mounted on a Display Base

The new for 2020 CollectA Baryonyx model.
The CollectA Baryonyx dinosaur model is mounted on a display base. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur team members have created their very own YouTube channel.  It is crammed full of dinosaur themed videos including model reviews, collecting tips, updates on production and prehistoric animal news and views.  The Everything Dinosaur YouTube channel can be found here: Everything Dinosaur on YouTube.  We recommend that you subscribe to Everything Dinosaur.

Two Baryonyx Dinosaur Models Highlighted

In 2019, CollectA updated their Deluxe Baryonyx offering introducing a new replica of this iconic Early Cretaceous theropod.  In Everything Dinosaur’s short “turntable Tuesday” video, the 2019 CollectA Deluxe figure is compared to the new 2020 Baryonyx dinosaur model.

A Pair of Baryonyx Dinosaur Models from CollectA

A pair of CollectA Baryonyx models.
The new for 2020 CollectA Prehistoric Life Baryonyx and behind, the larger 2019 CollectA Deluxe Baryonyx model.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

These two dinosaur models work very well together.  They share the same colour scheme and even the bases are similar.  The larger CollectA Deluxe Baryonyx (1:40 scale approximately), has an articulated jaw.

Comparing the Two CollectA Baryonyx Dinosaur Models

CollectA Baryonyx figures.
A comparison between the 2019 and the 2020 CollectA Baryonyx replicas. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Cloaca Watch!

In this short video, highlighted the Baryonyx models, we take the opportunity to point out certain details that reflect the known fossil material.  The elongated, narrow jaw with its distinctive kink in the upper jaw is shown and the cranial crests can be easily seen.  Our team members also take the opportunity to point out that CollectA have taken the time and trouble to give both their new Baryonyx models a cloaca.

The Beautifully Detailed CollectA Prehistoric Life Baryonyx Dinosaur Model

CollectA Baryonyx dinosaur model.
The CollectA new for 2020 Prehistoric Life Baryonyx dinosaur model.  Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The CollectA Baryonyx and the rest of the CollectA Prehistoric life model range can be purchased here: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs/Prehistoric Life Models.

For the CollectA Deluxe 1:40 scale Baryonyx and the rest of the range of CollectA scale models: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Animal Scale Models.

6 04, 2020

New Research Suggests Not All Dinosaurs were Feathered

By |2024-02-16T16:57:14+00:00April 6th, 2020|General Teaching, Key Stage 3/4|Comments Off on New Research Suggests Not All Dinosaurs were Feathered

There were Feathered Dinosaurs but not all Dinosaurs were Feathered

Research conducted by palaeontologists at the London Natural History Museum suggests that whilst dinosaurs that were closely related to modern birds (Aves), were probably feathered, other types of dinosaurs such as the Late Cretaceous horned dinosaurs and the duck-billed dinosaurs probably were not covered in feathers.

A book tracing the evolution of feathers is being written and as part of the background to this forthcoming publication, Professor Paul Barrett of the Museum conducted an evolutionary analysis looking at the preserved skin fossils of the 77 dinosaur species where evidence of skin has been preserved.

A Preserved Skin Impression from a Tyrannosaurus rex

Tyrannosaurus rex skin impression.
Preserved integument from the neck (b) of T. rex specimen HMNS 2006.1743.01

Picture credit: Biology Letters

Evidence of Reptilian Scaly Skins

The study suggests that the first types of dinosaurs were probably covered in scaly skin and not feathered.  Professor Barrett and his colleagues found no evidence of the earliest members of the Dinosauria being feathered.  Most of the fossil evidence supports the view that a specific proportion of the Theropoda (mostly meat-eating dinosaurs), the Coelurosauria – were feathered.  No evidence for a feathery covering in long-necked, plant-eaters (Sauropodomorpha) has been identified to date.

Sinosauropteryx – The First Dinosaur with Feathers to be Described

Sinosauropteryx fossil material.
Sinosauropteryx on display – the first feathered dinosaur described. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The First Feathered Dinosaur Fossils were Found in China

PNSO Sinosauropteryx dinosaur model.
PNSO Yuyan the Sinosauropteryx dinosaur model.

The picture (above) shows a life reconstruction of Sinosauropteryx. It is a model from the PNSO range of prehistoric animals.

To view this range: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.

The book is due to be published later on this year, a spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented that it would add to the growing list of books aimed at the general reader that helped to explain some of the areas of research currently being conducted on the Dinosauria.

For further articles about feathered dinosaurs and research:

Tyrannosaurus rex loses its feathers: T. rex Sheds its Feathers.

The origins of feathers: Feathers came first, then Birds Evolved.

Did all Dinosaurs have feathers? Did all Dinosaurs have Feathers?

Extension Ideas

  • What evidence can you find for dinosaurs having feathers?  Can you draw up a simplified family tree of the Dinosauria identifying which types of dinosaurs were feathered?
  • What are the reasons for large animals such as the sauropods probably not having a feathery covering?  A hint, think surface to volume ratios and how large animals need to prevent overheating.
  • Create a poster/chart comparing a bird to a meat-eating dinosaur.  What are the similarities, what are the differences?
  • Why do you think some dinosaurs were feathered?  Can you come up with a theory?

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

6 04, 2020

New Study Suggests Homo heidelbergensis Younger Than Previously Thought

By |2024-02-09T08:19:47+00:00April 6th, 2020|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Dating the Broken Hill Skull – H. heidelbergensis Younger than Previously Thought

Palaeoanthropologists have long recognised that the evolution of the hominins and our own species (Homo sapiens), was complicated and not simply a linear transgression from one species to another.  Human fossil remains are exceptionally rare and sometimes, a new study can upend previously assumed concepts and ideas.  For example, a team of scientists including researchers from the Natural History Museum (London), Australian National University (Canberra), University College Dublin, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), University of the Free State (South Africa), University of Wollongong (Queensland), University of Southampton and Griffith University (Queensland), have published new dating information for a hominin skull discovered in 1921.

The skull representing Homo heidelbergensis turns out to be much younger than previously thought.

The Famous Broken Hill Skull (Kabwe 1) Homo heidelbergensis

The famous H. heidelbergensis skull (Kabwe 1).
Views of the Broken Hill Skull (Kabwe 1).  Left lateral view (A) and anterior view (B).

Picture credit: The Trustees of the Natural History Museum

Studying Homo heidelbergensis

Writing in the academic journal “Nature”, the researchers conclude that this skull, previously thought to be around half a million years old, was much younger with an estimated date of between 274,000 and 324,000 years of age.  This result suggests that in the later stages of the Middle Pleistocene of Africa (Chibanian stage), there were many different types of hominin living at the same time.  Homo sapiens, H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis and Homo naledi were all contemporaneous.

The Broken Hill Skull

The skull studied, referred to as the Broken Hill specimen, currently resides in the collection of the Natural History Museum (London) and is on display in the Human Evolution gallery, but there are ongoing discussions about the return of this fossil to Africa.

The skull was discovered in 1921 by an African miner and his Swiss co-worker Tom Zwigelaar at the lead and zinc mine located at Broken Hill, which at the time was in northern Rhodesia but is now Kabwe in Zambia, hence the reference to the fossil skull as Kabwe 1.  Other fragmentary human remains were also found at the mine (partial upper jaw, tibia, sacrum and two elements from a femur from another individual).  The fossils were donated by the mining company to the then British Museum (Natural History Museum), at the time of their discovery anthropologists regarded these fossils as the most significant hominin fossils found on the African continent.

Early Photographs of Kabwe 1 (Broken Hill Skull)

Original photographs of the Broken Hill skull (Homo heidelbergensis).
Original photographs of the Broken Hill skull (H. heidelbergensis).

Picture credit: Griffith University (Queensland)

Problems Dating the Skull and Fossil Bones

Nearly a hundred years ago, data recording surrounding such an important fossil discovery was nowhere near as thorough at it is today.  Mining work continued in the area where the skull and other bones had been found so any evidence to help accurately date the fossils was subsequently lost.  Assigned to Homo heidelbergensis, the skull was originally dated to around 500,000 years ago.  However, these researchers, led by Professor Rainer Grün (Environmental Futures Research Institute at Griffith University), subjected the skull and the other hominin fragments from the site to radiometric dating and determined that these people lived between 274,000 and 324,000 years ago.

Commenting on the importance of this research, Professor Grün stated:

“The new best age estimate of the fossil impacts our understanding of the tempo and mode of modern human origins”.

One of the co-authors of the scientific paper, Professor Chris Stringer (Natural History Museum), added:

“Previously, the Broken Hill skull was viewed as part of a gradual and widespread evolutionary sequence in Africa from archaic humans to modern humans.  But now it looks like the primitive species Homo naledi survived in southern Africa, H. heidelbergensis was in Central Africa, and early forms of our species existed in regions like Morocco and Ethiopia.”

Homo rhodesiensis and Piltdown Man

It was Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, the curator of the Geology Department at the British Museum who proposed the new species Homo rhodesiensis to describe the Kabwe 1 skull as “Rhodesian Man”.  However, most scientists now consider H. rhodesiensis to be junior synonym of H. heidelbergensis or possibly an African sub-species of it.  Despite a prestigious academic career, Sir Arthur is best remembered for his association with the Piltdown Man hoax of 1912.  Even on his deathbed, he still believed that the fossil remains found in a Sussex gravel bed at Barkham Manor, near to Piltdown Common, represented a species of archaic human, unlike any other species of early hominin known to science.

Unfortunately, for Sir Arthur, five years after he died, new dating techniques proved the human skull bones from the site to be less than 500 years old.

The new, younger date for the Kabwe 1 skull also casts a cloud over the provenance of stone tools associated with hominin fossils from the late Middle Pleistocene.  As scientists have evidence to indicate Homo heidelbergensis present in Africa as recently as 300,000 years ago, stone tools from this date may not have been crafted by our species.

Not All the African Stone Tools Around 300,000 Years of Age Can be Ascribed to our own Species

Heidelbergensis flint spear.
Crafted with considerable skill – a flint spear point associated with Homo heidelbergensis.  The much younger age of the Kabwe 1 specimen casts doubts about which species made the stone tools associated with Middle Pleistocene hominin fossils.

Picture credit: Dr Nicholas Conrad/University of Tubingen

The new age estimate for Kabwe 1 raises questions about our own evolution.  It casts doubts on the presumption that H. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis was a direct ancestor of our species Homo sapiens.  This research suggests that there were multiple contemporaneous hominin lineages in Africa during the later stages of the Middle Pleistocene, reflecting a similar model found in Eurasia.

  • African hominins (late Middle Pleistocene) – H. sapiens, H. nalediH. heidelbergensis/H. rhodesiensis
  • European/Asia hominins (late Middle Pleistocene) – H. neanderthalensis, H. luzonensis, H. floresiensis, the Denisovans and perhaps also H. heidelbergensis and H. erectus

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from Griffith University in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Dating the skull from Broken Hill, Zambia, and its position in human evolution” by Rainer Grün, Alistair Pike, Frank McDermott, Stephen Eggins, Graham Mortimer, Maxime Aubert, Lesley Kinsley, Renaud Joannes-Boyau, Michael Rumsey, Christiane Denys, James Brink, Tara Clark and Chris Stringer published in Nature.

To read an article about the presence of H. heidelbergensis in Kent: Giant Prehistoric Straight-tusked Elephant Butchered by H. heidelbergensis.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

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