New for 2020 Papo Parasaurolophus (New Colour Variant)
Fans of the Papo “Les Dinosaures” model collection may have a little while yet to wait for the new for 2020 prehistoric animal figures to become available. However, this does not stop Everything Dinosaur team members from posting up pictures and further information about these eagerly anticipated replicas. For example, recently a member of staff was able to get their hands on the new for 2020 Papo Parasaurolophus in the new “striped” colour scheme.
Plenty of pictures were taken, as our Facebook and Instagram followers will testify to, but we also shot a short video so that our customers can see the model in the “flesh” as it were.
The Papo Parasaurolophus New Colour Variant 2020 (Sneak Peek)
Video credit: Everything Dinosaur
Papo Parasaurolophus
This popular dinosaur is one of five new dinosaurs to be added to the Papo portfolio this year. Joining it will be Chilesaurus, Stygimoloch, Giganotosaurus and a new colour version of the feathered Velociraptor. Details of these dinosaur models can be found here: Everything Dinosaur Announces New Papo Dinosaurs for 2020.
The New Papo Parasaurolophus Model is Beautifully Painted
The new for 2020 Papo Parasaurolophus dinosaur model (with the limited edition Papo Spinosaurus in the background).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The model is the same sculpt as the original Papo Parasaurolophus, but it has been given a striking makeover and the colour scheme chosen by the design team is vibrant and carefully thought through. For example, fossil specimens of Parasaurolophus spp. have been associated with forested environments, after all, these large herbivores fed on a variety of plant materials including conifers.
The striped markings on the flanks, legs and tail would have helped to camouflage this large animal as it moved through woodland (helping to break up its body outline).
Camouflage for a Dinosaur
In addition, this body pattern would also have given a degree of protection as the colour scheme can prevent a predator from selecting an individual to attack. Note also, the brighter colours associated with that splendid crest and the head/neck region. This is probably a nod towards the hypothesis that these social animals used colour cues to indicate maturity and social status within the herd.
Replacing the Early “Green” Papo Parasaurolophus
This new replica is replacing the original “green” Parasaurolophus figure in this range. Although team members at Everything Dinosaur have been able to secure some stock of the original Parasaurolophus model, so collectors can still acquire this figure.
To view the original Papo Parasaurolophus and the rest of the models in the “Les Dinosaures” range: Papo Dinosaur Models and Figures.
Prehistoric Times Issue 132 (Winter 2020) Reviewed
The winter 2020 issue of “Prehistoric Times” magazine has arrived at the Everything Dinosaur offices. Lots for team members to do, but some handy business trips afforded us the opportunity to peruse the latest edition and to get our fill of all things prehistoric. The striking front cover is from the talented and world-renowned British palaeoartist John Sibbick and inside it is revealed that this is John’s tenth cover art contribution.
The artwork was inspired by the fossil discoveries from the famous “Dinosaur Cove and East Gippsland” locations in Victoria, Australia. The illustration depicts a group of big-eyed Leaellynasaura being surprised by an allosaurid in the long, cold polar night.
The Front Cover Artwork for “Prehistoric Times” Issue 132 (Winter 2020)
Prehistoric Times winter 2020 edition (issue 132). The front cover artwork was supplied by British palaeoartist John Sibbick.
Picture credit: Mike Fredericks
A “Double O” Edition of Prehistoric Times
Team members have described this latest instalment of this quarterly magazine as the “double O” edition. Phil Hore provides profiles on both the pterosaur Ornithocheirus, confusing Cambridge Greensand fossil material included and the Asian hadrosaur Olorotitan. Look out for an article entitled “Old School Charm” by Sean Kotz which examines the Charles R. Knight-inspired Tyrannosaurus rex that depicts this famous theropod as it was seen by the scientific community over a hundred years ago.
We are brought right up to date with the Paleonews section and the “What’s New in Review” double-page spread – Everything Dinosaur gets a mention:
“Thanks to Everything Dinosaur of England with information on upcoming prehistoric animalsEverything Dinosaur. It is a great store and internet site”.
Drawing Diplodocus
Concluding his article on Diplodocus, Tracy Lee Ford, looks at how the head and neck of this famous sauropod is constructed. Cue lots of helpful information on diplodocid necks and posture. Palaeontologist Ken Carpenter has penned a couple of contributions, look out for his article discussing the proposed revision of Amphicoelias as a huge rebbachisaurid sauropod, it seems that the Sauropoda are very well represented in issue 132.
Different Potential Feeding Strategies for Diplodocus are Highlighted in Tracy Lee Ford’s “How to Draw Dinosaurs Section”
New for 2020 CollectA rearing Diplodocus – grey. Lots of helpful advice on how to draw diplodocids in the winter edition of “Prehistoric Times”.
Early Avians – Burian
As always there are wonderful examples of reader’s artwork throughout the magazine. The Olorotitan versus Alioramus by J. A. Chirinos, M. Elliot Maisson’s cephalopod crunching Ornithocheirus and the three-dimensional model of Anchiornis by young Phoebe Wood, which is on display in the South Australia Museum, all deserve a special mention. The evocative of artwork of Zdeněk Burian focuses on early avians, our thanks to John Lavas for producing such an excellent article with wonderful examples of Burian’s work.
Team members felt a very real sense of nostalgia viewing Burian’s depiction of Archaeopteryx lithographica. These types of illustrations adorn many of the dinosaur and prehistoric animal books that our staff have on their bookshelves. We suspect dinosaur fans have a portion of any shelving dedicated to their prehistoric animal collection. Randy Knoll provides an instructive guide to numerous dinosaur models. He places them in relation to the geological formations from whence the fossil material that inspired the models came.
Packed full of informative and beautifully illustrated articles and we did not even mention the Kathryn Abbott interview or the chat with Matt Mossbrucker.
“Prehistoric Times” magazine is a fantastic publication aimed at the discerning prehistoric animal model collector and dinosaur fan. Further information about obtaining a subscription: “Prehistoric Times Magazine.”
“Sophie” the Stegosaurus has been on display at the London Natural History Museum since late 2014. She stands (although palaeontologists remain uncertain as to whether “Sophie” represents a male or a female), in the Earth Hall close to the Exhibition road entrance. The fossil specimen was discovered in the western United States in 2003 and acquired by the museum thanks to the efforts of private donors including a Hedge Fund manager. This exhibit is the world’s most complete stegosaur specimen, the species is Stegosaurus stenops.
“Sophie” The Stegosaurus (S. stenops) on Display
Right lateral View of “Sophie” the Stegosaurus (London Natural History Museum).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Named after the Daughter of the Wealthy Hedge Fund Manager
This exhibit was named after the daughter of the wealthy Hedge Fund manager who helped secure the specimen. A total of sixty-nine private donors contributed to the funding to help bring this fossil, originally from Wyoming to London.
“Sophie” Greeting Visitors to the Museum’s Earth Hall
Sophie the Stegosaurus (S. stenops), a star exhibit at the London Natural History Museum.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Not Fully Grown
At around 5.6 metres long and standing a fraction under three metres tall, this 1.6 tonne herbivore is most impressive. However, this dinosaur was not fully when grown when it died and it would have been dwarfed by the largest members of the Stegosauridae, some of which measured more than 9 metres in length.
The Stegosaurus Specimen at the London Natural History Museum
A view of the anterior of “Sophie” the Stegosaurus stenops specimen on display at the London Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
“Sophie” might be quite small by stegosaur standards but we think this specimen is beautiful and we congratulate the Natural History Museum for creating such a spectacular exhibit that always thrills us when we visit. We even have to grudgingly acknowledge the support of a Hedge Fund manager for making it possible.
A View of the Posterior Portions of “Sophie” the Stegosaurus
A posterior view of the spectacular “Sophie” the Stegosaurus (S. stenops) exhibit at the London Natural History Museum.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Fossils can be found in unusual places. A few years ago, we reported on an initiative by Liverpool John Lennon Airport to encourage passengers to explore the various fossils that could be found entombed in the stone floor and the pillars of the concourse building. As limestone is used in many construction projects, it is surprising where fossils of ancient life forms can be spotted. For example, whilst in Germany, an Everything Dinosaur team member spotted a beautiful belemnite guard preserved in cross-section in a floor tile.
Belemnite Fossil Found in a Stone Floor Tile
A cross-sectional impression of a belemnite guard preserved in the floor of a building.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Spotting a Belemnite
The term “belemnite” is derived from the Greek for “dart”. Looking at the fossil preserved in the stone floor tile, it is easy to see the reason for the name of these Mesozoic cephalopods.
The guard is the internal skeleton of the belemnite, it consists of a solid piece of calcite and these fossils can be found in their hundreds in rocks dating from the Lower and Middle Jurassic. However, they are also abundant in many Cretaceous marine clays. The anterior portion of the guard (seen on the left of the photograph), would contain the phragmocone, the cone-shaped chambered shell that demonstrates that these nektonic animals were related to ammonites. In many instances, the phragmocone is lost, leaving a “U” shaped hollow that can be seen in the picture (above).
Some Belemnite Fossils Collected from the “Jurassic Coast” (Dorset)
Belemnite guard fossils from the “Jurassic Coast”. The coin on the right of the picture shows scale.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
By Mike|2024-01-14T10:58:47+00:00January 31st, 2020|General Teaching|Comments Off on Pachycephalosaurus with a Bump on its Head
Pachycephalosaurus with a Cranial Lesion
The recently introduced (2020), Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus dinosaur model is a highly detailed and scientifically accurate replica of a Late Cretaceous prehistoric animal. This dinosaur toy has been expertly sculpted to highlight distinctive traits and characteristics of a “bone-headed” dinosaur. The dome-headed skull with all its lumps and bumps has been skilfully recreated by the design team at Safari Ltd.
There’s even a scar on the skull showing the damage incurred as a result of a fight with another dinosaur.
Pachycephalosaurus Dinosaur Model
An Everything Dinosaur Team Member Points out the “Battle Damage” on the Skull of the Dinosaur Model
A close-up view of the top of the head of the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus model with the “battle damage” highlighted. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The models and figures that make up the Wild Safari Prehistoric World range by Safari Ltd are great for creative, imaginative play. The prehistoric animal models are thoroughly researched so that they are as accurate as possible. The Pachycephalosaurus figure has been intricately painted in a striking orange colour with the skull area coloured grey. It is an excellent figure, one that will encourage children to have fun and play whilst learning more about the lives of long extinct animals.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus Dinosaur Model (Safari Ltd)
The new for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Safari Ltd have a substantial range of dinosaurs and prehistoric animal models in their portfolio. The design team try their very best to provide scientifically accurate figures and this Pachycephalosaurus with its battle damage is typical of this model range. Providing a dinosaur with a realistic dent in its skull (battle damage), helps children to appreciate that these models represent animals that lived in the past, animals that were just as active and complex as many animals that the children are familiar with that are alive today.”
Another busy week for Everything Dinosaur team members. A member of staff was at the London Natural History Museum recently, although they had a busy itinerary there was still time to enter the main gallery (the Hintze Hall) and to say hello to “Hope”, the enormous Blue Whale exhibit that replaced “Dippy” the Diplodocus in 2017. Suspended overhead, dominating the refurbished gallery, the Blue Whale skeleton (Balaenoptera musculus), symbolises the Museum’s focus on conservation and supporting efforts to save natural habitats and wildlife.
The Blue Whale Skeleton
The Spectacular “Hope” Blue Whale Exhibit in the Hintze Hall (London Natural History Museum)
The beautiful Blue Whale skeleton exhibit dominating the Hintze Hall at the London Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Blue Whale Skeleton Measures 25.2 Metres Long
The skeleton measures 25.2 metres in length, it weighs some 4.5 tonnes and consists of 221 individual bones. Not all parts of the exhibit are real bone, some bones were missing from the right flipper and these have been replaced by 3-D printed mirror copies of the bones from the left flipper. Seeing the Diplodocus exhibit in the main gallery was always a highlight of any visit to the Museum. It became almost a ritual to say hello to “Dippy” on the way to a meeting or prior to visiting one of the various departments on site.
The Diplodocus exhibit was only a cast, a specimen that had been donated to the London Natural History Museum in 1905 by the Scottish-born billionaire Andrew Carnegie. “Dippy” was installed into the Hintze Hall in 1979, but finally removed in January 2017 to be replaced by the Blue Whale exhibit.
We will have to get used to saying hello to “Hope” instead.
Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus with “Battle Damage”
The new for 2020 Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus model is a little bit special. Naturally, it is beautifully painted and an accurate depiction of a Late Cretaceous “bone-headed” dinosaur, but the design team at Safari Ltd have taken care to introduce an element of subtle “battle damage” to their figure. It is a case of a dinosaur model demonstrating some “pachycephalosaur pathology”.
“Pachycephalosaur Pathology”
To help collectors and dinosaur fans to see what we mean, team members at Everything Dinosaur put together this short video.
Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus Dinosaur Model with “Battle Damage”
A Pachycephalosaurus Model Demonstrates that Dinosaurs Had Tough Lives
In this short video, (it lasts a little over two minutes long), we show the model and provide close-up views of the brown mark on its skull. This is not a flaw in the particular replica we use in the video, to prove it we show another figure from our stock, with exactly the same feature. The design team at Safari Ltd have provided their Pachycephalosaurus figure with a little bit of “battle damage”, perhaps after a fight with another Pachycephalosaurus over social status in the herd, or perhaps in a dispute over food.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus model might have damaged his headgear whilst competing for females. After all, extant male red deer, the bucks, do damage their antlers in the autumn rut, when they are fighting to win the right to mate.
Superb Detail on the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus Dinosaur Model
The beautifully detailed Wild Safari Prehistoric World Pachycephalosaurus dinosaur model. The “battle damage” is located on the other side of the skull. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Safari Ltd have gone that extra mile by thinking carefully how they could reflect inferred behaviour in their Pachycephalosaurus dinosaur model. We congratulate the design team for their foresight and consideration. This is a very detailed figure and it is intriguing to see the little extra details that have been incorporated into the sculpt.”
The Everything Dinosaur YouTube channel contains lots of helpful and informative videos about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. Team members try to post up a new video once a week and with all these new Safari Ltd models, our script writers are going to be kept very busy.
The theropod fossil record for Australia is particularly poor. The majority of the meat-eating dinosaur fossils found down-under come from the Albian-Cenomanian faunal stages of the Cretaceous have been predominantly referred to the Megaraptoridae. However, a single neck bone (cervical vertebra), found in an opal mine near the town of Lightning Ridge (New South Wales), in conjunction with a fragmentary ankle bone from the Gippsland Basin in Victoria have led scientists to conclude that another type of predatory dinosaur roamed Australia – noasaurids.
A Silhouette of the Unnamed Noasaurid with a Human Figure for Scale and the Fossil Neck Bone Placed in Life Position
Silhouette showing approximate size of the Australian noasaurid and the fossil material.
Picture credit: Tom Brougham (University of New England, New South Wales)
Classifying the Noasauridae
The Noasauridae are a family of small-bodied, fast-running, largely predatory dinosaurs nested within the Superfamly Abelisauroidea, although their exact taxonomic position and which genera fit within the Noasauridae remains controversial. Essentially, these types of dinosaurs are distantly related to the abelisaurids such as Carnotaurus and Rajasaurus.
Noasaurids demonstrate a wide range of anatomical characteristics. For example, Masiakasaurus (M. knopfleri), known from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar, had a downturned lower jaw with teeth in both jaws, whereas the adult forms of Limusaurus (L. inextricabilis) known from the Jurassic of China, had no teeth in their jaws and could have been herbivores.
A Scale Drawing of Masiakasaurus (M. knopfleri)
Unusual theropod dinosaur – Masiakasaurus, the downward turned lower jaw and the dentition suggest that this predator could have specialised in catching fish (piscivore).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The picture (above) is an illustration of the Masiakasaurus model from the Wild Safari Prehistoric World series.
The Noasauridae are known from the Southern Hemisphere and seem to have been confined to the landmass of Gondwana.
Dr Tom Brougham (University New England, New South Wales), one of the co-authors of the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports stated:
“It was assumed that noasaurids must have lived in Australia because their fossils have been found on other southern continents that, like Australia, were once part of the Gondwanan supercontinent. These recent fossil finds demonstrate for the first time that noasaurids once roamed across Australia. Discoveries of theropods are rare in Australia, so every little find we make reveals important details about our unique dinosaur fauna.”
The partial cervical vertebra from the Wallangulla Sandstone Member of the Griman Formation, collected from an underground opal mine at the “Sheepyard” opal field, southwest of Lightning Ridge was found within a bonebed containing the iguanodontian Fostoria dhimbangunmal. The bone is estimated to be around 100 million years old.
Present in Australia
Although, the fossil (specimen number LRF 3050.AR), is badly eroded the researchers discovered that is resembled cervical vertebrae associated with the noasaurids, hence the diagnosis that this fossil indicates the presence of these types of theropod dinosaurs in Australia.
The Neck Bone from the Opal Mine Ascribed to the Noasauridae
The noasaurid cervical vertebra LRF 3050.AR in (a) ventral; (b) dorsal, (c) left lateral, (d) right lateral, (e) anterior and (f) posterior views. Note scale bar = 50 mm.
Picture credit: Brougham et al (Scientific Reports)
The scientists re-examined a ceratosaurian astragalocalcaneum fossil (NMV P221202) that had been found in 2012 in strata associated with the much older upper Barremian–lower Aptian San Remo Member of the upper Strzelecki group in Victoria. It was concluded that this ankle bone also represented noasaurid fossil material.
The East Gippsland Ankle Bone Now Ascribed to the Noasauridae
The East Gippsland astragalocalcaneum (NMV P221202) in (a) anterior, (b) posterior, and (c) proximal views. Note scale bar = 20 mm. This fossil lends support to the idea that noasaurids were present in Australia.
Picture credit: Brougham et al (Scientific Reports)
Oldest Known Noasaurid
Between them, the Lightning Ridge neck bone and the ankle bone from Victoria represent the first evidence of noasaurid dinosaurs found in Australia. The astragalocalcaneum material comes from deposits that were laid down in the Early Cretaceous and could be 120 million years of age. This would make the ankle bone the earliest known example of a noasaurid in the world described to date. The recognition of Australian noasaurids further indicates a more widespread Gondwanan distribution of the clade outside of South America, Madagascar and India consistent with the timing of the fragmentation of the supercontinent.
The scientific paper: “Noasaurids are a component of the Australian ‘mid’-Cretaceous theropod fauna” by Tom Brougham, Elizabeth T. Smith and Phil R. Bell published in Scientific Reports.
The eagerly anticipated xenomorph/dinosaur crossover from Rebor has arrived at Everything Dinosaur. The 1:35 scale “Broodlord” X-REX is now in stock. Model collectors have got a new branch of the Rebor replica family tree to get excited about. This detailed model (Rebor Broodlord) has a wet-look about it, courtesy of the metallic colour scheme, our congratulations to the design team at Rebor for coming up with such an imaginative sculpt.
The New for 2020 Rebor “Broodlord” X-REX Figure
The 1:35 scale Rebor “Broodlord” replica. A team member at Everything Dinosaur has used a geology ruler to help show the size of this new for 2020 Rebor figure. The model measures a whopping 43 cm in length! Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The tailpiece fits neatly into the slot at the back of the model. Do not be alarmed if your figure does not balance very well when first removed from its packaging. Once that long, flexible tail has been inserted the figure is perfectly stable. The rotatable arms, four back extensions and the extended tongue with the jaw can be found in a small, plastic bag at the bottom of the foam protection. Carefully remove these pieces and fit into your model. The beautifully sculpted tail, is quite flexible and we liked to pose our figure with the tail slightly curved round (as shown in the picture above).
Carefully Insert the Pieces to Create your Rebor X-REX
The model has rotable arms, a secondary jaw/tongue and four extensions on its back. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Assembling the Rebor Replica
Examine the back extensions carefully, each piece fits into its own bespoke slot on the model. Adding the tongue/jaw element can be a bit a tricky, we suggest collectors examine the inside of the lower jaw of their model to identify the slot for this piece. Take care when inserting the tongue, we found that to secure this part in place a cocktail stick or tweezers could be used to push the peg on the bottom of the tongue into the slot on the floor of the mouth.
A View of the Beautifully Detailed Head of the Rebor X-REX Figure
Charging towards you! A view of the spectacular head of “Broodlord”. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Rebor Broodlord X-REX Metallic Variant (1:35 scale) is certainly an amazing model. There are plans to introduce three more figures by the end of 2020. A figure is expected every three months or so for the rest of the year, pictures of the proposed figures can be found on the back of the “Broodlord” box. Collectors have a lot to look forward to in 2020.
The Shape of Things to Come – Four Figures in Total are Planned
The four figures intended for this range are shown on the back of the box. The figures are named, metallic, organic, plague and radioactive. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
This is an incredible model, it is a wonderful 1:35 scale science fiction figure.
“Big Al” is Not Allosaurus fragilis but Allosaurus jimmadseni
A new species of North American Allosaurus has been described, the new dinosaur has been named Allosaurus jimmadseni, the species name honouring the late James H. Madsen Jr, Utah’s first state palaeontologist, who dedicated his career to excavating, preserving and studying the fossils found at the famous Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry.
In 1976, Madsen published a detailed monograph documenting the Allosaurus specimens found at this location, which is now the Jurassic National Monument complete with visitor centre. The monograph describing and illustrating the Quarry’s Allosaurus fossils is regarded as a seminal piece of work that strongly influenced the direction of research into theropod dinosaurs.
A Pack of Allosaurs (Allosaurus jimmadseni) Attacking a Juvenile Sauropod
A pack of allosaurs (A. jimmadseni) attacking a juvenile sauropod.
Picture credit: Todd Marshall
“The Ballard of Big Al” – Allosaurus jimmadseni
Fans of the documentary “The Ballard of Big Al”, a spin-off programme to the famous “Walking with Dinosaurs” television series, made by the BBC Natural History Unit and Impossible Pictures that first aired over twenty years ago, will remember that this programme told the story of the life of an Allosaurus. The fossil specimen used as the basis for the story line, was found in the Howe Quarry (Wyoming), specimen number MOR 693. This was thought to represent an Allosaurus fragilis, but MOR 693 “Big Al” has now been assigned to this new species.
The Star of the Ballard of Big Al (MOR 693) Now Assigned to A. jimmadseni
The front cover of “The Ballard of Big Al” BBC/Impossible Pictures documentary. Once thought to be an example of Allosaurus fragilis, this fossil specimen (MOR 693), has been reassigned to A. jimmadseni.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
New Allosaurus Species Based on Two Nearly Complete Fossil Skeletons
Writing in the academic journal PeerJ, the two authors of the scientific paper Mark Loewen, research associate at the Natural History Museum of Utah and associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Utah and co-worker Dan Chure, now retired, but formerly based at the Dinosaur National Monument, set out the case for the erection of a new species of Allosaurus. Between them they have studied virtually all the Allosaurus specimens in North American museums, a research project that has taken two decades and is still on-going.
The paper describing Allosaurus jimmadseni, is one of several papers that will be published by the pair. Future scientific papers will address post-cranial morphology and provide a further revision of the Allosaurus genus.
The new species of Allosaurus has been established based on the study of the “Big Al” specimen and specimen number DINO 11541 discovered by Dr George Engelmann (University of Nebraska), in 1990. Excavation continued at the Dinosaur National Monument site for several years, gradually exposing an almost complete articulated skeleton, but missing the skull. In the summer of 1996, University of Utah employee Ray Jones returned to the site and used a gamma X-ray detection device to locate the beautifully preserved cranium.
A Cast of the Specimen DINO 11541 Showing the Articulation and the Approximate position of the Skull
A painted cast of the holotype fossil material DINO 11541 (Allosaurus jimmadseni).
Picture credit: Dan Chure
Three Recognised Allosaurus Species
Since Allosaurus was first erected by the American palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1877, numerous species have been named. However, in this research paper only three species are recognised – Allosaurus fragilis and Allosaurus jimmadseni in North America and Allosaurus europaeus from Europe. The researchers identified a number of unique characteristics (autapomorphies), in the specimens MOR 693 and DINO 11541 that led them to propose a new species. For example, the paired nasals of A. jimmadseni possess bilateral, thin, blade-like crests that run from the nostrils up the snout, ending at the apex of the eye socket. This feature is absent in Allosaurus fragilis.
A Life Reconstruction of Allosaurus jimmadseni
A reconstruction of the head of Allosaurus jimmadseni. Note the pair of bilateral nasal crests that run from the nostrils to the eye socket. This feature is absent in Allosaurus fragilis.
Picture credit: Andrey Atuchin
As a result of this new study, a number of other fossil specimens formerly placed within A. fragilis have been reassigned to A. jimmadseni.
Geologically the Oldest Species of Allosaurus
The “Big Al” fossil and specimen number DINO 11541 come from strata associated with the Lower Morrison Formation (Brushy Basin Member and Salt Wash Member respectively), as such, these animals are several million years older than those fossils now ascribed to Allosaurus fragilis.
Commenting on the significance of their extensive research, co-author Mark Loewen stated:
“Previously, palaeontologist thought there was only one species of Allosaurus in Jurassic North America, but this study shows that there were two species. The newly described Allosaurus jimmadseni evolved at least five million years earlier than its younger cousin, Allosaurus fragilis. The skull of Allosaurus jimmadseni is more lightly built than its later relative Allosaurus fragilis, suggesting a different feeding behaviour between the two.”
Comparing Allosaurus Skulls (Three Species Compared)
Comparing the skulls of Allosaurus species (left lateral view). (A) Allosaurus fragilis (DINO 2560). (B) Allosaurus jimmadseni (DINO 11541). (C) Allosaurus europaeus (ML 415). Scale bars equal 10 cm.
Picture credit: Chure and Loewen published in PeerJ
An Anagenetic Lineage?
This study suggests that Allosaurus jimmadseni fossils are found in the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation in Utah and the lower part of the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation in Wyoming and South Dakota. If this is the case, then it raises the question whether the later A. fragilis evolved from the earlier Allosaurus jimmadseni. Did Allosaurus fragilis directly evolve from its older, close relative? If it did, then this is a form of evolution known as anagenesis – whereby one species gradually evolves into a new species over a long period of geological time.
An anagenetic lineage occurs when one population representing a single species, over thousands and thousands of years, gradually accumulates change. These changes eventually become sufficiently distinct from the earlier form that descendants can be labelled a new species.
Skull Drawings and Skeletal Reconstructions of Allosaurus jimmadseni
Skull and skeletal reconstructions of Allosaurus jimmadseni.
Picture credit: Chure and Loewen published in PeerJ with additional notation by Everything Dinosaur.
The illustration above shows stylised line drawings of the skull of Allosaurus jimmadseni in lateral, dorsal and posterior views along with skeletal reconstructions of DINO 11541 and “Big Al”. Scale bar (A-C) equals 10 cm and for D-E 1 metre.
Allosaurus, as the most common genus of Late Jurassic theropod in North America has played a significant role in helping palaeontologists to cement the phylogeny of Jurassic meat-eating dinosaurs. A revision of this key genus will probably have important consequences for future studies regarding the taxonomy of the Coelurosauria.
The scientific paper: “Cranial anatomy of Allosaurus jimmadseni, a new species from the lower part of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western North America” by Daniel J. Chure and Mark A. Loewen published in PeerJ.
