The Everything Dinosaur blog consists of over 6,000 posts. The articles, features and news stories on the blog provide a valuable resource for teachers, academics and dinosaur fans. First started back in late May 2007, team members have built up an extensive library of dinosaur and prehistoric animal themed posts. The site, like all websites, needs to be occasionally modified and updated to help maintain and improve the customer experience. Over the next few weeks, the Everything Dinosaur blog will be undergoing some maintenance.
An Enormous Weblog
A review of each and every article posted on the blog is being undertaken. This is an immense amount of work, as there are thousands of articles and millions of words on the site. This maintenance work has been structured to ensure that visitors can access the blog posts with the minimum of disruption. Viewers will not notice the work going on, but behind the scenes our trained Velociraptors will be working hard to ensure that the weblog is in tip-top condition.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We understand that our blog is very important to people, we will continue to post up articles and features whilst this work is going on. It will be business as usual for all the blog site visitors, but in the background we will be implementing changes to ensure our site is secure and provides the very best customer visitor experience. Around 3% of the site has been reviewed and checked over so far, but we intend to make rapid progress over the next few days.”
The spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented that by the end of this year, team members would have posted up another 150 articles on the Everything Dinosaur blog and that the landmark of 7,000 blog posts was expected to be reached by the middle of 2025.
A unique, chicken-sized dinosaur fossil excavated from the Lower Cretaceous deposits of the Araripe Basin (Brazil) and currently residing at the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) will be returned to Brazil. The specimen (Ubirajara jubatus), lacks properly documented paperwork detailing its acquisition and it may have been obtained without legitimate export permits.
Conflicting Accounts about Fossil Acquisition
Conflicting accounts regarding the fossil’s acquisition emerged prompting the Baden-Württemberg science ministry to launch an internal investigation.
In the scientific paper (now withdrawn) published in the journal “Cretaceous Research” it was stated that the fossil specimen was brought to Germany in 1995. However, this statement was contradicted by researchers at the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe claiming the fossil was imported in 2006 by a private company and then acquired by the Museum in 2009.
Unique Dinosaur Fossil
As the documentation providing an audit trail for the obtaining of this specimen has not been supplied nor any evidence given to confirm the fossil material was imported before a German cultural protection law took effect in 2007, it has been decided to return the fossil to its country of origin.
“Parachute Science”
In the days of empire and colonialism, many western powers took fossils from their colonies. These precious artefacts were then put on display. What we see today is another form of colonialism, whereby scientists from the more prosperous countries go to poorer countries to collect fossils. Scientists are “parachuted in” and there is a limited exchange of knowledge with local researchers.
There is a considerable movement to “kick back” against such practices.
To read an article from 2008 about calls from the Government of Tanzania to return fossils in German institutions: Return our Fossils.
Palaeontologists and other researchers are being accused of taking advantage of the natural resources of countries without leaving anything behind in return.
To read Everything Dinosaur’s original blog post about the formal naming and scientific description of this bizarre dinosaur: One Very Flashy New Dinosaur.
Fans of dinosaurs like to collect scale models, and there is one scale model on show at the Titus T. rex is King exhibition at Wollaton Hall Nottinghamshire, which puts any model collection into perspective.
Internationally renowned micro-sculpturist, Dr Willard Wigan MBE, has created and installed a new extraordinary micro-sculpture of a perfectly formed Tyrannosaurus rex, measuring just 0.5 mm in length.
This amazing figure is so small, it sits comfortably within the eye of a needle.
Celebrating the First-year Anniversary of this World-exclusive Event
The “microsaur” has been installed to mark the first-year anniversary of the opening of the Titus T. rex is King exhibition. Based on the estimated size for an adult T. rex at around 13 metres, the tiny “tyrant lizard king”, complete with fearsome teeth and sharp claws is approximately in 1/26,000th scale.
Now the very tiniest micro-depiction, and, Titus, the first real Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in England for over a century, stand side by side. Titus the T. rex, demonstrates the immense power and impact of this king of the dinosaurs, while Willard Wigan’s creation presents the smallest, but no less powerful.
Dr Willard Wigan commented:
“It is a real honour to be exhibiting one of my sculptures alongside the breath-taking Titus T. rex exhibition. Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum is renowned for being home to rare specimens from across the globe, including Titus himself, which made it the perfect home for my T. rex sculpture.”
A Message to Humanity
Through his incredible sculptures, Dr Wigan is sending a message to humanity – just because you cannot see something does not mean that it does not exist. In palaeontology, including the study of the Dinosauria, a similar metaphor can be demonstrated in the concept of “ghost lineages”. A hypothesis that an animal would have existed in the past, but no fossils to prove its existence have been found, but fossils of related genera imply that it did exist.
Titus the T. rex is King Exhibition
Titus the T. rex is King opened in July 2021, to international acclaim. Over 70,000 visitors have already met Titus and engaged with the bespoke interactive exhibition designed around the remarkable skeletal mount.
Rachael Evans (Museums Development Manager at Nottingham City Museums and Galleries at Wollaton Hall), one of the UK’s most important Natural History Museums, added:
“It is an astonishing moment for us. We will have one the largest dinosaurs ever exhibited in the UK on display alongside one of the smallest. The T. rex that has been introduced to the exhibition is 0.5mm in size, with miniscule teeth made from glass. Since new information about the T. rex has been researched and made available, Willard has remodelled the sculpture to be as accurate as possible in his depiction. We can’t wait to see our visitors’ reaction to this new addition.”
Exhibition Details
Tickets for TITUS T. REX IS KING are on sale now, set at £13.00 for an adult, £8.75 for a child (under 16 years), students and concessions, £34.00 for a family ticket (2 adults and 2 children under 16 years) and under 3s and carers have no entry fees to pay. Car parking charges apply.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from Wollaton Hall in the compilation of this article.
A new scientific paper on the Early Cretaceous tyrannosauroid Eotyrannus lengi has been published. It is confirmed as a valid genus and the phylogenetic assessment places the enigmatic Megaraptora clade within the Tyrannosauroidea superfamily.
First named and scientifically described back in 2001 (Hutt et al), Eotyrannus is helping to provide significant insights into the early evolution of tyrannosauroids as well as potentially redefining how enigmatic “megaraptors” such as Australovenator, Megaraptor and the recently described Maip macrothorax fit within the Theropoda.
The Carnivorous Dinosaurs of the Wessex Formation
Since the first fossils of Eotyrannus were found (1997), this theropod has attracted a lot of scientific interest. It is one of numerous carnivorous dinosaurs associated with the Wessex Formation (part of the Wealden Supergroup), indeed, back in 2021 we blogged about two new members of the Baryonychinae named and described from fossil remains found on the Isle of Wight (Wessex Formation). Last month, we wrote about an even bigger predator, an as yet, unnamed spinosaurid known as the “White Rock spinosaurid”.
The newly published paper provides further information on Eotyrannus autapomorphies (characteristic traits) that help to distinguish it from the often, fragmentary remains of other theropods associated with the Wessex Formation.
Deciphering the Fossil Evidence
Many of the fossil bones associated with the Eotyrannus genus remain entombed in their concrete-like matrix. Anatomical traits helping to define and classify this dinosaur are only beginning to emerge and there is a substantial amount of further preparation work required to permit a comprehensive analysis.
However, by combining all the new data since the formal description, the authors (Darren Naish and Andrea Cau) were able to produce a new skeletal reconstruction. The maxilla is confirmed as being quite rectangular in shape. Eotyrannus did not have the long, narrow snout (longirostrine) as seen in other early tyrannosauroids such as Dilong and Xiongguanlong from the Early Cretaceous of China. This suggests that longirostry evolved several times within the Tyrannosauroidea, perhaps in response to adaptations to permit these theropods to exploit a particular predatory niche.
Where do the Megaraptora Fit?
The scientific paper also incorporated a revised phylogenetic analysis of Eotyrannus. No significant support was found for Eotyrannus having a close evolutionary relationship to Juratyrant (J. langhami), known from the Late Jurassic of Dorset or indeed to the Late Jurassic early tyrannosauroid Stokesosaurus (S. clevelandi) from the western United States.
Instead, it is grouped with gracile, mid-sized tyrannosauroids that represent a more derived state than proceratosaurids, stokesosaurs and Juratyrant.
If megaraptoran dinosaurs are tyrannosauroids and therefore coelurosaurs, then this challenges long-held views on Theropoda classification and suggests that after the Early Cretaceous most of the hypercarnivore niches within dinosaur dominated ecosystems were increasingly occupied by coelurosaurs. It also suggests that tyrannosauroids were much more diverse and widespread during the Cretaceous than previously thought.
Eotyrannus remains a fascinating dinosaur, a genus that has led to new insights into the evolution and radiation of the Theropoda. It offers a tantalising glimpse into the ecology represented by the Wessex Formation deposits and how a mid-sized theropod co-existed with other, larger members of the ever-widening collection of Wessex Formation meat-eating dinosaurs.
Everything Dinosaur Helping to Fund Research
The authors wanted to make their paper available to everyone. To do this they set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover publishing costs. Everything Dinosaur assisted with the funding.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated:
“We were happy to support this excellent paper and we helped to make such studies possible. Your purchases from Everything Dinosaur genuinely help science”.
The scientific paper: “The osteology and affinities of Eotyrannus lengi, a tyrannosauroid theropod from the Wealden Supergroup of southern England” by Darren Naish and Andrea Cau published in PeerJ.
Hot weather can increase the risk of landslides and rockfalls, visitors to the seaside trying to avoid the extreme heat are advised to stay away from the cliffs.
For many parts of England, Monday and Tuesday (18th and 19th of July 2022), red extreme heat warnings have been issued. Such alerts have never been issued for the UK before. Temperatures could reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), although this system of alerts was only introduced last year (2021). The risk of a landslide can increase in hot weather, visitors to the beach should take care to avoid areas where there are cliffs.
Rock Fall and Landslide Risk
In very hot weather, the risk of landslides and rock falls increases. The heating up and then cooling of rocks can increase the instability of the rock face and this can lead to a collapse. The risk of landslides after heavy rain has been widely documented. Saturated, unstable ground can collapse, however, extreme daytime temperatures can also increase the risk of landslides and rock falls.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We do advise visitors to places such as the “Jurassic Coast” and the north coast of Yorkshire to heed the warnings about unstable cliffs. The very hot weather is likely to lead to packed beaches and we urge everyone to stay away from dangerous areas.”
Landslides are common around some parts of the British coastline. Tragically, some incidents cause fatalities. In 2012, a woman was killed when she was caught in a massive landslide at Bridport (Dorset).
We urge seaside visitors to follow local advice and to avoid straying too close to the cliffs and the cliff edge when walking above the beach area.
The new for 2022 Papo Protoceratops dinosaur model is in stock at Everything Dinosaur. This long-awaited replica of “first horned face”, the first of the new for 2022 prehistoric animal models from Papo is now available.
Papo Protoceratops Dinosaur Model
The Papo Protoceratops dinosaur model is around sixteen centimetres long. The model stands about eight centimetres high when measured from the top of that impressive head shield. Everything Dinosaur announced that this figure would be produced and made available this year (2022), back in the late autumn of 2021.
Papo Protoceratops with an Articulated Jaw
The Papo Protoceratops has been provided with a prominent beak for cropping tough vegetation and the model has an articulated lower jaw. The inside of the mouth has been well painted, and the Papo design team have provided the Protoceratops with rows of small white teeth in both the upper and lower jaw.
The Protoceratops Genus
The Protoceratops genus was erected in 1923 when the first species (P. andrewsi), was formally named and described (Granger and Gregory). The first fossils of this dinosaur were collected during the famous American Museum of Natural History expedition to the Gobi Desert. Protoceratops andrewsi is associated with the Mongolian Djadokhta Formation (Upper Cretaceous), a second species, the slightly larger Protoceratops hellenikorhinus was named and described in 2001 (Lambert et al). Fossils of P. hellenikorhinus are associated with the Bayan Mandahu Formation of Inner Mongolia (China).
Both the Djadokhta Formation and the potentially contemporaneous Bayan Mandahu Formation represent arid, desert-like palaeoenvironments.
Three Papo Prehistoric Animal Models Expected in 2022
The Papo Protoceratops dinosaur model is one of three Papo prehistoric animal models expected in 2022. A new colour variant of the Styracosaurus is expected in stock and, towards the end of the year (quarter 4), Papo are expected to introduce a model of a Mosasaurus.
Our thanks to dinosaur fan and model collector William who sent into Everything Dinosaur his detailed review of the recently introduced PNSO Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur model.
William starts his review by discussing the head sculpt. He states that the head is “a thing of pure magic, a true Acrocanthosaurus”. When compared to known skull material the life reconstruction from PNSO is praised.
The reviewer goes on to add:
“Thank you both ZHAO Chuang and YANG Yang from us, we are all humbled.”
No Hint of Shrink Wrapping
The superb skin texturing associated with the head sculpt is mentioned and the reviewer states that the figure shows no signs of shrink wrapping. He comments that the orbits, external ears and the lacrimal crests are perhaps the best around. The model has a fully articulated lower jaw, no lips and the jaw opens smoothly revealing lots of fine detail in the mouth.
William also highlights the placement of the eyes, giving stereoscopic vision.
The Main Body Sculpt
In William’s opinion PNSO have created the most detailed and scientifically accurate Acrocanthosaurus made to date. The cloaca is in the correct position and the neural spines, running from the base of the neck to the pelvic region are praised.
“When viewed from above you can see what makes this figure very rare and special. His massive musculature begins just behind the shoulders and travels down towards the tail. Within the folds of the model’s skin the ribs can be observed and touched these are the anchor points to which the muscles are attached.”
The forelimbs are described as providing a realistic likeness to the living dinosaur. William also comments upon the hind legs stating that they look robust and powerful, not made for speed but being ideal to help this large carnivore overpower sauropods.
He explains that the tail might look a little shorter when compared to previous examples of the Carcharodontosauridae, but it only seems short due to the presence of the neural spines.
Similar to a Burmese Python
The reviewer suggests that the model’s colouration is similar to that of a Burmese python. He states that the colour scheme chosen is an inspired choice for an apex predator. The base colour of light ochre contrasts with the darker wash and the Burmese python markings.
William comments that the pink maw of the mouth has a real natural feel and look about it, with the white teeth blending into brown/white at the roots.
He adds:
“The lacrimal crest has a subtle red applied which is very pleasing to one’s eye.”
The Size of the PNSO Acrocanthosaurus Model
William suggests that the figure has a scale of 1:37 and provides model measurements:
The PNSO Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus model is supplied with a number of accessories.
Clear plastic support stand.
Beautiful, illustrated 64-page booklet.
Stunning A3 colour poster.
QR code to watch a short design video.
Acrocanthosaurus Fossils
As is customary with William’s model reviews he concludes by providing information about this Early Cretaceous dinosaur and details of fossil discoveries.
He states that Acrocanthosaurus fossils have been found in four U.S. states (Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming and Arizona).
As hypercarnivores the Carcharodontosauridae were the ultimate big game hunters, feasting on sauropods. William suggests that these predators were probably pack hunters.
In the information supplied to Everything Dinosaur, William explained how “high spine lizard” was discovered and named and recounted the tale of the discovery of the specimen nicknamed “Fran”.
Whilst the evolution of such high neural spines in members of the Theropoda remains uncertain, William postulates that the spines could have supported a hump or perhaps played a role in visual displays or regulating body temperature.
Theropod and Sauropod Tracks from the Glen Rose Formation
The reviewer also commented upon the famous theropod and sauropod tracks, in what is now known as the Dinosaur Valley State Park (Texas). The tracks may represent a theropod dinosaur stalking a sauropod. These tracks have been attributed to dinosaurs similar to Acrocanthosaurus and Sauroposeidon respectively.
William closes his review by stating that the PNSO Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus figure is:
“PNSO’s greatest theropod”.
Our thanks to William for providing Everything Dinosaur with such a detailed model review.
To view the PNSO Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus and the rest of the PNSO models and figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Figures.
The new for 2022 CollectA prehistoric animal models are now in stock at Everything Dinosaur. Team members have been busy contacting all those customers that requested that they be informed when the CollectA prehistoric animal model delivery arrived.
New Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, a Prehistoric Mammal, a Nautiloid and ?
The new figures include dinosaurs, two pterosaurs (the 1:15 scale P. longiceps figure having been held over from 2021), a stunning nautiloid and an updated Paraceratherium replica. In addition, a model of the enigmatic Late Triassic predator Smok (S. wawelski) is also in stock. This Polish carnivore is classified as an archosaur, but its exact taxonomic placement remains ambiguous.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We have been looking forward to getting these new CollectA prehistoric animal figures into our warehouse. The shipment contained over a hundred different types of models including fresh stock of the award-winning Doedicurus and the 1:15 scale Pteranodon longiceps figure that we were unable to bring into the UK last year. We know that many collectors have been patiently waiting for these figures, now their wait is over.”
The fossils of an ancient amphibian found on the Isle of Skye (Scotland), are helping scientists to better understand the evolutionary development of salamanders. Writing in the academic journal “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS), the researchers suggest that the fossils represent the oldest salamander fossil found to date in Europe.
A Scottish Stem Salamander
Marmorerpeton wakei
The stem Salamander genus Marmorerpeton was named and described in 1988, but detailed analysis of the Isle of Skye fossil material, including CT scans demonstrated that this was a new species, which has been named Marmorerpeton wakei. The species name honours the late Professor David Wake, who was a world-renowned authority on early salamander evolution.
Lead author of the study, Dr Marc Jones (University College London, Cell and Developmental Biology), commented:
“The fossil is definitely a salamander but unlike anything alive today. It highlights the importance of the fossil record for preserving combinations of anatomical features that do not exist in any living animal.”
The anatomical features of the new Scottish fossils of Marmorerpeton wakei were only revealed thanks to the detailed CT scans and subsequent computer-generated models. This scanning technology provides a powerful and non-destructive tool for revealing fine details on fossil bones. One specimen, collected in 2016, was found to be part of a specimen collected in 1971 but left undescribed until now.
Middle Jurassic Salamander
The fossils are thought to be around 166 million years old (Middle Jurassic) and although the Marmorerpeton genus was first described over 30 years ago, the material analysed in this new paper has permitted the researchers to build up a more complete picture of this 20-centimetre-long amphibian.
Marmorerpeton wakei had a wide but shallow frog-like head with powerful jaws and distinctive, prominent, bony projections behind its eyes. The skull roof bones show that it was ornamented like that of a crocodile or a temnospondyl, distinguishing it from extant salamanders. The limb bones and deep tail of Marmorerpeton wakei suggest this animal was aquatic, perhaps using its wide jaws to catch prey by suction feeding, similar to the lifestyle seen in the modern Hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of North America.
The bony bumps behind the orbit are unusual and Dr Jones commented:
“The big bony projections behind the eye were a bit unexpected but smaller projections do exist in fossil salamanders from slightly younger rocks. Their purpose remains unknown.”
The early evolution of salamanders is poorly understood, their small and delicate bones are rarely preserved as fossils. This research also included a detailed survey of modern salamander anatomy which informed the subsequent analyses.
The Karaurus Genus
Several previous studies of Mesozoic salamanders have relied on fossils from the Late Jurassic, found in Kazakhstan, assigned to the genus Karaurus. As the Marmorerpeton fossils are older, they help to provide an improved understanding of how early salamanders evolved.
Senior-author Professor Susan Evans (University College London Cell and Developmental Biology), who first described Marmorerpeton in 1988 explained:
“The origin and early history of modern amphibian groups remains mysterious and new fossils like this one are key to developing a better understanding of amphibian evolution. In theory, the Skye salamander should give us a clue as to what the ancestors of modern salamanders looked like. However, it could be that they are a highly specialised off-shoot.”
The scientific paper: “Middle Jurassic fossils document an early stage in salamander evolution” by Marc E. H. Jones, Roger B. J. Benson, Pavel Skutschas, Lucy Hill, Elsa Panciroli, Armin D. Schmitt, Stig A. Walsh and Susan E. Evans published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
New PNSO models, the Torosaurus pair, Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus and Xinchuan the Sinraptor all feature in the latest Everything Dinosaur customer newsletter. In addition, fresh stocks of the PNSO Olorotitan, Tsintaosaurus and Harvey the Iguanodon have arrived, and these ornithischians also feature in the latest customer newsletter.
Torosaurus Pair and a Pair of Theropod Dinosaurs
The new for 2022 Torosaurus adult and juvenile (Aubrey and Dabei) have arrived in stock. A pair of Torosaurus dinosaur models in 1:35 scale complete with posters and a full-colour information booklet.
Two new PNSO theropods also feature, namely Xinchuan the Sinraptor and the eagerly awaited Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus dinosaur model.
PNSO Dinosaurs
Not to be outdone, there are some plant-eating dinosaurs too showcased amongst the theropod duo. The Everything Dinosaur newsletter also features the 1:35 scale PNSO Xiaoqin the Tsintaosaurus which comes complete with full-colour booklet and posters. The newsletter also highlights Harvey the Iguanodon, another splendid plant-eating dinosaur model in 1/35th scale.
Olorotitan and Celebrating Everything Dinosaur’s Blog
The latest issue of the newsletter also features the return into stock of the greatly admired PNSO Ivan the Olorotitan model. This plant-eating dinosaur figure was introduced in late 2021, it has been a top-seller ever since. The PNSO Ivan the Olorotitan is a beautifully detailed scale model.
The newsletter also included a short section on Everything Dinosaur’s free to access blog. The company recently celebrated posting up their 6,000th blog post. For the last fifteen years a new post has been uploaded every day! The Everything Dinosaur blog contains news about dinosaurs, the latest research, articles about model collecting, updates on fossil finds and lots and lots of helpful information and dinosaur facts.
The Everything Dinosaur newsletter is sent out periodically to subscribers, it contains updates on new products, competitions, exclusive information and support.