We got sent a copy of the amazing “Travels with Trilobites” by world-renowned expert on the Trilobita Andy Secher. What a fantastic book! Trilobites are regarded by many scientists as being one of the most successful animals to have ever existed and their fossils are absolutely fascinating as well as stunningly beautiful. We can’t wait to read and then review this superbly illustrated guide to all things Trilobita!
Very excited to receive a copy of “Travels with Trilobites” by Andy Secher (field associate in palaeontology at the American Museum of Natural History – New York).
Published by Columbia University Press
Published by Columbia University Press the book includes forewards by Mark Norell, Kirk Johnson and Niles Eldredge. There are over 25,000 described species of trilobites and although entirely marine (as far as we know), they evolved into a myriad of forms. Many of the beautiful, full-colour photographs in the book show fossils from the author’s own extensive collection.
The front cover of the beautifully illustrated “Travels with Trilobites” by Andy Secher published by Columbia University Press. It is an adventure in Palaeozoic marine fauna.
Andy Secher is a field associate in palaeontology at the prestigious American Museum of Natural History (New York). His own private collection comprises more than 4,000 trilobite specimens. The book provides the opportunity to explore one of the most enigmatic marine creatures of the Palaeozoic Era.
Team members at Everything Dinosaur are going to enjoy reading and then reviewing this wonderful book.
To purchase “Travels with Trilobites” by Andy Secher, visit the Columbia University Press website and search for Andy Secher: Visit Columbia University Website.
The recently aired television documentary series “Prehistoric Planet” has drawn praise for the way it depicted long extinct creatures as real animals and not movie monsters. This five-part series aimed to show animals such as marine reptiles, pterosaurs and of course dinosaurs doing more than just fighting, hunting and killing.
The stunning episodes have inspired a whole new generation of dinosaur fans and we have received an illustration of the female Velociraptor that featured in episode three (Freshwater), from young artist Caldey.
The female Velociraptor from the television documentary series “Prehistoric Planet”. The programmes were praised as they depicted prehistoric animals as living creatures rather than fearsome movie monsters. Picture credit: Caldey.
Hunting Roosting Pterosaurs
Our thanks to Caldey for sending into Everything Dinosaur her wonderful illustration of the female Velociraptor. This dinosaur was one of a trio of Velociraptors (a female and two males), in a segment showing these agile predators hunting roosting pterosaurs. Co-operative hunting behaviour was demonstrated and these clever theropods, after some drama, did manage to get a meal.
The female Velociraptor from episode 3 of the television series “Prehistoric Planet”. In this episode entitled “Freshwater” a trio of Velociraptors were shown co-operating in a successful hunt on a pterosaur nesting colony. Picture credit: Apple TV+.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Caldey has sent into Everything Dinosaur several dromaeosaurid drawings, but the female Velociraptor illustration is the first that was inspired by a television programme. Her inspiration for earlier dromaeosaur illustrations has come from prehistoric animal models, for example, the limited-edition Beasts of the Mesozoic Velociraptor osmolskae figure called Alpha.”
An illustration of Velociraptor osmolskae inspired by the limited-edition Beasts of the Mesozoic model called “Alpha”. Picture credit: Caldey.
The Early Cretaceous Tetrapodophis amplectus, once thought to represent an early limbed snake, was not a snake after all, but a member of the Dolichosauridae. The fossil is not a missing link between lizards and snakes but an aquatic lizard. That was the conclusion in a paper published late last year (2021) and today we take a look at this remarkable and highly controversial fossil specimen.
A life reconstruction of Tetrapodophis amplectus gliding through cover as it stalks fish close to the shore. New research suggests that this Early Cretaceous reptile is not a transitional form between a lizard and a snake, but instead it is a dolichosaurid. Picture credit: Julius Csotonyi.
A Transitional Fossil
Palaeontologists had long hoped to find a transitional fossil showing a lizard-like animal with vestigial limbs, an evolutionary link in the evolution of snakes from a limbed ancestor. Tetrapodophis was named in 2015, when a scientific paper was published describing a remarkable fossil from Brazil that had been spotted quite by chance by scientists on a visit to a German museum.
Had Tetrapodophis been revealed to be an ancestral snake then this would have had very significant implications for our understanding of the evolution of the Squamata. However, in November 2021 a scientific paper was published in the “Journal of Systematic Palaeontology” which concluded that the fossil had been misidentified. The research team from the University of Alberta, Harvard University, Flinders University (South Australia), the University of Toronto, Midwestern University and the Universidad Maimónides (Buenos Aires, Argentina), examined the counter slab and concluded that the fossil skull impression did not demonstrate characteristics typically seen in snake skulls.
A beautifully preserved specimen once thought to represent an early, limbed snake but now thought to be a marine lizard related to snakes and modern lizards. Picture credit: Dr Dave Martill/University of Portsmouth with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur.
University of Alberta palaeontologist Michael Caldwell, who led the study commented:
“When the rock containing the specimen was split and it was discovered, the skeleton and skull ended up on opposite sides of the slab, with a natural mould preserving the shape of each on the opposite side. The original study only described the skull and overlooked the natural mould, which preserved several features that make it clear that Tetrapodophis did not have the skull of a snake — not even of a primitive one.”
In the original 2015 scientific description, Tetrapodophis was thought to be an ancestral snake. The tiny limbs were thought to have been used to hold prey. Scientists were uncertain whether this animal was a burrower or adapted to a marine environment. It has now been assigned to the Dolichosauridae. Picture credit: Julius Csotonyi.
Squamata Evolution Remains Ambiguous
The evolution of the Order Squamata remains ambiguous. It is thought that the first, basal squamates evolved during the Middle Triassic, but when the first true snakes evolved is uncertain. The 2021 paper examining the skull impression in the counter slab confirmed that Tetrapodophis lacked typical snake skull characteristics. The spine was also shown to lack typical snake-like anatomical traits.
The fossil record for the Squamata is particularly sparse. Primitive snake and lizard skeletons are usually small with delicate bones that are easily dispersed post-mortem. Palaeontologists hope that more fossils will be found that help to clarify the evolutionary origins of snakes.
A Controversial Fossil
Tetrapodophis amplectus may not represent a snake with four legs, transitional fossils remain elusive, it still has immense scientific value. Co-author of the 2021 paper, Tiago Simões (Harvard University) explained:
“One of the greatest challenges of studying Tetrapodophis isthat it is one of the smallest fossilsquamates ever found. It is comparable to the smallest squamates alive today that also have reduced limbs.”
The fossil specimen remains controversial. The fossil, originally from Brazil may have been exported without the appropriate permits. It was part of a private collection and the authorities in Brazil only became aware of the fossil’s existence when the 2015 paper was published.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of media releases from Flinders University and the University of Alberta in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Tetrapodophis amplectus is not a snake: Reassessment of the osteology, phylogeny and functional morphology of an Early Cretaceous dolichosaurid lizard” by M. W. Caldwell, T. R. Simões, A. Palcid, F. F. Garberoglio, R. R. Reisz, M. S. Y. Lee and R. L. Nydam published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology (November 2021).
Compared with most birds and mammals, reptiles like turtles and tortoises are extremely long-lived, but how do they achieve such great ages, with little evidence of age-related decline? Recently published research papers examined ageing rates and lifespans across seventy-seven species of reptiles and amphibians and these studies suggest that “cold-blooded” animals could teach us a thing or two about living to a ripe old age.
Animals such as the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands are known to live for over 100 years. Picture credit: AFP/Getty Images.
Life in the Slow Lane
An international team, consisting of over one hundred scientists including researchers from Flinders University (Adelaide, South Australia), Pennsylvania State, Northeastern Illinois University and the University of Kent, have provided the first comprehensive evidence confirming that turtles in the wild age very slowly and have long lifespans. In addition, the team concluded that reptiles and amphibians (ectotherms) have highly variable rates of ageing.
Several cold-blooded (ectothermic) species, essentially, do not age and show very little evidence for age-related decline. Unlike warm-blooded (endothermic) animals, ectotherms rely on external heat sources to help them regulate their body temperature, as a result, they tend to have much lower metabolisms than animals like birds and mammals. They way in which these animals regulate their body temperatures could play a role in ageing and potential lifespan (thermoregulatory mode hypothesis).
Native to Australia, the Sleepy lizard (Tiliqua rugosa), which is also referred to as the Shingleback, can live for more than 50 years. Scientists from Flinders University have been working on a long-term study of these slow-moving reptiles, their maximum lifespan is not known. Picture credit: Mike Gardner.
Having a Shell, Armour, Venom or Spines Might Help You Live Longer
In this extensive study programme, the researchers also noted that animals with physical or chemical traits that provide defence and protection such as spines, armour, shells or venom, tend to age slowly and to live longer.
The scientists documented that these protective traits do, indeed, enable animals to age more slowly and in the case of physical protection, live much longer for their size than those without protective phenotypes (protective phenotypes hypothesis).
The Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), native to Madagascar might be critically endangered, but the protective phenotype hypothesis suggests that protective characteristics such as a shell can confer longevity and slow down the ageing process. Picture credit: IUCN
Some Animals Do Not Seem to Age
Discussing the significance of this long-term research programme, Professor Mike Gardner (Flinders University) stated:
“We helped track seventy-seven species for up to sixty years to try to reveal the secrets of long life. Some don’t seem to age at all.”
First author of one of the studies, published in the journal “Science”, Assistant Professor Beth Reinke from Northeastern Illinois University added:
“These various protective mechanisms may reduce animals’ mortality rates within generations. Thus, they are more likely to live longer, and that can change the selection landscape across generations for the evolution of slower ageing. We found the biggest support for the protective phenotype hypothesis in turtles. Again, this demonstrates that turtles, as a group, are unique.”
Ageing diagram ectotherms compared to endotherms. A supertree diagram showing all the endothermic and ectothermic species included in the analysis. Branch lengths are not scaled. The red in the inner circle represents endotherms and blue represents ectotherms. Green bars are longevity estimates and orange bars are the ageing rates. Silhouettes from Phylopic.org. Picture credit: Reinke et al.
It might sound a little dramatic to conclude that some cold-blooded animals may show no signs of ageing, but basically their likelihood of dying does not alter to any great extent once they mature. They show “negligible ageing” which means if an animal’s chance of dying in a year when they are ten years old is 1%, if that animal is alive in a hundred years, it still has a 1% chance of dying. In contrast, a study of American women found that the risk of dying at age twenty is 1 in 2,500, but this risk rises as they get older. For example, in this study group, at the age of eighty, their risk of dying was more than a hundred times higher (1 in 24) than when they were twenty years old.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from Flinders University in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Diverse aging rates in ectothermic tetrapods provide insights for the evolution of aging and longevity” by Beth A. Reinke, Hugo Cayuela, Fredric J. Janzen et al published in Science.
New PNSO dinosaur models are in stock at Everything Dinosaur. Xinchuan the Sinraptor, Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus and Aubrey and Dabei the Torosaurus pair have arrived. Team members have been busy contacting all their customers who requested that they be notified when these exciting prehistoric animal models came into stock.
Unloading the latest shipment of PNSO prehistoric animal figures at Everything Dinosaur’s warehouse. Tsintaosaurus model and the Torosaurus pair (Aubrey and Dabei) with the Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus model (left) and Xinchuan the Sinraptor (right).
PNSO Sinraptor, Acrocanthosaurus and the Torosaurus Pair
As well as the new figures, the PNSO Xinchuan the Sinraptor, Fergus the Acrocanthosaurus and the 1:35 scale Torosaurus pair (Aubrey and Dabei), replenishment stocks for a number of existing lines have also arrived and staff have been busy checking boxes and getting these items on-line as well.
A pair of PNSO 1:35 scale dinosaur models. Doyle the Triceratops (top) and (bottom) Torosaurus Aubrey and Dabei.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We are delighted to receive this latest shipment of PNSO prehistoric animal figures, especially as it contains the eagerly awaited, new theropods [Sinraptor and Acrocanthosaurus] as well as the Torosaurus adult and juvenile in 1/35th scale.”
No Need to Pre-Order, No Fees, No Deposit to Pay
With Everything Dinosaur, customers do not have to pre-order. There are no additional fees or deposits to pay. If customers let us know that they wish to receive a priority alert when a model arrives, we are happy to arrange this for them.
A pair of PNSO 1:35 scale horned dinosaur models. Doyle the Triceratops (top) and (bottom) Torosaurus Aubrey and Dabei.
Gold miners working at Eureka Creek in the Klondike Region of Yukon Province in Canada have discovered the frozen remains of a baby woolly mammoth. The calf, which is female is estimated to have lived around 30,000 years ago and it represents the best-preserved woolly mammoth specimen ever found in North America.
The baby mammoth identified as a female, is the best-preserved woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) found to date in North America. It is thought to be around 30,000 years old. Picture credit: Yukon Government.
“Big Baby Animal”
The discovery was made on June 21st, the Northern Hemisphere solstice and also appropriately, Canada’s National Indigenous Peoples Day. The Klondike gold fields lie within the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Traditional Territory. Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin elders have named the mammoth calf Nun cho ga, meaning “big baby animal” in the indigenous people’s (Hän) language.
Ice Age animal remains are quite commonly found in the Yukon area as they erode out of thawing permafrost, however, mummified remains complete with skin and hair are exceptionally rare.
Minister for Tourism and Culture, Ranj Pillai of the Yukon Territory Administration commented:
“The Yukon has always been an internationally renowned leader for ice age and Beringia research. We are thrilled about this significant discovery of a mummified woolly mammoth calf: Nun cho ga. Without strong partnerships between placer miners, Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin, and the Yukon government, discoveries like this could not happen.”
Woolly Mammoths (M. primigenius) an iconic animal of the Ice Age.
Vertebrate palaeontologist Dr Grant Zazula added:
“As an ice age palaeontologist, it has been one of my lifelong dreams to come face to face with a real woolly mammoth. That dream came true today. Nun cho ga is beautiful and one of the most incredible mummified ice age animals ever discovered in the world. I am excited to get to know her more.”
Comparisons with Lyuba
The discovery of the superbly preserved corpse will provide scientists with an opportunity to compare Nun cho ga with Lyuba, a mammoth calf discovered in Siberia back in 2007. Lyuba lived a few thousand years earlier than the Yukon mammoth (circa 41,800 years), researchers will have the opportunity to compare the genetic health of the mammoth population and plot any changes between the older Lyuba and Nun cho ga which lived, around 12,000 years later.
The discovery of Nun cho ga is not the first woolly mammoth calf found in North America. In 1948, a partial mammoth calf, nicknamed Effie, was found at a gold mine in Alaska.
In response to requests from dinosaur fans and aficionados of the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” movie franchise, team members at Everything Dinosaur have produced a dinosaur site safety sign and it is available absolutely free.
Whilst at our local cinema waiting to watch “Jurassic World Dominion”, team members spotted a joke site safety sign declaring three days since the last Tyrannosaurus rex attack. In response to requests received from our posts on social media we have created our own version of this safety sign and it is available as a pdf.
Having received requests from dinosaur fans wanting their own site safety sign we have created one especially for them.
An A4-sized PDF
The Everything Dinosaur site safety sign is available as a pdf document. It can be requested and emailed. The sign has been designed as an A4-sized document measuring 297 mm x 210 mm, once dinosaur fans have received the email, it can be printed off and if required laminated. A non-permanent marker pen can be used to write into the white box the number of days “without a dinosaur incident”. It is just a bit of fun, but would look good on a bedroom wall or on the door to a room.
A site safety notice at our local cinema spotted at the entrance as team members went to see “Jurassic World Dominion”. Inspired by this joke sign, Everything Dinosaur has designed its own dinosaur site safety sign.
Everything Dinosaur will be stocking both the new Rebor male Triceratops “Trident” models. The Rebor male Triceratops “Trident” king and the Rebor male Triceratops “Trident” horn of doom are expected to be in stock towards the end of the year (2022).
Rebor male Triceratops horridus “Trident” Horn of Doom. Customers can join a no obligation, priority notification list for this exciting 1:35 scale dinosaur model.
Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” King version. Fans of dinosaur models and Rebor figures in particular can join a no obligation, priority notification list for this Triceratops horridus model.
Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” Horn of Doom
There had been rumours circulating that Rebor intended to introduce another Triceratops figure, a replica of a living animal after the company introduced the “Fallen Queen” model which was originally introduced back in 2015.
Rebor male Triceratops horridus Trident Horn of Doom in left lateral view.
Two species of Triceratops are formally recognised, these two figures are based on the geologically older Triceratops horridus. There will be two colour variants of this 1:35 scale Triceratops, namely:
The Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” Horn of Doom version.
The Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” King version.
The Rebor male Triceratops horridus Trident Horn of Doom.
Customers can email Everything Dinosaur and request to join the company’s priority notification list so that they can be contacted as soon as these splendid horned dinosaur models come into stock.
The Rebor male Triceratops horridus “Trident” Horn of Doom colour version.
Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” King Version
Each figure measures approximately 32 cm long and stands around 12 cm tall. A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“We will be stocking both the Rebor male Triceratops Trident King and the Rebor male Triceratops Trident Horn of Doom. These figures will be made over the summer and shipped sometime in the autumn. We expect to have them in stock at Everything Dinosaur around the end of quarter 3 or perhaps the start of quarter 4.”
Rebor male Triceratops horridus. The Rebor male Triceratops “Trident” King colour version.
Rebor male Triceratops horridus (anterior view).
Join Everything Dinosaur’s Priority Notification Email List
With Everything Dinosaur there is no need to pre-order, there is no deposit to pay. Customers can simply email and request that they join the company’s no obligation priority notification list.
The Rebor 1:35 Alpha Male Triceratops horridus “Trident” King version.
To join the priority notification list for these amazing figures, just email Everything Dinosaur remembering to let us know which dinosaur model(s) you want.
Today, team members at Everything Dinosaur are celebrating the landmark of having achieved 6,000 blog posts. Since our first article was posted up in May 2007, a great deal has happened in the world of palaeontology. Everything Dinosaur has done its best to update and inform readers of these exciting developments. We have covered news stories, fossil discoveries, the description and naming of new dinosaur species, updates on theories and the use of new tools and methodologies in research, plus a lot more. We are living in a “golden age” of fossil discoveries and prehistoric animal research, we have, in a small way, helped to communicate some of these exciting developments and fossil finds.
Everything Dinosaur celebrates posting up 6,000 articles on its blog site. The weblog has been operating for more than fifteen years!
Updating Model Collectors and Dinosaur Fans
The Everything Dinosaur blog also updates model collectors and dinosaur fans. We have continued to publish reviews, exclusive images and videos of prehistoric animal replicas and we remain committed to providing as much information as we can to help model collectors build their collections.
Thanks to Our Readers
We would like to thank all our readers and blog supporters. Your comments, feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated, our heartfelt thanks for your support over these last fifteen years.
Praise from a dinosaur! A big thumbs up to all our blog readers and supporters.
Wonder what exciting scientific developments, discoveries and new products we will be covering in the next 1,000 posts?
“Jurassic World Dominion” was released in UK cinemas on June 10th (2022), Everything Dinosaur team members were able to take time away from their busy schedule to watch the film yesterday (June 22nd). The film reunites many of the characters from the original “Jurassic Park” movie and there are several new prehistoric animals, recreated by a combination of animatronics and computer-generated images (CGI).
The film’s release had been delayed due to the global pandemic, but dinosaur aficionados and fans of the earlier movies have had the chance to see, what has been billed as the final instalment of the franchise.
Ultimately, T. rex is the star of the latest instalment in the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” franchise despite the appearance of numerous theropods including for the first time, Therizinosaurus and Giganotosaurus.Picture credit: Universal Studios.
Pyroraptor, Giganotosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus and Therizinosaurus
Lots of new prehistoric animals are featured, dinosaurs such as Giganotosaurus, Dreadnoughtus, Therizinosaurus, Atrociraptor and Pyroraptor. Some of these dinosaurs have been given feathers, perhaps a nod to criticisms of the integuments of the “raptors” seen in early incarnations of the franchise.
The feathered Pyroraptor from the film “Jurassic World Dominion”. Picture credit: Universal Studios.
Without giving away too many spoilers, the giant pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus and the sail-finned synapsid Dimetrodon also appear.
The film has garnered mix reviews from the critics, but movie-goes have been more generous with their praise. The film is currently showing a rating of 77% on the Rotten Tomatoes website. “Jurassic World Dominion” has certainly done very well at the box office. Earlier this week, global ticket sales passed the $600 million USD mark.
Paying Tribute to Earlier Films
“Jurassic World Dominion” might be a bit of chimera of a movie (reminiscent of the prehistoric animals with their genomes sourced from a variety of creatures). There are scenes that parody James Bond, Indiana Jones and “Taken” and whilst regarded by many as a “light, enjoyable romp”, fans of the franchise will have noted the numerous tributes paid to earlier films in this series.
Our particular favourite was when the character Ellie Sattler, played by Laura Dern, takes off her sunglasses in astonishment at what she is seeing, reflecting a similar scene from “Jurassic Park” that marks the first time the scientists see a dinosaur.
Actress Laura Dern reprises her role as Ellie Sattler from “Jurassic Park”. The latest film “Jurassic World Dominion” pays homage to the original 1993 movie, in this scene Laura removes her sunglasses recreating an iconic moment from “Jurassic Park”.Picture credit: Universal Studios.
Is the Film Franchise Extinct?
With a running time of 2 hours and 27 minutes, this is the longest film in the “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” franchise. Despite being billed as the final instalment and supposed to bring closure, team members at Everything Dinosaur suspect that, with it having made four times its estimated budget in ticket sales thus far, the commercial appeal of dinosaurs might result in a resurrection.
Just like the avian dinosaurs, this film franchise might not be extinct…
A site safety notice at our local cinema spotted at the entrance as team members went to see “Jurassic World Dominion”. It is pleasing to note that Everything Dinosaur has a better safety record!
