Animal News Stories

News stories and articles that do not necessarily feature extinct animals.

4 06, 2010

Anglo/U.S. Research Co-operation on Gomphotheres Announced

By Mike|2024-04-19T10:12:36+01:00June 4th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Help from the United States to Sort out Derivation of Amebelodon

As team members at Everything Dinosaur make the final preparations for the new Procon/CollectA, Papo and Carnegie Models to arrive, the fact sheets that our experts have prepared to accompany each new replica are checked and re-checked.

Everything Dinosaur

Amongst the twenty-five fact sheets that have been compiled, there is one for Amebelodon, a member of the elephant family (Proboscidea – animals with trunks), in preparation for the receipt of the Amebelodon model from Carnegie Safari, part of their Prehistoric Life range.

A Scale Drawing of Amebelodon (A. fricki)

A scale drawing of Amebelodon.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view our current range of Safari/Carnegie models and other dinosaur toys: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models.

In the course of our research on this particular member of the Gomphotheriidae, our team members became stuck when we tried to interpret the meaning of the genus Amebelodon. The elephant family can be traced back to the Eocene Epoch and they have a long and diverse lineage. The unique shovel-like shape of the lower (mandibular) incisors has led to amebelodonts being called “shovel-tuskers”, but this we knew was not the exact derivation of the Latin (or Greek) name.

A quick email to Mark Hallett, a palaeo-artist and writer of a recent and most informative article on the history of North American Mastodons; featured in the magazine Prehistoric Times and our problem was solved. According to Mark, who co-incidently had been emailed by a Prehistoric Times reader on this subject just a few days earlier, the name Amebelodon is derived from the Latin/Greek for “shovel” and “dart” plus “dont” (which means tooth). So we get the descriptive name “shovel-dart tooth”. The name is apt as this ancient elephant had two pairs of tusks, a dart-like pair similar to those of an extant elephant in the upper jaw, and the shovel-like tusks in the lower jaw.

Amebelodon

Amebelodon was formerly named and described by the eminent American geologist and palaeontologist Erwin Hinckly Barbour following the discovery of lower jaw material in Nebraska. With two pairs of tusks, one like a set of darts, the second shaped like a shovel, the name Amebelodon is particularly appropriate.

Our thanks to our friends across the Atlantic for helping us out. Old World and New World co-operation with regards to primitive elephants is particularly appropriate. These animals are believed to have originated in Africa (the Old World) and then over the Neogene Period to have migrated across land bridges to Europe, Asia and the New World of the Americas.

9 05, 2010

The 21st Century – A Mass Extinction Event – An Important United Nations Report

By Mike|2024-04-19T10:11:17+01:00May 9th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

United Nations Report set to Declare that 30% of all Fauna and Flora Faces Extinction

The economic expansion of countries such as China and India, with the Western World’s inability to deal effectively with environmental threats could lead to the extinction of a third of all the plant’s species before the end of this century. We could be heading for a mass extinction event.

That is one of the conclusions of a United Nations report due to be published next week. It focuses on the huge growth in the human population and consumption and provides a stark warning about the future diversity of life on Earth. The report will link economic growth and extinction rates and provide one of the most critical evaluations on the current state of humanity and our relationship with the natural world.

Mass Extinction Event

2009 has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity, a number of events and activities are being held world wide to highlight the rich and varied ecosystems of our planet, this new report paints a very different picture regarding the state of the natural world.

This new United Nations sponsored report uses research from 120 countries and it will show that no country has succeeded in halting the loss of biodiversity and that 89% of those countries that had submitted data identified climate change as a cause for the extinctions.

Ahmed Djoghlaf, the UN’s leading figure on biological diversification states:

“If the nine billion people predicted to be with us by 2050 were to have the same lifestyle as Americans, we would need five planets.”

The UN report will attract a great deal of debate, but many countries will be reluctant to take action as they will be unwilling to fore go economic growth for the sake of the natural world. The extinction threat extends across all the main ecosystems of the planet, from rain forests to coral reefs, species as different as tree frogs, large mammals, tuna and river dolphins face extinction.

River dolphins and other large freshwater animals are particularly threatened. It is not just climate change but loss of habitat and also pollution that is causing their demise. The Yangtze river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), fore example is believed to virtually extinct. No specimens were recorded in a six week survey of the Yangtze river in 2006. To read more about the decline and potential extinction of this unique species:

Yangtze River Dolphin: The Yangtze River Dolphin – How to Define an Epoch.

There is always a certain “background” rate of extinction, as species fail to compete and die out. The fossil record identifies five major extinction events when global biodiversity was significantly reduced, but there have been many other smaller extinction events recorded in the fossil record. However, some scientists have declared the Holocene as the site of the “sixth great mass extinction”, with huge numbers of species threatened with extinction.

The most recent study by the International Union for Conservation and Nature (IUCN) found that more than 17,200 species of the 47,677 species studied were classified as being threatened by extinction. The IUCN compiles a red list of species (first prepared in 1948), this catalogues species and rates them along a spectrum to indicate their threatened status. Species can be classified as LC (least concern) down to EW (extinct in the wild) and ET (extinct). Of the worlds 5, 490 mammal species 79 are classified as extinct. The IUCN has estimated that approximately 30% of all amphibian species, 70% of plants and 35% of invertebrates are threatened with extinction.

Nine Billion People

It has been estimated that by 2050 the human population will have soared to over 9 billion and the increasing human population will increase the pressure on limited resources thus leading to the extinction of many more species. The reduction of diversity and habitat in conjunction with global warning may have dire consequences for our own species.

We at Everything Dinosaur, are trying to do our bit. One of our team members has become our “Environmental Officer” and to date we have fitted energy saving light bulbs, reduced our fossil fuel consumption and introduced a new policy on packaging recycling. In addition, we have been slowly converting the area behind our offices into a wildlife friendly habitat by cleaning out and restoring a pond, planting bee friendly plants and putting in some new trees.

Team members have also been encouraged to consider where the food they eat comes from. Vegetable and fruit seeds have been provided and we are all being encouraged to “grow our own”. So far, crops of carrots, beetroot, rhubarb, onions and a series of herbs have been successfully harvested.

We have also been involved in a number of other projects too, we recognise that whilst we cannot make a huge impact on our own we can make a small difference, other plans for this summer include monitoring the grass meadow we helped to establish and creating a fernery and rockery to increase the number of wildlife habitats the area behind the offices has.

Everything Dinosaur Has Built a Wildlife Pond

More frogspawn laid in the office pond (16th March 2022).

Everything Dinosaur has created a wildlife pond which has encouraged amphibians to spawn. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

8 05, 2010

British Columbia Proposes Provincial Fossil (Four Contenders in the Running)

By Mike|2023-03-05T13:22:59+00:00May 8th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

British Columbia wants a Provincial Fossil – Four Candidates in Contention

British Columbia, Canada’s westernmost province is looking for its own provincial fossil, to join the list of natural fauna and flora that represent this part of Canada. A number of American states and Canadian provinces have their own stated fossil representative, for example Alaska has a Woolly Mammoth and California has adopted the Sabre-toothed cat sub-species S. fatalis in respect to the large amounts of Smilodon material found at La Brea tar pits.

Alberta has fossilised trees (petrified wood) as their provincial stone, but surprisingly this fossil rich area has no official fossil to represent it. Only Nova Scotia in Canada has a provincial fossil – Hylonomus lyelli. This primitive reptile, the oldest known true egg-laying (amniote). Forty of the U.S. states have a state fossil and following this trend, British Columbia has drawn up a shortlist of four candidates.

The British Columbia Palaeontological Association (BCPA) in conjunction with a number of Canadian universities has selected the four candidates from the huge range of extinct fauna and flora in the British Columbia fossil record. All thirteen of Earth’s major, life-bearing geological systems, from Vendian to Quaternary, are represented in the province, spanning the last 600 million years. Examples of British Columbia fossils range from trilobites, conodonts (early relatives of back-boned animals), gastropods and bivalves, corals, early fish, ammonites, dinosaurs and prehistoric animal tracks, huge sea reptiles from the Mesozoic and sharks.

The fossil record of plants in British Columbia is equally impressive with ferns, cycads, ancient conifers and early angiosperms. The BCPA state in their press release that the province has “spectacular samples of the diversity of ancient life that has walked across British Columbia’s varied landscapes and lived in its oceans”.

Provincial Fossil

British Columbia has a number of provincial symbols and has celebrated its rich natural heritage through designation of a Provincial Flower (Pacific Dogwood), a Provincial Bird (Stellar Jay), a Provincial Tree (Western Red Cedar), and a Provincial Gemstone (BC Jade). Government officials now want to add a provincial fossil to this list, a recognition of the importance of British Columbia to the Earth sciences.

Discussions amongst the membership and individual palaeontological societies of the BCPA have resulted in the short-list of four fossils. The four candidate fossils represent a variety of animal types, each group of which has had a significant impact on the development of life on Earth and in British Columbia.

Four Candidate Fossil Specimens

Here is the short-list:

1). The Permian Fusulinid (Yabeina columbiana)

Not the most widely known type of fossil, but a very important fossil from an extremely important group of animals in the fossil record. Fusulinids are an extinct type of sea creature, that lived in ancient oceans from about 440 million years ago to approximately 250 million years ago. Yabeina columbiana was one of the last types of this animal to evolve. Individual Yabeina specimens probably lived like tiny snails, crawling along the shallow, warm sea bottom – an epifaunal lifestyle. These animals were extremely numerous as the accumulation of shells form entire strata of blue limestone.

As the British Columbia Provincial Fossil, Yabeina columbiana would represent an exciting period in the history of the formation of the west coast of North America. It is also abundant enough that everyone could collect a specimen, the strata in which this particular fossil is found is studied by palaeontologists and geologists from all over the world.

Pictures show a small sample of blue limestone with a number of Yabeina fossils, the rock looks like it has been pock-mocked and it is these marks that represent the fossil. Under a powerful microscope, the fine detail of the tiny fossil shells can be made out and it is differences in the shell structure that is used to determine individual species.

2). The Cretaceous Ammonite (Canadoceras yokoyamai)

Ammonites were cephalopods, extinct relatives of squid and cuttlefish. They are important world wide as zonal fossils and there are many genera known from British Columbia. Ammonite fossils are relatively common in British Columbia, especially in the Cretaceous aged rocks on the west coast as well as in the northeastern part of the province.

The ammonite selected for the shortlist is Canadoceras yokoyamai, sometimes called the “Canadian horn”. It is known from rocks about 80 million years old that are preserved along the eastern side of Vancouver Island. This genus of ammonite was named after Canada, the species name, yokoyamai, is named after the Japanese palaeontologist Yokoyama and examples of the species are also known from Japan.

This fossil is also known from many other regions of the Pacific Rim, including California, Alaska, and Far East Russia. This ammonite fossil demonstrates the strong geological links between western British Columbia and other countries that border the modern Pacific ocean.Picture Credit: BCPA

The strong rib lines can clearly be seen on specimens. Ammonites are important to palaeontologists and geologists as they can help establish the relative ages of widely separated outcrops of rock using the fossils that they contain.

3). The Cambrian Lace Crab – Marrella splendens

Tucked along a precipitous mountain face in Yoho National Park in southeastern British Columbia, is an excavated pit which has produced some of the most important fossils the world has ever seen. This is the famous Burgess Shale quarry pit, which exposes sedimentary rocks that accumulated during the Cambrian Period early in the Palaeozoic Era, approximately 530 million years ago.

The animal life preserved in the Burgess Shale pit, called the “Burgess Shale Fauna,” is important as it documents an abundance of soft-bodied life-forms (that is, animals lacking shells) that represent a veritable explosion of evolutionary activity early in the history of large-scale life on Earth. Prior to this “Cambrian Explosion,” the world’s seas were seemingly the domain of simple life-forms, such as jellyfish and sponges. But around the time of the Burgess Shale, an abundance of new, unusual, and unique life forms appeared.

One of the most abundant and fascinating of these Burgess Shale forms is the “Lace Crab,” or Marrella splendens. Marrella has wispy appendages and unusual morphologic features which led palaeontologists starting in the 1970s to question the identification of many of the Burgess Shale fossils with the traditional arthropod groups to which they had been assigned. In fact, many of these forms were found to represent life forms which have no modern counterpart in the modern Earth biota, that is no extant relatives. It was only then that the true importance of the Burgess Shale fauna became clear.

The site preserves a record of many experimental life-forms that evolved early in the Palaeozoic Era, in the early beginnings of multicellular life, many of which proved to be evolutionary dead-ends which soon went extinct. Given its importance for the history of Life on Earth, the Burgess Shale quarry has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In the wonderfully well preserved fossil in the pictures, antennae, legs and even the delicate gills are clearly visible. Named the “Lace Crab” by Charles Doolittle Walcott, the famous American palaeontologist who discovered the first “Burgess Shale” fossils in 1909, Marrella is in fact believed to be a primitive nektonic (animal that swims actively) shrimp.

4. The Cretaceous Elasmosaur from Puntledge River

A superbly preserved, almost complete fossil of a Late Cretaceous marine reptile makes up this quartet of potential British Columbia provincial fossils. Elasmosaurs were long-necked plesiosaurs that lived world wide and survived until the very end of the Cretaceous period.

While individual pieces of elasmosaur specimens have been found at various localities in British Columbia, the most complete elasmosaur ever found in Canada, is the specimen on display in the Courtenay and District Museum and Palaeontology Centre on Vancouver Island. This elasmosaur specimen was found by an amateur paleontologist Mike Trask and his daughter Heather, who were looking for fossils along the Puntledge River one fine autumn afternoon in 1988.

Expecting to find the usual ammonites and clam fossils that are mostly found in these rocks, the father and daughter team was surprised to find what appeared to be fragments of vertebrae sticking out of the strata in a rock wall along the river. Subsequent collecting over the next several weekends turned up numerous teeth and bone fragments which eventually were found to be part of a complete jaw and skull.

Once the significance of the find was established, the Courtenay Museum organised a major scientific excavation of the fossil specimen, which galvanised local community attention. Many hundreds of volunteers turned out to help with the excavation work, firing the interest of many in the science of palaeontology. As a result of all this activity, one of British Columbia’s first palaeontological societies was formed, in Courtenay.

The 12-metre-long elasmosaur is one of the best preserved of all vertebrate Late Cretaceous fossils, ever found in North America. A replica of the specimen, is the star exhibit in the Courtenay and District Museum. The elasmosaurid is even used as the logo for this museum.

A Model of an Elasmosaurid

Provincial fossil candidate an elasmosaurid.

An elasmosaurid is a candidate for the Provincial fossil of British Columbia. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To see a replica model of an elasmosaurid and other prehistoric animal models, take a look at the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Model range: CollectA Prehistoric Life Age of Dinosaurs Models.

These four specimens represent the diversity of the Canadian fossil record. British Columbia can be very proud of its fossils, all four candidates are strong contenders and the BCPA is inviting comments and feedback before a winner is selected.

After some debate amongst Everything Dinosaur team members, we have agreed to support the Marrella specimen. Not only is the degree of preservation exquisite but the Burgess Shale has yielded thousands of Cambrian fossils, many of which have their soft parts preserved and as such it is one of the most remarkable fossil sites in the world.

6 05, 2010

Lobster Fisherman “catches” Beautiful 300-million-year-old Lobster

By Mike|2024-04-19T10:19:54+01:00May 6th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page|0 Comments

Canadian Fisherman Hauls up 300-million-year-old Lobster Claw

We have all heard stories of fishermen who tell of the “one that got away”, tall tales are as much a part of fishing as bait and boats, but for one Canadian fisherman, a remarkable stroke of luck whilst setting pot traps for lobster on the seabed led to the discovery of a 300-million-year-old lobster fossil.

For Canadian fisherman Colin Dandy a routine trip to set traps to catch shell fish and lobster of Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) turned out to be a red letter day for the history of crustacean palaeontology. Last year, Colin was fishing off the east coast of the isle of Cape Breton, close to the small islands known as the Bird Islands, when the fossil containing rock became hooked to the back of his boat’s scallop rack.

For Colin, a fisherman with over 30 years experience, he was able to recognise the strange object as the claw of a lobster but he did not know its age and importance.

Recalling the moment he first saw the rock containing fossil stuck on his scallop rack; Colin stated:

“I picked it up and hosed it off. I saw it was a lobster claw but I didn’t think it was that old.”

Once the fossil had been shown to an expert, at the local natural history museum, the true age and importance of this fossil was determined.

Dr Stuart Critchley, the Curator at the Cape Breton Fossil Centre stated:

“I looked at the fossil. It was surrounded by a thin layer of carbon. It is the same as the carbon we see on our plant fossils here. So as an educated guess, it was formed 300 million years ago, the same time as the Carboniferous era.”

A Stunning Fossil of a Sea Scorpion Claw

A stunning fossil of a sea scorpion (eurypterid) claw housed at the National Museum Cardiff (Wales) photographed in 2019 when team members at Everything Dinosaur visited. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters are members of the phylum Arthropoda, the largest phylum of all in the Kingdom Animalia. This phylum consists of insects, spiders, mites and several extinct groups such as the trilobites. The hard outer coating (exoskeleton) of arthropods usually consists of chitin, but it may be further strengthened by calcium carbonate or calcium phosphate, increasing the preservation potential of the hard outer shells of these animals. Some Arthropoda genera are important zonal fossils for palaeontologists, helping to establish the age of different rock strata.

For crustaceans like lobsters, growth occurs during periodic moulting when the exoskeleton is shed and a new larger exoskeleton formed. This means that a lobster may shed its hard outer shell on many occasions during its lifetime. The moulting of the exoskeleton leads to many fossils of cast and shed elements of shell in the fossil record as well as fossils of the dead animals.

It’s not the first time Dandy has seen a fossil like this. He said his father unearthed two similar fossils about 50 years ago. They are now at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. It is likely that the fisherman are placing their pot traps on a part of the seabed that consists of exposed fossil bearing rock. As pot traps tend to get set in the same area of seabed then the chances of a rigging on a pot bringing up a fossil increase, although the chances of finding a fossil using this method, no matter how fossiliferous the strata, are still remote.

Dandy’s recent find has been donated to the Cape Breton Fossil Centre, he said, so local children will be able to view it.

For models of ancient Palaeozoic creatures: Prehistoric Animal Models and Figures.

7 04, 2010

If you go down to the woods today – discover a new species of Monitor Lizard

By Mike|2023-03-05T14:22:17+00:00April 7th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Beware of a new Dragon in the Woods – Varanus bitatawa a New Species

Finding a new species of vertebrate is a rare event. Finding a new, large species, an animal that would be described as a member of the “mega fauna” is exceptional, but a new 2-metre-long species of Monitor Lizard (genus Varanus) has just been brought to the attention of western scientists.

The giant lizard resides in the Philippines, in the northern forests of Luzon island. Luzon island is the largest island that makes up the Philippines and despite having parts of it densely populated (it is one of the most populated islands on Earth), it still has plenty of natural wonders awaiting discovery.

Monitor Lizard

The genus Varanus (Monitor Lizards) contains nearly 30 species, all of which live in the Old World, with species found in Africa, southern Asia, the Philippines and Australia. The largest lizard in the world today is a Monitor Lizard – the Komodo dragon (V. komodoensis), it too has revealed some surprising discoveries recently, with confirmed evidence that this lizard that can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh 90 kilogrammes has a venomous bite.

Recently, a scientific paper was published suggesting that a genus of dinosaur called Sinornithosaurus may also have been venomous.

To read more about this: Sinornithosaurus – A Dinosaur with Venom.

This new species of monitor, although longer than a man, is actually very lightly built with the largest specimens so far weighing a little more than 10 kilogrammes. Half the body length of this new species, named Varanus bitatawa is made up of tail.

The animal poses no threat to humans as it appears to be entirely herbivorous. It has remained undescribed for so long as it is extremely secretive and spends a great deal of time living in trees, where it finds fruit to eat. This new Monitor Lizard, described by the scientists who found it as “spectacular”, is a very striking animal indeed with bright yellow, blue and green skin.

A Model of the Largest Living Lizard – the Komodo Dragon

Rebor Komodo dragon 1:6 scale replica. A species of monitor lizard.

Rebor GrabNGo Komodo dragon model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The model (above) is the Rebor Komodo dragon replica, to view this figure (whilst stocks last): Rebor Replicas and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

This lizard may be completely new to western science, but to the local tribes people of the forests of northern Luzon, the animal is very well known. For centuries the locals have hunted it for food, it is reputed to taste extremely pleasant and such animals provide a valuable source of protein for the indigenous people. We suppose it would be kind of like a version of “corn fed chicken”. The secretive nature of this lizard may well be a result of hunting pressure with only the most reclusive and shy animals avoiding the attention of the local hunters. At the same time, this Monitor remained unknown to scientists in the west.

International Research Team

The American, Dutch and Philippines based research team had found plenty of evidence of a large, arboreal lizard. Many trees had claw marks on the trunk and the native people had talked about a lizard that was good to eat, but until now no documentary proof of this lizard’s existence had been collected.

One of the authors of the paper on this new species, Dr Rafe Brown stated:

“It is an incredible animal”.

The paper has been published in the scientific journal “Biology Letters”. In the journal, the researchers describe how rare it is to find such a large terrestrial animal new to science.

The new species, which is called Varanus bitatawa, is thought to live almost entirely on fruit, making it one of just three species of fruit-eating Monitor Lizards in the world. Living as it does in the tree canopy, this large lizard has remained undetected to the eyes of western scientists, despite a number of scientific expeditions to this part of the Philippines to map the diversity of the fauna and flora.

The new species of monitor lives at least 150km away from its nearest relative, another lizard called V. olivaceus, which also lives in trees and eats fruit.

4 04, 2010

From Full Stops to Commas – update on the Frog Blog 2010

By Mike|2023-01-04T08:00:56+00:00April 4th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Tadpoles are Developing – Frog Blog 2010

Not exactly the most wonderful spring weather at the moment, at least we have been able to avoid the heavy snow falls that affected parts of Scotland earlier this week. The patches of frogspawn in the pond are showing signs of development, well at least those clutches of eggs that are in the sunny shallows. Although, these clumps of spawn (we are not sure what the collective noun for frogspawn is), were some of the last to be laid, several days after the first frogspawn, they are developing more quickly.

The spawn that was laid first was moved out of the shallow water into slightly deeper water, this was as a result of all the frantic activity of the frogs. Two clumps of spawn have ended up in about 2 feet of water. The frogspawn can still be seen and as far as we can tell it is not developing as quickly as the frogspawn produced later but laid in the warmer, sunlit shallows.

Frog Blog

Tadpoles Developing in the Frogspawn

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Tadpoles

The first frogspawn was laid around 20th March, this particular clump of spawn has been pushed into deeper water, whereas, the spawn laid towards the end of the mating period has remained in shallows and seems to be developing quicker. The picture above shows a clump of frogspawn in the shallows. Note that the black dots of the embryos are turning from a round “full stop” into a “comma” shape with a distinctive head and a tail. Movement can be detected in the clump of spawn as the tadpoles move inside their eggs. No signs of development can be seen in the spawn in the deeper part of the pond. We have suspected for sometime that egg development was related to water temperature. Those eggs exposed to direct sunlight in shallows will be warmed and therefore hatch quicker than their counterparts deeper in the pond. It is really a question of balance, perhaps the clump of spawn in the deeper water is protected from drying out and is less likely to predated upon by terrestrial based predators. The price paid for this is a slow start to the hatching process.

3 04, 2010

Sir David Attenborough Provides Helpful Comments on the Restrictions placed on Children to Learn about Nature

By Mike|2024-04-19T10:28:15+01:00April 3rd, 2010|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Sir David Attenborough wants Children to Gain a “Foundation Stone” of Science

The natural curiosity of children with their desire to collect and understand the world around them is being suppressed as the are too many restrictions and laws today. That is the view expressed by veteran natural history broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, who believes that young people are being denied the chance to learn about the world around them because of restrictions on collecting items from the countryside.

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David spoke about his concerns at the launch of a new organisation aiming to promote the teaching of biological sciences – The Society of Biology. He considers that much of the legislation brought into the UK to protect threatened species and environments has resulted in declining opportunities for young people to collect other non-protected species and so learn about the natural world around them. Sir David commented on the many restrictions imposed on fossil collectors, those locations where people can freely collect fossils in the UK are becoming fewer and fewer. The lack of access was stifling the enquiring minds of the next generation of scientists he claimed.

Sir David’s comments are particularly pertinent, what with the granting of the first two injunctions against professional fossil collectors extracting fossils from Dorset cliffs.

To read more about these injunctions: Rogue Fossil Collectors on England’s Jurassic Coast Face Ban.

He stated:

“Children become interested in natural history because they are natural collectors. It is a pity that it is not possible to allow them to go out and collect any more. Not to be able to collect a wild flower or fossils is sad.”

Whilst we at Everything Dinosaur accept that the loss of many fossil hunting sites is a great shame, we are also aware of the great damage done to many locations by professional fossil collectors who literally smash up locations in their search for specimens that they can sell.

The Joy and Excitement of Finding that Special Fossil

The joy and excitement of finding that special fossil. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

When asked about the decline in the public’s ability to identify species of animals in the world around them, Sir David stated that:

“Taxonomy is the foundation stone of the biological sciences.”

He went onto bemoan the lack of opportunities children have to collect and classify insects, animals and other objects saying that:

“It is a great loss to our children that they are prevented legally from collecting animals.”

Helping Children Explore Nature

By allowing children to collect and classify insects, animals and other objects they found around them helped them to learn the skills needed for taxonomy, the science of classifying species. It is certainly true, that many great scientists such as Napier and Darwin were fascinated from an early age with the natural world and in Victorian England there was a huge fashion for collecting, whether it was ferns and plants or even butterflies and birds eggs. Putting together vast collections was seen as an appropriate hobby for Victorian gentle folk to indulge in. Sadly, legislation became increasingly necessary as these natural resources were rapidly exploited and species became endangered.

Today there are a number of laws and voluntary codes in place. These are designed to protect our natural world, although these restrictions do inhibit the opportunities children may have to learn more about subjects such as botany and biology.

Commenting on the current legislation, Sir David Attenborough said:

“I hope we might be able to shift legislation in a more intelligent and generalised way that will not be so specific.”

We remember the joys of pond dipping, collecting frogspawn and observing the tadpoles metamorphosize into frogs, catching butterflies and watching caterpillars pupate. Teachers and teaching assistants have a role to play in helping to fire the imaginations of children. The National Curriculum does empower teachers to develop creative and thoughtful ways of meeting the requirements of the syllabus. Indeed, teachers and teaching staff along with parents can have a huge influence on the development of an interest in the sciences amongst children.

Sadly, when it comes to fossil collecting there are fewer and fewer opportunities to take groups out these days. We have helped to overcome this problem to some extent by building trays that we fill with sand, gravel and fossils – bringing the joy of fossil hunting to children in those areas where they may not be able to go and experience it for real.

One of the Everything Dinosaur Portable Fossil Beaches in Action

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

For educational games and toys visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Dinosaur Toys and Games.

A spokesperson for Defra (The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) said that the legislation was not intended to stop children from exploring or learning about the natural world.

She stated:

“It is important to protect plants, birds and animals from damage and disruption and to help preserve an important part of our heritage so that we can enjoy the benefits for years to come. The legislation does not prevent children and adults from exploring and learning about the natural world and we encourage them to enjoy the beauty of the countryside.”

21 03, 2010

Exciting Frog Blog 2010

By Mike|2024-04-18T18:59:22+01:00March 21st, 2010|Animal News Stories, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Frog Blog 2010 – We have Frogspawn in the Office Pond

Last night there were clear skies and air temperatures dropped to near freezing. We were concerned about the frogs in the pond that we had observed, they had been croaking at each other for two days but there had been on sign of spawn.

Frog Blog

We had seen the first frog of spring in the office pond about a week ago, we had been concerned about how many of these amphibians had survived given the very cold winter that we had endured (cold for UK standards).

To read the article about the first frog spotted: First Frog Seen in the Office Pond.

However, this morning there was mass of frogspawn laid in the shallows (one pair of frogs had bred), then shortly before 8am this morning (we arrived early to check on the frog’s progress), we observed a second mass of spawn being laid. It is difficult to count all the frogs in the pond, they are moving around so much, but we think there are as many as seven in the pond. This is the first time we have two sets of spawn laid in our pond. It is only the third year that we have spawn laid in it at all. One of our colleagues rescued what they thought was a female frog from a busy road a few days ago. He put the frog in some shrubbery behind the pond. We know that frogs instinctively try to return to the water they were born in to breed, but hopefully this frog would have stayed close to our pond as it would be much safer for it to have done so. Perhaps it has spawned, we would like to think so.

Frogspawn

Today the weather is gorgeous, bright and sunny. The frogs are still very active and the air temperature has climbed to 13 degrees Celsius (tropical). As a result of all the frog activity we have banned ourselves from going outside in case we disturb the frogs so we have to observe them from the office window.

Hopefully, more frogs will breed over the next 24-hours or so. However, interestingly, both sets of spawn produced so far have been laid in very shallow water. Some of the spawn is actually exposed to the air. It may be an old wives tale, but according to local folklore, if frogspawn is seen laid in deep water it indicates a dry spring. If frogspawn is laid in shallow water it indicates rain. The weather forecast for the next few days is for showers and unsettled conditions, perhaps there is some truth in this folklore after all.

Update – ten frogs seen in the pond.

20 03, 2010

Ancient Crocodile Poop Provides Unique Evidence of Deinosuchus Diet

By Mike|2024-04-18T19:00:01+01:00March 20th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|1 Comment

New Study into Fossilised Crocodile Poop Provides Evidence of Deinosuchus Diet

It was not just the tyrannosaurs and raptors that the unwary dinosaur herbivore had to look out for in the Late Cretaceous habitats of the southern and southwestern United States seventy million years ago. In estuarine environments (where rivers meet the sea), there lurked a monster crocodile called Deinosuchus that would have quite happily tackled a duck-billed dinosaur or pachycephalosaur had one ventured too near.

Deinosuchus

That is the conclusion drawn by a team of U.S. based scientists following a study of ancient crocodile coprolite (fossilised poop). The coprolite, some of which measures more than 13 cm long, has been assigned to the fearsome Late Cretaceous predator Deinosuchus and evidence from the study of such objects has helped scientists determine the diet of this huge reptile and where it lived.

Deinosuchus (Deinosuchus hatcheri) was a huge, crocodilian that lived in what was North America during the later stages of the Cretaceous period. Although, no complete skeleton has been found, a number of fragmentary fossils and a nearly complete skull have been discovered. Scientifically named in 1909, this huge reptile has been estimated to have reached lengths in excess of 10 metres and would have weighed perhaps as much as 2 tonnes. A recent study has indicated that Deinosuchus (the name means “terrible crocodile”) may actually be more closely related to modern alligators than crocodiles.

A Replica of a Hatching Deinosuchus

Rebor Meta the hatchling Deinosuchus model (Estuary Variant0

The Rebor Club Selection: Meta the hatchling Deinosuchus is about to leave its egg! It’s very keen to get to the safety of the water.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows the Rebor limited-edition hatching Deinosuchus (Esturary variant).

To view the range of Rebor figures and models: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Estimating the Size of Deinosuchus

It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of the size of this particular ancient crocodile in the absence of more complete skeletal material. Using ratio measurements of skull length compared to body size of modern crocodiles as a guide, an estimated size of between 10-12 metres can be obtained.

Professor David Schwimmer of Columbus State University and one of his students of palaeontology, Samantha Harrell; carried out a detailed analysis of the fossilised crocodile dung and bones that showed bite marks from crocodilians. They have concluded that this fearsome beast preferred to live in shallow, estuarine environments and preyed mainly on sea turtles but would have also been capable of taking down a dinosaur or two.

Palaeontologist Professor Schwimmer (no relation to the actor who played Ross the palaeontologist in “Friends”) stated:

“We’re sure [Deinosuchus] ate a lot of sea turtles, but it’s evident it liked to prey on dinosaurs too.”

Professor Schwimmer and Harrell gave a combined presentation on the bite marks and the coprolites, at the March 13-16 Geological Society of America Northeastern/South-eastern annual meeting in Baltimore. Additionally, the coprolite study is being published as “Coprolites of Deinosuchus and other Crocodylians from the Upper Cretaceous of Western Georgia, USA” in a special symposium volume of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin.

Bite Marks on Dinosaur Bones

The studies detail how bite marks on dinosaur bones discovered in various locations around the United States, and large fossilised dung droppings discovered near Columbus, Georgia (southern USA), have been linked to Deinosuchus.

The dung fossils are the first such documented samples from the Deinosuchus and help confirm that this giant, prehistoric crocodile preferred living in the marine shallows. Meanwhile, the separate bite mark findings reveal aspects of the creature’s eating habits.

In the spring of 2009, Professor Schwimmer asked Harrell to take command of a project as an independent study course to gather and analyse fossilised dung he had started to recover from a fossil hot spot along the banks of the Hannahatchee Creek in Stewart County, a major tributary of the Chattahoochee River, south of where the Piedmont meets the Coastal Plain.

Harrell explained coprolites are studied in order to convey information about the lifestyles of the dead and buried. She discovered sand and lots of shell fragments, signifying that these crocodiles lived in a shallow, brackish, warm-water environment — likely near the mouth of a river where it opened to a sea with a sandy shoreline and an abundance of sea turtles for its diet.

Although it is difficult to be absolutely precise when assigning fossilised dung to a particular genus, in this case the size, shape and nature of the dung studied does indicate a large crocodile and Deinosuchus is the only known genus of crocodile from this strata.

To view models of prehistoric crocodiles: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models and Figures.

18 03, 2010

Worm Wiggles its Way to Pre-eminence

By Mike|2023-01-03T09:17:09+00:00March 18th, 2010|Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Canadian Worm Wiggles its Way to Pre-eminence

In the warm waters surrounding the Cambrian continent of Laurentia lived an array of bizarre creatures, early arthropods, brachiopods and our ancient vertebrate ancestors. The Annelida (worms) were very well represented with a number of different families of segmented worms. These survivors from the Precambrian continued to diversify and flourish and if you want to find the fossilised remains of a prehistoric worm, look no further than your average Canadian construction site. That is exactly what one Canadian amateur fossil collector called “James” did, and he inadvertently helped the Royal Ottawa Museum (ROM) discover a fossil of a 480 million-year-old armoured worm.

The extremely rare fossil of an armoured worm, a fossil that predates the emergence of the dinosaurs by some 250 million years was found when a local fossil collector examined the spoil coming from the excavation of an underground car park for the World Exchange Plaza, a set of buildings that can be found in downtown Ottawa (Ontario State, Canada). However, it was not until a similar find was made in Morocco that scientists from the ROM realised the significance of the fossil found on the construction site ten years earlier.

Armoured Worm

Lead author Jakob Vinther and colleague David Rudkin have published a detailed description of this fossil in January’s edition of the scientific journal “Palaeontology”. This tiny fossil, (measuring 16 mm long), about the size of an adult man’s little finger nail represents the organism Plumulites canadensis, a member of the Machaeridian family. The significance of the Canadian fossil was not recognised until similar material was recovered from ancient marine deposits found in North Africa.

In 1998, the local fossil fan, known as “James” approached the ROM and handed the bizarre fossil to museum staff. It was not until the Moroccan material was discovered that researchers realised the importance of this ancient object. Unfortunately, the original donor of the fossil cannot be traced.

This fossil and other recently discovered material helps to cement the evolutionary link between the ancient Machaeridia and Annelid worms.

Commenting on how rare this example was, Vinther stated:

“They are really hard to find complete, fewer than ten of these fossils are known to exist. We just had these skeletons and we didn’t know what kind of animal was underneath these plates. We didn’t even know that they were worms, actually.”

Pictures show the bizarre fossil found in the spoil of a Canadian construction site. It superficially resembles the much larger Vendian organism Dickinsonia and seems to have a segmented body that has a mid-line of symmetry. This creature probably lived on or in the sea floor. It would have been a member of the epifauna. Essentially vagrant it would have roamed around the soft sea bed on thin, spindly legs that emerged in parallel out of key body segments. The strange carapace of bony plates that protected this creature was made from calcite. It would have provided some protection against marauding cephalopods or arthropods.

The emergence of hard body parts, items such as shells and an exoskeleton is evidence of the “Cambrian Explosion” a period when life in the sea diversified rapidly and the first complex predator/prey relationships were established.

Body Armour

Commenting on the body armour of this creature, Yale University graduate, Vinther added:

“A number of animals started evolving a higher level of protection in this period of time. These annelid worms, they did the same thing … that seems to correlate well with the appearance of cephalopods.”

The Machaeridia persisted for some 200 million years, finally going extinct towards the end of the Palaeozoic, but their ancestors are very much with us today and perform a number of essential roles in both marine and terrestrial eco-systems.

Strange Cambrian Fauna

Say hello to Cambrian wildlife. Strange Cambrian fauna.

The picture (above) shows the Cambrian Toob by Safari Ltd a model set that highights the bizarre nature of Cambrian fauna.

Allan Donaldson, a retired Carleton University Professor of Geology, participated in an authorised dig at the construction site of the World Exchange Plaza. He said he found the routine trilobites and shelled orthocones, but nothing spectacular like the Machaeridia this amateur found in the material removed from the spot.

“Good for him” Donaldson acknowledged.

It is hoped that all the publicity over this worm fossil will reach the ears of the local man who actually found this ancient relic of Late Cambrian marine life and he can come forward to take some of the credit for the discovery of the worm from pre-history.