Larger and More Developed Pelvic Girdle in Tiktaalik

A team of scientists based in the United States have published research on the pelvic girdle of a transitional sarcopterygian known as Tiktaalik (Tiktaalik roseae).  The research team have determined that, much to their surprise, the pelvic girdle of this Late Devonian creature, although primitive, is much more robust than expected.  A big, robust pelvis suggests that the hind limbs/fins of this 375 million year old animal were much bigger than previously surmised, this has significant implications for the evolution of tetrapod locomotion.

Tiktaalik

Fossil material, collected from Canada’s Ellesmere Island in 2004 led to the naming and describing of Tiktaalik in 2006.  The fossil specimens are highly significant as they represent a transitional form from a fully aquatic fish to a terrestrial animal (tetrapod).  At approaching three metres long, Tiktaalik was a sizeable animal.  It had a twenty-centimetre-long skull, which consisted of a long snout and relatively short rear portion of the skull.

The shoulder girdle was not joined directly to the back of the skull as seen in contemporaneous fossil material (Panderichthys et al), giving this animal a neck.  The front limbs were robust and had a wrist-like structure and the finger-like bones contained within the lobe of a fin.  These bones were strong and the wrist-like joint capable of a wide degree of movement suggesting that this half-fish/half amphibian could propel itself along the bottom of a body of water by “walking on its fins”.  Analysis of the first fossils also indicated that Tiktaalik had ribs.  These ribs could have helped to support the animal as it clambered around on land.

Tiktaalik (Late Devonian) A Transitional Fossil

Tiktaalik fossil material (Late Devonian)

Picture credit: University of Chicago/Harvard/Academy of Natural Sciences

Tiktaalik Fossils

Intriguingly, although Tiktaalik was named and described nearly eight years ago, the genus was erected based on a study of the front portion of the animal.  The first fossils studied consisted of just the front portions, now the research team behind the first scientific descriptions have examined other material excavated from the same location on Ellesmere Island back in 2004 and these fossils have provided them with evidence as to what the rear end of this iconic animal looked like.

In a paper published in the scientific journal “The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences”, the research team that included the late Professor Farish Jenkins (Harvard University), one of the last papers that this esteemed professor of vertebrate palaeontology contributed to, outline evidence to suggest that that Tiktaalik had a large pelvis and strong tail fin.  This suggests that this animal was able to propel itself around using its four proto-limbs.  Such a form of locomotion, often referred to as “four-wheel drive” was thought to have evolved only in later, true tetrapods.

The Scientific Description of Tiktaalik

The authors of this paper, include Dr Neil Shubin (University of Chicago) and Dr Edward Daeschler (Drexel University, Philadelphia), these scientists along with Professor Jenkins, were responsible for the scientific description of Tiktaalik back in 2006.  Only now, once other specimens have been fully prepared can the team describe the rear end of this important transitional vertebrate.  The fossils show that Tiktaalik had a thick, powerful rear fin, but the real surprise came when the scientists took a look at the pelvic area.  The pelvis area, indicated by impressions preserved in the ancient fossilised sediments and several fossilised bones from the hind portions indicate that the rear fins were comparable in size to the front fins.  The shape and size of the hip socket also suggest that the rear fins were capable of a wide range of movement.

The rear fins could have been used to help support the animal’s weight as well as help it to swim through water.  Although, the overall structure of the pelvis is substantially more developed than that seen in other types of Devonian fish, it is still very primitive when compared to the early tetrapods like Acanthostega and Ichthyostega.  The pelvis is still more-fish like, it consists of just one bone, whereas, the pelvis of tetrapods (even ours for example consists of three bones – the ilium, the pubis, and the ischium).

Unfortunately, no evidence of a femur (thigh-bone) has been found but it is very likely that Tiktaalik had a pair of femurs.  Tiktaalik is termed a tetrapodomorph – a transitional form between an aquatic creature and one capable of living on land.

Commenting on this latest research, Dr Daeschler stated:

“The pelvis is as large as the shoulder girdle, and that’s not what we would have expected in this finned stage in the fin-to-limb transition. We would have expected the pelvic fins to be smaller.”

Based on this research, the team conclude that the basic, quadrupedal locomotion once thought to have evolved with the first true tetrapods seems to be present in anatomies of fishes like Tiktaalik.

Dr Daeschler added:

“Tiktaalik probably had the ability to use those fins as props to move along, using them to push along the shallow bottom, to work its way through plants and, who know, maybe it got out of the water briefly if it needed to move over to another watercourse.  But in no way was it specialised for getting out of the water.  It may have had some ability to do that, but everything about its reproduction, its sensory system, its hunting and breathing – all these things tied it to the water.

“Rise of the Animals”

Recently, Sir David Attenborough presented a two-part BBC television programme “Rise of the Animals: Triumph of the Vertebrates”.  This programme documented the evolution of animals with backbones from the earliest forms that swam in Cambrian seas to the evolution of mammals, primates and ultimately ourselves.  Tiktaalik featured prominently in the first part of the documentary, some wonderful animation showed how vertebrate palaeontologists imagined Tiktaalik used its appendages to get itself about.  Interestingly, in the clip the rear limbs are featured, but they do not play any part in the locomotion of the animal.  This new research suggests that Tiktaalik used its four proto-limbs in a quadrupedal motion.

Tiktaalik (T. roseae) A Life Reconstruction

A life reconstruction of Tiktaalik roseae.

Study Suggests Some Marine Reptiles May Have Been Black in Colour

Although, technically “black” is an absence of colour, a study into the organic signatures of the hides of ancient marine reptiles indicates that these creatures may have been coloured black, or at least dark-skinned.  The inability to detect evidence of other pigments does not necessarily mean that the likes of Mosasaurs, Ichthyosaurs and ancient marine turtles were all coloured black, but an intriguing report published in the scientific journal “Nature” sheds light on the possibility that extinct marine monsters could have been black or at least partially black.

Marine Reptiles

Recent research by vertebrate palaeontologists has provided an insight into the potential colouration of a number of extinct animals.  Perhaps most notably members of the Dinosauria.  Such research conducted by institutions such as Bristol University has opened up the possibility of pigments in preserved impressions of dinosaur skin being analysed (melanosome analysis) and some measure of colouration determined.

To read more about identifying the colour of dinosaurs: Ginger Dinosaurs?

The team of scientists from Lund University (Sweden) set out to investigate the potential colouration of marine reptiles, by examining fossils of a marine turtle, related to today’s extant Leatherback turtle along with the fossilised remains of a species of mosasaur (Tylosaurus nepaeolicus) and an Ichthyosaurus.

The Colouration of Extinct Marine Reptiles

Although these reptiles are only distantly related, they all represent organisms that evolved from terrestrial ancestors, at least according to most researchers, although the evolution of the Chelonia (tortoises, turtles and so forth) and how many times various branches of this particular reptilian family tree took to life in a marine environment remains open to speculation.

Under the guidance of one of the paper’s lead authors, Johan Lindgren (Lund University), the research team studied an early Jurassic ichthyosaur fossil (specimen number YORYM 993.338) dating from around 196 million years ago, along with the fossils of a Late Cretaceous mosasaur (Tylosaurus spp.) from around 86 million years ago (Santonian faunal stage) and the preserved remains of a distant relative of today’s Leatherback turtle (Eosphargis breineri) which dates from the Palaeogene – 56 million years ago.

The Nottingham ichthyosaur (P. applebyi).  Do some marine reptile fossils hide secrets about colouration? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Adaptive Colouration

Scientists know that adaptive colouration (the colour of organisms) plays many critical roles, from providing camouflage, to a visual display to attract a mate or to settle disputes amongst rivals, as well as to ward off potential attackers, or to indicate to any predator that they are poisonous or unpleasant to eat and so on.  One of the most common pigments found in the animal kingdom is melanin.  It too serves a multitude of functions including permitting dark colouration that helps cold-blooded animals regulate their body temperatures.

Black tends to absorb heat from the sun, much more efficiently than lighter colours which can reflect heat away.  The higher absorption rate can help dark-skinned reptiles to warm up more quickly at the start of the day and retain heat for longer when the sun sets.  For example, marine iguanas feed by diving into the cold sea that surrounds their Galapagos Islands home.  Their black skins with large amounts of the biochrome (biochrome is another term for a natural pigment), melanin present help them to absorb heat quickly from the sun.

Scanning Electron Microscopes

In the study, the scientists used a scanning electron microscope to identify minute, traces of the shape of biochromes preserved within the fossil material.  These “organic signatures” were then analysed using a highly sensitive spectrometer to assess the likely composition of the individual molecules preserved in the specimens.

Commenting on the findings of their research, Lindgren stated:

“The most sensational aspect of the study is that it can now be established that the analysed ancient marine reptiles were, at least partially, dark-coloured in life.”

Being dark in colour offers marine animals a number of advantages, especially if they are cold-blooded.  Leatherback turtles can be found in relatively cold waters, certainly outside of the tropics.  For example, these turtles, the largest turtle species in the world, have been sighted off the coast of Cornwall and further north up the Irish Sea in the height of summer.  These turtles with their dark backs are known to bask at the surface, absorbing heat from the sun.  Their colouration helps them to warm up quicker and to reach a higher body temperature.

Dark Traces of Soft Tissue

Such colouration might help these creatures exploit food sources in otherwise inaccessible habitats, they can extend their habitable range.  The research team was able to demonstrate that dark traces of soft tissue preserved in the fossil material had large amounts of the degraded remains of eumelanin present, in intimate association with the fossilised melanosomes.  The eumelanin, which is a naturally occurring,  common form of melanin refracts light in such a way that objects appear dark brown or black.  Based on this data, the scientists concluded that at least part of the turtle, the mosasaur and the ichthyosaur were coloured black.

In addition, in contrast to counter shading seen in many pelagic animals (pelagic – refers to an organism living above the sea floor), such as Great White Sharks, where the top part of the animal is dark contrasting with a lighter underside some types of ichthyosaurs may have been black all over.

Counter shading – light undersides contrasts with the darker “top side”.

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

The model above is from the 2014 releases by Safari Ltd.  It represents a C. megalodon, an enormous, extinct shark.  Scientists believe that this fish was an active hunter of the open sea and therefore the design team at Safari Ltd have given their replica classical counter shading of a nektonic (actively swimming) marine predator.

Note

Following a taxonomic revision most scientists describe this extinct shark as Otodus megalodon.

Identifying Biochromes

The detection method used failed to identify any notable amounts of other biochromes, notably ones responsible for yellow and red colours.  This does not mean to say that scientists can rule out the possibility of yellow mosasaurs for example.  These biochromes are perhaps less likely to survive the fossilisation process, they may also be present but not able to be detected given our current technology.

All that can be suggested from this study is that there is evidence to suggest that some types of ichthyosaur may have been dark coloured, whilst the mosasaur and the fossil Leatherback turtle provide evidence of these animals being dark coloured on the top parts of their bodies with perhaps lighter shading underneath (as seen in extant Leatherback turtles).

Evolutionary, behavioural ecologist Ted Stankowich (California State University) commented:

“While the presence of other undetected pigments cannot be ruled out, particularly dark pigmentation in these fossils suggests that they might have been able to live in more extreme environments or have used pigmentation patterns as camouflage in dark waters.”

Looking at extant Leatherback turtles, with their dark backs, the scientists suggest that dark pigmentation evolved separately amongst these ancient species which are not closely related.  This could be a case of convergent evolution with different organisms evolving the same adaptive solutions to help them survive.

That is why the streamlined bodies of ichthyosaurs, superficially resemble modern-day dolphins.  Ichthyosaurs and dolphins are not closely related but they have developed similar features.   The dark pigmentation in these marine reptiles could have evolved to help regulate internal body temperatures, as protection against sunburn and camouflage.

Examining Turtles

Lindgren added that the ancient Leatherback turtle studied probably had a similar colour and lifestyle to extant Leatherbacks.  Similarly, mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs may have benefited from their dark skins helping them to warm up between dives and to camouflage them in the darker depths of surface waters.

Other scientists are more cautious, asserting that care needs to be taken before jumping to conclusions based on limited sampling of the fossil record.  Indeed, more needs to be learned about the benefits of dark colouration for extant marine organisms before too much can be inferred with regards to the inhabitants of ancient marine ecosystems.

A spokes person from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“This study extends our understanding of pigmentation preserved in the fossil record, beyond that of analyses related to proto-feathers and other examples of integumentation.  However, if we take the Order Ichthyosauria (ichthyosaurs), this is a very diverse assemblage of marine animals.  These highly successful reptiles evolved into a number of different forms, with different sizes, body shapes and methods of feeding.  Although a uniform, dark colouration might be supported from the evidence of this study, this does not mean that all types of ichthyosaur were coloured black.”

Dark coloured ichthyosaurs according to new study.

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

Ichthyosaurus Pigmentation

The Ichthyosaurus pictured above from the Carnegie scale model collectibles range made by Safari Ltd.  The design responsible for creating this 1:10 scale model of a “fish lizard” have intuitively given their replica a dark back. A team of researchers have postulated that a number of marine reptiles, including Ichthyosaurs may well have been dark coloured.

Knowing a little about the potential colour of an animal can give palaeontologists the opportunity to obtain information on how an animal might have lived, what particular ecological niche it was adapted to.  These three disparate lineages of marine reptile (turtles, mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs), provide evidence of convergent evolution in the form of increased melanism.  Based on extant examples, such as Leatherback turtles today, this study suggests that this colouration evolved to assist with thermoregulation and/or to help these creatures adapt to living in more extreme climate conditions such as much colder waters.

Marine reptiles sporting “little black numbers” as one of our colleagues referred to this study.

To view the range of prehistoric marine reptile figures in the Safari Ltd range: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Figures.

New North American Dromaeosaurid with Affinities to Asia’s Velociraptor

A team of scientists from the Royal Ontario Museum (Canada) working in collaboration with a number of other Canadian palaeontologists have announced the discovery of a new type of dromaeosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana (United States).  The dromaeosaurs are fast running, relatively small, carnivorous dinosaurs that flourished during the Cretaceous period.  This new genus, known from fossilised teeth as well as upper jaw material (maxilla) and lower jaws (dentary), lived at the same time as Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex.

North American Dromaeosaurid

The fossils represent the latest dromaeosaurid known from North America (Maastrichtian faunal stage) and a phylogenetic analysis reveals that this dinosaur is perhaps more closely related to Late Cretaceous Asian “raptors” such as Velociraptor (V. mongoliensis) and Tsaagan (T. mangas) rather than to North American dromaeosaurs that lived in the Campanian faunal stage.

An Illustration of a Typical Feathered Dromaeosaurid Dinosaur

A typical “raptor”.

Picture dredit: Everything Dinosaur

Acheroraptor temertyorum

This new predator has been named Acheroraptor temertyorum.  It was most probably feathered and around 2.5 to 3 metres in length, perhaps weighing as much as forty kilogrammes.  It probably hunted small mammals, birds, lizards and other small animals whilst avoiding the attentions of the much larger apex predators the Tyrannosaurs.  It may also have scavenged the kills of T. rex.  Acheroraptor (pronounced Ack-ear-oh-rap-tor) means “Acheron Robber or Plunderer”, the genus name being derived from Acheron, the River of Pain in the underworld of ancient Greek mythology, along with the Latin word “raptor” – plunderer or robber.

The species name honours James and Louise Temerty who have financially supported the palaeontology department of the Royal Ontario Museum.  A detailed paper outlining the new discovery, and the implications for the Hell Creek Formation and its fauna, has been published in the scientific journal Naturwissenschaften.

Hell Creek Formation

The size of the jaws plus the isolated teeth found in the Hell Creek Formation in the past, indicate that Acheroraptor was relatively large for a Late Cretaceous dromaeosaur.  It was certainly bigger than the better known, and perhaps more famous Velociraptor (which was about the size of a turkey).

Lead Author of the study, Dr David Evans, Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum commented:

“Acheroraptor gives us a more complete picture of the ecosystem in North America just before the great extinction that marked the end of the Age of Dinosaurs.  The close evolutionary relationship of Acheroraptor to a small group of late-occurring Asian species that includes Velociraptor suggests migration from Asia continued to shape North American dinosaur communities right up until the end of the Cretaceous period.”

It had long been suspected that dromaeosaurs existed alongside the likes of Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex but apart from numerous isolated teeth, there was no definitive proof of their existence until this new fossil material was prepared and described.

The Maxilla and Dentary of A. temertyorum

The jaws of Acheroraptor.

Picture credit: Royal Ontario Museum

To view an articulated model of Acheroraptor (whilst stocks last): Beasts of the Mesozoic Articulated Dinosaur Models.

Professor Phil Currie, an expert on the dromaeosaurids found in the older Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada (Campanian faunal stage), stated:

“We have had scanty evidence for more than a century that “raptors” lived with Tyrannosaurus rex until the end of the Cretaceous, but the absence of clearly identifiable dromaeosaurid fossils has been perplexing to the dinosaur hunters who have worked in the Hell Creek area, which has otherwise produced abundant fossils.”

Large Teeth

The strongly curved, quite large teeth with distinctive serrations (denticles) had been known from the Hell Creek Formation for many decades, but in the absence of fossil bones, researchers did not have the material available to help them to understand the evolutionary relationships between this Late Cretaceous dromaeosaur and other members of the Dromaeosauridae from the Northern Hemisphere until now.

Studies of more abundant fossil material from Asia suggests that Acheroraptor, which roamed North America around 67-66 million years ago is more closely related to the long-snouted Velociraptorines of Asia than it is to earlier North American dromaeosaurids.  This suggests that even very late in the Cretaceous there was extensive migration and mixing of different species from Asia and North America.

Discussing the new dinosaur, Derek Larson, a PhD student at the University of Toronto, who studies under Dr Evans said:

The most exciting aspect of the specimen is the teeth.  We now know that those teeth all belong to the same animal and we now know enough about what that animal looks like to distinguish it as its own species.”

Analysis of Acheroraptor’s teeth in the context of a larger sample of small meat-eating dinosaur teeth suggests a decline in dromaeosaur diversity in North America just before the end-Cretaceous extinction event.

It is important to distinguish Acheroraptor from “Archaeoraptor”, the generic name given to a composite fossil that was at the centre of a scandal a few years ago.  A fossil found in China had an article published in National Geographic magazine which claimed this was a transitional, “missing link” between birds and fast-running theropod dinosaurs.  Prior to the article being published in this prestigious publication, doubts had been raised about this fossil, as it seemed to show a long-tailed dinosaur with feathers and wings.

Phil Currie was one of the scientists asked to examine the fossil material and this specimen was eventually proved to be a forgery.  It was actually a clever composite made up of several fossils skilfully glued together.  The tail was later identified as belonging to Microraptor spp. but the legs, feet and toes belonged to an entirely different creature, very probably a prehistoric bird.  The Archaeoraptor scandal, a fossil forgery that fooled a number of leading scientists highlighted the illegal fossil deals that take place in some parts of the world.

As a result of this scandal, one that ended in humiliation for a number of academics and for the National Geographic magazine, there have been calls for much more scientific scrutiny of vertebrate fossils.

New Study Suggests Interbreeding with Neanderthals Led to Increase in Risk of Diabetes

Now that the both the human (H. sapiens) and the Neanderthal (H. neanderthalensis) genomes have been mapped and fully documented, any research into genetic variation in modern human populations permits scientists to trace the origins of gene types back into the history of hominin evolution.  A large scale study of people living in Latin America has revealed that their increased risk of diabetes could have been inherited as a result of modern humans interbreeding with a Neanderthal population.

Neanderthals

In a paper published in the academic journal “Nature”, scientists from Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts, United States), working in collaboration with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig, Germany) and the Broad Institute (Massachusetts),  carried out a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a sample of more than 8,000 Mexicans and other people from the Latin American population.  The research mapped the genomes of the study sample and sought patterns within the genes in a bid to identify different traits and characteristics.

Mapping Genes

The team found that a variant on the genetic make up of the population, a gene form named SLC16A11 which when present in a genome, predicates those in the population to a higher likelihood of getting diabetes.  This gene form has also been identified in a study of genetic material extracted from Neanderthal bones found in a cave located in the Altai Mountains, Siberia (Denisova cave).  It can therefore be speculated that since the Denisova remains pre-date the evolution of modern man, this genetic trait which makes part of the population prone to type 2 diabetes may have been inherited as a result of interbreeding between ancient Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

Could Neanderthals Have Passed On To Us the Gene Responsible for a Higher Risk of Diabetes?

Could Neanderthals have passed to us a greater risk of diabetes?

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Previous studies have shown that non-African modern humans carry a portion of Neanderthal (and Denisovan) genetic material in their genes.  The proportion of Neanderthal is usually less than 2% but can be approaching 4% in some groups of Europeans.  It had been thought that inherited genes from another member of the human family tree were present as H. sapiens shared a common ancestor with H. neanderthalensis, the common ancestor is believed to be Homo heidelbergensis, but the percentages were just too high for this fact to explain it all.

Inherited Genetic Material

The higher than expected levels of inherited genetic material in modern populations could only be explained by interbreeding between the two closely related species sometime in our recent past.  It is likely that interbreeding between populations took place whenever these species came into close proximity and can perhaps be linked to movements of ice sheets and inter-glacial periods permitting migrations and the geographical spread of hominins.

It is known that people who carry the higher risk version of the gene are twenty-five percent more likely to have diabetes than those who do not have this gene type.  Modern humans who have inherited copies of this gene from both parents are fifty percent more likely to have diabetes as a result.  This higher risk gene (SLC16A11)  has been found in nearly half of people with recent Native American ancestry, including the Latin American population.

This study into the gene pool of Mexicans and other members of the population with a Latin American ancestry has shown that this population is at particular risk of diabetes.  The higher risk gene, SLC16A11 is rarely found in genetic studies of European and African populations.

Co-author of the study, Jose Florez (Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School) stated:

“To date, genetic studies have largely used samples from people of European or Asian ancestry, which makes it possible to miss culprit genes that are altered at different frequencies in other populations.  By expanding our research to include samples from Mexico and Latin America, we’ve found one of the strongest genetic risk factors discovered to date, which could illuminate new pathways to target with drugs and a deeper understanding of the disease [diabetes].”

Scientists have been able to use knowledge of the genome of some species of hominins to map the routes of genetic inheritance.  The routes and pathways are proving to be more complicated than previously thought due to the interbreeding that seems to have taken place between species.  The functional implications of such inherited genetic material is only just beginning to be understood by researchers and geneticists.

Co-author of the study, David Altshuler (Broad Institute), commented:

“One of the most exciting aspects of this work is that we have uncovered a new clue about the biology of diabetes.”

Higher Risk Gene

The higher risk gene (SLC16A11) is part of a group of genes that code proteins for the transport of metabolites around the body.  These metabolites are involved with the human body’s various chemical reactions.   A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur speculated that the gene could have evolved as a result in changes to our ancient ancestors diet.  Changing the levels of SLC16A11 can change the amount of a type of fat that has been implicated in the risk of diabetes.

This new study indicates that SLC16A11 could be involved in the transport of an unknown metabolite that impacts on the fat levels in cells and therefore increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

It is very likely, that more insights into the origins of our genetic make up and the genetic variation seen in human populations will be revealed in the next few years as more ancient hominin fossil material is analysed for the presence of genetic data.

“Misty”  The Diplodocus Skeleton Purchased by the Natural History Museum of Denmark

The mounted, fossilised remains of a seventeen-metre-long Diplodocus sold at auction last month has been purchased by the Natural History Museum of Denmark.  The museum, which has links to the University of Copenhagen celebrates it’s tenth anniversary on New Years Day and the purchase of this Jurassic sauropod skeleton makes a nice Christmas/Tenth anniversary present for the institution.

Diplodocus Skeleton

The Museum came into being on the 1st January 2004 with the amalgamation of a number of museums (including the geological and zoological museums) and other organisations into one body.  Everything Dinosaur reported on the auction of “Misty” – as this was the nickname of the mounted specimen, earlier in the year.  When the auction took place, the Diplodocus sold for £400,000 GBP (approximately 472,000 euros) but at the time the name of the purchaser was not revealed.

To read more about the sale of “Misty” the Diplodocus: Diplodocus Goes Under the Hammer.

Rare Specimen

Believed to one of just a handful of near complete specimens in the world that represent the Diplodocus genus, the fossil material was originally excavated in Wyoming and from there it went to Holland for further preparation work, cleaning and mounting.  In an announcement to the press, the Copenhagen based museum confirmed that it had bought this auction lot.  The dinosaur, thought to be a female, was purchased following a donation from the Obel Family Foundation.

Diplodocus on its Way to Denmark

Diplodocus Fossil Going to Danish Museum.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The model depicted on the flag of Denmark is one from the CollectA Prehistoric Life model collection, to view this extensive range: CollectA Prehistoric Life/Prehistoric World Models.

Museum Director Morten Meldgaard commented:

 “To own a giant dinosaur is, of course, the dream of any natural history museum.  In order to understand the nature and the world we live in, we have to understand the past, and more than anything else, a dinosaur is an object that connects us with the distant past.”

The Evolution of Life Gallery

The Diplodocus will very probably go on exhibit within a gallery dedicated to the evolution of life on Earth, amongst the Museum’s existing, extensive fossil collection.  With the amalgamation of the various museums and other institutions into a single attraction visitors can marvel at the fossils, hundreds of minerals and examine the huge zoological collection as well as enjoy the famed Botanical gardens.

Christen Obel, the Chairman of the Obel Family Foundation stated:

“I think it’s quite obvious and right that the Natural History Museum of Denmark should own a dinosaur.  So when we suddenly had the opportunity to give the museum this early Christmas present, we jumped at the chance.”

Despite being a small country, the geology of Denmark is extremely varied and many different types of fossil bearing sedimentary deposits are exposed and can be explored.  A number of quarries grant permission to parties of fossil hunters and there are a number of sites along Denmark’s coast where different types of fossil can be found, including many vertebrates (fish).  Intriguingly, Denmark is one of the few countries in Europe where the K-T boundary, that thin iridium layer that separates the Mesozoic from the Cenozoic can be accessed.

It looks like the Diplodocus specimen has found a good home and it is pleasing to hear that this specimen will still be able to be viewed by the public and utilised by palaeontologists carrying out research.