Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories

25 10, 2023

Manchester Palaeontologist Goes to Hollywood

By Mike|2023-10-26T13:53:16+01:00October 25th, 2023|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Movie Reviews and Movie News|0 Comments

A palaeontologist from the University of Manchester, Dr Dean Lomax is off to Hollywood. Dr Lomax will be walking the red carpet as a new documentary film entitled “Why Dinosaurs?” is premiered. As the lead expert for the project and executive producer, Dr Lomax has been instrumental in helping to bring to the screen this ground-breaking exploration of our fascination with the Dinosauria.

Why Dinosaurs?

Dean is a world-renowned palaeontologist and an Honorary Research Fellow at The University of Manchester. He helped father and son team, Tony and James Pinto realise their dream of making a dinosaur documentary. The premier, being held in Hollywood on November 3rd will be a star-studded affair. Dean very kindly offered us tickets to attend this exciting event. Unfortunately, we are unable to go, ironically in part, as we have on-going projects with students from Manchester.

Dean helped shape the scientific narrative and assisted first-time filmmakers James and Tony with their innovative production.

He explained:

“This film is for everyone who ever played with dinosaurs as a kid, wanted to be a palaeontologist and dig up dinosaurs, or loved movies like Jurassic Park and Jurassic World. It’s a timeless story that will inspire girls and boys across the planet to pursue science in a variety of disciplines – not just palaeontology – as well as boost attendance at natural history museums for decades to come.”

To catch up with Dean’s adventures and to explore other projects that this award-winning palaeontologist has been involved with: British Palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax.

A Documentary Six Years in the Making

“Why Dinosaurs?” is written and directed by Tony Pinto. It documents his son’s obsession with dinosaurs. The project started six years ago and gained huge traction following successful crowdfunding. It has reached the big screen, and it will be premiered in front of hundreds of dinosaur fans, celebrities and world-renowned experts in the field.

More than sixty-five palaeontologists were interviewed including Dr Lomax, as well as amateur fossil hunters, artists and dinosaur fans. James and his father even tracked down the director of Jurassic World for their film project. Dinosaurs and dinosaur models are discussed with fans from all over the world.

Why Dinosaurs? An Interview with Jessica Lippincott. — *An interview with Jessica Lippincott, a palaeontologist at the Big Horn Basin Foundation. Picture credit: Pinto Productions/University of Manchester.*

Genuine Voices of Working Palaeontologists

Tony Pinto explained that he wanted to make a dinosaur documentary that championed the world of scientists. He wanted to move away from the traditional computer-generated images and dinosaur reconstructions. The film “Why Dinosaurs?” tells the story of our fascination through the voices of working palaeontologists, science communicators, artists, and dinosaur fanatics. His son also got the opportunity to take part in excavations and other scientific endeavours.

James Pinto (Why Dinosaurs?) jackets a fossil specimen. — *James Pinto jacketing a dinosaur fossil with palaeontologist Jessica Lippincott. Picture credit: Pinto Productions/University of Manchester.*

Tony added that the film:

“Tells a brief history of palaeontology and explores the world’s fascination with dinosaurs and popular culture.”

For Dean, this film is close to his heart. He enjoys meeting dinosaur enthusiasts and spends much of his time involved in public engagement.

Dr Lomax commented:

“As a palaeontologist who is always excited to share my passion with the public, I am thrilled to be talking about dinosaurs on the big stage and introducing the film in the heart of Hollywood.”

We wish everyone involved with this wonderful project every success. Have fun at the Hollywood premier.

“Why Dinosaurs?” is G-rated, 90 minutes long, and anticipated to be available for purchase or streaming in early 2024.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from the University of Manchester in the compilation of this article.

15 10, 2023

Boom in Mammoth Tusk Sales Threatens Living Elephants

By Mike|2023-10-22T12:43:36+01:00October 15th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Animal News Stories, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils, Teaching|0 Comments

The boom in the trade for mammoth tusks threatens extant elephant populations and their habitats. This is the conclusion of newly published research from the University of Portsmouth.

Conservationists and campaigners fear an increase in the buying and selling of mammoth tusks poses a direct threat to elephants. The trade in “ice ivory” was banned in the UK in 2018. The ban was imposed following a Portsmouth University led investigation into the British antiques trade of the material.

Boom in sale of mammoth tusks threatens extant elephants. — *Humans encounter a Woolly Mammoth. A boom in “ice ivory” trade of mammoth tusks presents a threat to elephants and the environment. Picture credit: Mark Witton.*

The Trade in Mammoth Tusks

Earlier this year (2023), it was announced the Ivory Act would be extended to protect five more endangered CITES-listed species, including the hippopotamus, narwhal, walrus, orca and sperm whale. However, new research highlights the unregulated sale of mammoth tusks needs to be addressed. The species fall outside of the regulation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). This is an international, multi-government agreement set up to ensure the survival of animals and plant species.

The authors argue that while woolly mammoths became extinct thousands of years ago, their lives and ultimate demise has much to teach us about how we conserve and protect existing elephant populations.

Large elephants on display. (Mastodons and Mammoths). — *Prehistoric elephants on display at the Senckenberg Museum (Frankfurt). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

What About Other Prehistoric Elephant Genera?

Everything Dinosaur notes, that many species of extinct elephant had large tusks. Whilst the tusks eroding out of melting Siberian permafrost might usually be associated with the Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), tusks from other extinct species might be traded too. For example, tusks from the American Mastodon (Mammut americanum) or the Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) found in North America might also be bought and sold.

*The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Mastodon model. The trade in the ivory of other prehistoric elephants would also need to be controlled.*

The picture (above) shows a model of the American Mastodon by Safari Ltd.

To view this range of prehistoric animal models and figures: Safari Ltd. Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models.

Prehistoric Elephant Tusks Labelled as Ivory from Extant Species

Lead author in the recently published paper, Dr Caroline Cox (University of Portsmouth) commented:

“There’s evidence traders are trying to sustain the illegal ivory market with mammoth tusks, by intentionally mislabelling ice ivory as elephant ivory. Modern elephants and woolly mammoths share a common ancestor, so their tusks have close similarities. Instead of profiting from these new discoveries, we should be learning from them – how mammoths lived and how they died – to help protect their endangered relatives.”

It is estimated the illegal wildlife trade to be collectively worth between $15-22.5 billion USD a year. This puts the trade on a par with the illegal arms trade, the illegal drugs trade and the trade in human trafficking.

Schreger Lines in Elephant Ivory

Co-author of the study, Luke Hauser (University of Portsmouth) explained:

“Structurally, mammoth ivory is fundamentally identical to elephant ivory. Both have Schreger lines, which are distinct characteristics of the species.”

The majority of the ivory coming out of Siberia is woolly mammoth, but because evolution is a slow process there would have been crossovers between their characteristics and their predecessors. In theory, a trader could have a document claiming a tusk is from a Steppe Mammoth (M. trogontherii) when in fact it is actually a Woolly Mammoth (M. primigenius). Conservationists could not argue otherwise without an expensive and lengthy DNA test.

It is more than a decade since eBay announced its own complete, worldwide ban on ivory sales. An on-line post stated that the global ban would “protect buyers and sellers, as well as animals in danger of extinction”. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that sellers of illegal wildlife products operate on the dark web, rather than more openly through on-line social media and auction platforms.

The Trade in Mammoth Tusks Damages the Fossil Record

Dr Cox explained:

“While mammoth tusks continue to be in demand, particularly in the Far East, the Siberian tusk hunters of Yakutia recover only what the buyers want – the ivory. The remains of the mammoth are left behind and lost to science.”

The mining of mammoth tusks is dangerous. It is often illegal, and it damages the environment. The law of the Russian Federation states that only mammoth tusks that have come to the surface, usually as a result of the permafrost melting, can be harvested. However, this is extremely difficult to enforce. Miners can speed up the erosion process by using high pressure hoses to blast the permafrost. The industrial mining of the permafrost also releases huge amounts of greenhouse gases such as methane. This is leading to accelerated global warming.

The paper, published in the “Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy”, states that the best and most effective way of tackling issues surrounding the “ice ivory” trade is international cooperation from nations sharing resources and intelligence.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Portsmouth in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Ice Ivory to White Gold: Links Between the Illegal Ivory Trade and the Trade in Geocultural Artifacts” by Caroline Cox and Luke Hauser published in the Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy.

Visit the website of Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.

6 10, 2023

The New Rebor “Lonesome George”

By Mike|2024-01-02T14:30:52+00:00October 6th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Photos of Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases, Product Reviews|0 Comments

The Rebor “Lonesome George” giant tortoise replica is now in stock at Everything Dinosaur. Part of the Rebor GrabNGo range, the model is a 1:6 scale replica of a famous resident of Pinta Island.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Rebor “Lonesome George”

The detailed giant tortoise figure honours “Lonesome George” the last Pinta Island tortoise known to science. This tortoise died on June 24th, 2012. The subspecies Chelonoidis niger abingdonii became extinct. It is thought that “Lonesome George” was over a hundred years old when he died.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Rebor models and replicas available from Everything Dinosaur: Rebor GrabNGo Models and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Rebor Replica Pays Tribute

“Lonesome George” has become a symbol for conservation. The preserved taxidermy of this tortoise is on display at the Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre in the Galapagos National Park headquarters on the island of Santa Cruz. The facility was established to help protect the remaining indigenous tortoise populations of the Galapagos Islands.

Rebor "Lonesome George in ventral view. — *The Rebor 1:6 scale Pinta Island tortoise “Lonesome George” in ventral view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Rebor “Lonesome George” figure measures 30 cm long and it stands around 20 cm tall. The model shows amazing detail, even the underside is stunning (see image above). The plastron and the texture on the feet are to be commended.

Rebor "Lonesome George" the Pinta Island replica. — *The Rebor 1:6 scale Pinta Island tortoise “Lonesome George” in lateral view. The model measures 30 cm long and stands 20 cm high. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur praised Rebor for their attention to detail. The pose of the Rebor “Lonesome George” replica reflects the pose chosen by the taxidermist for the giant tortoise.

Visit the website of Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.

26 09, 2023

The First Dicraeosaurid from India

By Mike|2023-10-02T10:53:30+01:00September 26th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Scientists have described the first dicraeosaurid sauropod dinosaur known from India. The dinosaur, named Tharosaurus indicus roamed northwestern India during the Middle Jurassic. At around 167 million years old, Tharosaurus indicus represents the earliest diplodocoid dinosaur described to date. It lived at least ten million years earlier than famous North American diplodocids such as Apatosaurus and Diplodocus, to which it was distantly related.

Partial cervical vertebrae (neck bones) of Tharosaurus indicus. — *Partial cervical vertebrae (neck bones) of Tharosaurus indicus and interpretive line drawings. Scale bars equal 5 cm. Picture credit: Bajpai et al © Springer Nature Limited 2023.*

Fragmentary Fossils from Rajasthan

The fragmentary and disarticulated fossils consisting of vertebra and a solitary rib are believed to represent a single animal. The fossils were excavated from shale deposits just north of the village of Jethwai in Rajasthan State. The area is hot and arid, and it is known as the Great Indian Desert or the Thar Desert. The genus name of this new dinosaur references the Thar Desert, in recognition of the location of the fossil finds. The specific name honours the country of origin – India.

The fossil material was excavated from a bedding plane located at the base of the Fort Member (Jaisalmer Formation) with represents an early to middle Bathonian faunal stage deposition.

The Dicraeosauridae

The dicraeosaurids are a clade of small-bodied diplodocoid sauropods classified by their distinctive vertebrae with long paired neural spines. They are both temporally and geographically dispersed with fossils found in Africa, South America as well as China and the USA. The discovery of Tharosaurus extends their temporal range from the Bathonian faunal stage of the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous.

Dicraeosaurus scale drawing. — *A scale drawing of the first dicraeosaurid to be described – Dicraeosaurus (1914). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The dicraeosaurid illustration (above) is based on the Haolonggood Dicraeosaurus 1:35 scale replica.

To view the range of Haolonggood dinosaur models: Haolonggood Dinosaur Models.

New Insights into Sauropod Diversity

The research team suggest that Tharosaurus indicus is a relic of a sauropod lineage that originated in India and underwent rapid dispersal across the rest of Pangaea. Writing in the academic journal “Scientific Research”, the scientists conclude that this fossil discovery provides new insights into sauropod diversity. It also has important implications for the origin and dispersal of neosauropod dinosaurs.

Tharosaurus indicus and diplodocoid distribution in the Middle Triassic. — A palaeogeographic distribution of diplodocoids with taxa of different ages plotted together in a simplified Middle Jurassic (170 Ma) map to show their spatio-temporal distribution across Pangea. Silhouettes indicate the type of diplodocoid and fossil occurrences. Numbers adjoining sauropod silhouettes indicate age of the fossils as follows: 1—Middle Jurassic (early–middle Bathonian); 2—Late Jurassic; 3—Cretaceous; 4—Middle Jurassic (Callovian). Picture credit: Bajpai et al © Springer Nature Limited 2023.

Tracing the Origins of the Sauropoda

The Sauropoda is thought to have originated in the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic. The origin and radiation of the Neosauropoda and its major clades (Macronaria and the Diplodocoidea) remains contentious. Non-neosauropods were restricted to eastern Gondwana (Zimbabwe and India) and parts of Laurasia (China, Germany and Thailand) during the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic. This suggests that there were barriers preventing their dispersal to the Americas and the most southerly portions of Gondwana. Although preservation and sampling biases cannot be ruled out, neosauropods possibly appeared during the late Early or early Middle Jurassic. The geologically youngest forms being associated with the Americas and Asia.

Tharosaurus indicus temporal range within the Sauropoda. — A time-calibrated phylogenetic tree of the Sauropoda. Tharosaurus indicus is represented by the red star. It represents the oldest diplodocoid dinosaur known to science. The phylogenetic analysis defines Tharosaurus as a member of the Dicraeosauridae family. Picture credit: Bajpai et al © Springer Nature Limited 2023.

Tharosaurus indicus – Helping to Clarify Neosauropoda Evolution

Tharosaurus indicus is among the earlier-diverging dicraeosaurid dinosaurs, and its stratigraphic age (Bathonian) makes it the earliest known diplodocoid dinosaur globally. The authors of the paper stress the importance of the Lower and Middle Jurassic deposits of India and propose that further fossil discoveries will help to clarify the evolutionary history of the Neosauropoda.

The scientific paper: “Fossils of the oldest diplodocoid dinosaur suggest India was a major centre for neosauropod radiation” by Sunil Bajpai, Debajit Datta, Pragya Pandey, Triparna Ghosh, Krishna Kumar and Debasish Bhattacharya published in Scientific Reports.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

20 09, 2023

A Bizarre Avialan Theropod from China

By Mike|2023-09-25T15:01:00+01:00September 20th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

A new taxon of avialan theropod has been described from fossils found in Fujian Province (China). This small dinosaur has been named Fujianvenator prodigiosus. The fossil bones demonstrate a mosaic of anatomical features that are shared with early avialans as well as other members of the Maniraptora.

Fujianvenator prodigiosus

Writing in the academic journal “Nature”, the researchers describe this new theropod and state that it is one of the stratigraphically youngest avialans described to date. Fujianvenator roamed a wetland environment around 148-150 million years ago (Tithonian faunal stage of the Late Jurassic). Its fossils are likely to prove invaluable in understanding the evolution of the characteristic bird body plan, and to reconcile phylogenetic controversies over the origin of birds.

Fujianvenator is one of the geographically southernmost Jurassic avialans known to science. The headless specimen was excavated from Nanyuan Formation deposits near Yangyuan Village (Zhenghe County).

Defining the Avialae

The Avialae (means bird wings), is a clade of theropods. It contains the Aves (avian dinosaurs) and all non-avian dinosaurs more closely related to birds than to deinonychosaurs. In turn, the Avialae is part of the larger Maniraptora which includes all birds, and well-known types of dinosaurs such as dromaeosaurs, troodontids, the Alvarezsauroidea, the therizinosaurs and the Oviriaptorosauria.

During the fieldwork, a diverse assemblage of vertebrate fossils were documented. The assemblage is dominated by aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Fossil discoveries include fish, turtles and choristoderes (semi-aquatic, diapsid reptiles). Only one dinosaur fossil has been found at the location (Fujianvenator prodigiosus). Furthermore, this is the first time that a dinosaur fossil has been discovered in Fujian Province.

*Fujianvenator prodigiosus fossils and interpretative line drawing. Picture credit: Xu et al Chinese Academy of Sciences.*

Fujianvenator and the Zhenghe Fauna

Fujianvenator demonstrates a mosaic of morphological features. The forelimbs are similar to those of Archaeopteryx, whereas the hip bones are more typical of troodontids. The hindlimb is elongated, suggesting that this theropod adapted to a wading lifestyle. In contrast, other early avialans show specific adaptations to powered flight or a life in the trees.

Such is the amount of vertebrate fossil material collected that the palaeontologists can build up a detailed map of this ancient swampland ecosystem. They are confident that it will provide key insights into terrestrial ecosystems of the Late Jurassic. Perhaps more avialan theropod fossils will be found.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “A new avialan theropod from an emerging Jurassic terrestrial fauna” by Liming Xu, Min Wang, Runsheng Chen, Liping Dong, Min Lin, Xing Xu, Jianrong Tang, Hailu You, Guowu Zhou, Linchang Wang, Wenxing He, Yujuan Li, Chi Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou published in Nature.

For models and replicas of dinosaurs including members of the Maniraptora: Dinosaur Replicas Including Models of Theropods.

16 09, 2023

New Research into Brachiopods and Bivalves Faunal Turnover

By Mike|2024-01-02T14:52:46+00:00September 16th, 2023|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Scientists have used complex statistical analysis to assess one of the most dramatic changes in the history of visible life on Earth. At the end of the Permian, during a mass extinction event there was a dramatic and extensive faunal turnover between brachiopods and bivalves.

One of the biggest crises in Earth’s history was marked by a revolution in the shellfish. Brachiopods, sometimes called “lamp shells”, as some genera superficially resembled Roman lamps, were replaced everywhere ecologically by the bivalves, such as clams, mussels and oysters. This happened as a result of the devastating end-Permian mass extinction which reset the evolution of life 250 million years ago.

Research conducted by palaeontologists based in Wuhan (China) and the University of Bristol, has shed new light on this crucial faunal turnover when ocean ecosystems changed, eventually taking on a more modern, familiar structure that still persists today.

Brachiopods and Bivalves

Life on land and in the sea is rich and forms particular ecosystems. In modern oceans, the seabed is dominated by animals such as bivalves, corals, gastropods, crustaceans, marine worms and fishes. These ecosystems all date back to the Triassic when life slowly recovered from the “Great Dying”. During that crisis, only one in twenty species survived, and there has been long debate about how the new ecosystems were constructed and why some groups survived, and others perished.

Brachiopods were the dominant shelled animals prior to the extinction. However, bivalves thrived afterwards, seemingly better adapting to their new conditions.

Lead author of the study published in “Nature Communications”, Zhen Guo commented:

“A classic case has been the replacement of brachiopods by bivalves. Palaeontologists used to say that the bivalves were better competitors and so beat the brachiopods somehow during this crisis time. There is no doubt that brachiopods were the major group of shelled animals before the extinction, and bivalves took over after.”

Statistical Bayesian Analysis

Co-author Joe Flannery-Sutherland added:

“We wanted to explore the interactions between brachiopods and bivalves through their long history and especially around the Permian-Triassic handover period. So, we decided to use a computational method called Bayesian analysis to calculate rates of origination, extinction, and fossil preservation, as well as testing whether the brachiopods and bivalves interacted with each other. For example, did the rise of bivalves cause the decline of brachiopods?”

The researchers found that in fact both groups shared similar trends in diversification dynamics right through the time of global crisis.

This suggests that these two groups were not really competing or preying on each other. It is more likely that these unrelated groups were responding to similar external drivers such as fluctuations in sea temperature, oxygen levels and acidity.

The bivalves eventually prevailed, and the brachiopods retreated to deeper waters, where they still occur, but in much reduced numbers.

Brachiopods and Bivalves examining their diversity. — *Diversities of brachiopods and bivalves over the past 500 million years, showing the brachiopod-bivalve switch near the Permian-Triassic boundary. Picture credit: Zhen Guo et al.*

Statistical Analysis to Resolve the Brachiopods and Bivalves Faunal Turnover Issue

Professor Zhong-Qiang Chen (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) explained that it was very satisfying to see how modern computational techniques helped resolve a long-standing issue in palaeontology.

Professor Zhong-Qiang Chen stated:

“We always thought that the end-Permian mass extinction marked the end of the brachiopods and that was that. But it seems that both brachiopods and bivalves were hit hard by the crisis, and both recovered in the Triassic, but the bivalves could adapt better to high ocean temperatures. So, this gave them the edge, and after the Jurassic, they just rocketed in numbers, and the brachiopods didn’t do much.”

Fossils of over 330,000 brachiopods and bivalves were analysed in the course of this study. The Bristol University supercomputer took weeks to crunch all the numbers. The Bayesian analysis took into account all kinds of uncertainties and aspects of the data to provide an extremely detailed report on the evolutionary changes.

Brachiopods and Bivalves examining the impact of the end-Permian mass extinction event. — *Diversities of brachiopods and bivalves through the time of the brachiopod-bivalve switch near the Permian-Triassic boundary. Picture credit: Zhen Guo et al.*

Professor Michael Benton (University of Bristol) concluded:

“The end-Permian mass extinction was the biggest of all time, and it massively reset evolution. In fact the 50 million years after the crisis, the Triassic, marked a revolution in life on land and in the sea. Understanding just how life could come back from near-annihilation and then set the basis for modern ecosystems is one of the big questions in macroevolution. I’m sure we haven’t said the last word here though!”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Bayesian analyses indicate bivalves did not drive the downfall of brachiopods following the Permian-Triassic mass extinction” by Zhen Guo, Joseph T. Flannery-Sutherland, Michael J. Benton, and Zhong-Qiang Chen published in Nature Communications.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

15 09, 2023

Furcatoceratops – A New Centrosaurine

By Mike|2025-04-06T10:23:32+01:00September 15th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

The discovery of a new species of horned dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana has been announced. The new dinosaur named Furcatoceratops elucidans has been assigned to the Nasutoceratopsini subfamily of the Centrosaurinae. This ceratopsian is known from a single, sub-adult specimen (holotype number NSM PV 24660). However, the nearly complete and three-dimensionally preserved bones have the potential to yield valuable data on early centrosaurines. The fossil material was first described in 2015, it was reputed to represent an Avaceratops.

Furcatoceratops elucidans

The disarticulated skeleton was collected from the upper Coal Ridge Member of the Judith River Formation. The fossil material is believed to around 75.6 million years old (Campanian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous). Postcranial material recovered included a substantial proportion of the left side of the body, including a complete left front limb and parts of the pelvis. In addition, a significant amount of skull material was excavated.

Although the fossil specimen represents a sub-adult, researchers estimate that this herbivorous dinosaur probably reached a maximum length of around four metres. It may be possible to calculate an accurate assessment of bodyweight using circumference measurements of the left femur. Consequently, it may be possible to demonstrate that a fully grown adult Furcatoceratops would have weighed over five hundred kilograms.

Furcatoceratops elucidans scale drawing — A scale drawing showing the newly described centrosaurine Furcatoceratops elucidans. This horned dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana is thought to have been around four metres in length. Picture credit: Tim Bollinger.

A Significant Ceratopsid Fossil Discovery

The authors of the scientific paper conducted a phylogenetic assessment and concluded that F. elucidans was closely related to Nasutoceratops titusi from Utah and Avaceratops lammersi, which is also known from the Judith River Formation. Although Avaceratops lammersi was scientifically described in 1986, palaeontologists have remained uncertain with regards to classifying ceratopsid fossil material associated with other strata within the Coal Ridge Member.

The Furcatoceratops fossils will permit palaeontologists to study postcranial autapomorphies. Research on centrosaurines will be less reliant on skull fossil characteristics. Therefore, the Furcatoceratops holotype will likely be valuable for understanding previously neglected aspects of ceratopsian anatomy.

The genus translates as “forked horn face”, presumably a reference to the curved shape of the prominent brow horns. The species name comes from the Latin for “enlightening”, which reflects the significance of the holotype in terms of providing insights into ceratopsid anatomy and growth rates.

Scale Drawing and Illustration

Everything Dinosaur team members were composing a blog post about Furcatoceratops when an email was received from American artist Tim Bollinger. We checked out his DevianArt page: UnexpectedDinoLesson and discovered that he had drawn Furcatoceratops.

Tim stated:

“I love everything you are doing at Everything Dinosaur. I am a dinosaur enthusiast myself, and an aspiring palaeoartist I would love to be involved with Everything Dinosaur in any way possible.”

We explained that we get many requests such as this. However, in a bid to showcase his work, we asked and received permission to feature Tim’s illustration of Furcatoceratops in our blog post.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of artist Tim Bollinger in the compilation of this article.

Take a look at Tim Bollinger’s work under the moniker UnexpectedDinoLesson:

Instagram – @unexpecteddinolesson
Facebook – @UnexpectedDinoLesson
X (Twitter) – @Dino_Lesson
YouTube – @unexpecteddinolesson (subscribe to the channel here: Unexpected Dinosaur On YouTube.

The scientific paper: “Furcatoceratops elucidans, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA” by Hiroki Ishikawa, Takanobu Tsuihiji and Makoto Manabe published in Cretaceous Research.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

13 09, 2023

New Study – How Angiosperms Survived Mass Extinction

By Mike|2024-01-02T14:53:46+00:00September 13th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos|0 Comments

Angiosperms are great survivors! Anyone having to remove dandelions and buttercups from their lawn or garden border will testify to this. However, a new study demonstrates that flowering plants are truly nature’s great survivors. The angiosperms came through the K-Pg extinction event relatively unscathed. This extinction event may even have assisted flowering plants as they became the dominant flora on our planet.

The study by researchers from the University of Bath in collaboration with colleagues from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) shows that flowering plants were not too badly affected by the extinction event that wiped out the non-avian dinosaurs.

Mass Extinction Events

Scientists have detected evidence of five major extinction events during the Phanerozoic Eon. The most famous is the end-Cretaceous extinction event that saw the demise of the non-avian dinosaurs. An extra-terrestrial bolide impact may have contributed to the eradication of around 75% of all species. The impact on the angiosperms had not been explored until now.

Plant fossils are relatively rare compared to the body and trace fossils of animals. This makes it very difficult for palaeontologists to assess how genera might have been affected by extinction events.

If the fossil record is too poor and fragmentary to provide data, then an alternative method of analysis must be found. Dr Jamie Thompson of the Milner Centre for Evolution (University of Bath) and Dr Santiago Ramírez-Barahona of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México analysed evolutionary trees constructed from mutations in the DNA sequences of up to 73,000 living species of flowering plants. Using complex statistical methods, they fitted “birth-death” models to estimate the rates of extinction throughout deep geological time.

A water lily in flower. — *From the time of the dinosaurs, but flowering plants were relatively unscathed by the K-Pg extinction event.* *Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Angiosperms Flourished After the Extinction Event

The fossil record suggests that the K-Pg event had a strong regional impact on flowering plant species extinctions. However, it only had a minor impact on the extinction rates of major lineages (families and orders). These lineages survived and flourished. Out of approximately 400,000 extant plant species, around 300,000 are angiosperms.

Molecular clock evidence suggests that the vast majority of angiosperm families around today existed before the end-Cretaceous event. Species including the ancestors of orchids, water lilies, magnolia and mint all shared Earth with the dinosaurs.

Commenting on the study, co-author Dr Jamie Thompson stated:

“After most of Earth’s species became extinct at K-Pg, angiosperms took the advantage, similar to the way in which mammals took over after the dinosaurs, and now pretty much all life on Earth depends on flowering plants ecologically.”

Angiosperms are Great Survivors – How?

Despite being unable to walk and relying on the sun for energy and food, how did the flowering plants become so successful?

Fellow author Dr Ramírez-Barahona explained:

“Flowering plants have a remarkable ability to adapt. They use a variety of seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms, some have duplicated their entire genomes and others have evolved new ways to photosynthesise.”

The seeds of many angiosperms are also extremely robust and remain dormant for years until the right conditions occur to allow them to germinate.

The study is published in Biology Letters and the project was supported by benefactors Roger and Sue Whorrod.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “No phylogenetic evidence for angiosperm mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary” by Jamie B. Thompson and Santiago Ramírez-Barahona published in Biology Letters (Royal Society Publishing).

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7 09, 2023

A New Japanese Deinocheirid Dinosaur

By Mike|2023-09-14T09:09:55+01:00September 7th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

A new species of Japanese dinosaur has been announced. The dinosaur, classified as a deinocheirid and therefore distantly related to the bizarre Deinocheirus has been named Tyrannomimus fukuiensis.

Fragmentary fossils representing a type of ornithomimosaur had been excavated from the Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry (Fukui Prefecture, Japan) since 1998. The remains represent several individuals, but the fossil bones show identical anatomical traits leading palaeontologists to conclude that a single, new taxon was present.

Tyrannomimus fukuiensis

Phylogenetic analysis indicates that T. fukuiensis is the earliest definitive deinocheirid described to date. Its discovery will help scientists to better understand the evolution and dispersal of early ornithomimosaurs. Tyrannomimus is estimated to have had a body length of around 2.5 metres. It was probably feathered.

The bonebed from which the fossil material was excavated is thought to be around 120 million years old (Aptian faunal stage of the Cretaceous). The Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry has yielded several different types of dinosaur. The stratum from where the Tyrannomimus was excavated is associated with two other dinosaurs – Fukuiraptor (possible megaraptoran) and the herbivorous Fukuisaurus (hadrosauriform).

Tyrannomimus fukuiensis from the Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry. — Stratigraphic section of the part of the Kitadani Formation in the Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry showing the approximate location of key fossils including dinosaurs such as Tyrannomimus fukuiensis. Picture credit: Hattori et al with additional annotation by Everything Dinosaur.

Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry Bonebed 1 Biota

Both Fukuiraptor (F. kitadaniensis) and Fukuisaurus (F. tetoriensis) are found at the same level as Tyrannomimus fossil material. This suggests these dinosaurs were coeval. The palaeoclimate of the lower portion of the Kitadani Formation is believed to have been a humid, tropical ecosystem. Slightly younger geological deposits, yield abundant conifer fossils indicating that the climate may have become drier.

CollectA dinosaur models Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus. — *The CollectA Fukuiraptor (top) and the CollectA Deluxe Fukuisaurus (bottom). These dinosaurs may have been contemporaries of the newly described deinocheirid Tyrannomimus.*

The picture (above) shows Fukuiraptor and Fukuisaurus figures. These replicas are part of the CollectA range of prehistoric animal figures. Fukuiraptor is in the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs range, whilst the 1:40 scale Fukuisaurus is found within the CollectA Deluxe range.

CollectA Age of Dinosaurs: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Prehistoric Life.

CollectA Deluxe Models: CollectA Deluxe/Supreme Scale Models.

Not a Tyrannosauroid

The genus name translates as “tyrant mimic”. The ilium shows similarities to the hip bones of tyrannosauroids. Indeed, prior to its formal scientific description this dinosaur was thought to be a member of the Tyrannosauroidea.

The identification of Tyrannomimus fukuiensis as an ornithomimosaur has implications for a dinosaur found in Portugal. Aviatyrannis jurassica was named and described in 2003 (Rauhut). It is estimated to have lived around 155 million years ago (Late Jurassic). Aviatyrannis was thought to represent a tyrannosauroid. However, analysis of the bones of Tyrannomimus with Aviatyrannis revealed similar characteristics. As such, Aviatyrannis may represent an ornithomimid too. If this is the case, then Aviatyrannis jurassica, may represent the earliest ornithomimosaur described to date.

If Aviatyrannis is confirmed to be a member of the Ornithomimosauria, then it significantly expands the temporal and biogeographic range of these theropod dinosaurs.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of the open-access scientific paper in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “New theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan provides critical implications for the early evolution of ornithomimosaurs” by Soki Hattori, Masateru Shibata, Soichiro Kawabe, Takuya Imai, Hiroshi Nishi and Yoichi Azuma published in Scientific Reports.

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5 09, 2023

New Research into Miocene Ape Fossil from Turkey Challenges Human Origins

By Mike|2024-01-02T14:33:11+00:00September 5th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Fossils of an ancient ape that lived in Turkey around 8.7 million years ago is challenging accepted ideas about human origins. The fossils include skull bones, jaws and teeth of both males and females. This new ape has been named Anadoluvius turkae. The material was excavated from the Çorakyerler fossil locality near Çankırı in northern Turkey, about 60 miles (100 km) northeast of the country’s capital, Ankara. Assigned to the subfamily Homininae, the genus name is from “Anadolu” the modern Turkish word for the Anatolia region.

The discovery of A. turkae lends support to the hypothesis that the Homininae first evolved in Europe before migrating to Africa 7–9 million years ago.

The subfamily Homininae consists of two tribes. The Hominini which includes modern humans and their extinct relatives along with the subtribe Panina which consists of bonobos and chimpanzees. In addition, there is the Gorillini tribe (gorillas).

Anadoluvius turkae

The researchers suggest that hominines (members of the Homininae tribe), not only evolved in western and central Europe but spent over five million years evolving there and spreading to the eastern Mediterranean. These apes eventually dispersed into Africa, probably as a result of a drying climate reducing the amount of forest habitat in the eastern Mediterranean.

The well-preserved fossils including an Anadoluvius cranium permitted the scientists to conduct a detailed analysis of character attributes in the fossil record. This new study supports the hypothesis that hominines originated in Europe and dispersed into Africa along with many other mammals between 9 and 7 million years ago (Tortonian stage of the Miocene Epoch).

Anadoluvius turkae was about the size of a modern chimpanzee. Anadoluvius probably weighed around 50-60 kilograms. It inhabited dry forested habitats and probably spent a lot of time on the ground rather than in the trees.

More Miocene Homininae Fossils

The researchers consisting of scientists from Ankara University, Pamukkale University and the Ege University Faculty of Science (Turkey), along with colleagues from the Naturalis Biodiversity Centre (Holland) and the University of Toronto (Canada) hope to find more fossils.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Further fossil discoveries will help to clarify the evolutionary origins of the Homininae. More fossils from Africa and Europe will help palaeontologists to outline the geographical distribution of our ancient ancestors.”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of the Media Relations team at the University of Toronto (Canada) in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “A new ape from Türkiye and the radiation of late Miocene hominines” by Ayla Sevim-Erol, D. R. Begun, Ç. Sönmez Sözer, S. Mayda, L. W. van den Hoek Ostende, R. M. G. Martin and M. Cihat Alçiçek published in Communications Biology.

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