All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
Everything Dinosaur’s work with schools and other educational bodies. Articles, features and stories about dinosaurs and their role in education and educating young people.
Team members at Everything Dinosaur spotted some colourful dinosaur eggs in a carefully constructed nest on a visit to a Cheshire primary school. Whilst reviewing some teaching work from early 2018, we found a picture of the beautiful dinosaur eggs.
Some beautiful and very colour dinosaur eggs spotted at Little Leigh primary school (Cheshire). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dinosaur Eggs
The photograph of the dinosaur nest was taken on a visit to Little Leigh primary in Cheshire. Everything Dinosaur had been invited into the school to deliver a workshop to Year 1 children who were learning about dinosaurs. The dedicated teaching team created the eggs, and the children were asked about what materials could go into the nest to keep the eggs safe. This exercise was a great way for the pupils to explore the properties of materials. In addition, to learning about dinosaur eggs, the pupils had the opportunity to examine different nesting materials.
A spokesperson from the UK-based mail order company commented that they remembered the school visit. The spacious Year 1 classrooms were filled with lots of examples of the children’s work. One of the teachers had constructed a small dinosaur museum in a corner of the room.
A dinosaur museum spotted at a school. Picture credit: Little Leigh Primary/Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Little Leigh Primary/Everything Dinosaur
The spokesperson added:
“The children were very enthusiastic, and they wanted to give us a tour of their classroom. We enjoyed visiting the dinosaur museum. However, we had to cut our visit short, we had a dinosaur and fossil workshop to deliver.”
Afterwards we chatted to the teaching team. They thanked us for the visit, and we congratulated them on their excellent scheme of work.
Team members were going through their image archive when they came across a beautiful dinosaur letter. The letter had been sent into Everything Dinosaur by a girl called Emma. Emma was a pupil at Streethouse Primary school when Everything Dinosaur visited in November 2017.
Team members were invited into the school to work with the Key Stage 2 class for a morning. The workshop provided a provocation for the term topic. Over the course of the morning, we challenged the children to have a go at a variety of extension activities.
A Dinosaur Letter
Cursive writing on display from Year 5/6.
Picture credit: Emma from Streethouse Primary School
We remember visiting the school back in 2017. It was a pleasure to meet such enthusiastic pupils.
In Emma’s letter she thanked Everything Dinosaur for the school visit and stated:
“You made me more confident in answering questions.”
A fossilised trilobite track has been recreated for an exhibit highlighting Palaeozoic life. The trace fossil with an accompanying trilobite model can be seen at the Liverpool World Museum.
A model of a trilobite track reconstructed for a museum display. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Trilobite Fossils
Trilobite fossils are ubiquitous. Tens of thousands of specimens can be viewed in museums and museum collections. However, trilobite trace fossils are rare. The Liverpool World Museum exhibit depicts a trilobite walking across the sea floor. A distinctive set of parallel tracks are shown. Trace fossils preserve evidence of the activity of an organism. Most trace fossils provide direct “in situ” evidence of the environment of the prehistoric creature that produced the trace.
A selection of our trilobite fossils from Wales. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Commenting Upon the Trilobite Track
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“The track exhibit provides an opportunity for museum staff to recreate the environment in which some types of trilobite lived. Whilst some trilobites may have been active swimmers (nektonic), others were happy to wander along the sea floor, searching for food. The trace fossil exhibit also gives visitors the opportunity to view models of various trilobites.”
Everything Dinosaur team members have prepared some images of CollectA invertebrate models including the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular trilobite model (Redlichia rex). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The model shown above is a replica of Redlichia rex a large trilobite known from Cambrian strata. The R. rex figure is part of the invertebrate series produced by CollectA.
A selection of Calymene trilobite fossils on display. Some of the specimens show that these trilobites could roll into a ball to protect themselves. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Trilobite Body Fossils
Fossils are used by scientists to identify the relative age of rock strata. Rocks can be correlated through the examination of the fossils that they contain. Trilobites are important zonal fossils. The trilobite fossils shown (above), are from the Silurian (Wenlock Group, Shropshire). They represent examples of the Calymene genus. Some of the specimens are rolled up into a ball, presumably a defensive behaviour.
The spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur added:
“A trilobite fossil might be one of the first fossils that a young person is given as a gift. It can ignite a passion for nature within them and lead to a lifetime of fossil collecting and learning about prehistoric animals.”
Team members at Everything Dinosaur observed a small Common frog in the office pond this evening. It could be from the frogspawn laid in February. This year (2023), was the first year that frogspawn had been laid in the pond during the month of February. The first batch of frogspawn was produced on February 28th.
In the late evening, a small Common frog was observed in the pond. It was much larger than the froglets that had been seen recently. It could be a frog that is at least twelve months old. Perhaps, it is a well-fed adult that metamorphosed from this year’s spawn.
Can you spot the frog in the picture? The frog could be from a batch of spawn laid in February this year. The species is the Common frog (Rana temporaria). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
Team members have been busy helping to improve the small office pond. Native pond weed was purchased and introduced to help reduce the level of algae and to oxygenate the water. Pebbles have been added to the shallows to permit easier access for birds that want to bathe.
Two different types of pond snail (Great Ramshorn and Great Pond Snail) have been added. These snails Lymnaea stagnalis and Planorbarius corneus respectively, were removed from a local ditch that had recently been cleaned out. With little to eat in the ditch, ten Great Ramshorns were taken along with four Great Pond Snails and added to the office pond. By removing some snails from the ditch, this would help that ecosystem as well as permitting a small population of snails to assist with managing the algae in the office pond.
Invertebrate life is thriving and recently Backswimmers (Notonecta) have repopulated the pond.
All these invertebrates and the abundance of vegetation in and around the shallow pond have made an ideal habitat for frogs.
A close-up view of the frog spotted in the office pond. This could be a frog that emerged from spawn laid in February. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Spotting a Frog
We are not sure whether the small frog we spotted is from this year’s frogspawn. However, if the frogspawn was laid early in the season, then the frogs once they have emerged from the pond, would have a longer growing season. So, it is possible that this year’s frogs would have grown to the size of the one photographed. There is certainly plenty for the frogs to eat and lots of places for them to hide.
Team members will continue to work hard to keep the office pond healthy and its inhabitants happy.
On a visit to the Manchester Museum a team member overheard a grandmother challenging her grandchildren. Her young charges were tasked with counting the fossils in a display cabinet. The cabinet contained various ichthyosaur fossil specimens. Part of the exhibit included marine reptile fossil dung (coprolite). The grandmother asked the children to have a go at counting ichthyosaur coprolites.
Counting ichthyosaur coprolites. A grandmother visiting the Manchester Museum played a counting came with her grandchildren. It involved counting ichthyosaur coprolites. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The children were enjoying their visit to the Manchester Museum. After the photographs in front of the Tyrannosaurus rex cast (Stan), the grandmother set the counting challenge. We are not sure whether she knew that the display cases contained fossils of marine reptile poo, but the children were undeterred. They eagerly accepted the counting challenge.
Counting games can help young children become more confident. Counting games can help them to develop confidence with numeracy.
The Tyrannosaurus rex cast on display at the Manchester Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“There is lots to see and lots to do at the Manchester Museum. Staff hand out worksheets and encourage children to take part in various activities themed around the exhibits. We have not come across an activity that involved counting ichthyosaur coprolites before. We congratulate the family for their innovation.”
A model of an ichthyosaur. The Ichthyosaurus model (Wild Safari Prehistoric World) ready to take its turn on the Everything Dinosaur turntable. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The image (above) shows a typical replica of an ichthyosaur. This is the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Ichthyosaurus model.
“There is an extensive display of ichthyosaur and other marine reptile fossil material on display. Several of the fossils of ichthyosaurs come from the Dorset coast. We have found some ichthyosaur fossils on the Dorset coast too. We do have ichthyosaur coprolite fossils in our collection. However, we have never played a counting coprolite game unlike the grandchildren.”
Whilst looking through their archive of school photographs, team members spotted a happy Triceratops. The artwork was on one of the gates at Thorpe Hesley Primary. Everything Dinosaur visited this school in May 2017. Children at the school were studying dinosaurs, rocks and fossils. Everything Dinosaur was invited to visit and to provide teaching support.
A friendly dinosaur is featured in the school artwork. A happy Triceratops to greet schoolchildren. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Happy Triceratops Artwork
The very friendly and happy horned dinosaur stands guard at one of the school gates. The Triceratops welcomes the children and visitors. Our congratulations to the artist for creating such a colourful piece of dinosaur-themed art.
Visit the award-winning, user-friendly website of Everything Dinosaur: Everything Dinosaur.
How did our species evolve? What does our evolutionary history tell us about being human? These questions and many more are posed in a fascinating new book edited by a leading researcher at the American Museum of Natural History. Entitled “Humans Perspectives on our Evolution from World Experts”, this new publication provides an insightful analysis into the origins and the future of our species.
Research scientist Sergio Almécija has compiled an eminent list of contributors. These experts, drawn from a variety of academic fields, share their insights on the study of human evolution. Leading figures in palaeontology, primatology, archaeology, genetics and anthropology reflect on some of the most profound questions centred around being human.
The front cover of the recently published book “Humans – Perspectives on our Evolution from World Experts”. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Evolution of Homo sapiens
Sergio Almécija has been fascinated by the multiple narratives surrounding our origins, behaviours and the prospects for our future. He has taken an innovative approach to his subject. A list of questions was compiled and then he contacted leading academics and researchers and recorded their thoughts.
Some of the questions included are:
Which discovery, research study, or book would you highlight as a “game changer” in the way we look at our own evolution? How did it influence your career or life?
If you had a one-shot round trip in a time machine, to which specific time period—past or future—would you go and why?
What will be shaping human evolution in the future? What will humans look like in 100, 100,000, or 1 million years?
How did our species evolve? Why us and not other hominids? What does it mean to be human? A new book examining human evolution with contributions from over a hundred leading academics and experts. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Perspectives on our Evolution
The eminent and accomplished cast of contributors to this new book includes Kay Behrensmeyer, Frans de Waal, Nina Jablonski, Mike Benton, Richard Leakey, Robert Sapolsky, and Ian Tattersall. In total, there are contributions from over a hundred distinguished scientists and researchers.
Published by Columbia University Press, “Humans Perspectives on our Evolution from World Experts”, is a remarkable book. It has been designed to permit the reader to dip in and out of it, to explore a variety of topics and to gain fresh insights and perspectives.
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Highly respected researchers at the very top of their game provide an insightful and informative examination of what it is like to be human. It is a very fitting compendium that caters for an essential human characteristic – our curiosity.”
“Humans Perspectives on our Evolution from World Experts” – The Details
Published by Columbia University Press. Available in both paperback, e-book and hardcover. ISBN (Paperback) = 9780231201216. Pages = 520.
Search for the author (Sergio Almécija) or by book title.
Contributors opine on the fundamental relationship our species has with the natural world and remark upon the key moments in time that have driven human evolution. In addition, many contributors provide invaluable advice for those members of our species considering embarking on similar careers.
The Everything Dinosaur spokesperson added:
“This book allows the reader to explore a cornucopia of ideas about humanity, our past, present and future. It is an engaging publication, a book that will leave you with a deep sense of wonder.”
Our thanks to young dinosaur fan Jenson who provided Everything Dinosaur with a trio of colourful prehistoric animal drawings. A team member had visited Jenson’s school. The term topic had been dinosaurs and Jenson wanted to show his drawing of three colourful prehistoric animals.
Jenson provided Everything Dinosaur team members with a very colourful trio of prehistoric animal drawings. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Colourful Prehistoric Animal Drawings
Several schoolchildren had produced dinosaur illustrations. The Everything Dinosaur team member praised the children’s efforts and commented:
“Such wonderful, colourful drawings of pterosaurs and dinosaurs. These illustrations make a fantastic classroom display. The boxes on the drawings allow the children to include some adjectives that describe their artwork. This helps them practice their writing skills as well as their hand-eye co-ordination.”
The spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur thanked the teaching team for inviting them to the school. He added that the term topic had been carefully planned. It contained lots of amazing lesson plans to help children with their reading, writing and general development.
Everything Dinosaur is based in the UK, and it supplies dinosaur and prehistoric animal related figures, gifts, soft toys, clothing and merchandise. Run by teachers and knowledgeable dinosaur enthusiasts helping collectors of prehistoric animal models and promoting education and an appreciation of the Earth sciences.
To visit the company’s award-winning and user-friendly website: Everything Dinosaur.
Everything Dinosaur team members were reviewing some wonderful examples of cave art created by Year 3 and Year 4 pupils. The children attended Bowlee Community Primary, and they had been studying life in the Stone Age. As part of an exciting and diverse term topic the children had recreated cave paintings.
A wonderful example of “Stone Age” cave art recreated by pupils at Bowlee Community Primary. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Recreating Cave Art
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur recalled visiting the school in 2017 and again in 2018. He praised the teaching team for their dedication and enthusiasm. The examples of the Stone Age drawings had been put on display outside the classroom. The children explained that they had enjoyed learning about their ancestors. They enjoyed creating the cave art and they were fascinated by the pictures of real cave art their teacher had shown them.
Everything Dinosaur team members have been examining generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and how this exciting new technology might change the company. Recently, to commemorate the ninety-seventh birthday of Sir David Attenborough, Everything Dinosaur asked ChatGPT to write a short blog post. The ChatGPT artificial intelligence wrote a short biography of the naturalist and broadcaster. We also asked ChatGPT to compose a short birthday message to Sir David.
Artificial intelligence has a myriad of applications. As part of our testing programme to assess the scope of the current technology, we challenged ChatGPT (version 3.5) to provide Everything Dinosaur with five facts about Tyrannosaurus rex.
The Rebor T. rex Tusk King T. rex Requiem model is supplied with a clear plastic support base, but our models appear quite stable even standing on our office carpet without the need for the support stand. Can ChatGPT provide five facts about this famous dinosaur? Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The picture (above) shows a Tyrannosaurus figure from Rebor (Tusk).
In response to our question “list five facts about Tyrannosaurus rex, here are the five facts about T. rex that ChatGPT compiled:
1). Tyrannosaurus rex lived during the Late Cretaceous period (approximately 68 to 65 million years ago).
It is true that T. rex lived during the Late Cretaceous however, we would take issue with the temporal range suggested. The date of the end-Cretaceous extinction event and the demise of the non-avian Dinosauria is now thought to have occurred around 66 million years ago. T. rex is known from several Upper Cretaceous North American formations, dating the fossil bones is notoriously difficult.
The Size of Tyrannosaurus rex
2). Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest land predators ever to exist, measuring up to 12 metres (40 feet) long and weighing up to 6.8 metric tonnes (15,000 pounds).
We will not dispute the ChatGPT comment about T. rex being one of the largest land predators ever. However, the size estimates could be disputed. For example, the biggest specimens described to date “Sue” and “Scotty” measure more than 12 metres in length. The robust “Scotty” is estimated to be around 13 metres long with a body weight calculated at approximately 8.8 tonnes (19,400 pounds).
3). Tyrannosaurus rex had a powerful bite force of up to 12,800 pounds per square inch – enough to crush the bones of its prey.
Not much to dispute here. There has been a considerable amount of research into the potential bite force of an adult animal. A study published in 2012 (Bates and Falkingham) did indeed suggest a bite force around 12,800 lbs, for the teeth located in the back of the mouth. The researchers suggested a potential range of bite forces, with 12,800 lbs being at the upper end of their estimates.
Banana-shaped Eyes?
4). Tyrannosaurus rex had two large, banana-shaped eyes which gave it good depth perception and probably excellent vision.
This is not true, T. rex did not have two large, banana-shaped eyes. We suspect that this is the GenAI confusing two aspects of tyrannosaur cranial anatomy. Something that a real person would intuitively consider incorrect. T. rex is famous for its large teeth, often described as being banana-shaped. Its eyes were spherical and quite big, about the size of a tennis ball.
ChatGPT is correct when it asserts that it had good depth perception and probably excellent vision. Many palaeontologists suggest that T. rex had vision as good as a modern-day bird of prey.
The Rebor GrabNGo 02 T. rex Type A in anterior view. T. rex probably had excellent, binocular vision. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
5). Tyrannosaurus rex had a small brain compared to its body size, with a brain volume of only 1.5 litres (2.6 pints).
It is accurate to state that T. rex had a small brain relative to its body mass. This does not provide a measure of intelligence. For example, many birds such as crows and pigeons have small brains, but they are capable of solving complex problems and prodigious feats of memory and navigation. The statement about brain volume could also be disputed. Soft tissue preservation in the fossil record is exceptionally rare. No T. rex brain tissue has yet been found.
Brain size assessments are based on the volume of the braincase as calculated when skull bones are reconstructed. It would also be incorrect to assume that the brain of a Tyrannosaurus rex would completely fill the braincase, so only the maximum potential brain volume can be calculated.
Whilst errors can be identified in the answers given, we congratulate ChatGPT. It was a credible effort, particularly since the data set that the programme was working on was last updated in September 2021 or thereabouts.
The use of GenAI in writing books about dinosaurs, teaching about dinosaurs and perhaps providing updated display boards in museums is not too far away.
