In honour of the United Nations International Day of Forests (21st March 2024), we have posted up a fossil of a prehistoric plant. The photograph (below) shows a specimen of Stigmaria. The Stigmaria fossil was collected from Carboniferous rocks exposed on the island of Anglesey (Wales). Although relatively common fossils, the location from which this specimen was collected has only ever yielded a few examples. This was a fortuitous fossil discovery. Stigmaria fossils are rare at this location.
A specimen of Stigmaria from Anglesey (Wales). A fossil specimen of an underground root associated with a Carboniferous lycopsid. It was during the Carboniferous that the first extensive and specious diverse forests evolved. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Circular Scales on the Stigmaria Fossil
The circular scars on the root can be seen. These mark sites of attachment for the rooting structures that branched out helping to secure the lycopsid in the saturated soil and to obtain nutrients from the medium. Stigmaria does not represent a taxon as such. Plant fossils are normally found in isolation. Leaves, roots, bark and branches that actually represent the same genus have been given different scientific names.
Stigmaria fossil, the circular scales on the fossil can be seen. The scale bar equals 1 cm. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur explained that the first terrestrial plants evolved during the Silurian. It was during the Devonian that the first large land plants evolved. However, it was in the Carboniferous that extensive forests became a feature of our planet. Today, forests play a vital role in mitigating the impact of global warming. The Carboniferous forests too had a substantial impact on the planet’s atmosphere.
At Everything Dinosaur, we receive quite a lot of emails from customers and fans of prehistoric animals. Many of these emails are requests asking for more information about prehistoric animal figures. However, customers also contact us wanting help with answering a specific query about extinct creatures and life in the past. For example, we were recently asked what animals alive today are the closest relative of the eurypterids?
A pair of eurypterid fossil specimens on display at the London Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Answering a Question About Eurypterids
Eurypterids were members of the Arthropoda phylum. Specifically, they are part of the Subphylum Chelicerata (pronounced kel-iss-ser-rat-ah), which also contains the spiders, mites, scorpions and horseshoe crabs. These animals have a pair of jointed appendages that are located in front of their mouths (chelicerae – kel-iss-ser-ray). For most, they are modest feeding appendages such as seen in horseshoe crabs. In the spiders these chelicerae form venom injecting fangs. In some eurypterids such as the Pterygotidae, these appendages evolved into giant pincers designed for grabbing prey.
A stunning fossil of a sea scorpion (eurypterid) claw housed at the National Museum Cardiff (Wales) photographed in 2019 when team members at Everything Dinosaur visited. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Scorpiones or Xiphosurans?
Scientists remain uncertain as to whether extant scorpions or xiphosurans such as the horseshoe crab are the closest living relatives to the extinct eurypterids. Scorpions share a similar body plan, although scorpions are entirely terrestrial. Xiphosurans share the aquatic habit and also have an anatomy that is similar to the “sea scorpions” in some respects. Eurypterid feeding was probably more similar to that of xiphosurans.
The question of phylogeny remains unresolved. The lack of soft tissue preservation in “sea scorpions” and the flattened nature of most eurypterid fossils have hampered research. The absence of a clear eurypterid analogue from living chelicerates may indicate that the eurypterids occupied an ecological niche that was intermediate between xiphosurans and the Order Scorpiones.
The prosauropods were popularised by the German palaeontologist Friederich von Huene in response to his work studying the extensive Plateosaurus fossil finds discovered in a clay quarry at Trossingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany). Much of our understanding of the Prosauropoda has been informed through study of Plateosaurus fossil material.
Once thought to be facultative bipeds. These dinosaurs would normally walk on all fours, but if they so desired they could adopt a bipedal stance. Detailed analysis of the manus and forelimbs demonstrated that the hands could not be rotated to set the palms on the ground. The lack of an ability to pronate the hand suggests that Plateosaurus and its close relatives were bipeds.
“Flat Lizard” replica. The Bullyland Plateosaurus model.
The picture (above) shows the now retired Bullyland Plateosaurus model. Plateosaurus is depicted as a quadruped, however, studies have shown that since this dinosaur could not pronate its wrists (turn the hand so that the palm could be placed on the ground), it probably was bipedal. Ironically, Bullyland’s original Plateosaurus figure was depicted rearing up onto its hind legs. The quadruped Bullyland Plateosaurus model was probably inspired by a Plateosaurus diorama at the Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart, Germany. The Plateosaurus models in the diorama are portrayed as quadrupeds. Bullyland’s range of prehistoric animal figures has been developed in partnership with the Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart.
A rearing Plateosaurus model from the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs series.
The picture (above) shows the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Plateosaurus replica. This model was first introduced into the not-to-scale CollectA Prehistoric Life model range in 2011. It is widely thought to be a more accurate representation of the Plateosaurus genus than the Bullyland figure.
Huene, based on his studies of the Trossingen fossils, proposed that the Plateosaurus taxon was closely related to the Sauropoda. He erected the Sauropodomorpha clade. He proposed that this clade consisted of all the sauropods and their closest ancestors. Huene suggested the Prosauropoda, which means “before the sauropods”, be established which would include Plateosaurus and its close relatives.
A specimen of a Plateosaurus with fossil material mounted in life position. This is part of a display at the Senckenberg Nature Museum (Frankfurt, Germany). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Prosauropod Term Replaced by Non-sauropod Sauropodomorph
Gigantism in the Sauropodomorpha has been associated with the development of a fully quadrupedal stance. The grasping hands were lost as body size increased. Sauropods evolved column-like eggs to help support their increased bodyweight. This was thought to have occurred in the Early Jurassic. However, the discovery of massive Triassic sauropodomorphs such as Lessemsaurus and Ingentia prima demonstrates that sauropodomorph gigantism predates the Triassic-Jurassic boundary. The transition from being probable omnivores to a fully herbivorous diet occurred during the Late Triassic in some sauropodomorph lineages.
Basal sauropodomorphs are, generally, considered smaller-bodied and defined by their obligatory bipedalism. Facultative to habitual quadrupedality appears to have evolved by the Late Triassic. The paucity of the fossil record inhibits our understanding of the ancestry of the Sauropodomorpha.
Prosauropod as a scientific term has fallen out of favour. Definitions of prosauropods as having five digits on the manus with three claws and the concept of facultative bipedalism have largely become redundant. The idea that prosauropods are the direct ancestor of the sauropods has been discounted by many palaeontologists. Most modern phylogenetic studies break the Prosauropoda up into several families with shared anatomical traits that evolved separately and may represent a gradual transition to the generally larger, fully quadrupedal and herbivorous sauropodomorphs. Instead, the term non-sauropod sauropodomorph has taken precedence.
Cladistic and phylogenetic analysis have demonstrated that the taxa within the Prosauropoda corresponds to the Plateosauridae family as both contain the same genera.
Researchers have scientifically described a new taxon of amphibian from the Lower Permian of Germany. The animal has been named Bromerpeton subcolossus. Researchers from the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin (Germany) in collaboration with colleagues from the United States suggest that this small tetrapod probably spent much of its time underground.
A prepared block revealing the Bromerpeton subcolossus holotype (specimen number MNG 16545). Picture credit: Carola Radke.
Bromerpeton subcolossus
A block of undescribed fossils was carefully cleaned and prepared at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh (USA). When these fossils were examined in detail it was discovered that they represented a new taxon. Bromerpeton has been classified as a member of the Recumbirostra clade.
The fossil material comes from the famous “Bromacker” location in Thuringia, central Germany. The siltstones and sandstones preserve both trace and body fossils of early tetrapods. More than a dozen new species have been named and described. This fossil site was formed by the deposition of sediments in a high plateau environment. Most Permian vertebrate fossil sites represent lowland ecosystems close to bodies of water.
Computed tomography (CT) scans revealed an exceptionally well-preserved right forelimb with five fingers. This is an unusual characteristic within the Recumbirostra clade. Most have only three or four digits on the manus.
Lead author of the paper, Dr Mark MacDougall (Museum für Naturkunde – Berlin), explained that Bromerpeton subcolossus was less than fifteen centimetres in length. Its skull was just two centimetres long.
Fossorial (Burrowing) Adaptations
Despite being diminutive, Bromerpeton possessed sturdy limbs with a broad manus (hand) and pointed claws. The researchers postulate that Bromerpeton subcolossus dug burrows and spent much of its time underground. The fossil material is estimated to be around 290 million years old (Lower Permian).
Dr Mark MacDougall remarked:
“Bromerpeton may be small, but it provides a lot of new information about the evolution and ecology of early tetrapods and in particular the Recumbirostra, a group that has received a lot of attention in recent years. Our discovery also contributes to understanding the diversity of the Lower Permian Bromacker ecosystem.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Museum für Naturkunde (Berlin) in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “A new recumbirostran ‘microsaur’ from the lower Permian Bromacker locality, Thuringia, Germany, and its fossorial adaptations” by Mark MacDougall, Andréas Jannel, Amy Henrici, David S Berman, Stuart S. Sumida, Thomas Martens, Nadia Fröbisch and Jörg Fröbisch published in Scientific Reports.
Evidence of a Devonian fossil forest has been found in the high sandstone cliffs located near Minehead in Devon. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Cardiff have discovered the oldest fossilised trees ever found in the UK. The fossil remains of the trees, known as Calamophyton represent the oldest known fossil forest on Earth.
Fossilised tree stumps near the town of Gilboa (New York, USA) and a quarry at nearby Cairo, New York are thought to be 380 and 385 million years old respectively. The Gilboa site is dominated by remains of Wattieza trees. These trees are related to the Calamophyton trees identified at the Devon site. They are both members of the Pseudosporochnales Order and are distantly related to modern ferns.
The cliffs close to the Butlin’s holiday camp near Minehead (Devon) where the fossils were found. Picture credit: Neil Davies (University of Cambridge).
Devonian Fossil Forest
The Devonian fossil forest is thought to be around four million years older than the tree fossils discovered in New York. The forest is approximately 390 million years old (Eifelian faunal stage of the Middle Devonian).
Detail of a fallen tree truck. Picture credit: Chris Berry (University of Cardiff).
The fossils were found near the town of Minehead. The site is located on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, near a Butlin’s holiday camp. The fossilised trees, known as Calamophyton, at first glance resemble palm trees, but they are not related to modern angiosperms. Rather than solid wood, their trunks were thin and hollow in the centre. They also lacked leaves, and their branches were covered in hundreds of twig-like structures.
Devon fossil forest life reconstruction showing Calamophyton. Picture credit: Peter Giesen/Chris Berry.
Evidence of Arthropods Found
The trees were much shorter than extant trees. The largest specimens were between two and four metres high. As the trees grew, they shed their branches. The floor of the forest was covered in a dense mat of decaying vegetation. This was home to an array of invertebrates and arthropod tracks have been discovered at this site.
Arthropod tracks recorded at the Devon fossil forest site. Picture credit: Neil Davies (University of Cambridge).
A Devonian Ecosystem
It had been thought that these sandstone cliffs were largely devoid of fossils. This remarkable discovery demonstrates how early trees helped to stabilise riverbanks and coastlines hundreds of millions of years ago. It was during the Devonian that the first extensive terrestrial forests formed.
The Devonian lasted between 419 million and 359 million years ago. During this geological period the first complex terrestrial ecosystems evolved. By the end of the Devonian, the first seed-bearing plants (pteridosperms) appeared and the earliest land animals, mostly arthropods, were well-established.
A photograph showing an area of small tree stumps. Picture credit: Neil Davies (University of Cambridge).
Fundamentally Changing Life on Earth
Commenting on the significance of the fossil forest discovery, one of the paper’s co-authors, Professor Neil Davies (Cambridge University), stated:
“The Devonian period fundamentally changed life on Earth. It also changed how water and land interacted with each other, since trees and other plants helped stabilise sediment through their root systems, but little is known about the very earliest forests.”
The Devonian fossil forest identified by the researchers was found in the Hangman Sandstone Formation, along the north Devon and west Somerset coasts. During the Devonian period, this region was not attached to the rest of England, but instead lay further south, connected to parts of Germany and Belgium, where similar Devonian fossils have been found.
Ripple marks on the forest floor. Picture credit: Neil Davies (University of Cambridge).
Studying the Ecology of the Earliest Forests on Earth
Co-author Dr Christopher Berry (Cardiff University) commented:
“When I first saw pictures of the tree trunks I immediately knew what they were, based on 30 years of studying this type of tree worldwide. It was amazing to see them so near to home. But the most revealing insight comes from seeing, for the first time, these trees in the positions where they grew. It is our first opportunity to look directly at the ecology of this earliest type of forest, to interpret the environment in which Calamophyton trees were growing, and to evaluate their impact on the sedimentary system.”
During the Devonian, this location was a semi-arid plain, criss-crossed by small river channels spilling out from mountains to the northwest. The fieldwork was undertaken along the highest sea-cliffs in England, some of which are only accessible by boat. The sandstone formation is in fact rich with plant fossil material. The researchers identified fossilised plants and plant debris, fossilised tree logs, traces of roots and sedimentary structures, preserved within the sandstone.
Cross section of tree stump. Picture credit: Neil Davies (University of Cambridge).
A Weird Forest
Professor Davies explained:
“This was a pretty weird forest – not like any forest you would see today. There wasn’t any undergrowth to speak of and grass hadn’t yet appeared, but there were lots of twigs dropped by these densely-packed trees, which had a big effect on the landscape.”
Small plant twigs. Picture credit: Chris Berry (University of Cardiff).
This was the first time in the history of our planet that large plants could grow together on land. The sheer abundance of debris shed by the Calamophyton trees built up within layers of sediment. The sediment affected the way that the rivers flowed across the landscape, the first time that the course of rivers could be affected in this way.
Professor Davies added:
“The evidence contained in these fossils preserves a key stage in Earth’s development, when rivers started to operate in a fundamentally different way than they had before, becoming the great erosive force they are today. People sometimes think that British rocks have been looked at enough, but this shows that revisiting them can yield important new discoveries.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Cambridge in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Earth’s earliest forest: fossilized trees and vegetation-induced sedimentary structures from the Middle Devonian (Eifelian) Hangman Sandstone Formation, Somerset and Devon, SW England” by Neil S. Davies, William J. McMahon and Christopher M. Berry published in Journal of the Geological Society.
A new mosasaur taxon from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco has been scientifically described. Khinjaria acuta was as long as an Orca (Orcinus orca). It had a robust skull, strong jaws and dagger-like teeth. The researchers contrast today’s marine ecosystems with few apex predators, with the Late Cretaceous marine environment. Writing in the journal “Cretaceous Research” the researchers portray an ancient marine ecosystem teeming with predators.
A Khinjaria acuta life reconstruction. Picture credit: Andrey Atuchin.
Khinjaria acuta
The study is based on a skull and parts of the postcranial skeleton collected from a phosphate mine southeast of Casablanca (Morocco). Researchers from the University of Bath, the Marrakech Museum of Natural History, the Museum National d’ Histoire Naturelle (NMNH) in Paris (France), Southern Methodist University in Texas (USA), and the University of the Basque Country (Bilbao) were involved.
Measuring around eight metres in length, Khinjaria used its long, dagger-like teeth to seize prey. It was part of an extraordinarily diverse fauna of predators that inhabited the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Morocco during the Maastrichtian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous.
A photograph of the skull material (top) with a line drawing of the skull fossil (bottom). Picture credit: University of Bath.
The Sheer Diversity of Top Predators in the Marine Ecosystem
One of the authors of the scientific paper, Dr Nick Longrich (University of Bath), stated:
“What’s remarkable here is the sheer diversity of top predators. We have multiple species growing larger than a great white shark, and they’re top predators, but they all have different teeth, suggesting they’re hunting in different ways.”
The reconstructed skull of Khinjaria acuta shown in lateral view. Picture credit: Nick Longrich.
Dr Longrich added:
“Some mosasaurs had teeth to pierce prey, others to cut, tear, or crush. Now we have Khinjaria, with a short face full of huge, dagger-shaped teeth. This is one of the most diverse marine faunas seen anywhere, at any time in history, and it existed just before the marine reptiles and the dinosaurs went extinct.”
A Diversity of Moroccan Marine Reptiles
Fossil discoveries have highlighted the astonishing diversity of large marine reptiles in the environment. Their different dentition suggests that many were not directly competing, that niche partitioning was occurring. For example, the researchers conducted a phylogenetic analysis and placed Khinjaria in a mosasaur clade which they named the Selmasaurini. Also placed in this clade was the Moroccan plioplatecarpine mosasaur Gavialimimus almaghribensis. This mosasaur was a specialised fish hunter.
Mosasaurs, plesiosaurs and giant sea turtles disappeared, along with entire families of fish at the end of the Cretaceous. This led to the evolution of modern marine ecosystems with whales and seals as apex predators along with teleost fish such as swordfish and tuna.
Dr Longrich commented:
“There seems to have been a huge change in the ecosystem structure in the past 66 million years. This incredible diversity of top predators in the Late Cretaceous is unusual, and we don’t see that in modern marine communities.”
A Khinjaria silhouette next to a diver to show the approximate scale. Picture credit: Nick Longrich.
An Ecosystem Different from a Modern Marine Ecosystem
Modern marine food chains have just a few large apex predators, animals like orcas, white sharks, and leopard seals. The Late Cretaceous had many more types of marine predators.
Dr Longrich continued:
“Modern ecosystems have predators like baleen whales and dolphins that eat small prey, and not many things eating large prey. The Cretaceous has a huge number of marine reptile species that take large prey. Whether there’s something about marine reptiles that caused the ecosystem to be different, or the prey, or perhaps the environment, we don’t know. But this was an incredibly dangerous time to be a fish, a sea turtle, or even a marine reptile.”
Professor Nathalie Bardet, (Natural History Museum of Paris), explained:
“The Phosphates of Morocco deposit in a shallow and warm epicontinental sea, under a system of upwellings; these zones are caused by currents of deep, cold, nutrient-rich waters rising towards the surface, providing food for large numbers of sea creatures and, as a result, supporting a lot of predators. This is probably one of the explanations for this extraordinary paleobiodiversity observed in Morocco at the end of the Cretaceous.”.
The phosphate mines of Morocco have provided a wealth of marine fossil material. The specimens collected include the “saw-toothed” mosasaur Xenodens, Stelladens which had teeth with additional cutting edges and Thalassotitan whose teeth were conical in shape and massive.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “A bizarre new plioplatecarpine mosasaurid from the Maastrichtian of Morocco” by Nicholas R. Longrich, Michael J. Polcyn, Nour-Eddine Jalil, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola and Nathalie Bardet published in Cretaceous Research.
Today, March 1st is officially the first day of spring in the UK. It is also St David’s Day, officially the “feast day of St David”, the patron saint of Wales. Time to celebrate a Welsh dinosaur. Back in 2016 a new taxon of theropod dinosaur was formally described. Dracoraptor hanigani, is known from a single specimen recovered from Lower Jurassic limestone strata at Lavernock Point (near to Penarth).
The exposed cliffs represent the oldest Upper Triassic deposits as well as the youngest rocks associated with the Jurassic (Hettangian faunal stage). Dracoraptor is thought to represent a basal coelophysoid. It lived over 201 million years ago. When described (Martill et al), it was identified as the geologically oldest dinosaur associated with Jurassic strata known from the UK.
Dracoraptor hanigani
Team members at Everything Dinosaur were given the chance to view the Dracoraptor hanigani fossil material. It is on display at the National Museum Cardiff (National Museum of Wales).
Dracoraptor hanigani fossil material on display at the National Museum Cardiff (National Museum of Wales). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
About 40% of the skeleton is known. This carnivorous dinosaur is significant for two reasons. Firstly, dinosaur fossils from the Early Jurassic are extremely rare. Secondly, if provides important evidence on the evolution of the Theropoda. Dracoraptor lived at a time when meat-eating dinosaurs were evolving into the different types of theropod dinosaur found in geologically younger strata.
An Early Example of a Neotheropod
It is an early member of the Neotheropoda clade. These theropods are more derived than the majority of Triassic theropods. The Neotheropoda are the only group of theropods to survive the end-Triassic extinction event. These dinosaurs were to subsequently diversify and evolve into the myriad of theropods that lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. It is this group of theropods that ultimately gave rise to the birds (Aves).
A life size reconstruction of the Welsh theropod dinosaur Dracoraptor hanigani. This dinosaur is on display at the National Museum Cardiff. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The eurypterids were an extremely successful group of arthropods. These animals are often referred to as “sea scorpions”. However, their taxonomic relationship to extant scorpions remains unclear and they were not confined to marine environments. These invertebrates are members of the Subphylum Chelicerata (claw horns) and are members of the Eurypterida Order. Approximately 250 different species have been named. One of the fascinating aspects of eurypterids is understanding how they breathed.
A fossil of a sea scorpion (eurypterid) on display at the Manchester Museum. Note the pointed end segment (telson). Probably an example of the Silurian eurypterid Eurypterus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
How Did Eurypterids Breathe?
Most palaeontologists believe that eurypterids evolved in marine environments. However, fossils have been found in association with estuarine and freshwater environments. Carboniferous trackways suggest that some eurypterids may have been amphibious and able to spend some time on land.
No eurypterid is thought to have been wholly or primarily terrestrial. There is some remarkable fossil evidence to suggest that they did evolve air-breathing organs. When discussing respiration, it is thought that the primary organs of aquatic respiration are likely to have been retained at least in part.
The extant horseshoe crab (Limulus) may provide an analogue. These animals inhabit marine environments although they do venture into shallow water to mate and onto the shore to lay eggs. Horseshoe crabs have five pairs of gills located on their abdomen (Opisthosoma). Each pair of gills consists of flap-like structures covering a series of membranes that resemble the pages from a book. These are called lamellae, but their morphology has given rise to the popular term “book lungs”. Oxygen is absorbed via gaseous exchange on the surface area of the lamellae.
The CollectA Horseshoe crab model in ventral view (view of the underside). Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The image (above) shows a ventral view of the popular CollectA horseshoe crab model.
Debate still continues as to whether eurypterids had four pairs of book gills or five. A specimen of Onychopterella augusti from Late Ordovician strata located in South Africa preserved four pairs of vertical book gills. The book gills were located in the third to sixth segments of the abdomen. It has been suggested that all eurypterids had four pairs of book gills rather than the five pairs seen in xiphosurans such as horseshoe crabs.
Terrestrial scorpions also have four pairs of vertically orientated book lungs, located in the third to sixth body segments. It is not known whether this is case of synapomorphy (shared characteristic different from that of their latest common ancestor). This anatomical similarity could indicate that scorpions (Order Scorpiones) are more closely related to eurypterids than previously thought. The phylogenetic relationship between eurypterids and other members of the Arthropoda remains controversial.
Pancaked Sea Scorpion Fossils
Unfortunately, most fossil specimens of eurypterids are squashed flat and may only represent exuviae (shed exoskeletons after moulting [ecdysis]).
Examples of the Pterygotioidea eurypterid lineage. Note the flattened, blade-like telson that probably helped with propulsion or acted like a rudder helping to steer the animal through the water. The fossils represent Pterygotus anglicus. A pair of beautiful sea scorpion fossils. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
A team of scientists have described new specimens of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis a bizarre, Triassic marine reptile. First scientifically described in 2003 (Li Chun), this new study has permitted scientists to construct the enormous neck of this animal in detail.
Measuring up to five metres in length, Dinocephalosaurus orientalis had an extremely long and flexible neck. The neck contains a total of thirty-two vertebrae. Tanystropheus in contrast, had thirteen cervical vertebrae. In some specimens the neck is 1.7 metres in length. It is much longer than the animal’s torso. The researchers compare D. orientalis to the Tanystropheus taxon. Tanystropheus is known from the Middle Triassic of Europe and China. Whilst Tanystropheus and Dinocephalosaurus had similar body shapes, these reptiles were not closely related. The long necks seen in these two taxa are an example of convergent evolution.
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis swimming amongst some prehistoric fish known as Saurichthys. Picture credit: Marlene Donelly.
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis A Remarkable Marine Reptile
The scientific paper describing the animal is published in full in the academic journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – forming the entirety of the latest volume.
Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Editor-in-Chief of the RSE’s academic journal Transactions, Professor Robert Ellam FRSE commented:
“This remarkable marine reptile is another example of the stunning fossils that continue to be discovered in China”.
Comparisons with Tanystropheus
Both reptiles were of similar size and have several features of the skull in common, including a fish-trap type of dentition. However, Dinocephalosaurus is unique in possessing several more vertebrae both in the neck and in the torso, giving the animal a much more snake-like appearance. The neck of Dinocephalosaurus was more flexible than the neck of Tanystropheus. The fossils analysed in the newly published paper come from the Guizhou Province of China.
A nearly complete and articulated specimen of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis. Picture credit: The Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Dr Nick Fraser FRSE, Keeper of Natural Sciences at National Museums Scotland stated:
“This discovery allows us to see this remarkable long-necked animal in full for the very first time. It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle palaeontologists. We are certain that it will capture imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance, reminiscent of the long and snake-like, mythical Chinese Dragon.”
Appropriate for the “Year of the Dragon”
As we have now entered the Chinese “Year of the Dragon”, a new scientific paper on a Chinese reptile that superficially resembled a mythical dragon is highly appropriate. The fossils were studied over a period of ten years by researchers from Scotland, China, America and Germany.
Professor Li Chun from the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in China, the scientist who originally described Dinocephalosaurus orientalis said:
“This has been an international effort. Working together with colleagues from the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Europe, we used newly discovered specimens housed at the Chinese Academy of Sciences to build on our existing knowledge of this animal. Among all of the extraordinary finds we have made in the Triassic of Guizhou Province, Dinocephalosaurus probably stands out as the most remarkable.”
Scientists propose that Dinocephalosaurus was superbly adapted to its marine environment. Given the length of its neck, moving on land would have been difficult. A remarkable fossil described in 2017 revealed that Dinocephalosaurus was viviparous (live birth). This remains the only record of viviparity associated with the Archosauromorpha.
Dinocephalosaurus orientalis – Significant Fossil Discoveries
Dr Stephan Spiekman, a postdoctoral researcher based at the Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, commented:
“As an early-career researcher, it has been an incredible experience to contribute to these significant findings. We hope that our future research will help us understand more about the evolution of this group of animals, and particularly how the elongate neck functioned.”
The paper describing the animal is published in full in the academic journal Earth and Environmental Science: Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh – forming the entirety of the latest volume. The journal was first published in 1788.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of media releases from the Royal Society of Edinburgh and National Museums Scotland in the compilation of this article.
A new, pony-sized Moroccan lambeosaurine dinosaur has been named and described. The new dinosaur has been named Minqaria bata. It closely resembles the only previously known African duckbill, Ajnabia odysseus. However, the shape of the jaws and teeth are unique, demonstrating it was a distinct species. Minqaria probably occupied a different ecological niche.
A trio of lambeosaurines (Minqaria bata) wander past the corpse of a large mosasaur. Picture credit: Raul Martin.
Minqaria bata – (Arabic for “Beak” and “Duck” Respectively)
The fossils consisting of a right maxilla with teeth, a partial left dentary and the braincase come from marine phosphate deposits located at Sidi Chennane in the Oulad Abdoun Basin. The size of the fossils, the associated matrix and the lack of duplication of elements suggests that these fossils came from a single, mature dinosaur. They represent a dwarf duck-billed dinosaur, a Late Cretaceous lambeosaurine that was smaller than Ajnabia odysseus, the first hadrosaurid known from Africa (Longrich et al, 2020). M. bata is estimated to have been around 3.5 metres in length and weighed approximately 250 kilograms.
The genus name is derived from the Arabic “minqar” which means beak and the species name is from the Arabic “bata” for duck.
Approximate life position of skull fossils associated with the newly described lambeosaurine taxon Minqaria bata. Picture credit: Nick Longrich.
The Diversity of North African Lambeosaurines
A humerus and femur also described in the scientific paper appear to represent lambeosaurines too. However, their size indicates that larger lambeosaurines, animals longer than six metres in length were also present in the ecosystem.
The discovery of Ajnabia in 2020 was surprising. During the Late Cretaceous, hundreds of miles of water separated North Africa from Eurasia. The new lambeosaurine fossils not only confirm the existence of lambeosaurines in North Africa, but shows they were diverse, with at least four taxa present.
The dinosaur fauna of Morocco during the Late Cretaceous. Picture credit: Nick Longrich.
How Did Duck-billed Dinosaurs Get to North Africa?
This new study published in the journal “Scientific Reports” reveals that not only did duckbills manage to cross the Tethys Sea, but they became highly diverse once they colonised Africa. The duck-billed dinosaurs are thought to have evolved in North America. Africa during the Late Cretaceous was an isolated continent, surrounded on all sides by water. So, how did duckbill dinosaurs, a group that evolved in North America, end up in Morocco?
Anatomical traits of Minqaria are similar to European hadrosaurs. The researchers postulate that duckbills either swam or floated across several hundred kilometres of open water to colonise Africa.
Dr Nick Longrich (University of Bath), who led the study commented:
“These were probably loud, vocal animals. Modern birds vocalise to find mates, or to declare territories. But they’re especially vocal in flocks – a flock of flamingos or a nesting colony of pelicans is extremely noisy, constantly communicating. So, it’s likely that like birds, these duckbills were social animals.”
Part of the dentary (lower jaw) of Minqaria bata. Picture credit: University of Bath.
Social Dinosaurs
The brain is also large by dinosaur standards, a feature associated with social animals like crows and primates.
Dr Longrich explained:
“There were probably very loud, noisy herds – or flocks if you prefer – of these little duckbills wandering the coasts of Morocco 66 million years ago.”
The braincase of the newly described Moroccan lambeosaurine Minqaria bata. Picture credit: University of Bath.
Commenting on the presence of lambeosaurine dinosaurs on the isolated continent of Africa, Dr Longrich added:
“Not only did duckbills manage to reach Africa at the end of the Cretaceous, but once they did, they quickly evolved to take advantage of open niches and became diverse.”
Analogies can be found in the modern world. Animals can sometimes make unexpected and unusual journeys across large bodies of water. During the Ice Age, elephants, deer and hippos were able to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach the island of Crete. Iguanas swept offshore by a hurricane can be transported hundreds of miles to other Caribbean islands as they cling to dislodged vegetation.
Dr Longrich stated:
“It’s extremely improbable that dinosaurs could cross water to get to Africa, but improbable isn’t the same as impossible. And given enough time, improbable things become probable. Buy a lottery ticket every day, and if you wait long enough, you’ll win. These ocean crossings might be once-in-a-million-year events but the Cretaceous lasted nearly 100 million years. A lot of strange things will happen in that time – including dinosaurs crossing seas.”
Remarkable to Discover Fossils of Hadrosaurs Like Minqaria bata in Africa
Co-author Dr Nour-Eddine Jalil (Natural History Museum of Paris and the Université Cadi Ayyad in Morocco) commented:
“Minqaria and its relatives are players that a few years ago we would never have supposed to be on the African continent at that time.”
The doctor added:
“The phosphates of Morocco offers new images on past biodiversity in a key period of the history of life, the last moments of the dinosaur age followed by the diversification of mammals, announcing a new era. Despite their marine origin, these phosphates of Morocco also contain remains of vertebrates that lived on land. They constitute one of the only windows on the terrestrial ecosystems in Africa. The dinosaur remains suggest a great diversity, all the three major groups of dinosaurs are represented, the abelisaurid carnivores and the sauropod and ornithischian herbivores.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “A new small duckbilled dinosaur (Hadrosauridae: Lambeosaurinae) from Morocco and dinosaur diversity in the late Maastrichtian of North Africa” by Nicholas R. Longrich, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola, Nathalie Bardet and Nour-Eddine Jalil published in Scientific Reports.
