Horned Dinosaur Skull – Not Symmetrical

A team of scientists writing in the prestigious journal “Cretaceous Research”, have discovered the beautifully preserved skull of a horned dinosaur.  The skull comes from a Styracosaurus, a dinosaur famous for its bony neck frill with spikes.  However, the left side of this bony frill looks very different from the right side of the frill.  The skull is asymmetrical.

Palaeontologist Scott Persons with the Skull of the Styracosaurus

Picture credit: Scott Persons/University of Alberta

Studying Styracosaurus

When scientists want to display a dinosaur in a museum, they often produce mirror images of bones to replace missing parts of the skeleton.  For example, if the right thigh bone is found but not the left, then a mirror image of the right thigh bone can be produced and used in the mounted display.  The discovery of this asymmetrical dinosaur skull demonstrates that the heads of dinosaurs could look very different.  The right side of the head looks very different from the left.  This has implications for how dinosaurs can be displayed in museums – producing mirror images of bones from the skull might not be as good an idea as previously thought.

A Styracosaurus Drawing

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The illustration (above) is based on the CollectA Deluxe Styracosaurus model.

To view this range: CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Deluxe Range.

In addition,  such variability in the skull and the way that it looks casts doubt over how some dinosaur species get named.  Sometimes a new species is erected based on subtle variations in the shape and structure of the skull.  If the dinosaurs had such extensive variations in the shape of the skulls, as this Styracosaurus fossil suggests, then some dinosaur species might be invalid.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Red T. rex Head

Our congratulations to young Caldey who sent into Everything Dinosaur an illustration of one of her favourite dinosaurs – Tyrannosaurus rex.

An Illustration of T. rex by Caldey

 Picture credit: Caldey

The picture (above) seems to have been inspired by the Beasts of the Mesozoic model range.

To view this range of articulated figures: Beasts of the Mesozoic Models.

T. rex

The artist has taken great care to illustrate this dinosaur.  Lots of amazing detail such as different shaped scales on the skull and the bony ridges over the orbit (eye socket) can be seen in this line drawing.  Our congratulations to Caldey for creating such a super dinosaur illustration.

Everything Dinosaur team members receive lots of dinosaur themed drawings. Our thanks to Caldey for sending in a rather splendid red-headed Tyrannosaurus rex illustration.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

Further Legal Protection for Isle of Skye Dinosaurs

The internationally-recognised fossil bearing strata that dates from the Middle Jurassic on the Isle of Skye has been granted greater legal protection.  Earlier this month, the Scottish Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, Mairi Gougeon signed a Nature Conservation Order (NCO), aimed at protecting globally significant vertebrate fossil sites on the Scottish Island.

Many Dinosaur Fossils Including Footprints have been Discovered on the Isle of Skye

Picture credit: Colin MacFadyen (Scottish National Heritage)

Protecting the Isle of Skye Fossil Sites

The principle aim of the Nature Conservation Order is to prevent rare vertebrate fossils such as dinosaur footprints and bones, along with marine reptiles and fossil evidence of early mammals, being collected and removed by non-authorised parties.  The Nature Conservation Order also aims to encourage local people and the wider public, including the thousands of tourists that visit Skye each year, to take an interest in and report any potentially important fossil discoveries.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Komodo Dragon Drawing

Our thanks to young Caldey for sending into us a superb illustration of a Komodo dragon, the largest living lizard in the world today, with some individuals attaining lengths of around 3 metres and weighing as much as 75 kilogrammes.

An Illustration of a Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)

Picture credit: Caldey

Komodo Dragon Described as a “Land Crocodile”

When first described by Europeans in the early years of the 20th century, this large lizard was thought to be a form of “land crocodile”.  Scientist now know that the Komodo dragon is a member of the monitor lizard family, although how it evolved is a bit of a mystery.

As it is restricted to a handful of islands in the Indonesian archipelago, it had been thought that a lack of other large carnivores in its habitat enabled this lizard to reach such a large size.  However, some scientists now think that the Komodo dragon is part of a long line of large, ground dwelling monitor lizards that inhabited south-eastern Asia and Australia for several million years.  If this is the case the Komodo dragon represents the last of this evolutionary line, “a dead clade walking”.

Caldey’s drawing was probably inspired by the Rebor Komodo dragon model.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Rebor models and figures in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Figures and Models.

Listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, its range has contracted due to human activity, but it has protected status within Indonesia and there are controversial plans to reduce the human population on Komodo by forcing villagers to locate elsewhere in order to protect this species.

Our thanks to Caldey for providing us with such a super Komodo dragon drawing.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

International Primary Curriculum “Footprints from the Past”

Plans are well advanced for dinosaur and fossil themed workshops to be delivered in the new academic year.  Team members are busy with their lesson planning and preparations including writing schemes of work to support the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the topic area “Footprints from the Past”.

Everything Dinosaur staff have prepared workshops for Foundation Stage classes through to Upper Key Stage 2, helping to enthuse and motivate, working with classes when the children will be investigating dinosaurs and fossils.

Dinosaurs and Fossils Provides Lots of Cross-curricular Learning Opportunities

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We do a lot of work with schools and our workshops are built around the International Primary Curriculum aims and objectives including developing writing skills, aiding literacy, exploring ideas, problem solving, building confidence and encouraging an understanding of materials and the wider world.  There is certainly a big “wow factor” with a visit from ourselves but everything our teaching team does, attempts to reinforce learning and help achieve the teaching outcomes required.

Contact Everything Dinosaur: Email Us.

Footprints from the Past

The “Big Idea” behind this element of the IPC curriculum entitled Footprints from the Past, is that nobody has ever seen a living a dinosaur and therefore how do we know so much about them?  This introduces the concept of “dinosaur detectives”, challenging the class to explore ideas and to work scientifically.

From a scientific perspective, dinosaurs are technically not extinct.  So, when working with Lower Key Stage 2 for example, we like to challenge their understanding of dinosaurs and extinction, develop some themes through the tactile, visual and kinaesthetic elements of the class workshop and then set the class extension activities based around exploring some of the ideas that we have covered.

Did an Extra-terrestrial Impact Wipe Out All the Dinosaurs?

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur

Everything Dinosaur is manned by teachers and real fossil experts and we visit schools to conduct dinosaur and fossil themed workshops whilst working with the learning objectives and intended outcomes as set by the teaching team.  We undertake a lot of work in support of the pupil premium in England.  We add into our workshops real aspects of palaeontology, enabling children to experience some of the science behind the study of dinosaurs, fossils and other extinct animals.  Our costs are made up of a subsidised amount for the teacher/palaeontologist’s time, plus travelling expenses and a small charge to cover the packing of fossils and any materials used.

It looks like our team members are going to have very busy autumn and spring terms.

Visit the award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Dazzling Diabloceratops Drawing

Our thanks to Caldey for sending into Everything Dinosaur a superb drawing of the horned dinosaur Diabloceratops. Knowledgeable dinosaur fans like Caldey, know that there were lots of horned dinosaurs (Ceratopsians), in fact, over seventy different species of horned dinosaur have been named to date, numerous new genera have been erected in the last twenty years or so.

Caldey’s Impressive Diabloceratops Drawing

 Picture credit: Caldey

Diablocertops eatoni

Diabloceratops is one of those genera of horned dinosaurs erected this century.  It was described and named in 2010 from fossilised skull material found in Utah (Wahweap Formation), back in 2002.  Although a member of the Ceratopsia, since it was classified as a member of the subfamily Centrosaurinae, Diabloceratops was only distantly related to the famous Triceratops.

We think the inspiration behind Caldey’s excellent drawing was the recently introduced Schleich Diabloceratops dinosaur model.

The Schleich Diabloceratops Dinosaur Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

View the Schleich prehistoric animal model range: Schleich Prehistoric Animal Models.

Our thanks to Caldey for sending into us this fabulous dinosaur drawing.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“It is always a pleasure to receive artwork from fans of dinosaurs.  Caldey’s attention to detail and careful illustration of the dinosaur is admirable.  It is a dazzling Diabloceratops drawing.”

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A Schleich Plesiosaurus – A Flexible Friend

Schleich, the German-based model and figure manufacturer have added a Plesiosaurus to their range of prehistoric animals.  This little replica of an animal reminiscent of the legendary “Loch Ness Monster” measures a little over sixteen centimetres in length and it is great for creative, imaginative play.

The New for 2019 Schleich Plesiosaurus Marine Reptile Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Schleich Plesiosaurus – A Flexible Friend

The Plesiosaurus has a beautifully designed skin with very prominent scales, ideal for sensory play.  The figure has been designed for children from three years and older and it has been very skilfully painted.  Unlike most plastic prehistoric animal figures, this little plesiosaur has a flexible, bendy neck.  The head can be manoeuvred into lots of positions, it has certainly proved to be very popular with the budding, young palaeontologists who have had the chance to view this model already.

The Schleich Plesiosaurus Figure Used in a Prehistoric Landscape Display

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“Although Plesiosaurs are famous for their long necks and relatively small heads, the necks of these fish-eaters were not that flexible.  The very largest of the Plesiosauria had more than seventy neck bones (cervical vertebrae), that is ten times what we have in our own necks.  However, studies have shown that the necks of these Mesozoic marine reptiles were not bendy, they could not hold their head up in a “swan-neck” posture.  This anatomical detail notwithstanding, the Schleich Plesiosaurus is great for imaginative play and it will make a lot of young learners very happy.”

To view the new for 2019 Schleich Plesiosaurus and the other models and figures in the Schleich “Conquering the Earth” range: Schleich Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals.

Outlining the Six Stages of Play

As teachers, we know that creative, imaginative play is very important to help young minds develop.  Our congratulations to Safari Ltd for helping to promote the six stages of play as identified by the American sociologist Mildred Parten who defined six stages of play during her extensive research examining how children develop their social skills.

Helping to Educate and Inform about the Importance of Play

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

Play is Very Important

Researchers such as Dr Parten noted that as children develop, their style of play alters.  She identified six, distinct stages of play, the first four or which are focused around individual play.  As children grow-up the way that they play changes.  The latter stages (Associative and Co-operative), involve more complex play with much more interaction with other children.

The Second Set of Play Stages (Stage 4 to Stage 6)

Picture credit: Safari Ltd

The Stages of Play and their Importance in the Classroom

Teaching teams working with Early Years (EYFS), know the importance of play.  It is not just a way for children to have fun but it is extremely important to help them develop and practice personal and social skills.  When we visit schools, we observe many examples of creative play having been devised by the teachers and their teaching assistants.  Structured play helps young minds to mature and helps children to interact with others and the wider world.

Our congratulations to Safari Ltd for publishing helpful literature on this important subject.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.