tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50909331273656957712024-03-13T01:39:40.602-07:00Prehistoric Beast of the WeekChris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-14793177761797520322024-03-03T11:30:00.000-08:002024-03-04T11:05:40.237-08:00Mei: Beast of the Week<p> This week we will look out a dinosaur that helped solidify the connection between extinct dinosaurs and modern birds. Let's check out <i>Mei long</i>!</p><p><i>Mei</i> was a theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now China, during the Early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. It only measured about two feet (60cm) long as an adult, about the size of a modern duck, and would have eaten meat and possibly some plant material when alive. The genus and species name, <i>Mei long</i>, translates from Chinese to "sleeping dragon" in reference to how this amazing fossil was discovered. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RFrAEuibi0-wPuOHCokc3x8DMFjGCyGQRe2T_77B0kdPBz4XwaI11-5inprmuhbSyfytmyOo-1PWn7Y0XMNIR2CcVjlKC12cJFo-rtjMe6jxxA1a2bTArdXhgfvgvgsaBK3_lEI3JZcCEspiw1YUeQ4Aoej4PIkUjF8YIw5UYlCmV46uM5sFprXKmM/s5698/Mei%20(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4070" data-original-width="5698" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr4RFrAEuibi0-wPuOHCokc3x8DMFjGCyGQRe2T_77B0kdPBz4XwaI11-5inprmuhbSyfytmyOo-1PWn7Y0XMNIR2CcVjlKC12cJFo-rtjMe6jxxA1a2bTArdXhgfvgvgsaBK3_lEI3JZcCEspiw1YUeQ4Aoej4PIkUjF8YIw5UYlCmV46uM5sFprXKmM/w400-h286/Mei%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life reconstruction of Mei in watercolors by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Mei's</i> biggest claim to fame is how it was unearthed in a sleeping position, similar to how modern birds sleep with their head curled back and tucked under one wing and legs folded under the rest of the body. Not only is this interesting purely because we know what kind of posture a dinosaur had millions of years ago, but it also strongly implies this dinosaur had feathers when alive, since the pose of the head tucked under the arm is so often done by modern birds with the use of wing feathers to shield the eyes. The minerals between and over the bones of <i>Mei</i> imply the dinosaur was buried alive extremely quickly by ash from an erupting volcano, resulting in a beautifully preserved complete dinosaur skeleton for paleontologists to learn from. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM3y-OxQ1MCCN16V-dyZItmKqEtk-hFvcen79qdTKaEVl4miNbFweE-Z0t8CxpEPn3PkYpP0uRBFqEQ8XRCLDRJtJZzerPVYXHtlryDuhnn19rqN9eOe4c8HE4221jzimqP2Z0ouBVtScwso-q4n_MxrdnkQJoAIQVSOzS5553YZSQXERwzDzSSwIM_I/s591/Mei%20long.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="591" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmM3y-OxQ1MCCN16V-dyZItmKqEtk-hFvcen79qdTKaEVl4miNbFweE-Z0t8CxpEPn3PkYpP0uRBFqEQ8XRCLDRJtJZzerPVYXHtlryDuhnn19rqN9eOe4c8HE4221jzimqP2Z0ouBVtScwso-q4n_MxrdnkQJoAIQVSOzS5553YZSQXERwzDzSSwIM_I/w400-h311/Mei%20long.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast of the juvenile specimen of Mei on display at the American Museum of Natural History in the seasonal "Dinosaurs Among Us" exhibit in 2014.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Mei </i>was a member of the troodontid family of theropods. Troodontids were birdlike, typically smaller dinosaurs that appear to have specialized in hunting small animals and possibly some plants when alive. Troodontids typically had proportionally large eyes, narrow snouts, short arms, and long slender legs tipped with sharp claws, including a retractable second toe claw, which could have been an adaptation for pinning prey. </p><p><i>Mei</i> is known from two specimens, one young juvenile and one adult. The adult retains what are generally considered juvenile characteristics, like proportionally short snout and large eyes. Both specimens also exhibit relatively large nares (nostril holes in the skull) which is unusual for troodontids. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R2nUeChen3TgLZQ_oPuJCFSfYSFrJeIbtBhaERWaYXIXY3ptV-dN5HhyphenhyphenuAfY4tKs6MLYQAy_cDfyK3Hq_C93MMGpGlNGDBIuL4CwQfrxOXLteOVEfBC4qe9_uCOWyOOG6e8i45ViNq_uwjpAGTi-RJvUn-M2IxrB4BKPkKIbZVGi7IaB0NyQzfAi4bo/s1858/Mei%20fossil.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1345" data-original-width="1858" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R2nUeChen3TgLZQ_oPuJCFSfYSFrJeIbtBhaERWaYXIXY3ptV-dN5HhyphenhyphenuAfY4tKs6MLYQAy_cDfyK3Hq_C93MMGpGlNGDBIuL4CwQfrxOXLteOVEfBC4qe9_uCOWyOOG6e8i45ViNq_uwjpAGTi-RJvUn-M2IxrB4BKPkKIbZVGi7IaB0NyQzfAi4bo/w400-h290/Mei%20fossil.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of the second discovered specimen of <i>Mei </i>from the 2012 paper by Gao et al., which was an adult when it died. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The environment that <i>Mei</i> lived in during the early Cretaceous appears to have been heavily forested with rivers and lakes throughout with nearby active volcanoes. Since <i>Mei</i> was so small, it may have relied on hiding in the underbrush, or possibly even climbing trees to avoid predation from larger predators that shared its environment, like the gliding dinosaur, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/07/changyuraptor-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Changyuraptor</a></i>, or even the large tyrannoysauroid, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/04/yutyrannus-beast-of-week.html">Yutyrannus</a></i>. <i>Mei</i> also would have crossed paths with dinosaurs like <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/11/beipiaosaurus-beast-of-week.html"><i>Beipiaosaurus</i> </a>and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/01/tianyulong-beast-of-week.html">Tianyulong</a></i> to name a few more.</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-size: 13px;">Gao C, Morschhauser EM, Varricchio DJ, Liu J, Zhao B (2012) A Second Soundly Sleeping Dragon: New Anatomical Details of the Chinese Troodontid </span><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #202020; font-size: 13px; line-height: inherit;">Mei long</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-size: 13px;"> with Implications for Phylogeny and Taphonomy. PLoS ONE 7(9): e45203.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-size: 13px;"> https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0045203</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Junchang Lü</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">; Li Xu; Yongqing Liu; Xingliao Zhang; Songhai Jia & Qiang Ji (2010). </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"A new troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Late Cretaceous of central China, and the radiation of Asian troodontids"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span><span class="cs1-format" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">(PDF)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Acta Palaeontologica Polonica</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">55</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> (3): 381–388.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Xing Xu & Mark A. Norell (2004). </span>"A new troodontid dinosaur from China with avian-like sleeping posture"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span class="cs1-format" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(PDF)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">431</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (7010): 838–841.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-58128651756947534702024-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:002024-03-01T05:35:41.543-08:00Miragaia: Beast of the WeekThis week we will be checking out a unique plated dinosaur. Enter <i>Miragaia longicollum</i>. <i>Miragaia</i> was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Portugal during the Late Jurassic Period, about 150 million years ago. From beak to tail it measured roughly twenty feet (6m) long. The genus name is in honor of the village of Miragaia, near where its bones were first uncovered in eastern Portugal. However, "Miragaia" also translates to "wonderful Gaia". Gaia, in Greek mythology, was the titan of the earth, and mother to many of the gods. The species name, <i>longicollum</i>, translates to "long neck" for reasons that don't need explaining once you see what this dinosaur looks like.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPjbqdjGYgVXdviyQC_HAa6CJgF__p3hsWI8TdUt8HVeTyHtf2YwOzdY1z5otppxADC7JCjwOAvU18MxIJGd18J5d4abNyV1ePKGGMa2fWMAdyTB0s27izwgEUsKsQ_0MezObVkhY2DgiEl1Q7c_fHzden22snDoA1DUbD_vN62f8bdgtWSz797WkYbI/s5472/Miragaia%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3956" data-original-width="5472" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPjbqdjGYgVXdviyQC_HAa6CJgF__p3hsWI8TdUt8HVeTyHtf2YwOzdY1z5otppxADC7JCjwOAvU18MxIJGd18J5d4abNyV1ePKGGMa2fWMAdyTB0s27izwgEUsKsQ_0MezObVkhY2DgiEl1Q7c_fHzden22snDoA1DUbD_vN62f8bdgtWSz797WkYbI/w400-h289/Miragaia%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor life reconstruction of <i>Miragaia</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
Long necks are nothing new or unusual for dinosaurs. Sauropods, being the most famous for having them, as well as many theropods, including lots of living birds! <i>Miragaia</i>, however, was none of those things. <i>Miragaia</i> was a stegosaurid, a close relative to the more famous, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/stegosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Stegosaurus</a></i>. Among stegosaurids, <i>Miragaia</i> had a noticeably long neck, which consisted of seventeen vertebrae. Stegosaurids in general tended to have relatively long-ish necks, consisting of between nine and thirteen vertebrae (depending on the species) possibly to help them access as much low-growing vegetation as possible without having to move their bodies while feeding. The specific reason why <i>Miragaia's</i> neck was as long as it was is still somewhat of a mystery. What's even more interesting is the fact that since it lived during the late Jurassic, <i>Miragaia</i> was coexisting with sauropods, which also had extremely long necks. Perhaps it was evolving to compete with its sauropod neighbors? Keep in mind, despite a quadruped, <i>Miragaia</i> was probably able to rear up on its hind legs for short periods of time, perhaps to reach higher vegetation while feeding. This is because its center of gravity would have been in its hips, making its front end much lighter. Maybe its neck allowed it to feed in a space just below the larger sauropods, but beyond other stegosaurids? We may never know for certain. <br />
<br />
<i>Miragaia</i> is an interesting find because it was not
discovered by paleontologists looking for fossils. Its remains were
found on accident by construction workers, while building a road.
Because of this, only the front half of <i>Miragaia's</i> skeleton was initially found, the back part unknowingly may have been destroyed during the construction. Years later a stegosaur, currently called <i>Alcovasaurus</i> but possibly a different species of <i>Miragaia</i>, was published on, which included elements of the back half of the body, including long spikes that would have been on the tail. <br />
<br />
There are a number of interesting things to note about this <i>Miragaia</i> other than the neck. Part of <i>Miragaia's</i> skull was preserved, including the beak. <i>Miragaia's</i> beak was relatively small, but flared out slightly on either side, making an almost upside-down heart shape. This beak was likely ideal for clipping vegetation to be processed by the small teeth farther back in the mouth.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJJvk7vYrDr4Qhz8TVc-7-FOHj1OSEVDoFlDAzMYCPaWj4hsztHBCjFqoi0zoIiJxZM4BlmLPy6DMTdB2yiQf7PxrLM_AtKXkWBG37P0qg9kp04BTy2GGGunSXo9iq540IDCAEpO6LhQ/s1600/dinosaurio.jpg.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="231" data-original-width="410" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJJvk7vYrDr4Qhz8TVc-7-FOHj1OSEVDoFlDAzMYCPaWj4hsztHBCjFqoi0zoIiJxZM4BlmLPy6DMTdB2yiQf7PxrLM_AtKXkWBG37P0qg9kp04BTy2GGGunSXo9iq540IDCAEpO6LhQ/s400/dinosaurio.jpg.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of most of Miragaia's bones that are on the fossil record. Photo credit: Dr. Mateus.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<em>Miragaia</em> had bony plates on its back, just like all known stegosaurids. These plates (at least the ones that were found) were relatively small, and were arranged in pairs. The plates may have been for display between members of the species. They also might have had a role in temperature regulation or even could have helped with camouflage by obscuring the animal's profile, depending on what kind of environment it was in. Many living reptiles have similar adaptations today, like spines and sails for those purposes. Stegosaurids are also known for having spikes, usually, but not limited to the tail. Two spikes were unearthed in association with a possible <i>Miragaia </i>specimen<i>,</i> suggesting it may have had an arrangement similar to that of its relative, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/04/kentrosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Kentrosaurus</a></i>, with the front half of its back adorned with plates that turn into long spikes around the hips and continue to the tip of the tail. These spikes were extremely long and would have been potentially deadly defensive weapons against potential predators, like <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/allosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Allosaurus</a> </i>or <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/07/torvosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Torvosaurus</a></i>.<br /><br />
That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or on our facebook page!<br />
<br />
<u>References</u><br />
<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Costa, Francisco; Mateus, Octávio (13 November 2019). </span>"Dacentrurine stegosaurs (Dinosauria): A new specimen of <i>Miragaia longicollum</i> from the Late Jurassic of Portugal resolves taxonomical validity and shows the occurrence of the clade in North America"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">PLOS ONE</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">14</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (11): e0224263.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation journal">Mateus, O.;
Maidment, S. C.R.; Christiansen, N. A. (2009). "A new long-necked
'sauropod-mimic' stegosaur and the evolution of the plated dinosaurs". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. <b>276</b> (1663): 1815–21.</cite></span><br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation journal"></cite></span><span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation journal">Waskow,
Katja; Mateus, Octavio (2017). "Dorsal rib histology of dinosaurs and a
crocodylomorph from western Portugal: Skeletochronological implications
on age determination and life history traits". Comptes Rendus Palevol.</cite></span></span></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-20531737368717715112024-02-04T06:17:00.000-08:002024-02-06T12:14:10.802-08:00Ornithomimus: Beast of the Week<p> This week we will be looking at a fast-running dinosaur that looked like modern birds. (but wasn't directly related to them) Make way for <i>Ornithomimus</i>!</p><p><i>Ornithomimus</i> was a theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now mostly western North America, although some fragmentary fossils that appear to be from it have also been found on the east coast of the United States, including New Jersey. It lived during the late Cretaceous period, between 76.5 and 66 million years ago, and therefore was one of the dinosaurs wiped out by the meteorite that ended the Mesozoic. From beak to tail it would have measured about 12 feet (3.6 meters) long and was either an herbivore, or possibly an omnivore when alive. Its genus name translates to "Bird Mimic" because of its birdlike (specifically ostrich) appearance. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj305cd2ZN1qlIzhaQorZ-VXhPWHVsMByHZ8ZKHOPKK96nZknKeg6OvEwrwzPb80qP8GwcGNovbOzrlyENXCbXEZAQjAV3hw0RUWkB9U3AA58fo2_ktgvB1mZu4PWU70c-V7jz2giQ7_IOrTzZAvjy0DWwGi2298LOVsx75zS8Y-JOQhBKprrWEDKaYRs/s5357/Ornithomimus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3547" data-original-width="5357" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj305cd2ZN1qlIzhaQorZ-VXhPWHVsMByHZ8ZKHOPKK96nZknKeg6OvEwrwzPb80qP8GwcGNovbOzrlyENXCbXEZAQjAV3hw0RUWkB9U3AA58fo2_ktgvB1mZu4PWU70c-V7jz2giQ7_IOrTzZAvjy0DWwGi2298LOVsx75zS8Y-JOQhBKprrWEDKaYRs/w400-h265/Ornithomimus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ornithomimus edmontonicus</i> life reconstruction in watercolors by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Ornithomimus</i> was a member of the ornithomimosaur family of theropods, characterized by their long, slender necks, long legs, long arms, and beaked faces. Like <i>Ornithomimus</i>, many were toothless, but a few earlier members had small teeth. <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/08/struthiomimus-beast-of-week.html">Struthiomimus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/07/gallimimus-beast-of-week.html">Gallimimus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/11/harpymimus-beast-of-week.html">Harpymimus</a></i>, and even the gigantic <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/11/deinocheirus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Deinocheirus</a></i>, are all also members of this group. Like many of its relatives, <i>Ornithomimus</i> had proportionally long arms with three fingers on each hand and long powerful legs, suggesting it was a fast runner. A large number of <i>Ornithomimus</i> foot bones on the fossil record were found by paleontologists to be devoid of stress fractures, further supporting the idea they were adapted to running in life. <i>Ornithomimus</i> also had a slender beak with proportionally large eye sockets, suggesting it had strong eyesight in life. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAIWZedAmcspQJqfCEfGS6A1WCax5Yx_kwKiLIjrCircLAYgMP4_MFiTmmg7hFgstzYHjKs8PQjJA8C_2Xnx75I8yB0JtaV14CB_2pTwsFzuhybdauLhqVR2fCiRqkwJobo9UBwmdEZj3Y8uYi8RVbbyDlpLf7_YbXLt45Kd8FiWpgYBgmXLTkcq5GLQ/s1745/ornithomimus%20skeleton.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1745" data-original-width="1438" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKAIWZedAmcspQJqfCEfGS6A1WCax5Yx_kwKiLIjrCircLAYgMP4_MFiTmmg7hFgstzYHjKs8PQjJA8C_2Xnx75I8yB0JtaV14CB_2pTwsFzuhybdauLhqVR2fCiRqkwJobo9UBwmdEZj3Y8uYi8RVbbyDlpLf7_YbXLt45Kd8FiWpgYBgmXLTkcq5GLQ/w330-h400/ornithomimus%20skeleton.jpeg" width="330" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ornithomimus edmontonicus</i> skeleton on display at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Alberta, Canada.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Ornithomimus</i> is currently known from two species. The earliest of the two, called <i>Ornithomimus edmontonicus</i>, lived between 75.5 to 72 million years ago, in what is now Alberta, Canada. It would have coexisted with other dinosaurs, like <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/12/albertosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Albertosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/08/anodontosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Anodontosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/12/pachyrhinosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Pachyrhinosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/03/sphaerotholus-beast-of-th-week.html">Sphaerotholus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2021/07/hypacrosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Hypacrosaurus</a></i>, and its close relative, <i>Struthiomimus</i>. The later species, <i>Ornithomimus velox</i>, was the slightly smaller species based on known material, and lived more in what is now the United States, from the very end of the late Cretaceous. This species would have crossed paths with <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/pachycephalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Pachycephalosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/anzu-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Anzu</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/09/ankylosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Ankylosaurus</a></i> to name a few, and like them, would have gone extinct when the asteroid that ended the Mesozoic hit the earth, 66 million years ago. In the past <i>Ornithomimus</i> actually included a whopping seventeen more species that have since mostly been lumped into one of the two previously mentioned, or found to be different genera.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWih3rd7f-73haj0Tgn_Y7-ywcZ2GSV46GgjsS9Q9UxXeb_1UjLU5cQ7EgvLACbQVBtv619YFDCOC4iwt0FuhhaDaVXVECbpz9Cg1VeFEXTIzrwx3cVG9RWGurpVxMb8ESP0MPOaPuvg8xrADJNmwxSOTHyVxqQJbpTzHXZSMl-XiJTHU3HnSSuFMcXI/s1122/ornithomimus%20feathers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1122" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWih3rd7f-73haj0Tgn_Y7-ywcZ2GSV46GgjsS9Q9UxXeb_1UjLU5cQ7EgvLACbQVBtv619YFDCOC4iwt0FuhhaDaVXVECbpz9Cg1VeFEXTIzrwx3cVG9RWGurpVxMb8ESP0MPOaPuvg8xrADJNmwxSOTHyVxqQJbpTzHXZSMl-XiJTHU3HnSSuFMcXI/w400-h266/ornithomimus%20feathers.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fossilized remains of <i>Ornithomimus</i> feathers circled in yellow. Specimen at the Royal Tyrell Museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For decades most experts suspected Ornithomimosaurs, like <i>Ornithomimus</i>, sported feathers in life based on its resemblance to modern birds and the presence of fossilized feathers in other kinds of dinosaurs. More recently, however, this hypothesis was confirmed thanks to not one, but several separate specimens of <i>Ornithomimus edmontonicus</i> that sport fossilized remains of feathers. Thanks to these exquisite fossils, we now know that young<i> Ornithomimus </i>had shaggy down-like feathers on their bodies, much like many modern birds. We also know that adult <i>Ornithomimus</i> sported long feathers on its lower arms, like the wings of modern ostriches. It is worth noting that the Ornithomimosaurs were NOT direct ancestors of modern ostriches or any other birds (modern types of birds already existed during the time ornithomimosaurs were alive), but a beautiful example of convergent evolution, when two different kinds of animals independently evolve similar features and end up looking more closely related than they really are.</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Makovicky, P.J., Kobayashi, Y., and Currie, P.J. (2004). "Ornithomimosauria." In Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., & Osmólska, H. (eds.), </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">The Dinosauria (second edition)</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. University of California Press, Berkeley: 137-150.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rothschild, B., Tanke, D. H., and Ford, T. L., 2001, Theropod stress fractures and tendon avulsions as a clue to activity: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 331-336.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Zelenitsky, D. K.; Therrien, F.; Erickson, G. M.; Debuhr, C. L.; Kobayashi, Y.; Eberth, D. A.; Hadfield, F. (2012). "Feathered Non-Avian Dinosaurs from North America Provide Insight into Wing Origins". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Science</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">338</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> (6106): 510–514.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-84982170758043009862024-01-14T20:46:00.000-08:002024-02-21T09:11:32.719-08:00Stegosaurus: Beast of the WeekThis week we will be looking at one of the most instantly recognizable dinosaurs. Let's check out <i>Stegosaurus</i>! <br />
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<i>Stegosaurus</i> was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now the Western United States, including Wyoming and Colorado, during the Late Jurassic Period, between 155 to 150 million years ago. Some <i>Stegosaurus</i> remains have also been found in Portugal. The genus name, <i>Stegosaurus</i>, actually translates to "roofed reptile" because its iconic plates were at first believed by scientists to have laid flat on the animal's back like shingles on a roof. As adults, most <i>Stegosaurus</i> hovered in size at around twenty to twenty five feet, but some individuals could have grown to about thirty feet long from beak to tail. When alive, it would have coexisted with other famous dinosaurs, including <a href="http://allosaurus/"><i>Apatosaurus</i></a>, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/brontosaurus-beast-of-week.html"><i>Brontosaurus</i></a>, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/06/camarasaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Camarasaurus</i></a>, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/ceratosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Ceratosaurus</i></a>, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/07/torvosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Torvosaurus</i></a>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/allosaurus-beast-of-week.html#:~:text=Check%20out%20Allosaurus!,and%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa.">Allosaurus</a></i>.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cRn44HDOO1bbmOEI-dUwfzew27oTt0wtlI9RRkbzs18VFseElnCVLioxT0UW8N5O1QMT4ID9K0TQA5nTX9BRvB5fFUYVPwqjwsr_PY9pyzlV9OobIcyqoOcR8U_v4T0g_JjK3XpuEzaypHCMfjgpXQRQhmg-R7JclWKCY7HuhcTykwuUSXIB3EgHFLE/s5992/Stegosaurus%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4195" data-original-width="5992" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cRn44HDOO1bbmOEI-dUwfzew27oTt0wtlI9RRkbzs18VFseElnCVLioxT0UW8N5O1QMT4ID9K0TQA5nTX9BRvB5fFUYVPwqjwsr_PY9pyzlV9OobIcyqoOcR8U_v4T0g_JjK3XpuEzaypHCMfjgpXQRQhmg-R7JclWKCY7HuhcTykwuUSXIB3EgHFLE/w400-h280/Stegosaurus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life reconstruction in watercolors of <i>Stegosaurus stenops</i> by Christopher DiPiazza. Since its center of gravity was over the hips, it may have been easier for Stegosaurus to rear up on its hind legs than most quadrupedal dinosaurs, especially if it used its strong tail as a third support.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br />
<i>Stegosaurus</i> is most well-known for its plates, which varied slightly between species, but more or less were diamond-shaped, depending on the species. The speceis, <i>Stegosaurus ungulatus</i>, had more narrow and pointier plates. <i>Stegosaurus stenops</i> had plates that were wider and more rounded. On average, <i>Stegosaurus</i> possessed seventeen to nineteen of these impressive plates running down its back. The evolutionary function of these bony structures remains a mystery but paleontologists have come up with a few ideas. When first discovered, it was believed that these plates served as armor, but it was soon realized that in life, they were arranged sitting erect on the animal's back which wouldn't do much good for physical protection from predators. Furthermore, the plates of a <i>Stegosaurus</i> are extremely thin and actually quite delicate! A predator, like <i>Allosaurus</i> or <i>Torvosaurus</i>, would surely have had no problem biting right through them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33LGAsEnTNcSGsuBiEo6F8uzgIG8rmyfq214a_h52V4zLi1DrTT26vS007v3v2EuU6iHXNns564rcGirLPWbB3_FdGKcBmGRB7AOkWASexjm_zOtFq_XhZHbRvYgooMT-SxVpgAvhb8E/s1600/stegosaurus_dynamic_lead_slide.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh33LGAsEnTNcSGsuBiEo6F8uzgIG8rmyfq214a_h52V4zLi1DrTT26vS007v3v2EuU6iHXNns564rcGirLPWbB3_FdGKcBmGRB7AOkWASexjm_zOtFq_XhZHbRvYgooMT-SxVpgAvhb8E/s1600/stegosaurus_dynamic_lead_slide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stegosaurus stenops</i> skeleton on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.</td></tr>
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A second, possably more likely idea for these plates, was to help control <i>Stegosaurus</i>' body temperature. Upon close inspection, they were found to have had many blood vessels in them in life. If a <i>Stegosaurus</i> wanted to warm up in the morning, the blood in these plates could have been heated by the sun and then circulated to the rest of the body. If the <i>Stegosaurus</i> wanted to cool off in the afternoon, the heated blood would cool off slightly when closer to the outside air while in the plates, and like before, be circulated to the rest of the body, cooling the animal down. Many other animals use this method of temperature control, by using large ears like elephants and rabbits, or reptiles with sails or extendable ribs. It is plausible that <i>Stegosaurus</i>' plates were also display adaptations, having possibly been brightly colored to impress potential mates or intimidate rivals. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XB7094Ei3TqV6pMbVHpkE7rD0B_dbCl_MDgLlqrkocNeJ51baSwl6ivVr-orRU8lg4vMPiRTEqqLe51FokaMrwq_Ux9Q3Jkl11ov8ThcT6YNiU8VKkIO6iPu9ofW1DTSGTfdHVgNgf8/s1600/Stegosaurus_Sarah_in_the_Natural_History_Museum.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XB7094Ei3TqV6pMbVHpkE7rD0B_dbCl_MDgLlqrkocNeJ51baSwl6ivVr-orRU8lg4vMPiRTEqqLe51FokaMrwq_Ux9Q3Jkl11ov8ThcT6YNiU8VKkIO6iPu9ofW1DTSGTfdHVgNgf8/s1600/Stegosaurus_Sarah_in_the_Natural_History_Museum.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stegosaurus stenops</i> skeletal mount on display at the London Museum of Natural History.</td></tr>
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The position of <i>Stegosaurus</i>'s plates has also been the subject of some debate over the years. Like I stated earlier, originally the plates were believed to have laid flat on the dinosaur's back, like shingles on a roof, for protection. It was later realized that these plates belonged erect growing off of the back. The first version of this idea showed two rows of paired plates but the more recent idea is that the plates were still in two rows, but alternating, not parallel. Other members of the stegosaurid family, like <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/04/kentrosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Kentrosaurus</i></a>, for instance, did actually have parallel paired plates, however.<br />
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<i>Stegosaurus</i> had actual protective armor too! Right under the chin, extending down the throat of a well-preserved Stegosaurus specimen, many small pieces of bony armor were discovered. These small chunks of armor would have been embedded in the dinosaur's neck skin and acted like chain mail, protecting the throat from biting predators. This neck armor is called <u>gular armor</u>. ("Gular" means throat.) </div><div><br /></div><div>The actual skull of <i>Stegosaurus </i>was extremely small in comparison to the rest of the body. The skull of <i>Stegosaurus</i> was narrow, and was tipped with a short beak, which the dinosaur used to clip vegetation. This food then would have been processed with <i>Stegosaurus</i>' small teeth further down into the mouth, which were also adapted for clipping and shearing vegetation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFOpgjZdXgQXM_4KXMsS8iSuDCaTUQVBNgDv5q_ngi8o2pJTI7aVKMRU4DUHhkGRVkQ-XO5P_KPyw2PTfEfxiHlhKjuJH1TcVxSoDxPqb_5bKIK06rrE1q3BRIXh7ahVA0gRbUhyf8_k/s1600/DMSN_dinosaurs.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFOpgjZdXgQXM_4KXMsS8iSuDCaTUQVBNgDv5q_ngi8o2pJTI7aVKMRU4DUHhkGRVkQ-XO5P_KPyw2PTfEfxiHlhKjuJH1TcVxSoDxPqb_5bKIK06rrE1q3BRIXh7ahVA0gRbUhyf8_k/s1600/DMSN_dinosaurs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skeletal mount of <i>Stegosaurus</i> showcasing the gular armor.</td></tr>
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At the opposite end of the body, at the very tip of the tail, <i>Stegosaurus</i> possessed four long spikes. <i>Stegosaurus</i> would have been able to swing its tail around with deadly accuracy to keep any potential predators at bay if it was ever attacked. Since <i>Stegosaurus</i>' hind limbs were so much longer than its front limbs, its center of gravity was near its hips rather than closer to the rib cage like it is with many other quadrupedal dinosaurs. This would have enabled <i>Stegosaurus</i> to use its front limbs to help it rotate its body around more rapidly than one would expect from an animal of that size, greatly increasing its tail-swinging range. This makes sense since potential predators would likely be aiming for its head and trying to specifically avoid its tail.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO6oftIGtHFh-xqY6pwtX4m7fEUxx6PqwN7iJC1O91QAc-Ak-Bzk3WMTUKg6FaAJdT23rMfTovODVqGgHnOLsZOhYj6pBY7mh_leJKBjOUMKqZyq6JrJmXlxwg4bLYcbzvY69xPGYk2U/s1600/220px-Thagomizer_01.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO6oftIGtHFh-xqY6pwtX4m7fEUxx6PqwN7iJC1O91QAc-Ak-Bzk3WMTUKg6FaAJdT23rMfTovODVqGgHnOLsZOhYj6pBY7mh_leJKBjOUMKqZyq6JrJmXlxwg4bLYcbzvY69xPGYk2U/s1600/220px-Thagomizer_01.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tail of <i>Stegosaurus</i>.</td></tr>
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The pelvis of <i>Stegosaurus</i> also possessed an odd hollow section which is still somewhat of a mystery to scientists. At first, this area was believed to be the site of a swelling of nerves, which could have acted as a "second brain" to control the animal's back half, since the actual brain was so small. Scientists now know this is untrue and that this area appears to be for storing glycogen, a kind of molecule which animals can use for energy. Glycogen bodies, similar to the one found in <i>Stegosaurus</i>', pelvis can also be found in the hips of modern birds and other reptiles.<br />
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That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/prehistoricbeastoftheweek?ref=hl">facebook page</a>! Have a particular beast you would like to see painted and reviewed? Let me know and I will add it to the list!<br />
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References</u><br />
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<span class="citation_text"></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Buchholz (née Giffin) EB (1990). "Gross Spinal Anatomy and Limb Use in Living and Fossil Reptiles". <i>Paleobiology</i> <b>16</b>: 448–58.</span></span><br />
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<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"></span></span><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Buffrénil (1986). "Growth and Function of <i>Stegosaurus</i> Plates". <i>Paleobiology</i> <b>12</b>: 459–73.</span></span><br />
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<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"></span></span><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation book">Carpenter K, Sanders F, McWhinney L, Wood L (2005). "Evidence for predator-prey relationships: Examples for <i>Allosaurus</i> and <i>Stegosaurus</i>.". In Carpenter, Kenneth(ed). <i>The Carnivorous Dinosaurs</i>. Indiana University Press. pp. 325–50. ISBN 0-253-34539-1.</span></span><br />
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<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"></span></span><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation book">Czerkas SA (1987). "A Reevaluation of the Plate Arrangement on <i>Stegosaurus stenops</i>". In Czerkas SJ, Olson EC. <i>Dinosaurs Past & Present, Vol 2</i>. University of Washington Press, Seattle. pp. 82–99. ISBN.</span></span><br />
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<span class="citation_text">Lull, R. S. "The Armor of Stegosaurus." <i>American Journal of Science</i> S4-29.171 (1910): 201-10. Web. </span><br />
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<span class="citation_text"></span>Saitta ET (2015) Evidence for Sexual Dimorphism in the Plated Dinosaur <i>Stegosaurus mjosi</i> (Ornithischia, Stegosauria) from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western USA. PLoS ONE 10(4):
e0123503.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0123503</span><br /><br /></div><br />Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-74168303171384903932023-12-31T09:28:00.000-08:002024-01-04T05:46:07.053-08:00Furcatoceratops: Beast of the Week<p> This week we'll be checking out a newly described ceratopsian, <i>Furcatoceratops elucidans</i>!</p><p><i>Furcatoceratops</i> was a ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana, USA, during the late Cretaceous period, between 76 and 75 million years ago. From beak to tail it measured about thirteen feet (4 meters) long. The genus name translates to "Forked-horned Face" and the species name, <i>elucidans</i>, means "enlightening". Like all known ceratopsians, <i>Furcatoceratops</i> likely ate plants when it was alive.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkR0l0f4maENf4LKk7d4-4sgYwygRkRZsVUPb6GmFuBhSo9GmXENlcyhNmiw_zRGPHjXrdMkCh9HD4TF-P6E2oArOM_R-k0Vk5h-WJz1j8suRaUIIg07kdx9zMaTmkrMqiqxuXPWi_YPBiJr2AvLmfs4r2uesW1btISI-WMtTuX0vyTuRiGMzAJ6nBS4/s4340/Furcatoceratops%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2917" data-original-width="4340" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkR0l0f4maENf4LKk7d4-4sgYwygRkRZsVUPb6GmFuBhSo9GmXENlcyhNmiw_zRGPHjXrdMkCh9HD4TF-P6E2oArOM_R-k0Vk5h-WJz1j8suRaUIIg07kdx9zMaTmkrMqiqxuXPWi_YPBiJr2AvLmfs4r2uesW1btISI-WMtTuX0vyTuRiGMzAJ6nBS4/w400-h269/Furcatoceratops%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor life reconstruction of Furcatoceratops by Christopher DiPiazza. The crossed horns is speculation based on the fact that there would have been keratin growing over the fossilized horn cores (which are very close together) in life. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Amazingly, <i>Furcatoceratops</i> is known from an almost complete skeleton, which is rare for dinosaur fossils. As is the case with most ceratopsians, its most notable feature is its horns. <i>Furcatoceratops</i> had two horns growing from above its eyes that are quite close together, basically parallel to each other. This is unusual compared to the brow horns of other ceratopsian dinosaurs, which tend to grow angled away from each other. <i>Furcatoceratops</i> also had a series of small, triangular horns growing from the perimeter of its frill. Many ceratopsians also have a horn on the snout over the nostrils but since that portion of <i>Furcatoceratops</i>' skull was one of the few parts not found, it is unclear if it also had a horn there in life. </p><p>As which all ceratopsians, the exact evolutionary purpose of <i>Furcatoceratops</i>' horns is unknown, but display within its species or defense against potential predators are possibilities. Lower on the skull, <i>Furcatoceratops</i> had a sharp beak backed up by many small teeth that would work together like shears for processing mouthfulls of plants when alive. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY0Tlff0gR6yLa4tg893FyiOWTujeX-JHXCAbqaD_j-N4f97VJxhQzaTb3n8iw9QqBuHn447-qfxni3XDwIOIAEaTqkhs6DZqJYZWbkv9iNvt7WdaEp66p4ElwNdGGT9Eqi-WwTdFyobnin7CbWLcxDo_Mxhr9lZBbq4hRrv3nPQWOrqa5l3hyphenhyphenxYmDM4/s1920/Furcatoceratops%20skeleton.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXY0Tlff0gR6yLa4tg893FyiOWTujeX-JHXCAbqaD_j-N4f97VJxhQzaTb3n8iw9QqBuHn447-qfxni3XDwIOIAEaTqkhs6DZqJYZWbkv9iNvt7WdaEp66p4ElwNdGGT9Eqi-WwTdFyobnin7CbWLcxDo_Mxhr9lZBbq4hRrv3nPQWOrqa5l3hyphenhyphenxYmDM4/w400-h300/Furcatoceratops%20skeleton.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Furcatoceratops</i> skeleton on display at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tsukuba, Japan. (photo credit: "eight heads serpent")</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Within the ceratopsian group (dinosaurs known for their horns and bony frills) <i>Furcatoceratops</i> is part of the centrosaurine branch of the family tree. Centrosaurines are known for having robust, tall snouts, and proportionally shorter frills. Within this group, <i>Furcatoceratops</i> appears to be particularly closely related to <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/07/nasutoceratops-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Nasutoceratops</a>, </i>which was alive during almost the same time as <i>Furcatoceratops</i> in what is now Utah, USA. </p><p>That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below!</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Ishikawa, H.; Tsuihiji, T.; Manabe, M. (2023). "</span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Furcatoceratops elucidans</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">, a new centrosaurine (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the upper Campanian Judith River Formation, Montana, USA". </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Cretaceous Research</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. 105660.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-55118121717077567232023-12-10T11:34:00.000-08:002023-12-13T07:51:07.426-08:00Visiting the Pokemon Fossil Museum<p> I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Japan this past summer with friends and family. We are all big Pokemon fans, my wife and I having played the games since the late 90s, and my daughter enjoying the anime, so we naturally had a lot of fun visiting several of the official Pokemon centers and other attractions throughout the country during our three weeks in the country. One of the must-sees was to visit the <a href="https://www.kahaku.go.jp/pokemon/index_en.html">Pokemon Fossil Museum</a>, a traveling exhibit that showcases fabricated skeletons and models of prehistoric Pokemon alongside casts of the real dinosaur and other prehistoric animal fossils they're based on. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Tm6fKRibjqvaoUi8mMQ2LSeXr2qeMdUf51N9X4ySgOkvOYy8J4AodKLkL29YRg6d10DFv-Emd2YKOWP1pGRky2q_2EdTSScZvmvjSo7YS9B2V6kIm8hv2Pv32RjJH3BgznV27Wcy3q-IikUI0nO3VO-6SwV0UKpzRTLJ1wOzsomX6vNouwltgFueHZs/s4032/IMG_9313.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Tm6fKRibjqvaoUi8mMQ2LSeXr2qeMdUf51N9X4ySgOkvOYy8J4AodKLkL29YRg6d10DFv-Emd2YKOWP1pGRky2q_2EdTSScZvmvjSo7YS9B2V6kIm8hv2Pv32RjJH3BgznV27Wcy3q-IikUI0nO3VO-6SwV0UKpzRTLJ1wOzsomX6vNouwltgFueHZs/w400-h300/IMG_9313.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model of what the skeleton of the Pokemon, Tyrantrum, might look like on display in the main hall of the museum, before entering the exhibit. My daughter and I for scale.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Upon entering the exhibit visitors are greeted by a model of the pterosaur Pokemon, Aerodactyl, being ridden by a Pikachu (because of course there's Pikachu) dressed like a paleontologist. Pikachu was never one of my favorite Pokemon but I must admit this version of the electric mouse was very cute. "Paleontologist Pikachu" would be portrayed several more times throughout the exhibit acting as a sort of guide, and was shown interacting with various prehistoric Pokemon. Regarding Aerodactyl, despite being one of the original fossil Pokemon from the first generation of the franchise, there is no actual skeleton of it in the exhibit. It is mentioned and depicted again alongside a cast of a <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/02/pteranodon-beast-of-week.html">Pteranodon</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/02/dimorphodon-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Dimorphodon</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/pterodactylus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Pterodactylus</a></i>, demonstrating pterosaur anatomy, however. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHJ8b7XE1AwCInYJOde0so6LXeiNx74zFDWpZ20P7aP3vQVwn7HE81W-lVZYvS3qU7VfmMtXSwy1r4ZDTmz7bbUdUVcNQ9dmJ9hSMfZ4UAq33ObbhEZ3V4ADvkJ2wrjq3Bvq88Y8Rzi36zW2jfzD1EYERM-GNFOXiaP9DrHHANAGZ46fncbIkXMkeRT8/s4032/image_67204865.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMHJ8b7XE1AwCInYJOde0so6LXeiNx74zFDWpZ20P7aP3vQVwn7HE81W-lVZYvS3qU7VfmMtXSwy1r4ZDTmz7bbUdUVcNQ9dmJ9hSMfZ4UAq33ObbhEZ3V4ADvkJ2wrjq3Bvq88Y8Rzi36zW2jfzD1EYERM-GNFOXiaP9DrHHANAGZ46fncbIkXMkeRT8/w300-h400/image_67204865.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerodactyl and Paleontologist Pikachu are the first pokemon models you meet upon entering. Sadly there was no Aerodactyl skeleton on display anywhere. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfMMDkK7bD5ZoAiPz7QwCsORGeoRgGlMMZjrxNdvLUDXpKioyA8d12hnP_Bfa9moI6MkWKfF3JOv9XTP426VpvdTGexzdATuAPlHr-zWudWhT6BaVGkvtEVyBOmCG8V7sIMSLDxirA8qQCsDPdSDqz2h0zixXyQ7devFGVRyvYeAcanpAlyp9wJRB9Bs/s4032/IMG_7004.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfMMDkK7bD5ZoAiPz7QwCsORGeoRgGlMMZjrxNdvLUDXpKioyA8d12hnP_Bfa9moI6MkWKfF3JOv9XTP426VpvdTGexzdATuAPlHr-zWudWhT6BaVGkvtEVyBOmCG8V7sIMSLDxirA8qQCsDPdSDqz2h0zixXyQ7devFGVRyvYeAcanpAlyp9wJRB9Bs/w400-h300/IMG_7004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casts of the skeletons of <i>Pteranodon</i> and <i>Dimorphodon</i> hanging from the ceiling.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Two more of my favorite Pokemon, Cranidos and Rampardos, based on pachycephalosaurs, were also not featured as models or skeletons, but they are mentioned alongside casts of two different </span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/pachycephalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Pachycephalosaurus</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> skulls. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf8-ZSRg5rxQDZoVvZcFQ_TndsVw1Ri89YwABdwinWuMTHZW1WevOdiwu05zOiRAe9l1qtIVIENTPftfDycinZT0DGZbID9056YmyEmo0rDzZpgPaSGgZynbn8Aa-iPWJg-l5dESPqdN2jepmvzFi2Wrh0DNkSJIQC21x81qE4QRZwin_Fw5jiwUP86I/s4032/IMG_7001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKf8-ZSRg5rxQDZoVvZcFQ_TndsVw1Ri89YwABdwinWuMTHZW1WevOdiwu05zOiRAe9l1qtIVIENTPftfDycinZT0DGZbID9056YmyEmo0rDzZpgPaSGgZynbn8Aa-iPWJg-l5dESPqdN2jepmvzFi2Wrh0DNkSJIQC21x81qE4QRZwin_Fw5jiwUP86I/w400-h300/IMG_7001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pachycephalosaur section of the exhibit. It was cool to see two different <i>Pachycehpalosaurus</i> specimens on display next to each other. Sadly there were not models or skeletons of Cranidos or Rampardos on display anywhere.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The exhibit showcases quite a few ceratopsian pieces, including a (real?) <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/02/protoceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Protoceratops</a></i> skull and a baby <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i> skull cast that appears to have been filled in quite a bit. It doesn't match the other baby <i>Triceratops</i> skulls I've seen in photos of and in person at other museums. They also have a model of what I'm pretty sure is the <i>Triceratops prorsus</i> skull, from the Yale Peabody Museum. These pieces are showcased alongside a full skeleton model of the ceratopsian Pokemon, Bastiodon.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPh9fm0XRka1TsRcpT1hs8u9os7arqPyK-4Uo304tUr2HU0_NvbhAULybUm-46teWJG8F9j5d0rQ4prteXuQzfgRDlE6KyNt3wKjCaZji1iDpGwzDYWeiMlR8gEFRlje2-OMGI1Tj531KXVP14q0ij6JSQQvLbSj61Ik_rv6YiE3p9lkOjJBqkIN_PCA/s4032/IMG_7021.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPh9fm0XRka1TsRcpT1hs8u9os7arqPyK-4Uo304tUr2HU0_NvbhAULybUm-46teWJG8F9j5d0rQ4prteXuQzfgRDlE6KyNt3wKjCaZji1iDpGwzDYWeiMlR8gEFRlje2-OMGI1Tj531KXVP14q0ij6JSQQvLbSj61Ik_rv6YiE3p9lkOjJBqkIN_PCA/w400-h300/IMG_7021.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Protoceratops</i> and baby <i>Triceratops</i> skull cast. You can tell what parts of the Triceratops are reconstructed by the smooth texture.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG0HzuCgbXSDIoU7tonOzcxRAJAoHmSmOeqbdVZZrSA08OSVSRUmuQ0N-cQ9J1S5VUAUsVVOPF8wEaETAzCs7bhNADZA0UNbzOsAo8miUjLTSfwk0DNHCz8h7nPkAfTarsyqLHkcEEHACKTAex_nNsUtmXmYVPyG6hZlZn2KsHoSPMH8cZdR5PFNtsJk/s4032/IMG_7019.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG0HzuCgbXSDIoU7tonOzcxRAJAoHmSmOeqbdVZZrSA08OSVSRUmuQ0N-cQ9J1S5VUAUsVVOPF8wEaETAzCs7bhNADZA0UNbzOsAo8miUjLTSfwk0DNHCz8h7nPkAfTarsyqLHkcEEHACKTAex_nNsUtmXmYVPyG6hZlZn2KsHoSPMH8cZdR5PFNtsJk/w400-h300/IMG_7019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ceratopsian part of the exhibit, flanked by skeleton of the pokemon, Bastion in the background, and model of <i>Triceratops prorsus</i> skull in the foreground.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The main hall of the exhibit showcases full skeletal mounts of the sauropod Pokemon, Aurorus, and the real dinosaur it's based on, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/10/amargasaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Amargasaurus</a></i>, opposite each other where visitors can compare them side by side. <i>Amargasaurus</i> is known for the long, bony extensions growing from the top of its neck vertebrae, which may have formed a sail or hump in life. Aurorus design took this feature and turned it into an aurora borealis-like structure that ripples like a flag. The signage explicitly mentions that the structure on the Pokemon has no bones supporting it, but the skeletal model has pieces for it. I'm assuming to keep the skeleton recognizable especially to younger visitors. Makes me think of how some skeletal mounts of real dinosaurs include physical outlines of soft parts, like wings or even attach real arm feathers to the bones to showcase structures that would have been present in life. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdaNmKnLtLR-OdtdBOLUyWYe_T9OnuSiiQifEtU7MkDJDJoRYTUHQx8P_U4a-nPgWY62LHsNMOI_NMvW56-CWs-9w_prZzzTb9Jt4lDPrauH5QdBAFssQrQYggmaLBlUl51WRuRHT-ExsBus6O1kQe_KtmPRLqWxA_GqSBnqQW-JjUQz4lFqj0a1oN6Y/s4011/image_50428161.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2470" data-original-width="4011" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdaNmKnLtLR-OdtdBOLUyWYe_T9OnuSiiQifEtU7MkDJDJoRYTUHQx8P_U4a-nPgWY62LHsNMOI_NMvW56-CWs-9w_prZzzTb9Jt4lDPrauH5QdBAFssQrQYggmaLBlUl51WRuRHT-ExsBus6O1kQe_KtmPRLqWxA_GqSBnqQW-JjUQz4lFqj0a1oN6Y/s320/image_50428161.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pokemon, Aurorus, and dinosaur, <i>Amargasaurus</i> were the two largest pieces in the exhibit.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN0SQ1WgE7LgpGbFPdzaW116PPAvXSWk0uRfzgTlMl7zvDsYDapDs1n6I63zP7O3FT_Hgb_mQmFXjN64BPLZ2Kj7FsX_XiozsDPG2NxxKqhknnRO4-srO7UbEvt156CPyCFaSlKkqiG5thBzg72h_5M3B-9JowrqpOCZvSy8eM6lHifoimwJpSH8qomQ/s4032/IMG_7020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN0SQ1WgE7LgpGbFPdzaW116PPAvXSWk0uRfzgTlMl7zvDsYDapDs1n6I63zP7O3FT_Hgb_mQmFXjN64BPLZ2Kj7FsX_XiozsDPG2NxxKqhknnRO4-srO7UbEvt156CPyCFaSlKkqiG5thBzg72h_5M3B-9JowrqpOCZvSy8eM6lHifoimwJpSH8qomQ/s320/IMG_7020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful <i>Amargasaurus</i>. This was my first time seeing a skeletal mount of this dinosaur in person.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLyvu4XhsEbMQIiXw05ZBy7V1FI4Jppzen9madsJsDQxqr3mvYxv30uOe1GpOGLkCz04Ctt5nZlX6xppyZmwgi8mBfk1MlNDS74oaBOMH0ugv48Dsis8fO5BQunzm66Y1YPRUcpH7OXL_NKClF86ppHsJePgJJlBUQABFV1DWMefXwtmd0t66QqHKC9c/s4032/IMG_7033.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPLyvu4XhsEbMQIiXw05ZBy7V1FI4Jppzen9madsJsDQxqr3mvYxv30uOe1GpOGLkCz04Ctt5nZlX6xppyZmwgi8mBfk1MlNDS74oaBOMH0ugv48Dsis8fO5BQunzm66Y1YPRUcpH7OXL_NKClF86ppHsJePgJJlBUQABFV1DWMefXwtmd0t66QqHKC9c/s320/IMG_7033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aurorus is one of my all time favorite Pokemon so it was a delight to see this model skeleton.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">There was of course a theropod section, with a cast of the original <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/08/megalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Megalosaurus</a></i> jaw discovered in the 1800s, alongside a cast of what is labelled as a baby </span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i><span style="text-align: left;"> skull. I was unfamiliar with this specimen so I reached out to paleontologist and tyrannosaur expert, Dr. Thomas Holtz, who was kind enough to share that it appears to be of a two-year old </span><i style="text-align: left;">Tyrannosaurus</i><span style="text-align: left;"> specimen housed in Los Angeles. The actual specimen is only known from the very front of the snout and lower jaw, and a part of the top of the cranium, so most of the skull on display here is reconstructed. These are showcased alongside a model skeleton of the tyrannosaur Pokemon, Tyrunt. I appreciate how the design of the Pokemon shows the teeth as part of the actual jaw, instead of in sockets, like the Pokemon's design suggests. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXss1NE_BGcICXpbEZojMdduoTLGRY01fE-ZjfejriSlAHh-HAmIDz-geIT3UFvNjVyTwR53_2deTUy7Egc0o8CAsUwNGYmz9GJP3dOQl_qFOo90bl4yNSInxONVs-55ZjAaeY13px9OS_LiXep7KY6SZPCQcoMdgG9P84rS_E9y_1pBbuyjkjzueEGA4/s4032/IMG_7029.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXss1NE_BGcICXpbEZojMdduoTLGRY01fE-ZjfejriSlAHh-HAmIDz-geIT3UFvNjVyTwR53_2deTUy7Egc0o8CAsUwNGYmz9GJP3dOQl_qFOo90bl4yNSInxONVs-55ZjAaeY13px9OS_LiXep7KY6SZPCQcoMdgG9P84rS_E9y_1pBbuyjkjzueEGA4/s320/IMG_7029.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Megalosaurus</i> jaw cast and the mostly reconstructed baby <i>Tyrannosaurus</i> skull cast.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYCqkXBkhZ9BDSkWXnLHKcsuFEhyhMNN_Misg7PQAYFX7HVWawg0ZKISXI6fRUkZYyQk4aX352gOS8OVUW29JsQktactPRI707v0cN9ey6zU-L3SNRJwhA9DrPNbwLgqzQ-LDuYJMKo6-lFeXG5hvdabBCCFpnNeoInMivScIjuu12u-hQ28_CvZiEtA/s4032/IMG_7028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYCqkXBkhZ9BDSkWXnLHKcsuFEhyhMNN_Misg7PQAYFX7HVWawg0ZKISXI6fRUkZYyQk4aX352gOS8OVUW29JsQktactPRI707v0cN9ey6zU-L3SNRJwhA9DrPNbwLgqzQ-LDuYJMKo6-lFeXG5hvdabBCCFpnNeoInMivScIjuu12u-hQ28_CvZiEtA/s320/IMG_7028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skeleton model of the tyrannosaur pokemon, Tyrunt.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">The link between theropod dinosaurs and modern birds is also addressed with a skeleton model of the feathered dinosaur Pokemon, Archen, alongside a standing skeletal mount and cast of the famous <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/04/archaeopteryx-beast-of-week.html">Archaeopteryx</a></i> specimen, housed in Berlin.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEe4DMvneEjKrrFbjCZC-NOeHUcQj1EvDBia28lsYOKXFE1rVkbdiC6MSDX-7aH04AF6Gq8Oz3peqiOKSvJNOR0J0XHurCvDFeCw-_ii3lie6GUL6bPpwtAodkY_8ZXR0L2K7dU5z_RGijjafjplPTedW6NdBtaF81PEYFN7ix76kcfm58vbq9Dv5roI/s4032/IMG_7007.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCEe4DMvneEjKrrFbjCZC-NOeHUcQj1EvDBia28lsYOKXFE1rVkbdiC6MSDX-7aH04AF6Gq8Oz3peqiOKSvJNOR0J0XHurCvDFeCw-_ii3lie6GUL6bPpwtAodkY_8ZXR0L2K7dU5z_RGijjafjplPTedW6NdBtaF81PEYFN7ix76kcfm58vbq9Dv5roI/w400-h300/IMG_7007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that beautiful Archaeopteryx art by Hitoshi Ariga.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEkOUvh1dswuLr6l-DebZSjyyC02aSUFUp2aD06L6WvY3PswI7d_hspuAB-4NXQL-92P4Qlq1XiaAPwEOVpckDT_D5jVQVwv4cgetHuxqqdpTZ1OP_LYjlil7uVe6Pq6YOSW3niwVvemTVz9eCNFnHjwh3GYBXcD-37tCkRP6Us80ml2Yj1qe5kLbhuQ/s4032/IMG_7008.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEkOUvh1dswuLr6l-DebZSjyyC02aSUFUp2aD06L6WvY3PswI7d_hspuAB-4NXQL-92P4Qlq1XiaAPwEOVpckDT_D5jVQVwv4cgetHuxqqdpTZ1OP_LYjlil7uVe6Pq6YOSW3niwVvemTVz9eCNFnHjwh3GYBXcD-37tCkRP6Us80ml2Yj1qe5kLbhuQ/w400-h300/IMG_7008.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archen, which is mostly based on <i>Archaeopteryx</i>, skeleton on display.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I was impressed by how much attention was given invertebrate fossils in this exhibit, particularly ammonites. In fact, the most extensive collection on display in the exhibit was of ammonites, which were of course shown alongside their Pokemon counterparts, Ammonite and Omastar. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E9jaI3472YzMGp0Vf0SzlHrHbDsjiDFTuzWScljW3LCq1_s051X3zH0GR04uzsKC80PQiBQ_TNxylrdcQR2RpFkfuzsaCzFkC9TIddCo6YNDKNMsW_xP6onk1nWjQJtkpQLb1XkJ-demC36i1sQr3U1kRCTcIq55_DeEpcll-4WTemBO27pswzhIuXg/s4032/image_50449409.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3E9jaI3472YzMGp0Vf0SzlHrHbDsjiDFTuzWScljW3LCq1_s051X3zH0GR04uzsKC80PQiBQ_TNxylrdcQR2RpFkfuzsaCzFkC9TIddCo6YNDKNMsW_xP6onk1nWjQJtkpQLb1XkJ-demC36i1sQr3U1kRCTcIq55_DeEpcll-4WTemBO27pswzhIuXg/w400-h300/image_50449409.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This exhibit showcased an extensive collection of real ammonite fossils packed with information.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Other invertebrate Pokemon were represented, including the flying bug-type Pokemon, Yanmega, alongside casts of the real prehistoric flying insect, <i>Meganeura</i>. Fossils of crinoids alongside models of the Pokemon Lileep were present, and of course horseshoe crabs alongside the Pokemon, Kabuto and a skeleton of its evolved form, Kabutops. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOThACLMpJQyqxRwnZPUrKGKNEkajLdi6R9Ogo4j7K0dzdy6thz3IY60rOL0GyoYEQPrUcUlMIn72urOzN5QYUWmVHNTp07-NMvL6TkCLakXG-XDhDyym7wDBmqOLdJMSAGnQZc99655hP8JezgaLxp6S3PaTW0uhdiIv8usKU_igJGwQnuXN4efyctgg/s4032/IMG_7005.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOThACLMpJQyqxRwnZPUrKGKNEkajLdi6R9Ogo4j7K0dzdy6thz3IY60rOL0GyoYEQPrUcUlMIn72urOzN5QYUWmVHNTp07-NMvL6TkCLakXG-XDhDyym7wDBmqOLdJMSAGnQZc99655hP8JezgaLxp6S3PaTW0uhdiIv8usKU_igJGwQnuXN4efyctgg/w400-h300/IMG_7005.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparing the Pokemon, Kabuto, to horsehoe crabs. I love how the eyes on the model appeared to be glowing.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj3I76VJSnG1611P2DOT8u7Ssdk7uwUQtqdsrMCUHKLugaLGoXNaBOA7NQ9qHO_Q_EjTAF7IMVN1gDQf8EM34ywRyaF3f5qPAKLP6qOwjk_icjD7ih3i2tZwBjICKb0kp6hldZvDcE9dVsoLQlqG13qgtdTonYpDoiBAHdsD7OhfPe3ZJG4uaESUZ2iY/s4032/IMG_7003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwj3I76VJSnG1611P2DOT8u7Ssdk7uwUQtqdsrMCUHKLugaLGoXNaBOA7NQ9qHO_Q_EjTAF7IMVN1gDQf8EM34ywRyaF3f5qPAKLP6qOwjk_icjD7ih3i2tZwBjICKb0kp6hldZvDcE9dVsoLQlqG13qgtdTonYpDoiBAHdsD7OhfPe3ZJG4uaESUZ2iY/w300-h400/IMG_7003.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kabutops skeleton model. I'm assuming it's meant to represent a fossilized exoskeleton? I remember seeing a little pixelated image of this in the museum part of the old Pokemon gameboy game.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>One very entertaining aspect of this exhibit for Pokemon fans was the models of the fossil items obtained in the video game that can be turned into Pokemon on display. My favorite example of this is the "old amber" fossil item, used to resurrect Aerodactyl in the game, displayed alongside real pieces of fossil amber. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ-IIwYXlpOim4Y05atx2udoAUH3ztaPEDp-Mjt3Lr68J1zRuIDl12KFj7oN3Pr0TuULiHdv9G_8AR0vuY3rHld50W6GnMa5TelNUAx2p3eTbiciglMOJVEbqdnKhAlFx93ZFCi1HPEJvfwNjqPjzMyoM9uMT16lXjlgG8VgbQRAoa4u1N7iw1-uBl1o/s4032/IMG_7024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQ-IIwYXlpOim4Y05atx2udoAUH3ztaPEDp-Mjt3Lr68J1zRuIDl12KFj7oN3Pr0TuULiHdv9G_8AR0vuY3rHld50W6GnMa5TelNUAx2p3eTbiciglMOJVEbqdnKhAlFx93ZFCi1HPEJvfwNjqPjzMyoM9uMT16lXjlgG8VgbQRAoa4u1N7iw1-uBl1o/w400-h300/IMG_7024.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Old Amber" from the Pokemon games alongside some real fossilized amber.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I've seen museum exhibits based on fictional entertainment franchises before, but the first thing that I noticed about the Pokemon exhibit, was how the visitor is immersed between two worlds, the real world, and the fictional Pokemon world. The signage talks to you from both places, so you can imagine yourself as a real Pokemon trainer in that fictional world part of the time. The biggest example of this was how the exhibit acknowledges the difference in the meaning of the word "evolution" between the real world and the Pokemon world. They explain how actual evolution is a process that typically takes many generations or millions of years to observe and how fossils play a part in our understanding of it. Then they compare to how in pokemon "evolution" is more like metamorphosis, individual animals changing their form drastically at specific points during their life. Below is a translation from the signage for this section of the exhibit.</p><p><b>"As your Charmander accumulates experience in battles and other tasks, it evolves into a Charmeleon, and eventually into a winged Charizard. It becomes a different kind of Pokemon with a very different appearance, but as an individual it is still the same you got from Professor Oak. It may sound a lot like 'growth' in our world, although the change is perhaps more than just growth, and it is seemingly not related to the passage of time.</b></p><p><b>In our world, 'evolution' doesn't happen to an individual, but occurs as a group, over the course of generations. For example, we say 'life evolved from fish to amphibians, and eventually began to live on land' to describe an evolutionary course. But this does not mean that one fish acquired feet instead of fins and began to walk on the ground. First, amongst fish there were some individuals that had 'slightly harder fins'. These were advantageous for survival in certain circumstances, so later generations had more individuals with those 'slightly harder fins'. This was repeated over a long enough time to reach individual obtained 'much harder fins' that we would consider a different species."</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBebUW_BbfmALfvHBuwDf-vqweOf9UqGW8Slmlv_svg1D9MgDiFGWN-If7kp3_XFqC_-fcOwsnIg5ZAca7zIQDqyjI5D6v_6KN368u-ELKvuYls-YqkqvsKRFGnb15IdW8eE3pAIlSXBHL4vu3XMV96pVyZK_ycLSu6HZJvxwhqioYlPVcSEQtfcoLt7E/s4032/IMG_7018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBebUW_BbfmALfvHBuwDf-vqweOf9UqGW8Slmlv_svg1D9MgDiFGWN-If7kp3_XFqC_-fcOwsnIg5ZAca7zIQDqyjI5D6v_6KN368u-ELKvuYls-YqkqvsKRFGnb15IdW8eE3pAIlSXBHL4vu3XMV96pVyZK_ycLSu6HZJvxwhqioYlPVcSEQtfcoLt7E/w300-h400/IMG_7018.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was probably my favorite piece of signage in the museum for educational value. I love how gracefully they explain real evolution compared to how it works in the Pokemon games.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Lastly the gift shop was full of all sorts of exclusive goodies. This was of course dangerous for my wallet. The haul you see her was me showing restraint. I especially love the skeletal art keychains. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpAb6sPQQJu24XVDDFp2LiY3QXc3QxG_GoaKu30Q2dpRK9i2eV0DL3t5U2mqASz8CtRJ2_tE2qjhcN8Ydp-XDXOIHnoG_IzJN0MA76doV2-xgw_O6nezboezKuZe2UN6qYneV1DVe2_6gjBKFZvoO8diEMTsyOFGI9QNmPLC8LX2kVvCdIt2qfkDendc/s4032/IMG_7372.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpAb6sPQQJu24XVDDFp2LiY3QXc3QxG_GoaKu30Q2dpRK9i2eV0DL3t5U2mqASz8CtRJ2_tE2qjhcN8Ydp-XDXOIHnoG_IzJN0MA76doV2-xgw_O6nezboezKuZe2UN6qYneV1DVe2_6gjBKFZvoO8diEMTsyOFGI9QNmPLC8LX2kVvCdIt2qfkDendc/w400-h300/IMG_7372.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paleontologist Pikachu plush, skeleton keychains of Aerodactyl and Aurorus, postcards, sticker, and magnet of Hitoshi Ariga's art, and finally a break apart chocolate bar of one of several randomly assorted prehistoric pokemon. (a popular candy in Japan, normally featuring real dinosaurs) This haul was me showing restraint. Still kinda wish I grabbed the Rampardos plush and the fossil Pokemon bandana.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Overall I'm thrilled I finally got to visit this delightful exhibit after only reading about it for years. It was a once in a lifetime experience that my whole family thoroughly enjoyed. I especially appreciated how it was not short on real fossil displays or actual science education, despite the Pokemon theme, so even people who aren't fans of the franchise could enjoy it. I highly recommend visiting for any Pokemon or paleontology fan. If you want more prehistoric Pokemon content from me or want more info on the various Pokemon mentioned in this post, make sure to check out when I broke down which real animals all the prehistoric Pokemon are based on in three parts 1 through 3. <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-paleontology-behind-pokemon.html">Here</a>, <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-paleontology-behind-pokemon-part-2.html">here</a>, and <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-paleontology-behind-pokemon-part-3.html">here</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHRi3DWG6UPaPgNu7KuueG_UsT055VphBGVJXel6EXiWjcmo6usZALMc2GkrgedpforDJtlMUYtmwNw-JqAGDqRYvETgfhTjzUsiAQYq-Meq4vHLM2Ofxo81T6D5xBMFDeRU5J5eLspyCbN4iOr_tLwLBAjwok2FY31-pReYE4vAUYSLvy5AkDQhdci4/s4032/IMG_7043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHRi3DWG6UPaPgNu7KuueG_UsT055VphBGVJXel6EXiWjcmo6usZALMc2GkrgedpforDJtlMUYtmwNw-JqAGDqRYvETgfhTjzUsiAQYq-Meq4vHLM2Ofxo81T6D5xBMFDeRU5J5eLspyCbN4iOr_tLwLBAjwok2FY31-pReYE4vAUYSLvy5AkDQhdci4/w400-h300/IMG_7043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walls of the gift shop were covered in skeletals of fossil Pokemon. I love them.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-48465800674055781142023-11-26T07:04:00.000-08:002023-12-01T11:47:27.437-08:00Venetoraptor: Beast of the Week<p>This week we'll be checking out a recently described creature that looks as natural in a space fantasy franchise as it does in the late Triassic. Say hello to <i>Venetoraptor gassenae</i>!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr3wLnR4PojU-ChVRYw1m-b3X67PQNW0sPoG2_KVJGb9raJKDX-R5rdHOGqPCwn3O9Tw4RKEOWTTWA_Csmb1H1TM5NX7Wdv9oh9mwXKvgC8LXclg0QsVZplQVVw-0XZv17jo_zpenPBv54bigRlwoQxa1cfZs7mQ_YUyLV09AoN4EW71YfIguLYdwcPk/s3540/Venetoraptor%20(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2601" data-original-width="3540" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVr3wLnR4PojU-ChVRYw1m-b3X67PQNW0sPoG2_KVJGb9raJKDX-R5rdHOGqPCwn3O9Tw4RKEOWTTWA_Csmb1H1TM5NX7Wdv9oh9mwXKvgC8LXclg0QsVZplQVVw-0XZv17jo_zpenPBv54bigRlwoQxa1cfZs7mQ_YUyLV09AoN4EW71YfIguLYdwcPk/w400-h294/Venetoraptor%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Venetoraptor gassenae</i> life reconstruction in watercolors by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Venetoraptor</i> was a small archosaur(reptile group that includes dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and crocodilians) that lived in what is now southern Brazil during the late Triassic period, between 237 and 227 million years ago. From beak to tail, it measured a little over three feet (96cm) long. It's genus name translates to "Vale Veneto Hunter/Thief" after the the area of Brazil near where its fossils were found, Vale Veneto. </p><p><i>Venetoraptor</i> was a member of the lagerpetid family of archosaurs. Lagerpetids were generally small animals with proportionally long, slender limbs that exhibited fully erect posture, like dinosaurs and pterosaurs have. Many were quadrupeds, but some, like <i>Venetoraptor</i>, were thought to walk on their hind limbs. Lagerpetids are also interesting because they at one time were thought to be the group that gave rise to the first dinosaurs. It is more recently thought, however, that lagerpetids were actually more closely related to pterosaurs. It is plausible that lagerpetids, like <i>Venetoraptor</i>, were covered in feather-like structures in life, since both pterosaurs and some dinosaurs are also known to have had them.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccmFvwqD4-FO36L8J9rfV9MG0dltoCPtyAsHbHXwyFcLPWpzjk9KjTnVmIXzKLMigFW2GdLOygC7ELNuHGE9NzwA-dTwwLURTYrhy3FrlX5Lg5gKdlUqSis8kJffL7ubl2wKWiarnoMa1obX5OpV5ilpFlRzcvhcQZY7eoNdnJFAUpocJsPS2SL0JX0A/s1110/Venetoraptor%20skeleton.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="624" data-original-width="1110" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccmFvwqD4-FO36L8J9rfV9MG0dltoCPtyAsHbHXwyFcLPWpzjk9KjTnVmIXzKLMigFW2GdLOygC7ELNuHGE9NzwA-dTwwLURTYrhy3FrlX5Lg5gKdlUqSis8kJffL7ubl2wKWiarnoMa1obX5OpV5ilpFlRzcvhcQZY7eoNdnJFAUpocJsPS2SL0JX0A/w400-h225/Venetoraptor%20skeleton.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3D printed Skeletal mount of <i>Venetoraptor</i> on display at the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum in Buenos Aires. photo credit: CONICET</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Venetoraptor</i> had a hooked beak, similar to modern birds of prey, on the tip of its mouth. Unfortunately the rest of its jaws past the tips were never found so it is unclear if it had teeth or not. It also would have had proportionally large eye sockets, suggesting it had sharp eyesight in life. The hooked beak suggests <i>Venetoraptor</i> may have been a meat eater, hunting insects and other small animals, but at this point its exact diet is still mostly guesswork. </p><p><i>Venetoraptor</i> possessed long slender limbs, its legs were especially long, suggesting it was capable of bipedal locomotion in life. It also had noticeably long, hooked claws, leading some think it may have been a good climber, possibly spending considerable time in, or even living in trees. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNXaAx7BwfIw-hNktMCgE7qsFDI8cH7t_E0s3MknDzSYvBwx9b8ZLDx_3Ur7Ca8GfgyrvOm622LCoAFUGROT3dlRIKvAaA78yfgQuJNgkUcaA_bfYlvOBHMoH4sevDiHHcr9WCdHr8ebCsbFR56jLNFhutxuXVF5HsrINjO1yLX0WLTIuSj1pHJylB54/s1244/FmxZfK0aAAAQ7pS.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1244" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaNXaAx7BwfIw-hNktMCgE7qsFDI8cH7t_E0s3MknDzSYvBwx9b8ZLDx_3Ur7Ca8GfgyrvOm622LCoAFUGROT3dlRIKvAaA78yfgQuJNgkUcaA_bfYlvOBHMoH4sevDiHHcr9WCdHr8ebCsbFR56jLNFhutxuXVF5HsrINjO1yLX0WLTIuSj1pHJylB54/w400-h274/FmxZfK0aAAAQ7pS.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm just going to come out and say it. <i>Venetoraptor</i> looks like the Kowakian Monkey-lizards from Star Wars.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>That is all for this week! As always feel free to leave a comment below.</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Kammerer, Christian F.; Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Flynn, John J.; Ranivoharimanana, Lovasoa; Wyss, André R. (2020-07-28). </span>"A tiny ornithodiran archosaur from the Triassic of Madagascar and the role of miniaturization in dinosaur and pterosaur ancestry"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">117</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (30): 17932–17936.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Müller, R. T.; Ezcurra, M. D.; Garcia, M. S.; Agnolín, F. L.; Stocker, M. R.; Novas, F. E.; Soares, M. B.; Kellner, A. W. A.; Nesbitt, S. J. (2023). </span>"New reptile shows dinosaurs and pterosaurs evolved among diverse precursors"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">620</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (7974): 589–594.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-20364905968161538282023-10-29T14:46:00.002-07:002023-10-31T08:27:59.701-07:00Medusaceratops: Beast of the Week<i> Medusaceratops lokii</i> was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana, USA, during the Late Cretaceous period, between 78 and 77 million years ago. <i>Medusaceratops</i> measured about twenty feet long from beak to tail and was a member of the ceratopsian family of dinosaurs, most known for their horns, beaks, and frills. The genus name, <i>Medusaceratops</i>, translates to "Medusa Horn Face" in reference to the horns over the eyes and around the frill of this dinosaur, which curved downward, and were almost serpentine in shape. This reminded paleontologists of the <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/10/halloween-2014-thirteen-monsters.html">mythical creature called a gorgon, the most famous of which was named Medusa</a>, who had snakes for hair and could turn people to stone if they looked at her. The <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/01/dinosaur-names-good-bad-and-ugly.html">species name</a>, <i>lokii</i>, is in reference to Loki, the Norse god of trickery. This is because the bones of <i>Medusaceratops</i> were believed to have belonged to other, already known ceratopsian dinosaurs for years, and in a sense, tricked paleontologists into thinking it was a different taxa before finally being recognized in 2010.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30QRD05F5-FpxRJ5J21rc75dksfbbRWl2k4rEI0pc9RLFhhSm8vK20bwTDltICK7OhwqW5O6DZrL-S9MdENNobCa3t22HDvlib4HnjptwJPelG4MD-jR28f0-oY1VaESQeglysm66ZegDTOX5GINgUv6tQ4uI839o8SW8XrrABoc4pFPmgPz8G6Dde0s/s2170/1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1364" data-original-width="2170" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi30QRD05F5-FpxRJ5J21rc75dksfbbRWl2k4rEI0pc9RLFhhSm8vK20bwTDltICK7OhwqW5O6DZrL-S9MdENNobCa3t22HDvlib4HnjptwJPelG4MD-jR28f0-oY1VaESQeglysm66ZegDTOX5GINgUv6tQ4uI839o8SW8XrrABoc4pFPmgPz8G6Dde0s/w400-h251/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Medusaceratops</i> life reconstruction by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div><div>So why did <i>Medusaceratops</i> have those horns, anyway? Unlike the horns of some other ceratopsians, which face up our outwards, this dinosaur's horns point <i>downwards</i>. Unless it was fighting the monsters from <i>Tremors</i>, I doubt they would have been much good as weapons against predators. Part of me still thinks that the horns, despite this, still could have deterred a predator from hurting vital areas on <i>Medusaceratops</i>' body, like the eyes or neck, simply by just being in the way. This idea doesn't really hold up since there were so many different kinds of ceratopsains, each with unique horn arrangements, however. If they were purely for defense, we would more likely see ceratopsian horns converge to a defensive arrangement across the family. The more likely answer to these horns is that they were display adaptations, meant to intimidate and/or impress members of the same species. If a would-be predator happened to break at tooth or two on a horn in a failed attempt to hunt <i>Medusaceratops </i>then it was icing on the ceratopsian cake...which that predator would never get to taste.</div><div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbFhn_C16HE3vMBz8-mgUuvDLeLlQcPM4xa1xoBxW4gIh5kMaPw55JdAfJPd8jjB8Z9hi3TIZhUjxY_drPXDUQW1bz4M_7GLokWzwCPu1idmDNqNjLDn-iRAwXvVxZJzl8rcnI5LuqlI/s1600/Medusaceratops_side.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSbFhn_C16HE3vMBz8-mgUuvDLeLlQcPM4xa1xoBxW4gIh5kMaPw55JdAfJPd8jjB8Z9hi3TIZhUjxY_drPXDUQW1bz4M_7GLokWzwCPu1idmDNqNjLDn-iRAwXvVxZJzl8rcnI5LuqlI/s400/Medusaceratops_side.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Medusaceratops</i> skeletal mount on display at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Medusaceratops</i> was originally thought to be the oldest known <u>chasmosaurine</u> ceratopsian dinosaur on the fossil record. Chasmosaurine ceratopsians typically had longer horns over their eyes, and proportionally long frills. <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/08/chasmosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Chasmosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/06/mercuriceratops-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Mercuriceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/05/coahuilaceratops-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Coahuilaceratops</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/06/vagaceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Vagaceratops</a></i> are all examples of other chasmosaurines. More recently found material and further inspection of its bones, however, reveal that <i>Medusaceratops</i> was actually a member of the <u>centrosaurine</u> group of ceratopsians, known for having proportionally shorter frills and taller snouts, like <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/07/styracosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Styracosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/05/stellasaurus-beast-of-week.html">Stellasaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/05/wendiceratops-beast-of-week.html">Wendiceratops</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/07/nasutoceratops-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Nasutoceratops</a></i>. <br />
<br />
That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below.<br />
<br />
<u>References</u><br />
<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Kentaro Chiba; Michael J. Ryan; Federico Fanti; Mark A. Loewen; David C. Evans (2018). "New material and systematic re-evaluation of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Medusaceratops lokii</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"> (Dinosauria, Ceratopsidae) from the Judith River Formation (Campanian, Montana)". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Journal of Paleontology</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">92</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"> (2): 272–288.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 20.16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 20.16px;">Ryan, Michael J.; Russell, Anthony P., and Hartman, Scott. (2010). "A New Chasmosaurine Ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation, Montana", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 20.16px;">New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium</i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-size: 12.6px; line-height: 20.16px;">, Indiana University Press, 656 pp.</span></span></div></div></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-22803091438465349472023-09-26T11:58:00.006-07:002023-09-27T07:47:48.370-07:00Dakotaraptor: Beast of the WeekThis week we will be revisiting an unfortunately very confusing dinosaur. Let's check out <i>Dakotaraptor steini.</i> <i>Dakotaraptor</i> was originally published on in 2015 and was claimed by the head author to be a very large dromaeosaur, in the same family as <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/deinonychus-beast-of-week.html">Deinonychus</a></i> and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/velociraptor-beast-of-week.html">Velociraptor</a></i>. It would have lived in what is now South Dakota, United States, during the very late Cretaceous Period, 66 million years ago. From snout to tail it was estimated to measure about eighteen feet long, which would have made it one of the largest dromaeosaurs known. Other dinosaurs that would have been from the same environment include <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/pachycephalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Pachycephalosaurus</a>,</i> <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/anatotitan-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Edmontosaurus</a>, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/anzu-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Anzu</a>, </i>and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/03/acheroraptor-beast-of-week.html">Acheroraptor</a></i>. The genus name, <i>Dakotaraptor</i>, translates to "Dakota Thief/Hunter" in reference to where it was found.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRtbLeHup7zP7uKVI1s9hx2Arsnscs9bUlqx7pD9jqJKuPh3EE2nEEueelXF2-3-x7wqJ8ODwAK-zi39gZzSXLbK1dNn1JWnRgzSvVZjGsvXXwaKUWnxUL8alxLKBwEKGdRBCe0hLPVjQZ2AqBARpLWCXZ2eWnRB-BMdctsdlgq91ij--wX4MVn9rpho/s5782/Dakotaraptor%202021%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3737" data-original-width="5782" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimRtbLeHup7zP7uKVI1s9hx2Arsnscs9bUlqx7pD9jqJKuPh3EE2nEEueelXF2-3-x7wqJ8ODwAK-zi39gZzSXLbK1dNn1JWnRgzSvVZjGsvXXwaKUWnxUL8alxLKBwEKGdRBCe0hLPVjQZ2AqBARpLWCXZ2eWnRB-BMdctsdlgq91ij--wX4MVn9rpho/w400-h259/Dakotaraptor%202021%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life restoration of what the creature associated with <i>Dakotaraptor</i> MAY have looked like if it was indeed an unenlagiine. (I included it's other misidentified parts too if you know what to look for!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Since the initial discovery and publication, many the fossils associated with <i>Dakotaraptor</i> have, under more close examination, turned out to be from other animals. The original bones weren't found articulated in any sort of death position, but were more jumbled up in what likely used to be the bottom of a body of water, so it makes sense that multiple different dead animals ended up there over time and were eventually fossilized. Some of the bones turned out to belong to the large oviraptorosaur, <i>Anzu</i>, as well as <i>Tyrannosaurus</i>, and even a prehistoric Soft-shelled turtle, called <i>Axestemys</i>. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10xgxjqAjf5nUpsOfhA7mXbr8ucrgrBwwjbD2waZ9wDCwwCL-wE8QKfE7ewOw19PDe83vbFplbaZ3PjOZAxqRiaU4PERuj8hD4JjxUK_sAscJUsJPeSrdEAOoyiMIk-qs5cDCW2I5Mcw/s1600/Claw_Alt_2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg10xgxjqAjf5nUpsOfhA7mXbr8ucrgrBwwjbD2waZ9wDCwwCL-wE8QKfE7ewOw19PDe83vbFplbaZ3PjOZAxqRiaU4PERuj8hD4JjxUK_sAscJUsJPeSrdEAOoyiMIk-qs5cDCW2I5Mcw/s400/Claw_Alt_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of what was originally thought to be the "killer" retractable toe claw of <i>Dakotaraptor </i>that has since been recognized as possibly being from a <i>Tyrannosaurus </i>hand.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />That being said there are still a few bones that were associated with <i>Dakotaraptor</i> that as of now appear to be from some kind of large dromaeosaur. More recent peer reviewed research suggests <i>Dakotaraptor</i> may actually belong to the unenlagiine branch of dromaeosaurs, the group known for having very long narrow snouts, based on what little material there is. Until these bones can be formally studied further, we may never know for sure.<br />
<br />
<u>References</u><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Arbour, V.M.; Zanno, L.E.; Larson, D.W.; Evans, D.C.; Sues, H. (2015). </span>"The furculae of the dromaeosaurid dinosaur <i>Dakotaraptor steini</i> are trionychid turtle entoplastra"<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">PeerJ</i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">3</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: e1957.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="reference-text"><cite class="citation journal">DePalma, Robert A.; Burnham, David A.; Martin, Larry D.; Larson, Peter L.; Bakker, Robert T. (2015). "The First Giant Raptor (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae) from the Hell Creek Formation.".</cite></span><i>Paleontological Contributions</i> (14).</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Jasinski, Steven E.; Sullivan, Robert M.; Dodson, Peter (2020-03-26). </span>"New Dromaeosaurid Dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from New Mexico and Biodiversity of Dromaeosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Scientific Reports</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">10</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (1): 5105.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hartman, S.; Mortimer, M.; Wahl, W. R.; Lomax, D. R.; Lippincott, J.; Lovelace, D. M. (2019). </span>"A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">PeerJ</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">7</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: e7247.</span></span></div></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-10847803624743284522023-08-27T06:10:00.001-07:002023-08-30T07:31:55.862-07:00Unenlagia: Beast of the Week<p> This week we will be checking out an amazing little bird-like dinosaur. Check out <i>Unenlagia comahuensis</i>!</p><p><i>Unenlagia</i> was a bird-like theropod that lived in what is now Argentina during the late Cretaceous period, roughly 89 million years ago. From snout to tail <i>Unenlagia </i>may have measured about seven feet (2.1m) long, but estimates vary since it's known from fragmentary remains. When alive it likely ate meat, possibly specializing in smaller prey or fish. The genus name translates to "Half-bird" due to the dinosaur's limbs which were particularly similar to those of modern birds. In fact when it was first discovered in 1986, it was thought by paleontologists studying it to be a kind of prehistoric bird. More recently <i>Unenlagia</i> was determined to be more closely related to dinosaurs like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/velociraptor-beast-of-week.html">Velociraptor</a></i>, being a member of, or very closely related to the family of dinosaurs called dromaeosaurids.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbdWSjoZ8dri3fuzMneGKD-FKgDHgRl6U01klaHkbrNJi7EhdOqkx5C8dvY-trq_Ipxr_pJgpOD83n44zIEq9Wu7CELkqpfC7aaeXcFKGo1BtT8byi3EMkRyRxYKT-U9JHMwKB2rNYX3s80gKwHRKp2UYlLruA_AGXSl1bOSwKuELdo0Yg4izL072VnA/s5922/Unenlagia%20(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4174" data-original-width="5922" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbdWSjoZ8dri3fuzMneGKD-FKgDHgRl6U01klaHkbrNJi7EhdOqkx5C8dvY-trq_Ipxr_pJgpOD83n44zIEq9Wu7CELkqpfC7aaeXcFKGo1BtT8byi3EMkRyRxYKT-U9JHMwKB2rNYX3s80gKwHRKp2UYlLruA_AGXSl1bOSwKuELdo0Yg4izL072VnA/w400-h283/Unenlagia%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Unenlagia comahuensis</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Sadly <i>Unenlagia</i> is only known from several bones, so we aren't positive about how it looked in life exactly. The bones we do have, however, have an interesting history to them regarding how paleontologists think about dinosaurs and their relationship to birds. The upper arm bone and shoulder blade of <i>Unenlagia</i> was originally thought to be adapted for flapping by paleontologists studying it. This is what led them to believe that <i>Unenlagia</i> may have been either a kind of prehistoric bird extremely closely related to birds. Some even hypothesized that <i>Unenlagia</i> may have been capable of flight. More recently, however, it was determined that <i>Unenlagia's</i> arms were positioned more similarly to those of dromaeosaurids, like <i>Velociraptor</i> and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/deinonychus-beast-of-week.html">Deinonychus</a></i>, and did not have the range of motion of modern bird wings, thus implying it was indeed flightless. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPr3GsK4bHFsSi6yxobUAuFM2Wzm_Pn4X5crkRC2G85vlGkyBd57Op-psRvQmlYEq-sFb972W7dXbv4oCmti_6NOJ2qouG2dPONFpIDEX181tPqcM-WPurbqHGtTZq2cJk2Bo34NxyXL_nWWhICI96U_nRw1SWuJExh9uzVbwzI5HVLiybiuVJ7LHJUg/s903/unenlagia%20bones.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="903" data-original-width="850" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPr3GsK4bHFsSi6yxobUAuFM2Wzm_Pn4X5crkRC2G85vlGkyBd57Op-psRvQmlYEq-sFb972W7dXbv4oCmti_6NOJ2qouG2dPONFpIDEX181tPqcM-WPurbqHGtTZq2cJk2Bo34NxyXL_nWWhICI96U_nRw1SWuJExh9uzVbwzI5HVLiybiuVJ7LHJUg/w376-h400/unenlagia%20bones.png" width="376" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of <i>Unenlagia's</i> bones from Gianechini's 2011 paper.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since <i>Unenlagia's</i> discovery, dinosaurs that are more complete than, yet extremely similar to the parts of <i>Unenlagia</i> we do have, give us a better idea of how it looked in life. These dinosaurs have been given their own subfamily, called unenlagiinae, named after the earliest discovered member. Based on more complete members of this group, we can guess that <i>Unenlagia</i> may have had long, slender legs and a long, narrow snout, lined with cone-shaped teeth. Because of these features some hypothesize unenlagiines may have specialized in hunting small prey and/or fish in life. Unenlagiines also tended to have proportionally smaller arms than those of other dromaeosaurids. </p><p>That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below!</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Agnolin, F.L.; Novas, F.E. (2011). </span>"Unenlagiid theropods: are they members of the Dromaeosauridae (Theropoda, Maniraptora)?"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">83</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (1): 117–162.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Carpenter, K. 2002. "Forelimb biomechanics of nonavian theropod dinosaurs in predation". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Senckenbergiana Lethaea</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">82</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: 59–76</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Gianechini, F. A.; Apesteguía, S. (2011). </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">"Unenlagiinae revisited: Dromaeosaurid theropods from South America"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">83</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> (1): 163–95.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Hartman, S.; Mortimer, M.; Wahl, W. R.; Lomax, D. R.; Lippincott, J.; Lovelace, D. M. (2019). </span>"A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">PeerJ</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">7</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: e7247.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Matías J. Motta; Federico L. Agnolín; Federico Brissón Egli; Fernando E. Novas (2020). "New theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia sheds light on the paravian radiation in Gondwana". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The Science of Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (journal). </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">107</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (3): Article number 24.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Norell, M.A.; Makovicky, P.J. (1999). "Important features of the dromaeosaur skeleton II: information from newly collected specimens of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Velociraptor mongoliensis</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">American Museum Novitates</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (3282): 1–45.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Novas, F.E.; Puerta, P.F. (1997). "New evidence concerning avian origins from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">387</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (6631): 390–2.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Novas, F. E.; Pol, D.; Canale, J. I.; Porfiri, J. D.; Calvo, J. O. (2008). </span>"A bizarre Cretaceous theropod dinosaur from Patagonia and the evolution of Gondwanan dromaeosaurids"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">276</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (1659): 1101–7.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-24801449520831864522023-08-20T04:46:00.003-07:002023-08-21T14:12:51.503-07:00Stegouros: Beast of the Week<p>This week we will be checking out a recently described, and very unique little armored dinosaur. Say hello to<i> Stegouros elengassen</i>!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbCA4t817bkzIFmNx3e3vTikGvI973IoMtM3Y48S1CyR6StDuS9y4xl3p_BJ7gjpNs3QOdPTFn-gn5AjAb54C9eglLNNvRV7E8RcRXei5QYhUtuJMGu_PceOu443QYIma0KX5otHsxFxwTYY_MhhQu1uYwoJmMGkV5ksEFuE23BjBnZlN2qSDs84_sIE/s4267/Stegourus%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3169" data-original-width="4267" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYbCA4t817bkzIFmNx3e3vTikGvI973IoMtM3Y48S1CyR6StDuS9y4xl3p_BJ7gjpNs3QOdPTFn-gn5AjAb54C9eglLNNvRV7E8RcRXei5QYhUtuJMGu_PceOu443QYIma0KX5otHsxFxwTYY_MhhQu1uYwoJmMGkV5ksEFuE23BjBnZlN2qSDs84_sIE/w400-h297/Stegourus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor life reconstruction of <i>Stegouros elengassen</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Stegouros</i> was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Chile during the late Cretaceous period, between about 75 and 72 million years ago. It was a member of the ankylosaur group of dinosaurs, known for sporting bony armor all over their bodies, but it was extremely tiny for that group, only measuring about six feet from beak to tail. The genus name, <i>Stegouro</i>s, translates to "roofed tail" in reference to the bony structures growing from the top of its tail (more about that in a bit) and the species name, <i>elengassen</i>, is the name of a mythical creature known for its armor from Aonik'enk folklore, the indigenous people of the area in which <i>Stegouros'</i> bones were unearthed. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7bIaLXUdNSQ07Nk1nf98k1elrP36chZ6cmylvhCAaoF2rlZkRIswdPdpzaw6mXUjzf0E3_fq-ByzrJOgQuMfl68JCmPUirSw0Dbz_OE8IGI6sbv-doEp4OMuhOtv8LQmTvmS5oaTSaUn5y1DzSd2hg0r5h6aSrkuA6MgIs90S5AWmQlK4grESx4rLAU/s499/Stegouros_skull.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="499" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7bIaLXUdNSQ07Nk1nf98k1elrP36chZ6cmylvhCAaoF2rlZkRIswdPdpzaw6mXUjzf0E3_fq-ByzrJOgQuMfl68JCmPUirSw0Dbz_OE8IGI6sbv-doEp4OMuhOtv8LQmTvmS5oaTSaUn5y1DzSd2hg0r5h6aSrkuA6MgIs90S5AWmQlK4grESx4rLAU/w400-h246/Stegouros_skull.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of the known skull parts of <i>Stegouros</i>. Image from the paper by Scoto-Acuna Et al.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Stegouros</i> is known from an almost complete skeleton. Almost the entire rear half of the body is known, plus armor plates, and even an almost complete skull. <i>Stegouros</i> had a slightly curved beak which could have been used for clipping vegetation to eat. It also had small teeth in the back of its mouth with serrations, ideal for shredding plant material before being swallowed. It had relatively small osteoderms on most of the upper part of its body, but the real impressive armor was on its tail. Unlike some of its relatives, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/09/ankylosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Ankylosaurus</a></i>, which are famous for having bony clubs on the tips of their tails, <i>Stegouros</i> had a series of wide flat pieces of bone growing from the sides of the tail and eventually fusing together to form a solid flat piece of bone at the end of the tail, forming an almost plant-like shape. The whole structure is best described as being similar to the Aztec weapon, called a macuahuitl. <i>Stegouros</i> may have used this amazing tail to defend itself from potential predators, or perhaps even to fight members of its own species for dominance or over territory, mates, or resources.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindgEvvkYxCMykdibxh2iC21Tp2LTbZ6ae58CCA52ao4AW90xt5hYU9HDyBpY5jrlIeg9uGWC8f5Z0Lfjxw1Gcpd3O8eMVBoz6Mvk7AmKzEA1_071GeK36jYCavO5_rOKGXv3zYHFroniszZFCS7xCMLLE29CLYbxsaZPyo-245z31zkniQtlP1m8iL14/s709/stegouros%20tail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="709" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindgEvvkYxCMykdibxh2iC21Tp2LTbZ6ae58CCA52ao4AW90xt5hYU9HDyBpY5jrlIeg9uGWC8f5Z0Lfjxw1Gcpd3O8eMVBoz6Mvk7AmKzEA1_071GeK36jYCavO5_rOKGXv3zYHFroniszZFCS7xCMLLE29CLYbxsaZPyo-245z31zkniQtlP1m8iL14/w400-h195/stegouros%20tail.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph of the tail of <i>Stegouros</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Paleontologists have determined that <i>Stegouros</i> evolved separately from the two other major groups of ankylosaur dinosaurs, the narrow-snouted nodosaurids, and the club-tailed ankylosaurids, forming a third major branch of armored dinosaurs, called Parankylosauria that split off earlier from the other two.<p></p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Vargas, Alexander; Kaluza, Jonatan; Leppe, Marcelo; Botelho, Joao; Palma-Liberona, José; Gutstein, Carolina; Fernández, Roy; Ortiz, Hector; Milla, Verónica; Aravena, Bárbara; Manríquez, Leslie M. E.; Alarcón-Muñoz, Jhonatan; Pino, Juan Pablo; Trevisan, Cristine; Mansilla, Héctor; Hinojosa, Luis Felipe; Muñoz-Walther, Vicente; Rubilar-Rogers, David (2021). </span>"Bizarre tail weaponry in a transitional ankylosaur from subantarctic Chile"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><span style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">600</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"> (7888): 259–263.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-76951341660222848992023-07-23T10:36:00.001-07:002023-07-27T11:47:24.064-07:00Mystipterus: Beast of the Week<p>This week we'll be checking out a newly described prehistoric mammal that I was privileged enough to help introduced to the world. Let's look at <i>Mystipterus austinae</i>!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfb6YZU86zxIFm3_9-yyMS4r798IrQXSi5dshcuProDUcf2idttjj9vCMOLNxF3jc2eXQWPWF93z_mmpt24wwhtQS7GgF2HRR6O1SrjXYpEIbeNo4JQhFhRzPnlJS0PRBGAsuZ1pmpS3y-sE8yfCVnyvl6eWkS4DtGzpChb98CBtrRCHB6Ic-Z3btXGU/s5226/Mystipterus%20(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3551" data-original-width="5226" height="271" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfb6YZU86zxIFm3_9-yyMS4r798IrQXSi5dshcuProDUcf2idttjj9vCMOLNxF3jc2eXQWPWF93z_mmpt24wwhtQS7GgF2HRR6O1SrjXYpEIbeNo4JQhFhRzPnlJS0PRBGAsuZ1pmpS3y-sE8yfCVnyvl6eWkS4DtGzpChb98CBtrRCHB6Ic-Z3btXGU/w400-h271/Mystipterus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Mystipterus</i> living in what is now north Dakota, 32 million years ago. It would have shared its home with land snails, a legless burrowing lizard, and the early canid, <i>Hesperocyon</i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Mystipterus</i> was a prehistoric mole that lived in what is now North Dakota during the middle Oligocene period, about 32 million years ago. Known from mostly just a lower jaw, its body length is estimated at only a few inches long (about 7 centimeters) from nose to tail. Like its living relatives, it was likely a meat-eater, sniffing out and devouring most invertebrates and possibly other kinds of smaller animals it came across. The genus name translates to "Impossible to Identify" because of its dubious identity after it was first discovered. It was initially interpreted as a bat, but has since been more accurately identified as a mole.</p><p><i>Mystipterus</i> one of the earliest known moles. By comparing the fossils that have been found to those of modern kinds of moles, paleontologists have predicted that <i>Mystipterus</i> would not have resembled the more specialized moles, with their enlarged front limbs for digging. Rather it was most similar to moles in the genus <i>Uropsilus</i>, which are more generalized. The common name for this group is the shrew-moles, since they in many ways resemble shrews. It may have even had a long, trunk-like nose, like some shrews have. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkLoagazpyMojpJCoEE4QLSxmjzi73stREZig1O6yf5Df2JVFsWCHGGA_GNk61dw4Y6lvE38p4BCCY6uVniMhoiNhQk7iujhdfvUI-I5BjNuWxNMkOMX0evLM_zi2ULFLudZAfcyT9n0pF_MfXIpoZVyOooXovO3YBFGbz30ypadvU4T1SxTfRubopLM/s1559/mystipterus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1559" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkLoagazpyMojpJCoEE4QLSxmjzi73stREZig1O6yf5Df2JVFsWCHGGA_GNk61dw4Y6lvE38p4BCCY6uVniMhoiNhQk7iujhdfvUI-I5BjNuWxNMkOMX0evLM_zi2ULFLudZAfcyT9n0pF_MfXIpoZVyOooXovO3YBFGbz30ypadvU4T1SxTfRubopLM/w278-h400/mystipterus.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaw and teeth from <i>Mystipterus</i> featured in the 2023 paper, by Korth Et al. referenced below.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Like its modern relatives, <i>Mystipterus</i> likely spent most of its time underground, possibly coming out at night to hunt. It may also have been a strong swimmer in life, like many modern moles and shrews are, especially since the rocks its bones were found in indicate it would have inhabited a wet environment with lots of slow-moving rivers and streams. Since it was so small, it would have needed to avoid predators, especially while above ground, like the early canid, <i>Hesperocyon</i>, whos bones were found in the same area as <i>Mystipterus</i>'.</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Korth, W. W.; Boyd, C. A.; Emry, R. J. (2023). "Additional small mammals from the Oligocene Brule Formation (Whitneyan) of southwestern North Dakota". </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms !important; animation-duration: 0.01ms !important; animation-iteration-count: 1 !important; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; transition-duration: 0ms !important;">Paludicola</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms !important; animation-duration: 0.01ms !important; animation-iteration-count: 1 !important; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; scroll-behavior: auto !important; transition-duration: 0ms !important;">14</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (2): 57–74.</span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-57408635813684822112023-07-17T10:26:00.002-07:002023-07-17T10:26:36.724-07:00Maryland Dinosaurs: Major Discovery!<p> As you probably know, if you have been reading this blog for a while or follow me on any social media, I was born in and spent the majority of my life in New Jersey. What you may not know, however, is that I moved down to Maryland several years ago. It was pretty sad because that means I'd be farther away from some of my favorite things, like the American Museum of Natural History,<i> <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/01/hadrosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Hadrosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/dryptosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Dryptosaurus</a></i>, and good pizza. One positive thing of the move, however, is it means I'm now living extremely close to a unique dinosaur fossil site, called the Arundel Formation, where some amazing dinosaur bones have been unearthed.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJL3xM_58RXy4vZIpfZiNUW2H1kfokjJ30qyzMGzAGFU2uxvjqpHluHPo1rSrjhamik3VuNZ9t55lTdYFN1goFLC_uG-poJ3w2ZvyMwiZZK0vX_w9f_K6xIO2ES3LZNhglnSkvPzxBClNdl-OWCLQe5P5veyX9vjuqcbM1Q-FTnC0-9ZMbthKPrradQbs/s4032/Arundel%20Formation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJL3xM_58RXy4vZIpfZiNUW2H1kfokjJ30qyzMGzAGFU2uxvjqpHluHPo1rSrjhamik3VuNZ9t55lTdYFN1goFLC_uG-poJ3w2ZvyMwiZZK0vX_w9f_K6xIO2ES3LZNhglnSkvPzxBClNdl-OWCLQe5P5veyX9vjuqcbM1Q-FTnC0-9ZMbthKPrradQbs/w400-h300/Arundel%20Formation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of the Arundel formation I took while at the press release. Just out of frame in both directions there are parking lots and warehouses.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Arundel Formation used to be a mining area during the late 1800s, but now is surrounded by warehouses and office buildings. Fossils have been discovered there for decades, including many tree and other plant fossils, like pinecones and even pollen, as well as bones from several kinds of dinosaurs, like Maryland's official state dinosaur, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2021/04/astrodon-beast-of-week.html">Astrodon</a>. </i>All the fossils here are from the early Cretaceous period, about 115 million years ago, in what was a slow-moving river with surrounding swamps at the time.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZSNeECmbEdWYnF1yBlmsnJmCZvN1OpfvsF-YwPGZJ7WjS87-kgNjERMqK-BhvAfiGV7pTpGZLOShE4yldr6792muOhu2TwGKteeZPyJN0eNVZj6XEnZ5rB5MsLYmT1YZXDNtr3j4WK9Ly5NDu_9uOBKIwUVL8au-7RzjrE6NdGYIGybHTj5IQq9N84M/s4032/Holtz.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZSNeECmbEdWYnF1yBlmsnJmCZvN1OpfvsF-YwPGZJ7WjS87-kgNjERMqK-BhvAfiGV7pTpGZLOShE4yldr6792muOhu2TwGKteeZPyJN0eNVZj6XEnZ5rB5MsLYmT1YZXDNtr3j4WK9Ly5NDu_9uOBKIwUVL8au-7RzjrE6NdGYIGybHTj5IQq9N84M/w300-h400/Holtz.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Thomas Holtz speaking at the press conference about the kinds of dinosaurs that have been found at the Arundel formation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Earlier this week a press conference was held at this site with exciting news. Teams of paleontologists and volunteers, led by John-Paul Hodnett, just this year started uncovering many bones from not one, but several different species of dinosaurs, some of which are previously only known from teeth and other very tiny fragments, as well as at least one completely new taxa! As stated, this site has been yielding fossils for many decades, but this many bones from this many different species at once is a first.</p><p>Below is a breakdown of the newest dinosaur discoveries shared from this press release.</p><p><b>Leg bone from a very large theropod</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOg23H9nsP0ct2xAxGSMOPY-R4Objo61FahHKKBx8BNuwojrOK6X6GyVjoe-6R152lDuamZ3zoRrfqEDG6P0wTCDki04X6MUMxQEiCnm-F89XXNTRhK6TJGzCtIcN2p-f_i-k6E-KpWIWDEA4a-Ki5ZT-U8JLZUqefa0b_PXQppUutfJP5gtnUyPmz0A/s5764/Acrocanthosaurus(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2609" data-original-width="5764" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilOg23H9nsP0ct2xAxGSMOPY-R4Objo61FahHKKBx8BNuwojrOK6X6GyVjoe-6R152lDuamZ3zoRrfqEDG6P0wTCDki04X6MUMxQEiCnm-F89XXNTRhK6TJGzCtIcN2p-f_i-k6E-KpWIWDEA4a-Ki5ZT-U8JLZUqefa0b_PXQppUutfJP5gtnUyPmz0A/w400-h181/Acrocanthosaurus(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Acrocanthosaurus</i>, which may have lived in what is now Maryland.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The largest theropod bone on the eastern side of the country was discovered at the Arundel Formation just this year. Based on the size of the tibia, the whole dinosaur is estimated to have been roughly thirty eight feet long from snout to tail. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFk7mTF-5Kr9Bj-w1HVk5TXijEUR_n3ESd4GOFyYz0FIuT0QwJ-DcS99kMVvxHFP5ajePrfgnK6Gulh2rfmWCE_oJ2qiRZNcSjM0CLHjUgtN2XG5-Z74DF0SZeBl23YGmt2YPWAM7Bc9iNRv4lyG9n8n4SYHdO6zL3JqWUAwiYYHMYftHTY0wUM4r76-Y/s4032/Acro%20bone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFk7mTF-5Kr9Bj-w1HVk5TXijEUR_n3ESd4GOFyYz0FIuT0QwJ-DcS99kMVvxHFP5ajePrfgnK6Gulh2rfmWCE_oJ2qiRZNcSjM0CLHjUgtN2XG5-Z74DF0SZeBl23YGmt2YPWAM7Bc9iNRv4lyG9n8n4SYHdO6zL3JqWUAwiYYHMYftHTY0wUM4r76-Y/w400-h300/Acro%20bone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John-Paul Hodnett speaking about how the fossils formed at the press release from within the Arundel formation. The big bone still in the ground at his feet is a tibia from a very large theropod.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Based on fragmentary material found at this sight in the past, as well as the time period the formation is from, this leg could belong to <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/08/acrocanthosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Acrocanthosaurus</a></i>, but it could also be something entirely new depending on what further examination shows. </p><p><b><i>Astrodon</i> bones and a claw. </b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77SW2oeQJdVxFt6_dpy5TmGquMpLYwAuvcFftaUhHlwtSvEF34LSloAFLID883jArSIxTvi4FioM9Iwb9MFZI-tirDgBGerzkLQRIbvubNhw8EtyiApTZYFXo2LKp4vsmsGplHQ0RxdMBRms6OIiZXlIR2Kk6qN7UOjgOFwakP9uQOJv9adbjeesInyE/s5584/Astrodon%20wm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="5584" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77SW2oeQJdVxFt6_dpy5TmGquMpLYwAuvcFftaUhHlwtSvEF34LSloAFLID883jArSIxTvi4FioM9Iwb9MFZI-tirDgBGerzkLQRIbvubNhw8EtyiApTZYFXo2LKp4vsmsGplHQ0RxdMBRms6OIiZXlIR2Kk6qN7UOjgOFwakP9uQOJv9adbjeesInyE/w400-h289/Astrodon%20wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor life reconstruction of <i>Astrodon</i>, Marylands state dinosaur.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2021/04/astrodon-beast-of-week.html">Astrodon</a></i> is Maryland's official state dinosaur. It was a sauropod, related to <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/11/brachiosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Brachiosaurus</a></i> and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/06/camarasaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Camarasaurus</a></i>, and was likely the largest animal in its community when it was alive. This past year more bones from <i>Astrodon</i>, including a foot claw, have been discovered, giving us a more complete picture of this dinosaur's skeleton. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXLZyilHRVlSs8UF4G8tly0HBqkQuGApOpiF0yb2BZGRP3Q3dIFubU_rAuIBxZCCBr9-PbdUpMBB3h5rtYF1eYbEAVRqD4UCL0yomkmTTqcINY-ZyOmVAZSW8G3Oe-tWnmN35Hv5Cm57NtbvfysFAlYVryOSwDkmP3SBUcIaO9zG8g6qnHNGfCYmF-PY/s918/Atrodon%20bones.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="918" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXLZyilHRVlSs8UF4G8tly0HBqkQuGApOpiF0yb2BZGRP3Q3dIFubU_rAuIBxZCCBr9-PbdUpMBB3h5rtYF1eYbEAVRqD4UCL0yomkmTTqcINY-ZyOmVAZSW8G3Oe-tWnmN35Hv5Cm57NtbvfysFAlYVryOSwDkmP3SBUcIaO9zG8g6qnHNGfCYmF-PY/w400-h216/Atrodon%20bones.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recently unearthed <i>Astrodon</i> fossils from the Arundel site.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It is possible these bones are from the same individual, which was a subadult when it died, that we already have an incomplete skeleton of on the fossil record, based on the size and location in the site they were found.</p><p><b><i>Priconodon</i> bones.</b> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLbKD2WPoMPmoMhVg27K75ZFCVObag8u-HQsX_twsYB_S4PuPu0zjOsDBM-3rCTCw512iKdf4QbZumt3tw_rhDo5axMiKC-KVdaHvxNAEdzKcCLsRaWaS5BsFeoaDgxoaZaYd4iLbA3oTZIpbm3SqWY2u-pKQGXu4Ps-t4znO34LTcEkJAWMDgZ6rr4s/s4044/scan0003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2459" data-original-width="4044" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLbKD2WPoMPmoMhVg27K75ZFCVObag8u-HQsX_twsYB_S4PuPu0zjOsDBM-3rCTCw512iKdf4QbZumt3tw_rhDo5axMiKC-KVdaHvxNAEdzKcCLsRaWaS5BsFeoaDgxoaZaYd4iLbA3oTZIpbm3SqWY2u-pKQGXu4Ps-t4znO34LTcEkJAWMDgZ6rr4s/w400-h244/scan0003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very rough sketch of what <i>Priconodon</i> may have looked like.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Priconodon</i> was a plant-eating armored dinosaur, from the nodosaur group of ankylosaurs, characterized by usually sporting long, thorny spikes running down their flanks. For years, <i>Priconodon</i> was only known from teeth and very small bone fragments. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrgg1NB4RuoBPC9QEJ0-oYYc0d8JTti0beIPr34wWSClU-JRvwvjDUdcI5HX4C3Ssh0BSvykL2W3SHGVT_Zknc0tUvr6vH_nFhFgQZsKPyHcj_EJ1WeNAuyOTFjzwfds9JRt896JMrVO-3a46UFQoDLFVgsHJcFcQO49DCf3VopLLbSzSGlsccXBh_tY/s3021/Priconodon%20vert.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="3021" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrgg1NB4RuoBPC9QEJ0-oYYc0d8JTti0beIPr34wWSClU-JRvwvjDUdcI5HX4C3Ssh0BSvykL2W3SHGVT_Zknc0tUvr6vH_nFhFgQZsKPyHcj_EJ1WeNAuyOTFjzwfds9JRt896JMrVO-3a46UFQoDLFVgsHJcFcQO49DCf3VopLLbSzSGlsccXBh_tY/w400-h304/Priconodon%20vert.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gigantic<i> Prictonodon</i> tail vertebra unearthed recently at the Arundel site. My hand for scale.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Just this year, however, whole bones, including some truly massive vertebra, have been discovered. Based on the size of these vertebra, <i>Priconodon</i> could very well have been one of the largest, if not THE largest armored dinosaur ever found!</p><p><b>New species of tyrannosauroid teeth</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcd1bP8aTe6Mizl8DahI4zgZGslkPlVqMB557GkJtqI2KcRX1g4cHblybwXpQPmtllBvovou-PQEuqIyaYR0jz4dEZy7GsvJ9Yboui0deqsVUWDQNh5JI92qpdAfXPXul_MuTr988RI2eGvAfVKjwqo2c25KETJIF8EavkkctIpC34kHXYpPkP-SjwMg/s4295/MD%20Tyrannosauroid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3063" data-original-width="4295" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcd1bP8aTe6Mizl8DahI4zgZGslkPlVqMB557GkJtqI2KcRX1g4cHblybwXpQPmtllBvovou-PQEuqIyaYR0jz4dEZy7GsvJ9Yboui0deqsVUWDQNh5JI92qpdAfXPXul_MuTr988RI2eGvAfVKjwqo2c25KETJIF8EavkkctIpC34kHXYpPkP-SjwMg/w400-h285/MD%20Tyrannosauroid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of a generic early Cretaceous tyrannosauroid, with three fingers on each hand, long legs, and feathers.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Teeth from what appear to be a tyrannosauroid have been discovered this year at the site for the first time at this location. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc2Lm3hMsSNV5imGaJyyOKZGGAMruIkCrXXVbb9d7QiYe84g7Hs09Gs2BUeEo7IydbAnhL-Z8EJdtRS_ycPHLEopzZkz4IxuZ5UjU9WVIgeKDq4mtetBfAZHwNTDG7B58lKYwr3R7r5as0DGtnTsZeCHJjwioHmqcq7xpk2-O67nUwUYuSBsM3rUwsE0/s593/MD%20tyrannosauoid%20tooth.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="593" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMc2Lm3hMsSNV5imGaJyyOKZGGAMruIkCrXXVbb9d7QiYe84g7Hs09Gs2BUeEo7IydbAnhL-Z8EJdtRS_ycPHLEopzZkz4IxuZ5UjU9WVIgeKDq4mtetBfAZHwNTDG7B58lKYwr3R7r5as0DGtnTsZeCHJjwioHmqcq7xpk2-O67nUwUYuSBsM3rUwsE0/w400-h233/MD%20tyrannosauoid%20tooth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tyrannosauroid tooth recently unearthed from the Arundel formation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Unlike giants like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus rex</a></i>, which lived at the very end of the Cretaceous, tyrannosauroids during the early cretaceous were usually relatively small, but likely fast-moving and covered in feathers.</p><p><b>Dromaeosaur teeth</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GpaadV2RFUqa-Ex0JvRqrc7PcH8LRMpi9_AY4ZzjBBU0x6_vgspOylUHcO4lBNU3IRQiWpKlFnXd2xy_xqAQdeNhbMmknz-LtZ_WG9wJZEJXB25_kQzHpnadg7tJSePaj-875K8CDGnu9QHKLrVTogGJD_p_2KoARaIW1gPFSQaU03Ux8e64tSa6hWE/s5295/Deinonychus%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3545" data-original-width="5295" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_GpaadV2RFUqa-Ex0JvRqrc7PcH8LRMpi9_AY4ZzjBBU0x6_vgspOylUHcO4lBNU3IRQiWpKlFnXd2xy_xqAQdeNhbMmknz-LtZ_WG9wJZEJXB25_kQzHpnadg7tJSePaj-875K8CDGnu9QHKLrVTogGJD_p_2KoARaIW1gPFSQaU03Ux8e64tSa6hWE/w400-h268/Deinonychus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Deinonychus</i>, which may have lived in what is now Maryland.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Dromaeosaur fossils have been unearthed at this site, possibly belonging the famous, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/deinonychus-beast-of-week.html">Deinonychus</a></i>, based on size and time period. This year more teeth that match this dinosaur were unearthed.</p><p><b>Ornithomimosaur bones and claw</b></p><p>Bones from an ornithomimosaur, group of dinosaurs that connvergently resembled ostriches, have been found at this site, including a bone unearthed just this year. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOMUxcBQS-FcG_Pps1jgq6tL9arNVGaBXtkvjAUpNZk31zCG3Rq5OhggarIcJuqcHt5MrZCiWboDIKIkHHpIcJgHLEQYqB6EXQ5oWEJ31a-hc1aOwjo0DnzeqdzTskblrDRMBiPy0sjHWBtoAmJh14DxLYNHX6bcoiHbkG-3sHAzld2mejHY67HN9Xos/s4233/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3076" data-original-width="4233" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisOMUxcBQS-FcG_Pps1jgq6tL9arNVGaBXtkvjAUpNZk31zCG3Rq5OhggarIcJuqcHt5MrZCiWboDIKIkHHpIcJgHLEQYqB6EXQ5oWEJ31a-hc1aOwjo0DnzeqdzTskblrDRMBiPy0sjHWBtoAmJh14DxLYNHX6bcoiHbkG-3sHAzld2mejHY67HN9Xos/w400-h291/scan0002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watercolor reconstruction of a generic early cretaceous ornithomimid. They tend to have proportionally larger heads and small teeth, compared to their toothless later relatives.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Like the dromaeosaur bones, ornithomimosaur bones have been uncovered at this site before, but having new material will add to how much we can actually learn about them and hopefully help us create a more accurate picture of them in this part of the world. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1wowIhcHI9zRFZ5K6Bd1dgIqBHr-AO9CJAL2J1lXoeX6uUUTslimu5u94QDbFqf_naa7v4vEB8zbtCKvW1tCanHsc3qQSNKgQheU6oeEejeOBfteAGaZJMFsJ-nukzDGaZ4KYfqOgA5VSnWVdTgkoLfH96JYr9SOh8EVfKKUCBJFOiyKwFyr8aPRjJI/s853/Ornithomimid.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="853" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie1wowIhcHI9zRFZ5K6Bd1dgIqBHr-AO9CJAL2J1lXoeX6uUUTslimu5u94QDbFqf_naa7v4vEB8zbtCKvW1tCanHsc3qQSNKgQheU6oeEejeOBfteAGaZJMFsJ-nukzDGaZ4KYfqOgA5VSnWVdTgkoLfH96JYr9SOh8EVfKKUCBJFOiyKwFyr8aPRjJI/w400-h319/Ornithomimid.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornithomimid fossils recently unearthed from the Arundel formation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Small coelurosaur theropod</b></p><p>A few very small bones and teeth from some kind of small bird-like theropod have been found at the Arundel site. Unfortunately they aren't diagnostic enough to narrow it down any more than being from a coelurosaur, the broad group of theropods that includes tyrannosaurs, dromaeosaurs, and birds. The teeth appear to be straight and pointed, however, which is unusual. (I wonder if it was a kind of unenlagiine) Hopefully we'll learn more soon.</p><p>In addition to all these dinosaurs, the fossils of several other animals, including crocodiles, turtles, stingrays, and mussels were unearthed this year. Furthermore, fossils from other dinosaurs and other animals have been found here in the past and may come up again as digging continues, including mammals and a small early ceratopsian, similar to the western US contemporary, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/12/aquilops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Aquilops</a>.</i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9FTrgZxu53DPBminLN8rQs3pSpc-j6L_2jSO9OSCsumxmiWWk1lAgXH1tb-0yMsczKNe4OQ7t_ItIKun82QbbAl-CeaaQtAEqAGgd7QUu7njzWPFuKzf72A1_5bv30K3xQqNbZ2loRi8wHh1SwjMY9tw343cgXro2bpfQPACpsOtkObzuQRY33K_JPc/s3780/Aquilops%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2632" data-original-width="3780" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9FTrgZxu53DPBminLN8rQs3pSpc-j6L_2jSO9OSCsumxmiWWk1lAgXH1tb-0yMsczKNe4OQ7t_ItIKun82QbbAl-CeaaQtAEqAGgd7QUu7njzWPFuKzf72A1_5bv30K3xQqNbZ2loRi8wHh1SwjMY9tw343cgXro2bpfQPACpsOtkObzuQRY33K_JPc/w400-h279/Aquilops%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Aquilops</i>, which lived at the same time as the dinosaurs unearthed at the Arundel formation.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The news of so many bones being pulled out of this sight is extremely exciting. Not only because they will vastly increase our understanding of previously very mysterious dinosaurs, but also because we have at least one totally new species. Even more exciting perhaps, is the fact that its all taking place on the east coast, an area not normally associated with major dinosaur fossil sites. I can't wait to see what else is uncovered in the coming days!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-68142778427395598042023-05-04T05:49:00.001-07:002023-05-04T05:49:48.160-07:00Masiakasaurus: Beast of the WeekThis week we shall be looking at an awesome little dinosaur with teeth unlike any other! Check out <i>Masiakasaurus knopfleri</i>! <i>Masiakasaurus</i> was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Madagascar during the late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago. From snout to tail an adult would have measured between six and seven feet (2m) long. The genus name, <i>Masiakasaurus</i>, translates to "Vicious lizard/reptile" and the species name, <i>knopfleri</i>, is in honor of singer/songwriter/guitarist, Mark Knopfler, who's music the paleontologists who found this dinosaur's fossils were listening to during their time in the field.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouOwFWbbqcZzlMMrXTEsbeLejwHZuE36wMc1yPe0AxIvatMGDT7CUrdFDUvJUE5tETcp1C4Kd1prxqPwMaf3UyN6R4l2U9Fs4WdkHWxI0DJBOM2GWijxcJwNAE1WxjHXYZg9H7Z_9ROYPZYuc-eNdAJ8cZYAP7hbDYK7_15QyifVyND5dPiBsUSYb/s4368/Masiakasaurus%20(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3078" data-original-width="4368" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouOwFWbbqcZzlMMrXTEsbeLejwHZuE36wMc1yPe0AxIvatMGDT7CUrdFDUvJUE5tETcp1C4Kd1prxqPwMaf3UyN6R4l2U9Fs4WdkHWxI0DJBOM2GWijxcJwNAE1WxjHXYZg9H7Z_9ROYPZYuc-eNdAJ8cZYAP7hbDYK7_15QyifVyND5dPiBsUSYb/w400-h281/Masiakasaurus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life reconstruction in watercolors of <i>Masiakasaurus</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><i>Masiakasaurus</i> belonged to the family of dinosaurs called <u>noasauridae</u>. They are a branch of the broader group of theropods, called <u>ceratosaurs</u>, which also includes the larger, more well known, <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/ceratosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Ceratosaurus</i></a> and <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/09/carnotaurus-beast-of-week.html"><i>Carnotaurus</i></a>, to name just a few. Noasaurids, specifically were much smaller and more gracile than their relatives, with proportionally small heads and long legs.<br />
<br />
The most prominent feature about <i>Masiakasaurus</i>, is its teeth. Unlike the teeth of most theropods, which angle perpendicular to the jaw, the teeth of <i>Masiakasaurus</i>
were angled forward in he front of the mouth. This striking
appearance was what earned its name as "vicious". Despite its
appearance, however, was <i>Masiakasaurus</i> was probably only truly vicious towards much smaller animals. Its tooth arrangement may have been an adaptation for grasping small, fast
moving prey, like a moveable cage. The environment <i>Masiakasaurus</i> lived in did have many prey animals in it at the time, thanks to a great fossil record from Cretaceous Madagascar, including frogs, mammals, small crocodilians, and even small birdlike dinosaurs. Another idea that some people have proposed is that <i>Masiakasaurus</i> was a fisher. In fact, we see similar, unrelated
examples of teeth like this in many fish-hunting marine reptiles, like <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/03/plesiosaurus-prehisroric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Plesiosaurus</i></a>. The teeth in the back of <i>Masiakasaurus</i>' mouth were more similar to those of other theropods, and would have been for cutting food to be swallowed. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kIqcg3oGV__KRpvq1cEfoAIhFIt7NuBfCbpKqdeAwZ9B1BWtLnIFo2rxIG86LI4qs7EtzsvLQgNDt22madGLOdo0RuGXDrNApDOrF4VugZJDQ0qs_g3TUIOesUoWBdCO-HU_t_6PGzY/s1600/masiakasaurus_knopfleri.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kIqcg3oGV__KRpvq1cEfoAIhFIt7NuBfCbpKqdeAwZ9B1BWtLnIFo2rxIG86LI4qs7EtzsvLQgNDt22madGLOdo0RuGXDrNApDOrF4VugZJDQ0qs_g3TUIOesUoWBdCO-HU_t_6PGzY/s400/masiakasaurus_knopfleri.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Masiakasaurus</i> skull, featuring the unique teeth and jaws. CLEARLY it lived during a time before orthodontists.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In addition to its teeth, some other notable features about <i>Masiakasaurus</i> would be its neck, which was long and actually not very flexible, which is not the norm compared to other kinds of long-necked theropods. Its hands each had four fingers, but only the first three digits on each had claws. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LqvYf0tReYMitPAHWDyVy6XV3bfFkssxnxFmRxB8iAfaO9JwcZqGuJdm4HwmBzWHwsCPd_WKEqzJDTg7XnTxuC9x_hTEOw8GPle5uG5gCLNrOKi724mh7rSBwoLFo9JTN6-nzcgnw0U/s1600/Masiakasaurus.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LqvYf0tReYMitPAHWDyVy6XV3bfFkssxnxFmRxB8iAfaO9JwcZqGuJdm4HwmBzWHwsCPd_WKEqzJDTg7XnTxuC9x_hTEOw8GPle5uG5gCLNrOKi724mh7rSBwoLFo9JTN6-nzcgnw0U/s400/Masiakasaurus.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Masiakasaurus</i> skeleton on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Masiakasaurus</i> is a great find by paleontology standards because it is known from more than one specimen, so almost all of its anatomy is known. Another interesting thing about <i>Masiakasaurus</i>, is that paleontologists were able to study what they think was its growth pattern based on individual specimens of different sizes that have been found. Based on what the pool of specimens available to work with and by closely examining the kind of bones <i>Masiakasaurus</i> had compared to those of other dinosaurs, it is hypothesized that <i>Masiakasaurus</i> was actually a relatively slow-grower, and would have attained adult size by the time it was about eight years old. This is indeed pretty slow compared to other non-avian dinosaurs that have been studied in the same way and even modern animals that are related to it, like birds, which reach adulthood, in general, much more rapidly. (Anyone who has ever raised a baby chick knows exactly what I'm talking about. Seriously, one minute they are fluffy yellow peeps... blink once and BAM...adult chicken.)<br />
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That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/prehistoricbeastoftheweek?ref=hl">facebook page</a>!<br />
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<u>References</u><br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text"></span><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Carrano, M.T.; Sampson, S.D.; Forster, C.A. (2002). "The osteology of <i>Masiakasaurus knopfleri</i>, a small abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar". <i>Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</i> <b>22</b> (3): 510–534.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"></span></span><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Carrano, M.T.; Loewen, M.A.; Sertic, J.J.W. (2011). <a class="external text" href="http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/Paleobiology/sc_RecordSingle.cfm?filename=SCtP-0095" rel="nofollow">"</a>New materials of <i>Masiakasaurus knopfleri</i> Sampson, Carrano, and Forster, 2001, and implications for the morphology of the Noasauridae (Theropoda: Ceratosauria)". <i>Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology</i> <b>95</b>: 53pp.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text">Andrew H. Lee & Patrick M. O’Connor
(2013) Bone histology confirms determinate growth and small body size in
the noasaurid theropod Masiakasaurus knopfleri. Journal of Vertebrate
Paleontology 33(4): 865-876.</span></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-70460393560451430052023-04-23T10:47:00.000-07:002023-04-28T10:58:19.118-07:00Sinosaurus: Beast of the Week<p>This week we will be looking at one of the first large predatory dinosaurs. Make way for <i>Sinosaurus triassicus</i>!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr33PkY-dRAhwi_j0mP9R8PQxd5HW0QQaKWRrhwiZZ_W6WfUpmAbKNy8NNywkwubnZmiRAsMnQlIAeOA9Ch4NrsvySpCeZqhMkRMy-yJE6r0AK_gKJIJn6aG0GnVNEcOeJsfU3Iw9LHWUDDbo3s_lsCv561sapDjCZiNsdcjUWtyGEjauFb6iX4qR/s4421/Sinosaurus%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3202" data-original-width="4421" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUr33PkY-dRAhwi_j0mP9R8PQxd5HW0QQaKWRrhwiZZ_W6WfUpmAbKNy8NNywkwubnZmiRAsMnQlIAeOA9Ch4NrsvySpCeZqhMkRMy-yJE6r0AK_gKJIJn6aG0GnVNEcOeJsfU3Iw9LHWUDDbo3s_lsCv561sapDjCZiNsdcjUWtyGEjauFb6iX4qR/w400-h290/Sinosaurus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sinosaurus triassicus</i> life reconstruction in watercolors by Christopher DiPiazza</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Sinosaurus</i> was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Southwest China during the early Jurassic period, between 201 and 196 million years ago. From snout to tail it measured 18 feet (5.5 meters) long. It's genus name translates to "Chinese Lizard/Reptile" and the species name is in reference to the Triassic period which is when it was first believed to have lived upon its discovery. (We now know it was in the Jurassic.)</p><p><i>Sinosaurus</i> is a dinosaur that underwent a few identity changes as paleontologists discovered more fossils and learned more about it over the years. Most prominently it was believed to be an Asian species of the more popular North American theropod, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/06/dilophosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Dilophosaurus</a></i>, and was originally named <i>Dilophosaurus sinensis</i>. This makes sense at first since both of these dinosaurs are known for having two bony crests on the top of their snouts. They both also even have a similar notch towards the front of their upper jaws. However, as more material from <i>Sinosaurus</i> was unearthed over the years, it was determined that it was more closely related to later kinds of theropods, called the tetanurans, and therefore was given its own genus name, <i>Sinosaurus</i>. Tetanurans are a broad group of theropods characterized by how their tails were stiffened in life thanks to how their tail vertebrae interlock together. Tetanurans are also all more closely related to birds than to other dinosaurs, including other kinds of theropods. According to this updated idea, <i>Sinosaurus</i> was particularly closely related to another crested theropod from the early Jurassic, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/02/cryolophosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Cryolophosaurus</a></i>. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqzdrxU573RJ9oNsb8nxQIgin3wY8OyvH2fRKz8nYIKX-Yevl3LADEai840I0brVt1u0DKDJbiWiqmYU4VeIOxxsXEVwfD2nSCJeEEQ2yKxPD7iJQ5RnvnKFJHe820LFeeQ_a80cbA557HBqwqYQVGo4VlwzBgfYwlmTNjx4R8uODPCh_a2XKaX_1/s4032/image_50745857.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqzdrxU573RJ9oNsb8nxQIgin3wY8OyvH2fRKz8nYIKX-Yevl3LADEai840I0brVt1u0DKDJbiWiqmYU4VeIOxxsXEVwfD2nSCJeEEQ2yKxPD7iJQ5RnvnKFJHe820LFeeQ_a80cbA557HBqwqYQVGo4VlwzBgfYwlmTNjx4R8uODPCh_a2XKaX_1/w400-h300/image_50745857.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sinosaurus</i> skeletal mount on display at the Maryland Science Center in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Sinosaurus</i> had curved serrated teeth that would have been ideal for slicing through and stripping off chunks of meat from bodies. The upper jaw notch towards the front of its snout may have been an adaptation for hooking into and ripping through the skin of other dinosaurs to get into the meat inside, similar to the hooked beaks of modern carnivorous birds, like hawks, eagles, and vultures. <i>Sinosaurus</i> is probably most known for its bony crests which adorned the top of its skull. These crests had holes in them, making them lightweight, and may have served as visual display adaptations within the species or even possibly could have helped absorb impact, allowing <i>Sinosaurus </i>to bite harder without injury.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpwrSi4TF9GApF9TC_4CxoP29N0iiHwl6ZqzIeccaND0U3qYdgZBeQlLPNfioGII5SQXxAgN8HqaoLGsRHCtFCt314HX7qTnhbI9ML6hpuVmzstnrbH9_O29H-aHWHbFAXQO37G_aumNeN5gxHrlCjN_W8AT4Axnn28ASY-702wLWsX2gfmAvgx9o/s500/Sinosaurus%20skull%202023.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="305" data-original-width="500" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpwrSi4TF9GApF9TC_4CxoP29N0iiHwl6ZqzIeccaND0U3qYdgZBeQlLPNfioGII5SQXxAgN8HqaoLGsRHCtFCt314HX7qTnhbI9ML6hpuVmzstnrbH9_O29H-aHWHbFAXQO37G_aumNeN5gxHrlCjN_W8AT4Axnn28ASY-702wLWsX2gfmAvgx9o/w400-h244/Sinosaurus%20skull%202023.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sinosaurus</i> skull from in Zhang's 2023 paper. (listed below)</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Sinosaurus</i> shows evidence of tooth injury in life in the form of what is called alveolar remodeling. This means that it experienced a broken tooth and the ridge of bone in the jaw that includes the tooth sockets, called the alveolar bone, changed shape in the healing process following the loss of the tooth. Dinosaurs losing and replacing teeth is common in the fossil record, but this is the only recorded instance of an actual tooth related injury that healed in this way known so far for a dinosaur. </p><p><i>Sinosaurus </i>lived during a time when predatory dinosaurs were first starting to get truly large. Prior to this most meat-eating dinosaurs were much smaller and more gracile, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/coelophysis-beast-of-week.html">Coelophysis</a></i>, and even the biggest plant-eaters, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/02/plateosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Plateosaurus</a></i>, weren't that huge compared to what would later evolve. At 18 feet long, <i>Sinosaurus</i> was likely the top of the food chain in its environments. </p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Chung-Chien, Young (1940). </span>"Preliminary Notes on the Lufeng Vertebrate Fossils*: Young:-Lufeng Vertebrate Fossils"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Bulletin of the Geological Society of China</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">20</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (3–4): 235–240.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Dong, Z.M.<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (2003). </span>"Contribution of New Dinosaur Materials from China to Dinosaurology"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span class="cs1-format" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(PDF)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Memoir of the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">2</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: 123–131.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Xing, L.D.; Bell, P.R.; Rothschild, B.M.; Ran, H.; Zhang, J.P.; Dong, Z.M.; </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Rauhut, O.W.M. (2003). "The interrelationships and evolution of basal theropod dinosaurs". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Special Papers in Palaeontology</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">69</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">: 215.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Zhang, W.; Currie, P.J. (2013). </span>"Tooth loss and alveolar remodeling in <i>Sinosaurus triassicus</i> (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Jurassic strata of the Lufeng Basin, China"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Chinese Science Bulletin</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">58</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (16): 1931–1935.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Zhang, Z.-C.; Wang, T.; You, H.-L. (2023). </span>"A New Specimen of <i>Sinosaurus triassicus</i> (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Jurassic of Lufeng, Yunnan, China"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Historical Biology</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. in press.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-69813163499652032912023-04-20T09:42:00.003-07:002023-04-20T09:47:31.817-07:00The Paleontology Behind Pokemon: Part 3<p> It is time for my third installment of Paleontology Behind Pokemon, a post where I delve into the design choices behind pokemon based on dinosaur and other prehistoric animals. If you have not seen the first two pokemon posts you can check out part one <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-paleontology-behind-pokemon.html">here</a> and pat two <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-paleontology-behind-pokemon-part-2.html">here</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Walking Wake</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWYL9ayE7Tfo3Vrm87YuYLPD3NRt9qDHTiydidXSCNQDAndo2y5WjyuX5-hewh-lNXPr4ON5dOV22PP_t0mNNXQyiKfewvLctkOWN-I3vRo5EF1KlbmFKTlLx9xMLrvweH5ke13PkSKwIQoWTExeheZXwKJCzOvYhgkXdcCZkfUkRvTYVEeDtkGwF/s1200/1200px-1009Walking_Wake.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWYL9ayE7Tfo3Vrm87YuYLPD3NRt9qDHTiydidXSCNQDAndo2y5WjyuX5-hewh-lNXPr4ON5dOV22PP_t0mNNXQyiKfewvLctkOWN-I3vRo5EF1KlbmFKTlLx9xMLrvweH5ke13PkSKwIQoWTExeheZXwKJCzOvYhgkXdcCZkfUkRvTYVEeDtkGwF/w400-h400/1200px-1009Walking_Wake.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The newest generation of pokemon yielded a few exciting new desings that are clearly based on pokemon. Possibly the most surprising is the new look of the legendary pokemon, Suicune, called Walking Wake. Suicune was originally based on a dog or a generalized mammal, but Walking Wake is very clearly based on a theropod dinosaur. It has a proportionally smaller head, long legs, and short arms with three fingers on each hand. At first it looks like it could be a dromaeosaur but it doesn't have the signature giant toe claw on each foot and I feel that if a pokemon were to be based on a dromaeosaur that would be the one feature that would be included, if not emphasized. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdNN5Xsh-JOZAwHh6H3BsDZa1gK8hzYJ6_sr1eTkYO75WR_9SrCt_ovQU_KWM_as6s6xJIt8VRCNJ2zW128eG5wQtGmHTFk0Ql9XMi7dM3u9Jt-n5f30FF4axVFqaPnGc2jkQ3pfVM2aY6B23CgkeKudGq9f_ZES6f0-_QIVEbHYqWyrVnoNy0K4s/s980/Dryptos2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="980" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdNN5Xsh-JOZAwHh6H3BsDZa1gK8hzYJ6_sr1eTkYO75WR_9SrCt_ovQU_KWM_as6s6xJIt8VRCNJ2zW128eG5wQtGmHTFk0Ql9XMi7dM3u9Jt-n5f30FF4axVFqaPnGc2jkQ3pfVM2aY6B23CgkeKudGq9f_ZES6f0-_QIVEbHYqWyrVnoNy0K4s/s320/Dryptos2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dryptosaurus</i> skeletal mounts on display at the New Jersey State museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>My realistic assumption is Walking Wake isn't based on any particular taxa or even group of dinosaur beyond theropod, but in my headcannon it is a tyrannosauroid, like <i>Dilong</i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/08/moros-beast-of-week.html">Moros</a></i>, or <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/dryptosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Dryptosaurus</a></i>. I named mine "Drypto" for that reason. (plus it's water type and drypto sounds like drip which is a thing water does.)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Frigibax, Arctibax, and Baxcalibur</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-VZHA7tw3rURrsT6dU7mfb1wqiwTWLB9b4t4LX6-x5AilVFt9vOmYMpqvPsrLhI6-_t4MNPCES_oXVwMRau7DTZs9JrljXSis6pwcz-W2vTsw82mjFgejA7Sdy-ZkNwdL6Rg2nKuDa333QNsr_Au-BKm0oocvtcjDaD1N_1757Wz054X6yn3Z1nf/s1280/Pokemon-Scarlet-and-Violet-How-to-Evolve-Frigibax-into-Arctibax-and-Baxcallibur.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-VZHA7tw3rURrsT6dU7mfb1wqiwTWLB9b4t4LX6-x5AilVFt9vOmYMpqvPsrLhI6-_t4MNPCES_oXVwMRau7DTZs9JrljXSis6pwcz-W2vTsw82mjFgejA7Sdy-ZkNwdL6Rg2nKuDa333QNsr_Au-BKm0oocvtcjDaD1N_1757Wz054X6yn3Z1nf/w400-h225/Pokemon-Scarlet-and-Violet-How-to-Evolve-Frigibax-into-Arctibax-and-Baxcallibur.webp" width="400" /></a></b></div><span style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></table></span><span style="text-align: left;">Walking Wake wasn't the only dinosaur introduced in the newest wave of pokemon. We also have the evolution line of dragon/ice pokemon, Frigibax, Arctibax, and Baxcalibur. All three of these pokemon also appear to be based on theropod dinosaurs and all three sport a blade-like fin or ridge on their backs. At first <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/07/spinosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Spinosaurus</a></i> seems the most likely source of inspiration, but they lack the long snout of a spinosaur and pokemon is usually pretty good about using up to date looks when they do use specific dinosaurs for references. I have also read they are based on <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/04/concavenator-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Concavenator</a></i>, which also has a more isolated fin-shaped hump on its back. Part of me can't help but wonder if their names are playing off of dinosaurs, like <i>Altispinax</i> and <i>Becklespinax</i>, both of which also had high ridges on their backs, but are known from much less complete fossil material. </span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDJestr4PnQqRgOjx_W8rbh0KIpjdCKdopuXl5sSFVp0pkzm5h7agusnh9NkBibip-uxqPPKmDC5uXN2B3XkP_VWSgwwQjrLPxfsWCpVuG0msNIMaP1bv2BWnTxO8bZCz6-Iap8vyfCc8mrh91wMF1uQ-KxYHxNJdgvIumM6ZOZ746Os1KdpqARaM/s600/Concavenator.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHDJestr4PnQqRgOjx_W8rbh0KIpjdCKdopuXl5sSFVp0pkzm5h7agusnh9NkBibip-uxqPPKmDC5uXN2B3XkP_VWSgwwQjrLPxfsWCpVuG0msNIMaP1bv2BWnTxO8bZCz6-Iap8vyfCc8mrh91wMF1uQ-KxYHxNJdgvIumM6ZOZ746Os1KdpqARaM/w400-h300/Concavenator.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Concavenator</i> skeleton on display at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />As always it is also always safe to assume these pokemon could be inspired by all or many of the above fossils, resulting in a more generic, but no less cool, design. I also want to note that Arctibax looks the most like an actual dinosaur, due to its posture, and the fully evolved Baxcalibur looks more like Godzilla than a real dinosaur due to its proportions and more upright posture.<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tropius</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDfLUu0gUarbhgBxx8vNRMJJbuyS5l26oV35sP9ARjlqILvXU9xLm4DkeXdDq83Qht9ugviwHi5wpAGjgjEWn7WXGaWG2P8JTNbHYjsoyKZGzzCT8vvbCryUkBQt__1BRLJi98rxyf7Sv21o2aq97n_fKP7B0RaobBi2XsitF2WEMsHKbaZFGsndC/s475/Tropius.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDfLUu0gUarbhgBxx8vNRMJJbuyS5l26oV35sP9ARjlqILvXU9xLm4DkeXdDq83Qht9ugviwHi5wpAGjgjEWn7WXGaWG2P8JTNbHYjsoyKZGzzCT8vvbCryUkBQt__1BRLJi98rxyf7Sv21o2aq97n_fKP7B0RaobBi2XsitF2WEMsHKbaZFGsndC/w400-h400/Tropius.png" width="400" /></a></b></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Tropius is a pokemon introduced in the third wave of pokemon games. It is a grass/flying type and is clearly based on a long-necked sauropod dinosaur. I have also read it is more specifically inspired by the cryptid, Mokele-mbembe, a sauropod dinosaur said to live in the Congo River according to legend. The grass typing and incorporating banana trees into the design is pretty clever, but the flying typing is just bizarre in my opinion. A sauropod seems like the least likely animal that would be flying, especially with wings made of leaves! I also always found it odd how Tropius has no tail. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Chikorita, Bayleef, and Meganium</b></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJFpMN6OwTFDHkFOtA0Jl7AmlAUhxteDubwVHExUZIE1JnKL5sRvWAzsBo64P7zpM67TGj5c09LCiluJq9F2VY6mcJ_mfhtZ1Goim-oMwWjxuETIUzsUDZnpRSwPuao1b-d1dtB2heoUSlJnm6VVjOVCClNbc42p8sbW_cp_at4bphNr8_Gzuu4ez/s640/chikorita%20line.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="640" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJFpMN6OwTFDHkFOtA0Jl7AmlAUhxteDubwVHExUZIE1JnKL5sRvWAzsBo64P7zpM67TGj5c09LCiluJq9F2VY6mcJ_mfhtZ1Goim-oMwWjxuETIUzsUDZnpRSwPuao1b-d1dtB2heoUSlJnm6VVjOVCClNbc42p8sbW_cp_at4bphNr8_Gzuu4ez/w400-h293/chikorita%20line.png" width="400" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of grass type sauropods, we can't forget Chikorita and its evolutions. Introduced in the second generation of pokemon as one of the starters, Chikorita's design isn't obvious at first. But once it evolves, gaining a long neck, it becomes pretty clear this little pokemon is a sauropod. </div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTxJDY9vWVgqgZUUy9_oDunptY0Oq5hDkkC1KkXELijzMMqJitb8Mf62gZ9m-N-QLFwAXF0i_e2PVByP9nC0bMbgUkGMbexjDAVQWE2qzEubzwtqWVE_r9u3wn4KZKivmRxzzcg_6hT_gvau9Pyw8YePnj8hFsmPrtXPs0sIispFx5kTKryLi7EGY/s2048/girafatitan.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTxJDY9vWVgqgZUUy9_oDunptY0Oq5hDkkC1KkXELijzMMqJitb8Mf62gZ9m-N-QLFwAXF0i_e2PVByP9nC0bMbgUkGMbexjDAVQWE2qzEubzwtqWVE_r9u3wn4KZKivmRxzzcg_6hT_gvau9Pyw8YePnj8hFsmPrtXPs0sIispFx5kTKryLi7EGY/w300-h400/girafatitan.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/12/giraffatitan-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Giraffatitan</a></i> skeleton on display in Berlin.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div>The final evolution, Meganium is even more obvious. I can't help but think of them as brachiosaurs, since Meganium has a shorter tail and more upright neck posture.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Great Tusk</span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2_R2EHbLqTSoFzN-hC8lzCH_IEAFXtrJH1K9O7Gv9l0qVpm2sI4vFeHHZ2LrkCLT-zrt6KDJMb9maF-yAAEq6aVNHWQPohkEUAS_IMudyiOntgb6bGxifB037KH-wH-vIMKTSwn4AD9N9oqyPEIlT3ERlSJqHZnD51bhy492Zqxnrz6ujKhUlyHX/s475/great%20tusk.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2_R2EHbLqTSoFzN-hC8lzCH_IEAFXtrJH1K9O7Gv9l0qVpm2sI4vFeHHZ2LrkCLT-zrt6KDJMb9maF-yAAEq6aVNHWQPohkEUAS_IMudyiOntgb6bGxifB037KH-wH-vIMKTSwn4AD9N9oqyPEIlT3ERlSJqHZnD51bhy492Zqxnrz6ujKhUlyHX/w400-h400/great%20tusk.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another new pokemon introduced in the latest generation is the ancient form of the second generation pokemon, Donphan, called Great Tusk. Donphan was based on elephants and Great Tusk appears to be mostly based on <a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2018/07/mastodon-beast-of-week.html">Mastodon</a> or Mammoths, based on its tusk shape. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCL5qeGOZqbh-Ji8QHUolHPET1WnnEA9iuR5w9DODWNNVPa0VrG5auVZ0EXMtU8bmYbCv83NdTb_iyEKnLUkGuLFFLAh322yYYu2aurdsSrX3Tl_DoCXAnYjP-ytIkkyHeXNsZMcCiDfOXPR7ZqGlRk6QHy7ASWw90GoIeFa41Loxr3KAx52KpX4EK/s400/mastodon.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCL5qeGOZqbh-Ji8QHUolHPET1WnnEA9iuR5w9DODWNNVPa0VrG5auVZ0EXMtU8bmYbCv83NdTb_iyEKnLUkGuLFFLAh322yYYu2aurdsSrX3Tl_DoCXAnYjP-ytIkkyHeXNsZMcCiDfOXPR7ZqGlRk6QHy7ASWw90GoIeFa41Loxr3KAx52KpX4EK/s320/mastodon.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mastodon skeleton on display at the Rutgers Geology Museum.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span style="text-align: left;">It also looks like actual dinosaur features were incorporated into it as well with its armored back, spikes, and reptile-like tail. </span></div><div><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Breloom</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA9XBY7potksJwKMU3mH1wvSN60FloJRNRL9nTjGxRnKqq65wdLKeQ_Kt5yIWeQBEcp7MPgPTzBi_vpDlpz6ttACeiHXrEYbCw3TZB2aQ8rFe5hrr5wyGThQyRvJUXW00IMN1GY3ixQf13BVSOAuQL3k18AO96AimI-E6GflYjUT96shDs5Ff9NR7/s475/breloom.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaA9XBY7potksJwKMU3mH1wvSN60FloJRNRL9nTjGxRnKqq65wdLKeQ_Kt5yIWeQBEcp7MPgPTzBi_vpDlpz6ttACeiHXrEYbCw3TZB2aQ8rFe5hrr5wyGThQyRvJUXW00IMN1GY3ixQf13BVSOAuQL3k18AO96AimI-E6GflYjUT96shDs5Ff9NR7/w400-h400/breloom.png" width="400" /></a></div><p>Breloom is a grass/fighting type pokemon that evolves from Shroomish, a literal mushroom. But Breloom appears to take the mushroom theme and apply it to a dinosaur shape, standing on two digitigrade feet, having short arms, a beak, and a long tail. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqytZg5NENsaV9S5Y2YZ-cFiHkshk4AjcP4IyRiFwVr59CcE39wuRr1n4dLmV4-7h9yGGKe_eIewYRpHw8Iol_XgyEijHo03MFWg4RXVgztESN9S5kGfvaLk9aCoctyj9cFOwut5Us-iucSW6nfGNbXF3W41znT8DEUFGEbkBSwyTmRUodnK7pkDjA/s1200/1200px-Stegoceras_skull.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1200" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqytZg5NENsaV9S5Y2YZ-cFiHkshk4AjcP4IyRiFwVr59CcE39wuRr1n4dLmV4-7h9yGGKe_eIewYRpHw8Iol_XgyEijHo03MFWg4RXVgztESN9S5kGfvaLk9aCoctyj9cFOwut5Us-iucSW6nfGNbXF3W41znT8DEUFGEbkBSwyTmRUodnK7pkDjA/w400-h323/1200px-Stegoceras_skull.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Stegoceras</i> skull. Breloom's head resembles the flared out and domed skulls of many pachycephalosaurs.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Specifically Breloom looks to be most similar to pachycephalosaurs, with the wide mushroom cap on its head resembling a domed skull. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tyranitar</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhMBjVBfKZSxC-5PC4rdSoYLt8PJ_e07Gt46av4pCyMUGHfEVyw-BYovZCHEIQLI9kPto30nVWrd46hTGHh_0FClK7Q981Jw4ca-7sn8I6mkLuXMvBKzc8flcvnCPZvkwQFOIUAkdLpQSI5NTUb-VJTRGCX94bjPR_zAhh_VDBBT8jHQ4Dp3F4HE0/s260/Tyranitar.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="260" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhMBjVBfKZSxC-5PC4rdSoYLt8PJ_e07Gt46av4pCyMUGHfEVyw-BYovZCHEIQLI9kPto30nVWrd46hTGHh_0FClK7Q981Jw4ca-7sn8I6mkLuXMvBKzc8flcvnCPZvkwQFOIUAkdLpQSI5NTUb-VJTRGCX94bjPR_zAhh_VDBBT8jHQ4Dp3F4HE0/w400-h369/Tyranitar.webp" width="400" /></a></b></div><span style="text-align: left;">Tyranitar is a pokemon released in the second generation of pokemon. It is a rock/dark type and has always been one of the most popular pokemon based on its cool design and strength in battle. Tyranitar is also the first pokemon I've written about here that isn't actually based on anything from paleontology directly but I kept getting requests on social media to include it since I started writing these posts so I figured I'd finally set the record straight here. At first Tyranitar seems like it would be based on a </span><i style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i><span style="text-align: left;">, but I'm convinced this is based on its name only and little else. In fact, nothing about its actual design is directly based on any real dinosaurs beyond anything extremely general. Tyranitar DOES however appear to be directly based on a kaiju (Japanese giant monster traditionally represented by an actor in a costume) from the Ultra Man franchise, named Bemular. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cqp2a8rF1kt5KNGtNv19hjMwODvW8-KyalWO8zpp-_KE-jFpRl3DixH8hHpwoftsCWUM3iTY8XYlZ0uYPB2AuPPXpDlsMl9hCrBQW6ZSo-ix8kelaECyeJlZE2_95PpSW3sTmpWJYROCid5JSGqSlwIjnUYY2ZE6IN5f3dZFu5MSwtByKlSGqzJs/s813/Bemlar.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="813" data-original-width="506" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cqp2a8rF1kt5KNGtNv19hjMwODvW8-KyalWO8zpp-_KE-jFpRl3DixH8hHpwoftsCWUM3iTY8XYlZ0uYPB2AuPPXpDlsMl9hCrBQW6ZSo-ix8kelaECyeJlZE2_95PpSW3sTmpWJYROCid5JSGqSlwIjnUYY2ZE6IN5f3dZFu5MSwtByKlSGqzJs/w249-h400/Bemlar.webp" width="249" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bemular, the monster Tyranitar appears to be the most based on.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-13391370502126592582023-04-09T08:30:00.004-07:002023-04-14T06:13:14.620-07:00Habrosaurus: Beast of the Week<p> This week we'll be checking out a prehistoric amphibian. Make way for <i>Habrosaurus</i>!</p><p><i>Habrosaurus</i> was a salamander that lived in what is now Alberta, Wyoming and Montana, during the late Cretaceous period into the early Paleocene (surviving the asteroid that wiped out most of the dinosaurs), from 68 to 58 million years ago. From snout to tail <i>Habrosaurus</i> is estimated to have been over five feet (1.6 meters) long, making it one of the largest salamanders of all time. When alive <i>Habrosaurus</i> likely would have likely preyed on smaller aquatic animals, like shrimp and mollusks. (all amphibians are predators at least as adults) The genus name translates to "Graceful Reptile" even though it was and amphibian, not a reptile.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdUCyVmqq1r3ff8t1TwsPax4B2EQbiRYyeo-cYCGc0OaZZaEdvGNDOtnIiJKquvTp8DfKi7yO9GNkx0DLlKHVX1iPLabhO_FvtssBRtK1Vd-GU31n2AERrUDmALQPShX3cU1Tvgtw-irmbCA1anCJcaqcuzLzYlvle1KJqEpzU5Qhgx1ZnLo00we3/s4193/Habrosaurus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3423" data-original-width="4193" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdUCyVmqq1r3ff8t1TwsPax4B2EQbiRYyeo-cYCGc0OaZZaEdvGNDOtnIiJKquvTp8DfKi7yO9GNkx0DLlKHVX1iPLabhO_FvtssBRtK1Vd-GU31n2AERrUDmALQPShX3cU1Tvgtw-irmbCA1anCJcaqcuzLzYlvle1KJqEpzU5Qhgx1ZnLo00we3/w400-h326/Habrosaurus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life reconstructions in watercolors of <i>Habrosaurus dilatus</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are currently two species of <i>Habrosaurus</i> known on the fossil record. <i>Habrosaurus prodilatus</i> is the older species, lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, and would have shared its habitat with dinosaurs like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/07/styracosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Styracosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/05/parasaurolophus-beast-of-week.html">Parasaurolophus</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/07/gorgosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Gorgosaurus</a></i>. <i>Habrosaurus dilatus</i> is the later species and lived in what is now Western United States, and would have shared its home with dinosaurs, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/09/ankylosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Ankylosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/pachycephalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Pachycephalosaurus</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i>.</p><p><i>Habrosaurus</i> was a member of the siren (sirenidae) family of salamanders which have numerous species still alive today, all native to the southern United States. Sirens are characterized by having extremely long, eel-like bodies, front limbs only (no back legs), gills, and live their entire lives in freshwater but can also burrow into the mud if they need to. Unlike many amphibians, sirens do not undergo metamorphosis, but rather stay fully aquatic their entire lives, simply growing larger as they age. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BFg0jYiifhrJU919AROY5moPRgSogjK5mNjdX28eUWb7PyDzZszpdLSoqi-Jh5q8My8GP_ZcbEeARv2Fa8qwhl7lXh7WqVSwN1BmMVKsBoRNFoCyPnp3BaAsciDwKn2HJ8DKnTpMTyLvxDSEMbBVNnjKO7eyRr1O0yvq87A6zxSjv_U1BUWL2pbL/s1278/Habrosaurus%20jaws.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BFg0jYiifhrJU919AROY5moPRgSogjK5mNjdX28eUWb7PyDzZszpdLSoqi-Jh5q8My8GP_ZcbEeARv2Fa8qwhl7lXh7WqVSwN1BmMVKsBoRNFoCyPnp3BaAsciDwKn2HJ8DKnTpMTyLvxDSEMbBVNnjKO7eyRr1O0yvq87A6zxSjv_U1BUWL2pbL/w381-h400/Habrosaurus%20jaws.png" width="381" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teeth and jaw fragments from <i>Habrosaurus dilatus</i> from Gardner's 2003</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: left;"> paper linked below.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Fossils of <i>Habrosaurus dilatus'</i> teeth indicate that it specialized in eating hard-shelled prey, like snails and shrimp. Both species also may have been preying on fish and other animals small enough to fit in their mouths if they wandered too close. Living sirens are some of the few kinds of amphibians known to actually be omnivores as adults, supplementing their mostly meat diet with water plants, as well. There is no way to know if <i>Habrosaurus</i> may have eaten some plants as well when it was alive. iLike living sirens, <i>Habrosaurus</i> likely spent its time on the muddy bottom of swamps and other bodies of fresh water, where it relied on secrecy to ambush prey. I wonder how many unsuspecting large dinosaurs were bitten on the nose by an angry <i>Habrosaurus</i>, as they tried to take a drink?</p><p>That's all for this week! Leave a comment below!</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Gardner, James D. (November 2003). </span>"Revision of Habrosaurus Gilmore (Caudata; Sirenidae) and relationships among sirenid salamanders"<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Palaeontology</i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">46</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"> (6): 1089–1122.</span></span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.6px;">Hill, R. L., Mendelson, J. R. & Stabile, J. L. 2015. Direct observation and review of herbivory in Sirenidae (Amphibia: Caudata). Southeastern Naturalist 14, N5-N9.</span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12.6px;">K. Roelants, D.J. Gower, M. Wilkinson, S.P. Loader, S.D. Biju, K. Guillaume, L. Moriau, F. Bossuyt (2007) Global pattern of diversification in the history of modern amphibians. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 104: 887-892</span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-24854776938882789992023-03-26T19:20:00.000-07:002023-03-30T08:27:42.362-07:00Coelophysis: Beast of the WeekThis week we will be taking a look at another very well-studied dinosaur. Check out <i>Coelophyis bauri</i>! <i>Coelophysis</i> was a relatively small, meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Triassic period, about 200 million years ago, in what is now the Western United States. Fully grown, adults measured about ten feet long from snout to tail. <i>Coelophysis</i> bones are mostly known from New Mexico (where it is the official state fossil), but evidence of this dinosaur has been found as far as the east coast, as well, in the form of tracks. The genus name, <i>Coelophysis</i>, translates to "Hollow Form" in reference to the dinosaur's hollow bones, a trait actually common to many dinosaurs, not just<i> Coelophysis</i>. When alive Coelophysis would have coexisted with creatures like crocodilian relatives, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/07/typothorax-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Typothorax</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/10/shuvosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Shuvosaurus</a></i>, and <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/postosuchus-beast-of-week.html"><i>Postosuchu</i>s</a>.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV34Pf8zj-A1RBcW5XuUF8J1-KYV8dec0b1eDE31QTgCW10iOHp4PLC5-tDQpJMXonoQevb921dJQ7lcMS2ShoAqCN4-8cGThAE5PzUjhxVKXuwY_cRUnuSuTC6Cy-qufKrhZq4hlgj8NaD_WCoi81SxIulIaDRGKlguZF82GTtIwgfUUCkZ_4apl/s7159/Coelophysis%20BartaGriffin(wm).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4558" data-original-width="7159" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsV34Pf8zj-A1RBcW5XuUF8J1-KYV8dec0b1eDE31QTgCW10iOHp4PLC5-tDQpJMXonoQevb921dJQ7lcMS2ShoAqCN4-8cGThAE5PzUjhxVKXuwY_cRUnuSuTC6Cy-qufKrhZq4hlgj8NaD_WCoi81SxIulIaDRGKlguZF82GTtIwgfUUCkZ_4apl/w400-h255/Coelophysis%20BartaGriffin(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group of <i>Coelophysis bauri</i> of varying ages gathering in a dried river bed. Fossils suggest large groups of Coelophysis died at about the same time relatively quickly due to harsh environments. Watercolor reconstruction by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><i>Coelophysis</i> lived during a time in history when dinosaurs were obviously around, but had not become as diverse and large as most people know them to be just yet. During the Triassic, the biggest, most formidable animals were actually other kinds of archosaurs like pseudosuchians (group that includes modern crocodilians) like <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/07/typothorax-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Typothorax</i></a>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/postosuchus-beast-of-week.html">Postosuchus</a></i>, and <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/10/shuvosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html"><i>Shuvosaurus</i></a>, as well as the crocodile-looking-but-not-really-close-to-crocodiles, the phytosaurs, like<i> <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/12/rutiodon-beast-of-week.html">Rutiodon</a></i>. In fact, actual dinosaurs were somewhat of a rarity during the Triassic. If you would like the full story on how reptiles were evolving and going extinct during this time, please go read <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/field-work-in-new-mexico-2013.html">my post about my work in New Mexico excavating the fossils of these creatures</a>. It was a fascinating time in earth's history.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgv_P88FspuGw71dhhE0ixvRPymY7exBFZsUKyZby3MyXZeT0qOLBsl_QH3AH0LT8qoZFWRkcE2dk7I29XaXxRFGjmJ8v9WgdA1jqVMS_gbfxifCbnbnfkzMnXPcMfG0GuM10vbsAVN4Y/s1600/006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgv_P88FspuGw71dhhE0ixvRPymY7exBFZsUKyZby3MyXZeT0qOLBsl_QH3AH0LT8qoZFWRkcE2dk7I29XaXxRFGjmJ8v9WgdA1jqVMS_gbfxifCbnbnfkzMnXPcMfG0GuM10vbsAVN4Y/s1600/006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a fossil I found that has been split right down the middle, showcasing how hollow it is. It is most likely from a <i>Coelophysis</i>. </td></tr>
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<i><br /></i></div><div><i>Coelophysis</i> likely specialized in hunting small prey by using speed and agility. It was very lightly built, most of its ten-foot length consisting of its neck and tail, and would have been able to run quickly on its hind legs, which were slender, but strong. It had a long, narrow snout with a slight notch at the tip of the upper jaw, which could have helped it hold on to struggling prey. Inside the mouth were many small, serrated teeth, for slicing meat. Originally it was believed that <i>Coelophysis</i> was cannibalistic, since one specimen in New Mexico was discovered with what looked like baby <i>Coelophysis</i> bones inside where its stomach used to be. Under further inspection, however, it was decided that these bones were in fact belonging to one of the small species of land crocodilians that would have been common back then. However, small broken bones and teeth that were confirmed to be from baby <i>Coelophysis</i> were found in the stomach cavities and around the mouths of other adult specimens, showing that cannibalism of smaller individuals still was probably taking place. In turn, <i>Coelophysis </i>would have needed to be weary of becoming prey to the bigger predators alive back then, like<i> Postosuchus </i>or <i>Redondasaurus</i>.</div><div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCxMQUEB9mCLYUqNqDf0fIdD5AiJ4wxLBHg1Obeyl-0Tk_Lj3O_a6pEVbbquBqU995Dr1S3tLI_5A94vXXfrIsW1iwOBlX2M6UoN7dr6pLteirftZTOuPNMOs_PP6qK7qKRRsv1t_tNg/s1600/017.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCxMQUEB9mCLYUqNqDf0fIdD5AiJ4wxLBHg1Obeyl-0Tk_Lj3O_a6pEVbbquBqU995Dr1S3tLI_5A94vXXfrIsW1iwOBlX2M6UoN7dr6pLteirftZTOuPNMOs_PP6qK7qKRRsv1t_tNg/s1600/017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Coelophysis</i> cast on display at the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum, in Tucumcari, New Mexico. You can see the bones of what was originally believed to be a baby in the stomach cavity.</td></tr>
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<i>Coelophyisis</i> is one of the few prehistoric dinosaurs that paleontologists can pretty much completely map out as far as its skeleton and growth is concerned. This is because of a fossil site in New Mexico, called the Ghost Ranch Formation, which was discovered with literally hundreds of individual specimens of <i>Coelophysis</i>, including fully-grown adults down to small babies. Nobody knows for certain why so many of these dinosaurs died at this location, but it is likely that the Ghost Ranch area used to be a river during the Triassic. Animals, like <i>Coelophysis</i> would have come to the river bed to drink during the dry season, died from thirst, then their bodies would have been buried under mud to be fossilized when the water did come through. Another possibility is that they all gathered to hunt a common food source, like spawning fish (which <i>Coelophysis</i>' long snout and neck could have been adaptations for) and were wiped out by a flash flood.<div><br /></div><div>A team of paleontologists, lead by <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/interview-with-paleontologist-daniel.html">Dr. Daniel Barta</a>, recently investigated how <i>Coelophysis</i> grew by making thin slices in <i>Coelophysis</i> bones and looking at ring-like patterns on the inside, each ring indicating a year of the animal's life. (much like the growth rings of a tree) They determined that not all individual<i> Coelophysis</i> grew at the same rate. Some very large individuals turned out to actually be very young when they died, while other relatively small individuals were actually much older. This implies that <i>Coelophysis'</i> growth was probably more based on how much an animal was eating, which is similar to how many modern reptiles grow today. This may have been a helpful trait for animals that lived in harsh environments where food wasn't consistently available over time where animals with more consistent growing patterns might starve.<br />
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There is evidence that <i>Coelophysis</i> may have also lived on America's east coast of North America, including parts of my home state, New Jersey! Although no bones were ever found there, we do have lots of theropod dinosaur tracks that are from the exact time that <i>Coelophysis</i> was alive, and match the size of its feet. Because it cannot be proven 100% (no bones) that these dinosaurs were actually <i>Coelophysis</i>, however, they were given their own name, <i>Grallator</i>. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T9nhuRnkviDAhlqFq_FQaOVnnxJb2vOwep8TYfnNirzhgIZOmbtpkprVrlfRPkRcr9BIqP5lbJ-dEqqluVSLEvLpzQseKJ9MNsCVKjt7MNPRUgMhbFyMQ03gKarCqmwmobYxJJvUVrI/s1600/RutgersGeologyMuseumDinosaurTrackwayVreelandQuarry1800s-001h.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0T9nhuRnkviDAhlqFq_FQaOVnnxJb2vOwep8TYfnNirzhgIZOmbtpkprVrlfRPkRcr9BIqP5lbJ-dEqqluVSLEvLpzQseKJ9MNsCVKjt7MNPRUgMhbFyMQ03gKarCqmwmobYxJJvUVrI/s1600/RutgersGeologyMuseumDinosaurTrackwayVreelandQuarry1800s-001h.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grallator (most likely Coelophysis) tracks that were unearthed in New Jersey. These slabs are on display at the <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-brunswick-geology-museum-2013.html">Rutgers Geology Museum</a> in New Brunswick, New Jersey.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Coelophysis</i> is an important dinosaur, not only because scientists are able to study it so extensively, but also because it represents a turning point in dinosaur evolution. <i>Coelophysis</i> lived during a time where many other kinds of reptiles, like the phytosaurs and most pseudosuchians, were about to go extinct, but dinosaurs were not. <i>Coelophysis</i>' lineage would later flourish even more and radiate into the many theropod dinosaurs everyone knows and loves and eventually the birds, which are still successful today! <br />
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That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or on our<a href="https://www.facebook.com/prehistoricbeastoftheweek?ref=hl"> facebook page</a>.<br />
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<u>References</u><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Barta, D.E., Griffin, C.T. & Norell, M.A. Osteohistology of a Triassic dinosaur population reveals highly variable growth trajectories typified early dinosaur ontogeny. </span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">Sci Rep</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bolder;">12</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;">, 17321 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-22216-x</span></span></div><div><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal" style="font-family: inherit;">Gay, R.J. (2002). "The myth of cannibalism in <i>Coelophysis bauri</i>". <i>Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</i> <b>22</b> (3): 57A.</span></span><br />
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"><br /></span></span>
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Nesbitt, S. J.; Turner, A. H; Erickson, G. M; Norell, M. A (2006). <a class="external text" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1834007" rel="nofollow">"Prey choice and cannibalistic behaviour in the theropod <i>Coelophysis</i>"</a>. <i>Biology Letters</i>. 22 <b>2</b> (4): 611–614. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier" title="Digital object identifier">doi</a>:<a class="external text" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbl.2006.0524" rel="nofollow">10.1098/rsbl.2006.0524</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Central" title="PubMed Central">PMC</a> <a class="external text" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1834007" rel="nofollow">1834007</a>. <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMed_Identifier" title="PubMed Identifier">PMID</a> <a class="external text" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17148302" rel="nofollow">17148302</a>.</span></span><br />
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal"><br /></span></span>
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Rinehart, L.F.; Lucas, S.G.; Heckert, A.B.; Spielmann, J.A. & Celesky, M.D. (2009). "The paleobiology of <i>Coelophysis bauri</i> (Cope) from the Upper Triassic (Apachean) Whitaker quarry, New Mexico, with detailed analysis of a single quarry block". <i>New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs Bulletin</i> <b>45</b>: 260.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text"><span class="citation journal">Schwartz, Hilde L.; Gillette, David D. (1994). "Geology and taphonomy of the <i>Coelophysis</i> quarry, Upper Triassic Chinle Formation, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico". <i>Journal of Paleontology</i> <b>68</b> (5): 1118–1130. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR" title="JSTOR">JSTOR</a> <a class="external text" href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/1306181" rel="nofollow">1306181</a>.</span></span></div></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-73518529008759617862023-02-26T11:36:00.003-08:002023-03-02T11:30:47.637-08:00Balaenognathus: Beast of the Week<p>This week we'll be checking out a very unusual little pterosaur, <i>Balaenognathus maeuseri! </i></p><p><i>Balaenognathus</i> was a pterosaur that lived in what is now Germany during the late Jurassic period, between 157 and 145 million years ago. It was relatively small for a pterosaur, with a wingspan of a little under 4 feet (1.17 meters) from wingtip to wingtip. The genus name translates to "Bowhead whale jaw" after the modern Bowhead whale, one of many kinds of whale that sports structures called baleen in its mouth for filter-feeding on tiny animals. When alive it is likely<i> Balaenognathus</i> fed on tiny animals in the water with the help of its specialized teeth.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBfJJDKRUa9L-IWLt4sGRuER9mACTki4nl-R0wzgzgF6UfqPKeDirALN6vWPgtQHg1midm6iAMzznK_jIWCWIBGx-lmWxPZGsvz3gPJ0VfZqKoJcfnBOyAju5Hk0YDqoUF8jaHaww82v4dH_ieZrb30B70fAytulvwc0LG-Uojenak4i45NyOBfjq/s4003/Balaenognathus%20-%20Copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4003" data-original-width="3203" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBfJJDKRUa9L-IWLt4sGRuER9mACTki4nl-R0wzgzgF6UfqPKeDirALN6vWPgtQHg1midm6iAMzznK_jIWCWIBGx-lmWxPZGsvz3gPJ0VfZqKoJcfnBOyAju5Hk0YDqoUF8jaHaww82v4dH_ieZrb30B70fAytulvwc0LG-Uojenak4i45NyOBfjq/w320-h400/Balaenognathus%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor life reconstruction of <i>Balaenognathus</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Balaenognathus'</i> most distinctive feature is its face, with a long, thin snout that curved slightly upwards toward the tip then flared out in an almost square shape at the very end. The sides of both the upper and lower jaws were lined with hundreds of extremely thin teeth that were also hooked at the ends. This appears to be an adaptation for capturing tiny creatures out of the water, much like the baleen of many modern whales. Many birds, like flamingos and some ducks and geese, also sport structures similar to this in their mouths for filtering food from the water, but not to the extent that <i>Balaenognathus</i> had. Even stranger is that <i>Balaenognathus</i> had a bony keel that extended from the roof of its mouth downward, which would have prevented it from closing its mouth completely. This could also have something to do with a filter-feeding lifestyle, since the tips of the teeth could still overlap despite this feature. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegns9Uu-F3OOnKG3ZKVhnwxZKUGh0xNq9gM3NX68BfgGp0TUYhEtb_02NWazqOlLfgwQ2mncr6DSGPreKsPjB3FLTCZidQODP-VCeA3dZjw2ltS2mJrM3E-Crt_IOs_YYWmVMbEpicb26FOWrca_6bXNWMp9v-UGvDUDdSs2MGQrJk6FtqMCpUKHT/s2048/image_6483441.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegns9Uu-F3OOnKG3ZKVhnwxZKUGh0xNq9gM3NX68BfgGp0TUYhEtb_02NWazqOlLfgwQ2mncr6DSGPreKsPjB3FLTCZidQODP-VCeA3dZjw2ltS2mJrM3E-Crt_IOs_YYWmVMbEpicb26FOWrca_6bXNWMp9v-UGvDUDdSs2MGQrJk6FtqMCpUKHT/w400-h400/image_6483441.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flamingos and baleen whales, like the Bowhead whale, both independently evolved structures in their mouths to filter tiny animals for food. Ctenochasmatids, like <i>Balaenognathus</i>, also independently evolved a similar feature for a similar feeding strategy.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Balaenognathus</i> was a member of the family of pterosaurs, called ctenochasmatids, which are characterized by having relatively long necks and long skulls, lined with teeth. Many members of this group appear to have had unique teeth for filter feeding on small prey in the water, which makes sense since all members of this group are mostly found in areas that would have had an abundance of water when they were alive. What is interesting, however, is that no two members of this group have extremely similar kinds of filter-feeding teeth, implying they were eating similar prey in life, but probably were going about it in different ways with regards to their postures and movement. <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/04/pterodaustro-beast-of-week.html">Pterodaustro</a></i> is an example of another kind of ctenochasmatid pterosaur that also sported baleen-like teeth, but in a different arrangement from <i>Balaenognathus</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUYSf7yHqGCrwM6lke5-k9mADJr5yNCLikCKs6cjsSaWL9YbhDw1MF75OI22Sdm2PRDqRnXCUkc1hlEfXDkXKN9ztC7Z95gMptpKnq6grvrvBDQhMtJZK2uBmjldHrDA7HK-5bEzGLKAtaznwT22LMa9FUqqte2dR5W_10czk0tGe85rgrLsgBJIz/s1920/baelenognathus%20bones.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1920" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUYSf7yHqGCrwM6lke5-k9mADJr5yNCLikCKs6cjsSaWL9YbhDw1MF75OI22Sdm2PRDqRnXCUkc1hlEfXDkXKN9ztC7Z95gMptpKnq6grvrvBDQhMtJZK2uBmjldHrDA7HK-5bEzGLKAtaznwT22LMa9FUqqte2dR5W_10czk0tGe85rgrLsgBJIz/w400-h300/baelenognathus%20bones.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo of the fossilized skeleton of <i>Baelenognathus</i>. Because of how complete and well-preserved it is, paleontologists were able to learn a lot about this unique pterosaur.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>That's all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or leave a request fora. future prehistoric beast to cover!</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Martill, David M.; Frey, Eberhard; Tischlinger, Helmut; Mäuser, Matthias; Rivera-Sylva, Héctor E.; Vidovic, Steven U. (2023-01-21). "A new pterodactyloid pterosaur with a unique filter-feeding apparatus from the Late Jurassic of Germany". </span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-21261820465377316402023-01-15T12:19:00.001-08:002023-01-17T07:27:05.846-08:00Regaliceratops: Beast of the Week<p> This week we will be checking out a ceratopsian with unique and beautiful ornamentation. Make way for <i>Regaliceratops peterhewsi</i>!</p><p><i>Regaliceratops</i> was a ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, during the late Cretaceous period between 69 and 67 million years ago. It is estimated to have measured about 16 feet (5 m) long and would have eaten plants when alive. The genus name translates to "Regal Horned Face" because of the arrangement of horns around the edge of its frill resembles a crown. The species name, <i>peterhewsi</i>, honors the geologist, Peter Hews, who initially discovered its remains. Before it was officially named, <i>Regaliceratop</i>s was casually nicknamed "Hellboy" by the paleontologists excavating and prepping its fossils because it was a particularly difficult job due to the unfavorable geology and intricate details of the skull they had to work around without damaging the specimen. (not necessarily after the comic book character, Hellboy, even though the dinosaur and the character both have horns...which don't actually resemble each other anyway.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NfuGWBaPb-Dg8__U9tztIdMS9130SR-YVicHUbKglcFToKPoXynOr83H_f676ah2nfYP9ZKNJMHldi1XkOe_6EIbZR5K8cYqr0y4HoFGqMLK-6m5DjFoHZm-iv_yuzABM_554qFfqTtE5RaJ_nbQGWPTGfQNP6ifqTnuUHWt7p93mU3FiLx7OObC/s5141/Regaliceratops%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3402" data-original-width="5141" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NfuGWBaPb-Dg8__U9tztIdMS9130SR-YVicHUbKglcFToKPoXynOr83H_f676ah2nfYP9ZKNJMHldi1XkOe_6EIbZR5K8cYqr0y4HoFGqMLK-6m5DjFoHZm-iv_yuzABM_554qFfqTtE5RaJ_nbQGWPTGfQNP6ifqTnuUHWt7p93mU3FiLx7OObC/w400-h265/Regaliceratops%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Regaliceratops</i> reconstruction in watercolor by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Regaliceratops</i> had a circular frill which was adorned with a row of flat, almond-shaped horns growing from its perimeter, including one in the middle, which is unusual since most ceratopsian frill ornamentation is paired on either side of the frill. The center horn also is keeled down its midline, another unusual trait for ceratopsian ornamentation. <i>Regaliceratops </i>had a relatively long horn growing from the top of its snout, and a small, narrow, forward-curving horns over its eyes. As is the case with most ceratospians, experts think this elaborate headgear was connected to some kind of communication within the species, and possibly for combat within the species. This doesn't mean a ceratopsian wouldn't have used its horns to defend itself against predators, but the drastic diversity from species to species over time in ceratopsian headgear suggests they were being selected for something more display-related. If they were primarily for defense it would be more expected for them to be more similar to each other. (like ankylosaur armor or stegosaur tail spikes)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOGwUEIYowLjWNh37N7Rr0Y2Pqf-_SlpPh23S3KlGxhDm9dJlzas5tZaJRRxE8QhkZdh4nKZKKmtSkCZzb3W0rOTkKhrmkjIaH0c0XOwY8nHPK8rj9jYb-99AoYrHBrY2AU_qQfyueDM1tDUK8GGBBUcIPG_S-nXr8TOznC1AwR4FkWhEcW7BMS9d/s1420/Regaliceratops%20skull.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1420" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOGwUEIYowLjWNh37N7Rr0Y2Pqf-_SlpPh23S3KlGxhDm9dJlzas5tZaJRRxE8QhkZdh4nKZKKmtSkCZzb3W0rOTkKhrmkjIaH0c0XOwY8nHPK8rj9jYb-99AoYrHBrY2AU_qQfyueDM1tDUK8GGBBUcIPG_S-nXr8TOznC1AwR4FkWhEcW7BMS9d/w400-h225/Regaliceratops%20skull.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skull of <i>Regaliceratops</i> on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Alberta, Canada. Photo credit Sue Sabrowski.</td></tr></tbody></table> <div><i>Regaliceratops</i> is considered part of the chasmosaurine line of ceratopsians, which typically had longer frills, longer brow horns, and shorter nose horns. <i>Regaliceratops</i> mostly goes against this trend having a long nose horn and short brow horns with a relatively shorter frill. Similarities in other parts of the skull, however, to chasmosaurines, especially <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, confirms <i>Regaliceratops</i> was indeed most closely related to them. <p>When alive, <i>Regaliceratops</i> would have shared its habitat with other dinosaurs, like the ankylosaur <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/08/anodontosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Anodontosaurus</a></i>, fellow ceratopsian, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/12/pachyrhinosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Pachyrhinosaurus</a></i>, and the small predator, <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/03/atrociraptor-beast-of-week.html">Atrociraptor</a>. </i>It also would have needed to look out for the largest known predator of the area, the tyrannosaurid, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/12/albertosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Albertosaurus</a></i>. </p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Brown, Caleb M.; Henderson, Donald M. (June 4, 2015). </span>"A new horned dinosaur reveals convergent evolution in cranial ornamentation in Ceratopsidae"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">Current Biology</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;">25</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-size: 12.6px;"> (12): 1641–8.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">B. Weishampel, David; M. Barrett, Paul; A. Coria, Rodolfo; Le Loeuff, Jean; Xing, Xu; Xijin, Zhao; Sahni, Ashok; P. Gomani, Elizabeth M.; R. Noto, Christopher (2004). "Dinosaur Distribution". In Weishampel, D.B.; Dodson, P.; Osmolska, H. (eds.). </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">The Dinosauria 2nd edition</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. pp. 517–606.</span></span></p></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-54548207722845189532023-01-08T06:37:00.008-08:002023-05-04T06:38:21.382-07:00Thescelosaurus: Beast of the Week<p> This week we will be looking at a little dinosaur that definitely deserves more attention. Check out <i>Thescelosaurus</i>!</p><p><i>Thescelosaurus</i> was a relatively small plant-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now North America, during the latest part of the Cretaceous period, between 68 and 66 million years ago. From beak to tail the largest specimens were almost 15 feet (4.5 meters) long. The genus name translates to "godlike lizard/reptile" in reference to how surprised scientists were at how well preserved and complete the first studied specimen's bones were. <i>Thescelosaurus</i> and its closest relatives were long thought to be part of the ornithopod group of dinosaurs. (includes more famous members like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/02/iguanodon-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Iguanodon</a></i>) More recently, however, paleontologists have found that <i>Thescelosaurus'</i> lineage branched off earlier than the oldest true ornithopods, despite being physically similar in appearance to them. (that being said as more information is learned about dinosaurs, this part of the family tree could change again for all we know.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKhwx0QADyPrMpnlOlyjJg8BAEYbwcpVc7gA5PpHRz3wjEtl3GrUu9edmFppMAXAt1WjoH7Cp41WtS9G_x7NVhJ81Jy_HziOdvcwbpx7AnqvipaKYlEy_uiILttGMZxd1S8taS5_B1fE/s2048/Thescelosaurus%2528wm%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1070" data-original-width="2048" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyKhwx0QADyPrMpnlOlyjJg8BAEYbwcpVc7gA5PpHRz3wjEtl3GrUu9edmFppMAXAt1WjoH7Cp41WtS9G_x7NVhJ81Jy_HziOdvcwbpx7AnqvipaKYlEy_uiILttGMZxd1S8taS5_B1fE/w400-h209/Thescelosaurus%2528wm%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Thescelosaurus neglectus</i> by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Thescelosaurus</i> is currently known from three species, <i>Thescelosaurus neglectus</i>, which was the first named and lived in the United States, named after the fact that the specimen was kept in a box for years until it was formerly examined for the first time. <i>Thescelosaurus garbanii</i> was also from the United States but was slightly larger and more robust. <i>Thescelosaurus assiniboiensis</i> was the smallest of the three species and lived in what is now Western Canada. When alive, <i>Thescelosaurus</i> would have shared its environment with famous dinosaurs, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/09/triceratops-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Triceratops</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/pachycephalosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Pachycephalosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/03/acheroraptor-beast-of-week.html">Acheroraptor</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/08/anatotitan-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Edmontosaurus</a></i>.</p><p>In general <i>Thescelosaurus</i> is characterized by being a pretty robust dinosaur, despite the fact that it wasn't overall a very large. It would have walked on its hind legs, but some suggest it could have possibly moved or rested on all fours at least some of the time. Its front limbs were relatively long and strong, and tipped with five fingers on each hand. It had a flexible neck and a proportionally small skull with a narrow beak in the front of its jaws and teeth lining the sides ideal for shredding plants once inside the mouth. This dinosaur also had teeth at the tip of its snout, where the beak was, which may have helped it strip leaves off of stems and shoots as it ate.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw8jXlLlliZOoPQQmi-PxM9rbXUH6K3P0Pq-Gs4qKX6F4oJrcM2MUof-wTsZXE1MdeA7RIJ1_1iEZ2TqDxyQnMgd39ihUPrUPZ0CxCcI6UHgCo8pmHuc2vYsP9kpuwyHrZ45ux7CY3B4/s2048/IMG_4523.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw8jXlLlliZOoPQQmi-PxM9rbXUH6K3P0Pq-Gs4qKX6F4oJrcM2MUof-wTsZXE1MdeA7RIJ1_1iEZ2TqDxyQnMgd39ihUPrUPZ0CxCcI6UHgCo8pmHuc2vYsP9kpuwyHrZ45ux7CY3B4/w400-h300/IMG_4523.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thescelosaurus</i> skeleton on display at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottowa, Ontario, Canada.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some<i> Thescelosaurus</i> also had overlapping bony plate-like structures on their ribs. At first some believed these were to aid in breathing but they lack the sort of surface texture that normally would imply there were muscles attached in life. Thanks to specimens of <i>Thescelosaurus</i> that weren't quite mature when they died, we know these plates may have started as cartilage and would have solidified into bone as the animal aged. Perhaps they provided extra protection in some sort of intraspecies combat only mature individuals engaged in? </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfEPf6mvMoXMoYmgf8jzUX6VhTAzGajZHQNZuJlhtxyAQ0Dta8jdbxTyoqWediiRPL9RRtV2kLW9G1FfpKjhnuk_cQ9C1lrFC7PhQhf-37bBVHkg2kNktSqrm1NVbctCmwhLzFfXYD3gOdK-WNVzDfy8Q5VzSvml437PP6V3jek0W4e6-lW_irNF/s4032/image_50450177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sfEPf6mvMoXMoYmgf8jzUX6VhTAzGajZHQNZuJlhtxyAQ0Dta8jdbxTyoqWediiRPL9RRtV2kLW9G1FfpKjhnuk_cQ9C1lrFC7PhQhf-37bBVHkg2kNktSqrm1NVbctCmwhLzFfXYD3gOdK-WNVzDfy8Q5VzSvml437PP6V3jek0W4e6-lW_irNF/w400-h300/image_50450177.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thescelosaurus</i> skeletal mount on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Note the bony rib plates. </td></tr></tbody></table><p>Most recently, research led by paleontologist, Clint Boyd, uncovers more than one <i>Thescelosaurus</i> specimens had a pair of bony, knob-like spurs growing out of each of their forearms. These features have only been found in mature individuals so far, and therefore imply they may have been used in some sort of display or combat between rivals within a species. This connects really nicely with the rib plates previously mentioned and it is easy to imagine two rival males squaring up and using their arms like studded maces to smash each other in the flanks, or even bear-hugging each other, over territory or mating rights. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLER6q42GehEqQF4HUGuKrxcwEpZYBvJYeZygGtSwTVvDYyXS7asBRE_5tVvoYOB68WP5e7B8n6NbMj8-ykTIc0-3IKYd4-SGEAOOy32r7JLvBR862X04qlkA8VXuZ2JFotmkQoSETgPt3gReGD8VC328o5h2dZwjnV_6zXTpH5xfHfnBEtSNVl_f/s6265/Thescelosaurus%20fighting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4524" data-original-width="6265" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLER6q42GehEqQF4HUGuKrxcwEpZYBvJYeZygGtSwTVvDYyXS7asBRE_5tVvoYOB68WP5e7B8n6NbMj8-ykTIc0-3IKYd4-SGEAOOy32r7JLvBR862X04qlkA8VXuZ2JFotmkQoSETgPt3gReGD8VC328o5h2dZwjnV_6zXTpH5xfHfnBEtSNVl_f/w400-h289/Thescelosaurus%20fighting.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of two rival <i>Thescelosaurus</i> using arm spurs in combat by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>We also have <i>Thescelosaurus</i> specimens that preserved skin patches thanks to being naturally mummified after death. Thanks to this find we know that <i>Thescelosaurus</i> had scaly skin on at least some of its body! </p><p>That is all for this week! As always feel free to comment below!</p><p><u><span style="font-size: x-small;">References</span></u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Boyd, Clint A.; Cleland, Timothy P. (2008). </span>"The morphology and histology of thoracic plates on neornithischian dinosaurs"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Abstract with Programs - Geological Society of America; Southeast Section, 57th Annual Meeting</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">40</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (2): 2.</span><span style="color: #202122;">Boyd, Clint A.; Brown, Caleb M.; Scheetz, Rodney D.; Clarke, Julia A. (2009). "Taxonomic revision of the basal neornithischian taxa </span><i style="color: #202122;">Thescelosaurus</i><span style="color: #202122;"> and </span><i style="color: #202122;">Bugenasaura</i><span style="color: #202122;">". </span><i style="color: #202122;">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</i><span style="color: #202122;">. </span><b style="color: #202122;">29</b><span style="color: #202122;"> (3): 758–770. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #202122;">Brown; Caleb M.; Boyd, Clint A.; and Russell, Anthony P. (2011). </span>"A new basal ornithopod dinosaur (Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan, Canada), and implications for late Maastrichtian ornithischian diversity in North America"<span style="color: #202122;">. </span><i style="color: #202122;">Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society</i><span style="color: #202122;">. </span><b style="color: #202122;">163</b><span style="color: #202122;"> (4): 1157–1198. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Brown, Caleb Marshall; Evans, David C.; Ryan, Michael J.; Russell, Anthony P. (2013). "New data on the diversity and abundance of small-bodied ornithopods (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">33</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (3): 495–520. </span></span></p><p><span class="reference-text" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><cite class="citation journal cs1" id="CITEREFGalton1995" style="font-style: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Galton, Peter M. (1995). "The species of the basal hypsilophodontid dinosaur <i>Thescelosaurus</i> Gilmore (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from the Late Cretaceous of North America". <i>Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen</i>. <b>198</b> (3): 297–311. </span></cite></span></p><p><span class="reference-text" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><cite class="citation journal cs1" style="font-style: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Galton, Peter M. (1997). "Cranial anatomy of the basal hypsilophodontid dinosaur <i>Thescelosaurus neglectus</i> Gilmore (Ornithischia; Ornithopoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of North America". <i>Revue Paléobiologie, Genève</i>. <b>16</b> (1): 231–258.</span></cite></span></p><p><span class="reference-text" style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"><cite class="citation journal cs1" style="font-style: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"></span></cite></span></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stein, Walter W. “The Paleontology, Geology and Taphonomy of the Tooth Draw Deposit; Hell Creek Formation (Maastrictian), Butte County, South Dakota. .” <i>The Journal of Paleontological Sciences</i>, Apr. 2021, pp. 1–108. </span></p><br />Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-18129985715997205732022-12-04T09:50:00.005-08:002022-12-09T07:01:23.376-08:00Albertosaurus: Beast of the Week<p><i>Albertosaurus sarcophagus</i> was a large meat-eating dinosaur, that lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, and possibly parts of the USA, including Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico, during the late Cretaceous period between 71 and 68 million years ago. From snout to tail the largest adults would have measured 30 feet (about 9 meters) long. The genus name translates to "Alberta Reptile" in reference to Alberta, the province in Canada where its bones have been found. The species name is derived from the Greek term, sarkophagos, which translates to "flesh eater".</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRvELrg1JHbmhm98jq0KCnEve9pskBae8W5v7WJv_sLh_VHO1BRedBzyoWaxlNTwmXrMC2dHs4z11u-XqG3BKONRtr9L28RGYGVRLQh8DqaHG2tWo1_qsj3tgfqinnMvN3VmOEU2eeFsgiKGT6Yw1RMPJfVcIHx62u1hz22ubCO5CmGisS6eR1HMYk" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img alt="" data-original-height="3755" data-original-width="5828" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRvELrg1JHbmhm98jq0KCnEve9pskBae8W5v7WJv_sLh_VHO1BRedBzyoWaxlNTwmXrMC2dHs4z11u-XqG3BKONRtr9L28RGYGVRLQh8DqaHG2tWo1_qsj3tgfqinnMvN3VmOEU2eeFsgiKGT6Yw1RMPJfVcIHx62u1hz22ubCO5CmGisS6eR1HMYk=w400-h258" width="400" /></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Albertosaurus sarcophagus</i> life reconstruction in watercolor by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i>Albertosaurus</i> was a member of the tyrannosaurid family of theropod dinosaurs. Like other members of this group, it possessed a proportionally large skull with forward-facing eye sockets, large curved, serrated teeth on the sides of its jaws and narrow teeth in the front of its mouth with a D-shaped cross section, horn-like crests over the eyes and snout, proportionally long legs, and proportionally short arms with two fingers on each hand. <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i> is by far the most famous member of this group, but <i>Albertosaurus</i> was the most closely related to <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/07/gorgosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Gorgosaurus</a></i>. In fact <i>Albertosaurus</i> and <i>Gorgosaurus</i> are almost indistinguishable in many ways to the point where a few have proposed they should belong in the same genus.<p></p><p>We actually know a lot about <i>Albertosaurus</i> compared to most fossil dinosaurs due to the unusually high number of individuals that have been found. Even more impressive, the majority of these <i>Albertosaurus</i> specimens are actually all from the same site, called the Dry Island Bone Bed, in Alberta, Canada, which includes at least 12 (but potentially over 20) individual animals. This group comprises of <i>Albertosaurus</i> skeletons of varying sizes/ages that all appeared to have died at roughly the same time. Many paleontologists think this discovery also suggests that <i>Albertosaurus</i> may have been social, perhaps even pack hunters, when alive. Others say they could have simply been congregating around a river or lake bed during a drought and died of thirst together. </p><p>Because so many <i>Albertosaurus</i> of different sizes have been discovered, paleontologists were able to compare the different sizes and ages of the various specimens and map out how <i>Albertosaurus</i> grew. Like other known tyrannosaurids we have juvenile specimens from, we know <i>Albertosaurus</i> was extremely lightly built, with proportionally long legs when it was younger. It would get bulkier and more robust as an adult. We also know most tyrannosaurids grew very rapidly in the beginning of their lives, reaching close to adult size at around 15 years old. From there, they would continue to grow but at a much slower pace. This observation has led many paleontologists to propose that tyrannosaurids filled multiple different predator roles in their ecosystems as they aged, specializing in hunting smaller faster prey, like smaller fast-running theropods and ornithopods, when younger, then graduating to hunting larger bulkier prey, like hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, and ankylosaurs, when they were more mature. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2AN1tqO-Dnhny-V9vq8ngHnQXOiLAvJuP9_bR61C97WmHYzLPrOOX5PxS55ds-bTyGNoO2t5oL1GYOev5NzwGV1qIOSWOINIhBiRpdOjWQxU1l9eV-4U_i34GQEd0EqpmPFfY0tU5rQe0oAMINzaWzGt_Id7Gpev-MKXoKDPt3H2DL0PYZZkp8XgJ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1635" data-original-width="2384" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2AN1tqO-Dnhny-V9vq8ngHnQXOiLAvJuP9_bR61C97WmHYzLPrOOX5PxS55ds-bTyGNoO2t5oL1GYOev5NzwGV1qIOSWOINIhBiRpdOjWQxU1l9eV-4U_i34GQEd0EqpmPFfY0tU5rQe0oAMINzaWzGt_Id7Gpev-MKXoKDPt3H2DL0PYZZkp8XgJ=w400-h274" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Albertosaurus</i> skull cast on display at the Copenhagen Geological Museum.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Recently fossils from what appear to be a hatchling <i>Albertosaurus</i> were unearthed. A tiny toe bone and tooth thought to be from a tyrannosaurid from the same area <i>Albertosaurus</i> fossils are known from were presented to the public in 2021. Despite only being two parts, they possessed features that paleontologists were able to deduct as only being from a tyrannosaurid. Previous to this discovery, baby tyrannosaurs this small were a total mystery. It is still a mystery why they are so rare, but these few baby bones could certainly help us understand them better!<p></p><p>When alive, <i>Albertosaurus</i> would have been a top predator in its community. It would have coexisted with (and probably ate) other dinosaurs, like <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2021/07/hypacrosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Hypacrosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/12/pachyrhinosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Pachyrhinosaurus</a> canadensis</i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/03/sphaerotholus-beast-of-th-week.html">Sphaerotholus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2020/08/anodontosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Anodontosaurus</a></i>, and <i><a href="https://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2022/03/atrociraptor-beast-of-week.html">Atrociraptor</a></i>. </p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Eberth, David A.; Currie, Philip J. (2010). "Stratigraphy, sedimentology, and taphonomy of the </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Albertosaurus</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> bonebed (upper Horseshoe Canyon Formation; Maastrichtian), southern Alberta, Canada". </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Canadian Journal of Earth</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> Sciences</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">47</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> (9): 1119–1143.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Erickson, Gregory M.; Makovicky, Peter J.; Currie, Philip J.; Norell, Mark A.; Yerby, Scott A.; Brochu, Christopher A. (2004). </span>"Gigantism and comparative life-history parameters of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span class="cs1-format" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.35px;">(PDF)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">430</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> (7001): 772–775.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Funston, Gregory S (2021) "Baby tyrannosaurid bones and teeth from the Late Cretaceous of western North America" Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 454</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Holtz, Thomas R.<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> (2004). "Tyrannosauroidea". In </span>Weishampel, </span></p><p><br /></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-77137223634263380722022-11-20T08:27:00.028-08:002022-11-24T08:59:41.170-08:00Beipiaosaurus: Beast of the Week<p><i> Beipiaosaurus inexpectus</i> was a theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Liaoning, China, during the early Cretaceous period, 125 million years ago. From snout to tail it measured about 7 feet (2.2 meters) long and would have eaten plants when alive. The genus name means "Beipiao Reptile" which is in reference to the city, Beipiao, near where its fossils were discovered. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4saYpU-G3RmoUzPWW3IBliGQ9SMtSvQ1SHBKA7D7y5ChbXBvMBGkPt0NvbZIwWU51qMEC5Hs8Y4TfsBGZ-PS9it2U0NOypAmxOPaES5efFHHO2n2w33g7sR4P7Er3CGfNa3cMIjS6hZ0SSk-1q-jV5PE4q89wcjOLdsL-vQwdbUnZ2iK1HU5CNmk/s4730/Beipaosaurus%20(wm).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3218" data-original-width="4730" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ4saYpU-G3RmoUzPWW3IBliGQ9SMtSvQ1SHBKA7D7y5ChbXBvMBGkPt0NvbZIwWU51qMEC5Hs8Y4TfsBGZ-PS9it2U0NOypAmxOPaES5efFHHO2n2w33g7sR4P7Er3CGfNa3cMIjS6hZ0SSk-1q-jV5PE4q89wcjOLdsL-vQwdbUnZ2iK1HU5CNmk/w400-h272/Beipaosaurus%20(wm).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor reconstruction of <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> by Christopher DiPiazza. Note the combination of shorter, shaggy feathers and long, quill-like feathers.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><i>Beipiaosaurus</i> was an early member of the therizinosaur group of theropods, which are famous for being herbivores in an otherwise mostly meat-eating group. They are also known for having proportionally short legs and long arms, equipped with three extremely long claws on each hand. Later therizinosaurs, like the more famous, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/11/therizinosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Therizinosaurus</a></i>, are known for having long, slender necks with proportionally tiny heads, but Beipiaosaurus actually had a very large head, with a skull the same length as its femur. <i> Beipiaosaurus</i> also had three weight-bearing toes on each foot, while its later relatives had four. </p><p><i>Beipaosaurus</i> had a long, narrow skull, with a small beak at the tip that was also lined with small leaf-shaped teeth, ideal for shredding plants. It had long, powerful arms, each equipped with three extremely large, hooked claws. Since <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> appears to have been a plant-eater, these claws could have been for manipulating branches as it ate, or possibly even for defense against predators. Thanks to beautifully preserved remains, we know that <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> was mostly covered in shaggy, fur-like feathers that could have been an adaptation to keep the dinosaur warm. (the climate where it lived during the early Cretaceous could get cold at times) <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> also had a second kind of unusual long, quill-like feather that appear to have been growing out of its body amongst the shorter, shaggier feathers. We don't know exactly what these quill-like feathers were for. Perhaps they helped keep the animal dry by wicking off rain, or possibly they were for some kind of display among members of the same species? It's difficult to tell without seeing the animal alive. <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> also had a bone on the tip of its tail, called a <u>pygostyle</u>, which modern birds also have where their tail feathers attach. <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> doesn't show any evidence of those kinds of feathers, however, so the bone, itself, must have evolved first.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxIQWtN6BWCl9a2xzRORIZN3QdsRo3i_UZ8kgR5Vw7RAFMOkrUNWf8WE-hSQMr1192fpeBA8T-iw6_9h1o8wJ20BwyLKcnD2e4IlCgFtW6uyYQUxdgCHXRuqSki-rFjGpQNTXjcoiZ2gj_VWnmZKyAztryaucqqTB5dSOw9tH0iYGz9smA7exEn7l/s689/Beipiaosaurus%20fossil.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="445" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxIQWtN6BWCl9a2xzRORIZN3QdsRo3i_UZ8kgR5Vw7RAFMOkrUNWf8WE-hSQMr1192fpeBA8T-iw6_9h1o8wJ20BwyLKcnD2e4IlCgFtW6uyYQUxdgCHXRuqSki-rFjGpQNTXjcoiZ2gj_VWnmZKyAztryaucqqTB5dSOw9tH0iYGz9smA7exEn7l/w259-h400/Beipiaosaurus%20fossil.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fossil <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>. Note the feathers that preserved around the neck.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Perhaps the most amazing discovery about <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>, however, is that scientists were able to figure out what colors its feathers were in life. Be examining the fossilized feathers from <i>Beipiaosauru</i>s' neck under a special kind of microscope, they were able to see cell structures, called <u>melanosomes</u>, which can determine the color of a feather according to the their shape. Then they compared the shape of <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>' melanosomes to those of living birds and looked for matches. The modern bird feathers that matched <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>' melanosomes the most were brown, so we can confidently assume that at least some <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> had brown feathers on their necks in life. </p><p>Scientists also found patches of <i>Beipiaosurus</i>' skin! By looking at its skin under a microscope and then comparing it to other animals, they were able to determine by the amount of keratin (material that feathers, hair, and nails are made of) in the cells, that <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>' body wouldn't have radiated as much heat as many modern birds. They also were able to determine that <i>Beipiaosauru</i>s would have shed its skin more like modern birds, as dandruff, rather than other kinds of reptiles, like lizards, which shed skin in large pieces or flakes. (fun fact: modern crocodilians also shed their skin as dandruff!)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaqKfDG1D9Ij4XDXl-OpmdGjef9-zZnVaHbhBYn5b_Ob94RgnZdlGkpo3k2P9n7AFf4oygPavKmawSmJLP6jVVg89A6LeOWsOoln-UCZS06xTG44uMAjiW2f_iHp90Lmzb_xd4QJsB4NpRhhs1PvG1aDGr7h39Ltjm8nLjMRYCu4qORRaTf_mX-NC/s413/Soft_tissues_in_maniraptorans.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="413" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaqKfDG1D9Ij4XDXl-OpmdGjef9-zZnVaHbhBYn5b_Ob94RgnZdlGkpo3k2P9n7AFf4oygPavKmawSmJLP6jVVg89A6LeOWsOoln-UCZS06xTG44uMAjiW2f_iHp90Lmzb_xd4QJsB4NpRhhs1PvG1aDGr7h39Ltjm8nLjMRYCu4qORRaTf_mX-NC/w400-h291/Soft_tissues_in_maniraptorans.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of a patch of Beipaosaurus skin from McNamara's 2018 paper.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Before <i>Beipiaosaurus</i> was discovered in 1996, the exact placement of therizinosaurs on the dinosaur family tree was more debated. Originally, some paleontologists thought they were late-surviving descendants of the early sauropodomorphs from the Triassic and early Jurassic, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/02/plateosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Plateosaurus</a></i>, based on similarities with their small leaf-shaped teeth, long necks, wide bodies, and robust legs. The discovery of <i>Beipiaosaurus</i>, however, which has more obvious theropod traits while clearly showing a direct connection to the more outlandish, later therizinosaurs, confirms therizinosaurs were indeed theropods. </p><p>That's all or this week! As always feel free to comment below!</p><p><u>References</u></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="sans-serif">Li, Q.; Clarke, J. A.; Gao, K.-Q.; Zhou, C.-F.; Meng, Q.; Li, D.; D’Alba, L.; Shawkey, M. D. (2014). </span>"Melanosome evolution indicates a key physiological shift within feathered dinosaurs"<span face="sans-serif">. </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Nature</i><span face="sans-serif">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">507</b><span face="sans-serif"> (7492): 350–353.</span></span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">McNamara, M. E.; Zhang, F.; Kearns, S. L.; Orr, P. J.; Toulouse, A.; Foley, T.; Hone, D. W. E; Rogers, C. S.; Benton, M. J.; Johnson, D.; Xu, X.; Zhou, Z. (2018). </span>"Fossilized skin reveals coevolution with feathers and metabolism in feathered dinosaurs and early birds"<span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Nature Communications</i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">9</b><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> (2072): 2072.</span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="sans-serif">Xu, X.; Tang, Z.-L.; Wang, X. L. (1999). "A therizinosauroid dinosaur with integumentary structures from China". </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Nature</i><span face="sans-serif">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">339</b><span face="sans-serif"> (6734): 350–354.</span></span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="sans-serif">Xu, X.; Cheng, Y.; Wang, X.-L.; Chang, C. (2003). </span>"Pygostyle‐like Structure from Beipiaosaurus (Theropoda, Therizinosauroidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China"<span face="sans-serif">. </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Acta Geologica Sinica</i><span face="sans-serif">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">77</b><span face="sans-serif"> (3): 294–298.</span></span></p><p><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span face="sans-serif">Xu, X.; Zheng, X.; You, H. (2009). </span>"A new feather type in a nonavian theropod and the early evolution of feathers"<span face="sans-serif">. </span><i style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</i><span face="sans-serif">. </span><b style="animation-delay: -0.01ms; animation-duration: 0.01ms; animation-iteration-count: 1; font-family: sans-serif; scroll-behavior: auto; transition-duration: 0ms;">106</b><span face="sans-serif"> (3): 832–834.</span></span></p>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-43633129657740972082022-11-06T18:52:00.031-08:002022-11-11T06:52:50.849-08:00Allosaurus: Beast of the WeekThis week we will be looking at a well-known, well-loved, and well-understood dinosaur. Check out <i>Allosaurus</i>!<br />
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<i>Allosaurus</i> was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period, between 150 and 155 million years ago. Its bones have been uncovered in the Western United States, Portugal, and in parts of Africa. An adult <i>Allosaurus</i>, on average, measured about thirty feet long from snout to tail, but some have been found that were slightly smaller or larger. The genus name translates to "Other Reptile" because at the time of its original discovery in the late 1800s, its vertebrae were what paleontologists used to differentiate <i>Allosaurus</i> from "other" fossil dinosaurs they were finding in the area. (Underwhelming...I know.). In life, <i>Allosaurus</i> would have shared its habitat with (and probably ate) many other known dinosaurs, including, but not limited to <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/apatosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Apatosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/brontosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Brontosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2016/01/barosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Barosaurus</a></i>, <i>Diplodocus</i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/06/camarasaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Camarasaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/stegosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Stegosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/10/gargoyleosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of.html">Gargoyleosaurus</a></i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2013/07/torvosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Torvosaurus</a></i>, and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2014/03/ceratosaurus-prehistoric-animal-of-week.html">Ceratosaurus</a></i>. <br /><br /><div>There are actually three different known species of this <i>Allosaurus</i> that have been identified. <i>Allosaurus fragilis, </i>from North Ameirca,<i> </i>is the most commonly found, and therefore the most extensively studied. <i>Allosaurus jummadseni</i>, is also found in North America but was from a few million years before <i>Allosaurus fragilis</i>. There is also <i>Allosaurus europaeus</i>, which was from what is now Europe. </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU1Bdu0EZLTEFBQiG2T93zqRbafdfhOPJLEI_kGeGOIXSuNsW9XrY2fPLxZOdFrfi67CqklbaMTntmWWx5zy5jEjq_CDtrljzRAuwJMgJuJSEiipQLjdyExb-MuKyPGeaDPBND4felfiXEq3edEZdaZLCMXMyrOv5Ratm1oteWDenykI9Nd--E4AU5" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2826" data-original-width="4186" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgU1Bdu0EZLTEFBQiG2T93zqRbafdfhOPJLEI_kGeGOIXSuNsW9XrY2fPLxZOdFrfi67CqklbaMTntmWWx5zy5jEjq_CDtrljzRAuwJMgJuJSEiipQLjdyExb-MuKyPGeaDPBND4felfiXEq3edEZdaZLCMXMyrOv5Ratm1oteWDenykI9Nd--E4AU5=w400-h270" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allosaurus fragilis</i> life reconstruction in watercolors by Christopher DiPiazza</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Because there have been many specimens of <i>Allosaurus</i> that have been unearthed over the years, paleontologists know a lot more about it and often use <i>Allosaurus</i> as a model to compare to other, less complete dinosaurs for references. Allosaurus' skull, in particular, is subject to a lot of attention. The holes in its skull on either side of its eye sockets, called fenestrae, were large, and the bone walls of the skull, including those surrounding the brain case, were thin. In addition, <i>Allosaurus</i> also had hollow chambers in its other bones, including its vertebrae and its leg bones, like birds. This suggests <i>Allosaurus</i> was light for its size. It also suggests <i>Allosaurus</i> had an advanced, one-way respiratory system that birds, and some other kinds of reptiles have today, where air initially breathed in via the lungs, was more efficiently circulated around the body, including through some of the bones. This would have allowed <i>Allosaurus</i> to remain more active for longer periods of time without needing to rest. These same adaptations would have also helped to keep<i> Allosaurus</i> cool, with easy airflow within the body to shed excess warmth, and preventing the animal from overheating. It makes sense since we have evidence that the the environment <i>Allosaurus </i>was living in could get rather hot and arid during the Jurassic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFnAwIBeZoWOgGBLJB89-6dGLQNw4jvQWaanV-vDoxaUW-FAchsWDuFEYTVyaicD1iBMk5RUTbtknbYnzonEIupEsl5vIPxhZJ6orAPGD5Kjpat6H-rdiUbrS9d_616BUxtRqUFhJYUw/s1600/Allosaurus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFnAwIBeZoWOgGBLJB89-6dGLQNw4jvQWaanV-vDoxaUW-FAchsWDuFEYTVyaicD1iBMk5RUTbtknbYnzonEIupEsl5vIPxhZJ6orAPGD5Kjpat6H-rdiUbrS9d_616BUxtRqUFhJYUw/s400/Allosaurus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Allosaurus fragilis</i> mount on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.</td></tr>
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<i>Allosaurus</i>' teeth were curved, flat, and serrated. They were not extremely large compared to some of its contemporary meat-eaters, like <i>Ceratosaurus</i> or <i>Torvosaurus</i>, which means <i>Allosaurus</i> had a different feeding, and probably hunting style from them. <i>Allosaurus</i>' teeth were probably best for slicing and cutting, rather than crushing or piercing. These teeth were backed up by rather slender lower jaws, which means that there was less muscle attached to them in life, and therefore <i>Allosaurus </i>had a proportionally weaker bite when compared to many other meat-eating dinosaurs. (this does not mean <i>Allosaurus</i> had a weak bite! It just wasn't crushing solid bones with its jaws like <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">some other more specialized dinosaurs</a> could.) That being said, the jaws of <i>Allosaurus</i> were also able to open much wider than those of other dinosaurs, an impressive 79 degrees, to be exact. Also, the back of <i>Allosaurus'</i> skull and its neck bones suggest that there were very large muscle attachments there in life, and its skull, although having weak jaw muscles, was, as a structure, very strong when it came to sustaining impact. So what does all of this mean? Some paleontologists think that instead of using just bites to inflict damage or remove flesh from a carcass, <i>Allosaurus</i> likely would have used its strong neck to swing its open mouth to hack away at its target like an axe...with teeth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaHZvFnENidncapVFCvBBmJ9PF1bGpyV7dwQfnhehqSpjOkXBbXK0koZO0QCQVCSW5NXyUnZ-ZbqxXWnz-q92-NPeJcSecL4h2eG-nWYdnq0PzNguAtoetZ033FH3q3UpPGj7CLCiZZA/s1600/Allosaurus+hollow+bone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaHZvFnENidncapVFCvBBmJ9PF1bGpyV7dwQfnhehqSpjOkXBbXK0koZO0QCQVCSW5NXyUnZ-ZbqxXWnz-q92-NPeJcSecL4h2eG-nWYdnq0PzNguAtoetZ033FH3q3UpPGj7CLCiZZA/s400/Allosaurus+hollow+bone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section of an Allosaurus leg bone on the left compared with that of a modern bird on the right. Note how there is a different fossilized mineral inside the <i>Allosaurus</i> bone, showing how it was hollow in life.</td></tr>
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It was also discovered that the muscles that would have been in <i>Allosaurus'</i> neck in life would have allowed for this dinosaur to move its neck in an up-and-down motion very quickly, taking many bites in a smaller amount of time. Scientists hypothesize that <i>Allosaurus</i> may have used its jaws and teeth like a saw, to hack away mouthfuls of meat off of bones as it fed. Adding to this, there are numerous sauropod bones from the same habitat as <i>Allosaurus</i> that were found with scrape marks that match <i>Allosaurus</i> teeth on them. We may never know if <i>Allosaurus</i> actually killed these plant-eaters first or if it was simply scavenging an already dead animal, but either way we can agree <i>Allosaurus'</i> neck, skull, jaws, and teeth were a great butchering adaptation!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH2nhfutbyb0mzE2N5Uq2XP38i-CKW_RjvucMHk7AVR8s3-k9JcxLaRryfF5-z1jyYMJKqG_ntSpDntmXYPF0o5L7M-WD9wcWNOHeJyj36jGDGl7EFxwMUrEq914XUGCJbBA_rb5XMgs/s1600/151103213705_1_900x600.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwH2nhfutbyb0mzE2N5Uq2XP38i-CKW_RjvucMHk7AVR8s3-k9JcxLaRryfF5-z1jyYMJKqG_ntSpDntmXYPF0o5L7M-WD9wcWNOHeJyj36jGDGl7EFxwMUrEq914XUGCJbBA_rb5XMgs/s400/151103213705_1_900x600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Stephen Lautenschlager's 2015 study comparing the gapes, from left to right, of <i>Allosaurus</i>, <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/06/tyrannosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Tyrannosaurus</a></i>, and the therizinosaurid, <i>Erlikosaurus</i>. Note how<i> Allosaurus</i> was capable of the widest bite.</td></tr>
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<i>Allosaurus'</i> mouth wasn't its only weapon. This dinosaur is possibly most famous for its relatively long, strong arms, and three large, hook-shaped claws on each hand. The first finger of each hand possessed the largest claw, but all were more than capable of dealing substantial damage together and keeping struggling prey in place as the jaws did work on removing flesh from the bone. <br />
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Thanks to numerous well-preserved specimens of <i>Allosaurus</i>, scientists have been able to tell a bit about its lifestyle...and that its lifestyle was rough! <i>Allosaurus</i> specimens have been found with numerous stress fractures on both the front limbs and the hind limbs, that healed over. This tells us that <i>Allosaurus</i> was using its arms for something getting injured in the process sometimes. It is possible <i>Allosaurus</i> was attacking large prey, like sauropods, with its front limbs, holding on with its hook-like claws, and slashing with its teeth to inflict bleeding wounds until its prey was too weak to stand any longer. In addition to these injuries, <i>Allosaurus</i> have also been found with bite wounds from other <i>Allosaurus</i> on their skulls, which tells us that there was some intraspecies violence going on. Another <i>Allosaurus</i> specimen was discovered with a nasty puncture wound in its tail that had healed over. This wound matches the spike of a <i>Stegosaurus</i>, one of <i>Allosaurus'</i> contemporaries, suggesting that the two famous dinosaurs may have fought on occasion. Lastly, yet another <i>Allosaurus</i> was discovered with a puncture wound through its PELVIS, likely inflicted by yet another <i>Stegosaurus</i> tail spike which appears to have not healed fully and therefore was the death of the unlucky <i>Allosaurus</i>. <br />
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We also have juvenile specimens from <i>Allosaurus</i>, showing that this dinosaur was more slender, with proportionally longer legs when it was young, and bulked up as it matured into adulthood. <i>Allosaurus</i> also had two small bony crests, one in front of each eye. In life these crests likely had a layer of bony material, called keratin, making them even larger. These were probably display adaptations to communicate within the species who was mature and who wasn't. It is even possible that these crests were different sizes, or even colors between males and females. Some believe these crests may have also been weapons that <i>Allosaurus </i>would have used to shove each other with in life to establish dominance. We may never know for sure!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpjzohNld5Lyb93VzD25oc_7J9f-nV7bkuXZsFAVUcRlnhtMZuorGs9e91jCNWFJgl1vlG2OhT78fze9i4zoEJ5fYSkgP0m8Ijq1O-l7H5QSmI2pTUNcnZSGtBJPsSgPjWuOTmsOnsbI/s1600/Labrosaurus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEpjzohNld5Lyb93VzD25oc_7J9f-nV7bkuXZsFAVUcRlnhtMZuorGs9e91jCNWFJgl1vlG2OhT78fze9i4zoEJ5fYSkgP0m8Ijq1O-l7H5QSmI2pTUNcnZSGtBJPsSgPjWuOTmsOnsbI/s400/Labrosaurus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawing of <i>Allosaurus</i> jaw from Darren Tanke's 1998 paper, showing bite wounds that were proposed to have been from another <i>Allosaurus</i>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lastly, paleontologists have discovered impressions of some of <i>Allosaurus' </i>skin! The skin would have been from the dinosaur's side, and had small, bumpy scales. It is unknown if this kind of skin would have covered the whole body, or if there were different kinds of scales or other kinds of body covering, like feathers, elsewhere.<br />
<br />
<u>References</u><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Carpenter, Kenneth
(2002). "Forelimb biomechanics of nonavian theropod dinosaurs in
predation". Senckenbergiana Lethaea. 82 (1): 59–76.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Gilmore, Charles
W. (1920). "Osteology of the carnivorous dinosauria in the United States
National Museum, with special reference to the genera Antrodemus (Allosaurus)
and Ceratosaurus". Bulletin of the United States National Museum. 110:
1–159.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Holtz, Thomas R.,
Jr.; Molnar, Ralph E.; Currie, Philip J. (2004). "Basal Tetanurae".
In Weishampel David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka. The Dinosauria (2nd
ed.). Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 71–110. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Lautenschlager,
Stephan (2015-11-04). "Estimating cranial musculoskeletal constraints in
theropod dinosaurs". The Royal Society. Archived from the original on
2016-03-19.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Madsen, James H.,
Jr. (1993) [1976]. Allosaurus fragilis: A Revised Osteology. Utah Geological
Survey Bulletin 109 (2nd ed.). Salt Lake City: Utah Geological Survey.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Rayfield, Emily
J.; Norman, DB; Horner, CC; Horner, JR; Smith, PM; Thomason, JJ; Upchurch, P
(2001). "Cranial design and function in a large theropod dinosaur".
Nature. 409 (6823): 1033–1037.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Snively, Eric.;
Cotton, John R.; Ridgely, Ryan; Witmer, Lawrence M. (2013). "Multibody
dynamics model of head and neck function in Allosaurus (Dinosauria,
Theropoda)". Palaeontologica Electronica. 16 (2).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;"><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Tanke, Darren H.
(1998). "Head-biting behavior in theropod dinosaurs: Paleopathological
evidence" (PDF). Gaia (15): 167–184.<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5090933127365695771.post-50003091498189125862022-10-31T18:00:00.001-07:002022-11-01T07:31:44.838-07:00Gargoyleosaurus: Beast of the WeekEver look up at buildings in the city and see monsters carved out of stone that act as rainspouts? Those are gargoyles. Gargoyles are interesting because there are really no rules or guidelines for what they are supposed to look like, unlike a lot of other popular monsters. Well, our dinosaur this week must have inspired something spooky in paleontologists because it is named after these fantastic stone guardians of the night...that also barf rain. Check out <i>Gargoyleosaurus parkpinorum</i>!<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLQ774qTNvarpGFoLGdvNDLavXwr9yRdaUPwwc8K1amHGe97ptFGF_RZJqfZCSKpwzTHhG880FmjwhQwqi68qF4GjzpaT-Dtw1NQtzv-tLoADdKRqxzdS6yoIM1-hh-TWdYPe864BUVzTpSpRo_qPSiSi3sYdDA-F4EbCXsWagFl0nA9_WIXY8DwzN" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2052" data-original-width="3334" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLQ774qTNvarpGFoLGdvNDLavXwr9yRdaUPwwc8K1amHGe97ptFGF_RZJqfZCSKpwzTHhG880FmjwhQwqi68qF4GjzpaT-Dtw1NQtzv-tLoADdKRqxzdS6yoIM1-hh-TWdYPe864BUVzTpSpRo_qPSiSi3sYdDA-F4EbCXsWagFl0nA9_WIXY8DwzN=w400-h246" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gargoyleosaurus</i> fending off a group of Allosaurus. Watercolor by Christopher DiPiazza.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i>Gargoyleosaurus </i>lived during the Late Jurassic period between 154 to 150 million years ago in what is now Wyoming, USA. It measured about 10 feet (3 meters) long from snout to tail and would have eaten plants when alive. It was an ankylosaur, which means it had heavy bone armor all over its body like its more famous relative,<i> <a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/09/ankylosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Ankylosaurus</a></i>. Gargoyleosaurus is one of the oldest known ankylosaurs, having been from the Jurassic, whereas the vast majority of ankylosaurs on the fossil record lived later in the Cretaceous. When alive, Gargoyleosaurus would have shared its environment with other dinosaurs, like <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2015/04/stegosaurus-beast-of-week.html">Stegosaurus</a></i> and <i><a href="http://prehistoricbeastoftheweek.blogspot.com/2017/05/allosaurus-beast-of-week.html#:~:text=Allosaurus%20was%20a%20meat%2Deating,and%20in%20parts%20of%20Africa.">Allosaurus</a></i>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykkNkYVXL_gi-6vg5KvgGnL20dMRVEAFP3C8vHxlBUXAe9tDvYb11MZNCAEcjHGO32T1BJ_XXYg9VS-k5W7wBYTHWslvDPPzQIWZA6j1Jo8lyc7UP7cpoLGE32j3ltMeEINWK4U4d687O/s1600/92036175_2hvoD-S-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjykkNkYVXL_gi-6vg5KvgGnL20dMRVEAFP3C8vHxlBUXAe9tDvYb11MZNCAEcjHGO32T1BJ_XXYg9VS-k5W7wBYTHWslvDPPzQIWZA6j1Jo8lyc7UP7cpoLGE32j3ltMeEINWK4U4d687O/s400/92036175_2hvoD-S-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gargoyleosaurus</i> skeleton on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Gargoyleosaurus</i> had a long, narrow snout and body was adorned with flat, triangular spikes running down each flank. Most of the armor on its back consisted slightly keeled scutes, with a wide solid plate, called a <u>sacral shield</u>, over the hips. The tail had some small spikes running down the sides as well, but lacked a bony club at the tip, commonly seen in more popular ankylosaurs. Later on during the Cretaceous, we can see two distinct kinds of armored dinosaurs, the <u>ankylosaurids</u>, which had short snouts and bony tail clubs, and the <u>nodosaurids</u>, which had longer, narrower snouts, and typically had sharp spiky plates running down their sides with no tail club. <i>Gargoyleosaurus</i> appears to have be part of the nodosaurid lineage of ankylosaurs, which suggests that nodosaurids appeared first, with the club-tailed ankylosaurids evolving later in the Cretaceous.<br />
<br />
That's all for this week! As always feel free to comment below or on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JerseyBoysHuntDinosaurs?ref=hl" target="_blank">facebook page</a>!<br />
<br />
<u>References</u><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">
Carpenter, K., Miles, C. and Cloward, K. (1998). "Skull of a Jurassic ankylosaur (Dinosauria)." <i>Nature</i> 393: 782-783.<br />
<br />
<span class="reference-text">Foster, J. (2007). "Appendix." <i>Jurassic West: The Dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation and Their World</i>. Indiana University Press. pp. 327-329.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Killbourne, B. and Carpenter, K. (2005). "Redescription of <i>Gargoyleosaurus parkpinorum</i>, a polacanthid ankylosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Albany County, Wyoming". <i>Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie</i>, 237, 111-160.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span class="reference-text" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Vargas, Alexander O.; Kaluza, Jonatan; Leppe, Marcelo A.; Botelho, Joao F.; Palma-Liberona, José; Simon-Gutstein, Carolina; Fernández, Roy A.; Ortiz, Héctor; Milla, Verónica; Aravena, Bárbara (2021). </span>"Bizarre tail weaponry in a transitional ankylosaur from subantarctic Chile"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">Nature</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">. </span><b style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">600</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (7888): 259–263.</span></span></div></div></div></div>Chris DiPiazzahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06732594604741735181noreply@blogger.com1