Nasutoceratops-Horn Face

Scientists have described a new species of Dinosaur from the deserts of Utah dating to 75 million years ago. Nasutoceratops, whose name means 'big nosed horn face' is the latest member of the Ceratopsian family, standing alongside Triceratops and Styracosaurus. The creature was first discovered in 2006 the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument area of Utah.Continue reading the main story University of Utah. However, it has taken several years to prepare and then study the fossil in detail.The rocks it was found in date to about 75-million-years old, so the beast would have roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period."The horns are by far the absolute largest of any member of its group of dinosaurs - they curve sideways and forwards," explained Dr Loewen."In addition it has the biggest nose of its group too."He added that it also had a scalloped frill at the back of its head.Nasutoceratops was also hefty, weighing about 2.5 tonnes, and with its unusual looks it would have cut a fearsome figure. However this species, like all members of the triceratops family is a herbivore. It would have been more concerned with feasting on plants in its tropical, swampy surrounds than terrorising other dinosaurs. Dr Loewen said: "All of these animals are upwards of three tonnes... You have an environment where you have all of these large herbivores competing for food."We aren't really sure how you can support all of these animals, but you do find them all in the rock at the same time."He added that other unusual new species were also emerging from the site.

Bunestegos- Pangean Loner

New fossils from northern Niger in Africa have been described in the Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology.The distinctive creature belongs to a new genus of pareiasaur - plant-eating creatures that flourished during the Permian period.The cow-sized specimen has been named Bunostegos, which means "knobby roof".During Permian times, the Earth was dominated by a single supercontinent called Pangaea.Animal and plant life dispersed broadly across the land, as documented by identical fossil species found on multiple modern continents.But the new research by an international team supports the idea that there was an isolated desert in the middle of Pangaea with distinctive animals. Most pareiasaurs had bony knobs on their skulls, but Bunostegos sported the largest, most bulbous ones ever seen in this group, which were common in the Middle and Late Permian, about 266-252 million years ago. Experts are unsure for the about the use of these knobs in pareiasaurs "The most probable use was for inter-specific (between species) or intra-specific (within species) recognition.". The finds support the theory that central pangea was climatically isolated. This means it's creatures would have been very different to the other animals on the coastal fringes of Pangea. Bunostegos would have been one of a kind, like no other creature on earth at the time. Scientists are yet to explore much of the remnants of central Pangea for fossils. Meaning further Permian 'oddities' may be yet to be discovered.

'The Lizard King' Late Doors Frontman Jim Morrison has Fossil lizard name after him: Barbaturex Morrisoni

It seems the late frontman of the Doors has taken a leap back in time from the music stage to the Eocene stage 34-40 million years ago. This latest discovery Barbaturex Morrisoni hails from south east Asia, and is a large herbivorous lizard. Coming in at 6ft long and weighing 27.7 kg, Barbaturex may not be the largest lizard of all time, nor the lizard king. But this behemoth comes close. It seems the unusually high temperatures of the Eocene led to the creature's immense size. Infact it is the largest herbivorous lizard ever found, and was so well adapted that it successfully competed with mammals for 4 million years! Despite the creatures immense size (for a lizard) it was 'most likely preyed on by mammalian predators' according to Dr head, the scientist responsible for this unique discovery. Dr head explains his inspiration for the name of Morrisoni: "I was listening to The Doors quite a bit during the research," Head said. "Some of their musical imagery includes reptiles and ancient places, and Jim Morrison was of course 'The Lizard King', so it all kind of came together." This discovery is important for many reasons as Dr head explains. "Their existence seems to have depended on the climate being right to support large-bodied herbivorous creatures.Climate probably has a bigger influence on the evolution of plant-eating reptiles than we realised. It seems to be a more important factor than competition with other herbivorous mammals." And apparently also offers an insight into the future of earth's lizards 'Giant lizards could once again evolve' explains Dr Head 'but only if conditions are hot enough'. Looking at the way the Earth is going it seems as though this notion could become reality in the near future. But future animals is another topic, for another day. But it's good to know that the spirit of Jim Morrison 'the lizard king' lives on (or lived on)in our prehistoric past. Rock on Barbaturex!

Auf Widersehen Archaeopteryx, Nǐ hǎo Aurornis xui!

Birds have for a long time been recognized a group of Theropod Dinosaur descendants. The most famous of these 'Dino-Birds' is Archaeopteryx. Archaeopteryx has often been accepted by pop culture as the first bird dating to around 150 million years ago. Fossils of Archaeopteryx have been found at Solnhofen in Germany exquisitely preserved in the sandstone found there. But it looks like the earlier bird is about to get the worm. Scientists this week announced the discovery of a new Dino bird species Aurornis xui. Found in the Jurassic rocks of Liaoning province, China. Scientists bought the specimen form a local fossil dealer who presumed it was another fossil he could sell on the market. At first scientists questioned how genuine the specimen was, but researchers working on the piece claim that it is very unlikely to be a forgery. Aurornis is described as being about the size of a pheasant with limbs similar to Archaeopteryx. But unlike Archaeopteryx it completely lacked any larger feathers and possessed short, downy feathers suggesting that it couldn't fly. Aurornis seems to be further down the bird lineage than Archaeopteryx and pre dates it by 15-10 million years. It is likely Aurornis climbed trees or ran very quickly along the ground. Aurornis xui means Xui's dawn beat. Referring to how the new species is thought to be the oldest bird fossil found. But claiming this title is far from easy. As with any prehistoric species we can be sure that it is the first of it's kind. Palaeontologist Paul Barret states "The new species is certainly an older member of the bird lineage than Archaeopteryx, and it's fair to call it a very primitive bird. But what you call a bird comes down to what you call a bird, and a lot of definitions depend on Archaeopteryx,"."This emphasises how grey the dividing line is between birds and dinosaurs. There's such a gradation in features between them that it's very difficult to tell them apart. It only takes relatively small changes in our knowledge of these to flip around some of the evolutionary relationships between them," So the relationship between Aurornis, Archaeopteryx and their Dinosaurian ancestors is very complicated and is subject to the latest discoveries. But it seems our feathered friends have been around for longer than we have previously thought.

No posts for 3 days

There will be no posts for 3 days as I am off to Belgium. There may be a post on Friday. Thank you.

From Russia with Love-The Suprising Paleontology of the Russian Federation

Russia + fossils? Not a combination often thought of by many in fact Russia+Fossil Fuels is a more likely partnership. But, believe it or not the former Soviet Union holds a remarkable treasure trove of its prehistoric past. From the high arctic of Siberia to the flowing Volga Russia truly deserves a place on the fossil map. So, were to begin? The freezing permafrost of Siberia seems a good place to start. Most people who have an interest in the Ice Age and prehistory in general will have heard of the bounty of fossils the Siberian Tundra produces. Mammoth fossils in particular seem to attract most of the attention. Not surprising considering just how beautifully preserved the Mammoth fossils from Siberia are. But the truth is that really, they aren't fossils at all. The Mammoths lived here so recently (new theories suggest that they died out here 8,000-6,000 years ago)that their bones simply haven't fossilized yet. This process is aided by permafrost. Permafrost basically acts as a Pleistocene morgue, keeping the remains of Ice Age animals preserved in the frozen ground only a few inches down. This keeps the bones (and occasionally soft tissue) preserved for prosperity in mint condition. An example of just how crazy this preservation can be is Lyuba a mummified baby mammoth which now resides in the vaults of the Field Museum. Lyuba died over 10,000 years ago but every detail of her from her last meal to her hair is exquisitely preserved. It was purportedly in the possession of a Siberian indigenous tribe for many years before scientists finally found it. The tribal members couldn't thank the scientists enough for taking Lyuba. Stating that the dead mammoths possess 'evil spirits'. But its not only Mammoths found in Siberia. The remains of Horses, Reindeer, and Bison also frequently turn up. The Palaeontology of Siberia has been thrown into the limelight recently with the announcement of 'Pleistocene Park' a project spear headed by numerous Russian Palaeontologists and funded by the Japanese scientists attempting to clone the mammoth back from the dead. All questions of ethics aside the park is actually home to many animals. Mainly Caribou, Horses, and Bison but also including Wolves, Bears, Lynx, and the owner soon hopes Lions and Mammoths. Skipping across the Urals we soon reach the banks of the river Volga. The Volga is steeped in history most notably for the ferrying of Soviet troops to defend Stalingrad. But what of the prehistory of the Volga. Surprisingly many species of Ammonite can be found in the rocks here. The Ammonites date from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous periods. The most common Ammonites can be found below (in order of appearance: Kosmoceras, Pavlovia, Australiceras, Peltoceras, and Audlioceras) As you can see the quality of these Volga ammonites is amazing especially the Peltoceras. No wonder many can fetch for up to 500 rubles on the Russian fossil market. These ammonites are found mostly in the oil sands on the banks of the Volga. Finally we take a short (in Russian standards) trip north to the rocks around St Petersburg. These rocks just like the Volga Ammonites yield some truly beautiful fossils. Trilobites. The Trilobites here are top quality and date from the Silurian/Ordovician periods. There are literally so many species that it would take eons (ok, maybe not that long) to list them. But I encourage you to look for yourself here: So, that's the rather surprising and amazing Palaeontology of the Russian federation. If anyone wants to do any further research or for more information on the Trilobites and Ammonites please visit: Paleoart.com

Bone headed-Acrotholus audeti

You've heard of Pachycephalosaurus, and Stygimoloch right? Well say hello to the latest member of the 'bone headed' family: Acrotholus. Discovered in the Milk River Formation of Alberta, Canada, by researchers from the University of Toronto Acrotholus may be the oldest member of the group yet to be discovered. It pre-dates Pachycephalosaurus by 20 million years, The bones date from rocks that are 85 million years old. Being the oldest Pachycephalosaur yet to be discovered it offers researchers insights into the evolution of the 'bone heads' Around the size of a dog and weighing in at 40Kg Acrotholus is a rather small Pachycephalosaur. And it's size also sets it apart from the rest. "We can predict that many new small dinosaur species like Acrotholus are waiting to be discovered by researchers willing to sort through the many small bones that they pick up in the field," said co-researcher Dr Michael Ryan, curator of vertebrate palaeontology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It has long been suggested that there is not a truthful reflection of small Dinosaur fauna's in existence as their tiny bones may have been to small to properly fossilize. However Acrotholus shows that when it comes to Dinosaurs. The small are just as important as the big.

Doggerland-Pleistocene Safari

Imagine a North Sea which is home to Bison, Horse, Megaloceros, Deer, Antelope, Elephants, Rhino, and Lions. Well you've just imagined Doggerland, a European Prehistoric Savannah that encompassed what is now the North sea between the UK, Holland, Norway, and Denmark. So, what kind of world was Doggerland and what was life like their in the Pleistocene 1.3 Million-10,000 Years Ago and it's untimely demise in 8,000 BC. Doggerland would have been a beautiful spectacle. Grasses and pasture would have stretched for as far as the eye could see, creating an ocean of grass. Grazing upon the grasses would have been herds of Reindeer, Rhino, Elephants/Mammoths, Horse, and Bison. that would have migrated up from Europe every summer to exploit this vast resource of food. Preying on these herbivores would be packs of Wolves and Hunting Hyenas along with Lions, Saber tooth cats, and Humans. Mammoths seem to be Doggerland's most famous resident. Dutch and British Trawlers often haul up Mammoth tusks and Bones in their nets from the seabed. Such fossils often find there way onto the commercial fossil market. Mammoths in Doggerland would have been migratory visitors as temperatures in the winter due to the close ice sheets would have been below freezing. This journey has been told in the BBC series Walking with Beasts in the final episode of the series 'Mammoth Journey'. Other prolific animals include the Bison and Horse. These creatures would have been literally everywhere on Doggerland their fossils are the most frequently dredged up from the muddy bottom. They would have been a delicacy to Cro Magnons living on Doggerland. However, these are not the same species of Horse and Bison left today. Instead they would have been older breeds and variants. The Bison belonged to the species Bison priscus or steppe wisent. They were stronger and larger than their American cousins. Their horns, vertebrae, teeth and bones can be found on many beaches in and around the North sea and English channel. Above: Bison Vertebrae from my collection. The Horses would have been different as well. They would have resembled Siberian wild horses with sticking up short manes and stocky bodies. Another famous resident is the Irish Elk or Megaloceros. This behemoth of a deer stood 6ft 6'' at the shoulder and had antlers that stretched 12ft from tip to tip. Megaloceros would have been a formidable opponent to any Human or Animal hunter alike. It's antlers could certainly pack a punch. Megaloceros would have engaged in mating displays and fights using it's antler in exactly the same way as modern deer. But why is this land full of enormous herds of herbivores and rich in resources no longer with us? One word. Tsunami. During the Mesolithic around 8,000 years ago Doggerland was very different to it's Pleistocene heyday. It was forested much like the rest of Europe and was home to Deer, Bear, Wolves, and the bad tempered beef that is the Aurochs. People were beginning to set up permanent homes in the forests looking to exploit the benefits of forest life. But nature had a different idea. Sea level rise caused by the melting ice was already flooding the low lying coast of Doggerland, diminishing the land. Then suddenly 8,000/7,000 years ago an earthquake in the Norwegian sea released a Tsunami right on Doggerland's front door. The Tsunami ravaged Doggerland. Sending much of it to the dark abyss. Some of Doggerland did remain exposed. But as sea levels rose more and more the last remnants of Doggerland a world once teeming with life succumbed to the waves.

Dahalokely tokana-A Meat eating Madagascan Dinosaur.

Recent Fossil finds from Madagascar have been identified as a new species Dahalokely tokana meaning 'Lonely small bandit'. The relatively small Theropod about the size of a large cow lived 90 Million years ago in a time when India and Madagascar formed a landmass of their own. Madagascar, famed for it's fossil treasure trove has yielded a new species for a decade making this find very important not only for Madagascar but for our understanding of the evolution and distribution of Dinosaurs in the late Cretaceous. Dahalokely is a member of the Abelisauridae a family of dinosaurs that include such species as Majungatholus, Tarascosaurus, and Carnotaurus. Abelisaurs were common in the southern hemisphere at this time and were ferocious predators. Joe Sertich says 'It just reinforces the importance of searching previously unsearched areas for new Dinosaurs waiting to be discovered'.

Australopithecus Sediba-The Most in Depth Analysis Yet

A new analysis of the several partial skeletons representing the Australopithecus sediba species has revealed a mixture of Ape and Human features. The 3 skeletons MH1,MH2,and MH4 are the remains of an adult female, a juvenile male, and indeterminate adult. They were discovered in 2008 in Malapa northwest of Johannesburg, by Matthew Berger the son of Dr Berger in a depression which indicates a collapsed cave roof. The findings, focusing mainly on the species locomotion infer an unusual style of walking. Dr DeSilva has found that The heel bones represent that of a Chimpanzee more than Human. Suggesting it walked with an inward twist of the knee and hip with it's feet facing inward. However not all of their time was spent on the ground. They appear to have numerous adaptions to an arboreal (tree-climbing)lifestyle. Many more adaptions to tree climbing than are found in other Australopithecine species. Additional information gathered from the study suggest that the 3 individuals were related and died as a result of becoming trapped in the collapsed cave complex. Eventually there bodies were washed away into a pool along with Hyena, Saber-tooth cat, and Gazelle remains. This type of fossilisation has led to some experts believing that a layer of filmy substance found associated with the fossils is the skin of the individuals although this is as of yet un-concluded . All findings were reported to the Palaeoanthropological in a special presentation in Honolulu, Hawaii. In recent years it has become much more apparent that our evolution is not linear as first thought but instead is branched. This means that evolution has not led up to us but instead that we are one of many branches of an extended family. We are constantly reminded that we are the best, not only out of the Hominids or primates but out of all life on earth. The fact is: We simply aren't. There are many dominant species. For instance we cannot climb a tree as fast as a Gibbon, chase down a Zebra as fast as a lion, swim as well as a Dolphin, or reproduce as fast as Bacteria. We are the best at what we do. Thinking, problem solving, and social skills. These skills have led to our evolutionary supremacy over other species that have those skills. In the same way that Birds are the dominant design over other flying creatures. Which has led to the extinction of many other flying Vertebrates such as Pterosaurs. This is indicative of the way we have brought about the extinction of species how do what we do such as Homo Erectus and Neanderthals. Thus we are not the best but the best out our specific niche. Native American legends state 'Man and animals used to be very close, then man thought himself better than the animals, so they quit talking to us'. This rings true in how our affinity with the Natural has wained. In many ways this loss could be responsible for our disregard for our planet a problem we are now desperately trying to solve. Therefore it is possible to conclude that our evolutionary arrogance is responsible for the way we have damaged the natural world. The view that nature is 2nd rate to us is wrong. Nature is a force that has proven many times in our past that it has the power to destroy us in seconds. Consequently respect and understanding of the Natural world is imperative and could define the only escape route we have from our never ending spiral of harm we are inflicting upon the planet and it's consequences. After all who knows what curveball nature may throw at us in future.

Spinosaurus-Flesh Tearing Behemoth or Seafood Connoisseur?

Spinosaurus aegypticus, a Dinosaur flung into the public spotlight due to it's appearance in JP3. In which it is portrayed as a relentless predator intent on devouring any how get in it's way. But was Spinosaurus really a T-Rex pwning, tourist chasing super predator or a Piscivore. So how can we ascertain whether Spinosaurus ate Fish or meat? Well, as usual the answer lies in the bones. Firstly the teeth of Spinosaurs in general are very conical, an affinity they share with Crocodilians who although are Piscivorous but are not strangers to a bit of meat. Spinosaurs have often been compared with Crocodiles due to their elongated snouts and teeth. Additionally the nostrils of Spinosaurus are situated atop the head in much the same way as a Crocodile! Further clues may lie in other Spinosaurs most notably Baryonyx. Baryonyx is a Spinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Europe 130 million years ago. The majority of it's remains have been found in the UK. The first skeleton was discovered by amateur fossil hunter Bill Walker in the 80's. Initially only the huge claw of Baryonyx was found. But Palaeontologists from the NHM later discovered the majority of the skeleton. Typically it had a long snout, high nostrils, and conical teeth. But it was what was found in the stomach location that shocked the Palaeontologists. The scales and bones of the 1m fish Lepitodes. Thus indicating a diet of fish. Baryonyx was evidently a fish eater it's teeth had no serrations were purely conical. But the teeth of Spinosaurs did however have serrations. This suggests Spinosaurus had a generalized diet compromising of both fish and meat (There is evidence of a Spinosaur eating a Pterosaur!). So for Spinosaurs, It will be a steak with fish fingers on the side!( and a bit of Pterosaur)

Swimming Ankylosaurs?

The Theory behind Ankylosaurs possessing aquatic abilities is sprouted from the large amount of Ankylosaur remains found in rocks formed in marine environments. Examples off such specimens include the famous Suncor Ankylosaur. The Suncor Ankylosaur was accidentally stumbled upon by workers at Suncor's millennium mine in Alberta, Canada. Immediately Palaeontologists from the Royal Tyrell Museum rushed to scene. Initially they believed it was a Marine Reptile but later realized they were looking at a Ankylosaur. Other remains include Skeletal components from the Gault clay of Folkestone, UK and from the Cambridge Greensand. Other remains have been found in the chalk of England and Kansas. So why so Ankylosaurs appear so prolifically in marine deposits. Is it down to the fact that their bodies merely floated out to sea after their death. Or does this represent a semi-aquatic lifestyle? A semi aquatic lifestyle would mean that Ankylosaurs would have lived in the same way as a Hippo their body shape does seem similar. Both have short squat legs and bulky bodies. So superficially Ankylosaurs share features with modern semi-aquatic herbivores. But what would the benefits of a semi-aquatic lifestyle be? It is a useful advantage in terms of escaping predators that are not as skilled at swimming or cannot swim at all. Additionally herbivores can exploit nutrient rich aquatic plants (first suggested for Ankylosaurs by Mehl in 1936). Ankylosaurs would have been very heavy due to their armour and therefore speed would not have been on their side, thus if they were semi-aquatic escaping into water would have aided their escape. Another comparison with a Hippo is that they are slow and sluggish on the ground but graceful and fairly fast in the water. But how could a creature weighing several tonnes support itself and move through the water. There are many theories behind how Ankylosaurs could achieve buoyancy. An interesting theory is gas. As a large herbivore an Ankylosaur would have produced plenty of gas as a result of the digestion of plants. The theory states that this gas could have been used to achieve buoyancy in water as the Dinosaurs bowels would have contained plenty of stinky methane. No matter how elaborate the theories may be leading experts on Ankylosaurs argue otherwise. Walter Coombs a leading authority on Ankylosaurs doubts whether they were aquatic 'These 'Marine Nodosaurids' have very close relatives that lived far in land, and lack features that make them any better adapted for water than their inland cousins'. Despite this opinion many still support the idea of aquatic Ankylosaurs. So semi-aquatic grazers or drifting corpses? You decide.

Vectidraco daisymorrisae

Probably the best species name in the history of Taxonomy, this little Pterosaur is the latest ancient resident of the Isle of Wight to come tumbling down the cliffs. It was Discovered by young Natural Historian Daisy Morris whilst combing the beach at Atherfield point for fossils. Vectidraco life reconstruction Eminent UK Paleontologist Darren Naish published the paper describing the new species and Genus, and island fossil hunter Martin Simpson ahs been affiliated with the discovery. He described daisy as 'a unique little girl' and that when they brought the remains to him in 2009 he 'knew it was something special'. Daisy has let's say an unusual collection of animal remains obtained through a 'interesting' process. (If you are squeamish don't read ahead). She will collect the remains of road kill and other dead animals and then place them in a crate in her garden. In the crate decomposition will take hold and maggots will strip the bones of flesh and tissue. Once this is done she will then collect the remaining bones. Many would immediately scream 'DANGER DISEASE' but apparently it is quite the contrary. The specimen that led to daisy's claim to fame is the pelvis of the pterosaur including articulated vertebrae: In life Vectidraco would have been small perhaps the size of a crow. At the time it lived (115 MYA in the Early Cretaceous) Vectidraco would have skimmed the sea's and beaches catching fish and scavenging. The clays at Atherfield date to 115 MYA which corresponds to rising of sea levels globally indicate a shallow marine/coastal environment very close to land. A children's book is due to be published about the life of 'Daisy Morris's Isle of Wight Dragon'. This just goes to show no matter your age or experience you can make a discovery worthy of scientific attention using just persistence and luck!