All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
21 01, 2010

A DIY Jurassic Park

By |2023-03-04T15:13:17+00:00January 21st, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|1 Comment

A Do It Yourself Dinosaur Land

A few months back we received an email from a gentleman asking advice on how to build a dinosaur play set for a very keen nine year-old dinosaur fan.  We get lots of enquiries of this nature and fortunately, most of the team members at Everything Dinosaur have built various play scenes of this type so we were able to help.

Jurassic Park

We provided some information and helpful instructions on how to go about building a “Jurassic Park” play set, with suggestions for landscaping, the types of trees, building a water source and such like.  As the Dinosaurs dominated life on Earth for the best part of 160 million years, there were some dramatic changes in the fauna and flora that shared their world.  Most people think that the vegetation around during the Mesozoic was very exotic with tree ferns, cycads and other unusual plants.

It is certainly true that these types of plants – seed ferns (pteridosperms), Bennettitales and cycads were dominant in the early part of the Mesozoic, but by the Late Cretaceous the flora and indeed parts of the fauna would not have looked out of place today.

In the Late Cretaceous the angiosperms (flowering plants) were becoming increasingly common.  Team members were able to pass on information and advice regarding what would look realistic in a dinosaur themed setting.

We received a lovely picture of the finished play set, complete with some of the models we had supplied.  What a super dinosaur play set, well done to Walter the model maker.

Walter’s Finished Dinosaur Diorama

Picture credit: W. Hugill

Walter’s handy work is excellent and most impressive, we think it is a super table top Jurassic Park.  We have pinned the picture up onto our cork-board notice board in the Everything Dinosaur warehouse, so that everyone can see it.

Customer Comments

On the back of the picture, Walter had written:

“Thought you might be interested in the end result.  Models best I’ve seen, young 9 year-old highly delighted.”

Congratulations to you, and thank you for the kind words about the models we supplied.  Perhaps if Steven Spielberg gets around to making Jurassic Park 4 you might find yourself employed as a set designer.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: Everything Dinosaur.

20 01, 2010

The Classification of Extant and Extinct Organisms

By |2023-03-04T15:15:18+00:00January 20th, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Binomial Nomenclature – Naming and Classifying Organisms

Organisms such as animals, plants, fungi and single celled organisms are divided into several groupings that are used by scientists to classify them.  This is known as the taxonomic hierarchy with the largest groupings being known as a Kingdom, Animalia (all animals) for example.  The narrowest definition, putting aside the issue of varieties stated by many plant breeders, is the species.

All organisms have a two-part species name, this is comprised of the genus and then the specific or trivial name, such as the African lion being known as Panthero leo.  In this instance, Panthero relates to the genus to which African lions belong and the trivial or specific name identifying the species is leo.

Extant and Extinct

This two stage species name is referred to as the binomial and the naming of organisms using this methodology is called binomial nomenclature.

The taxonomic hierarchy is a “nested” series with each smaller grouping fitting into a larger grouping in the hierarchy, rather like a set of Russian dolls.  Extinct animals such as dinosaurs are classified using the same scientific methods as extant species (those that are still in existence today).  This is the accepted method of classifying life (although cladistics has added a new dimension or two), the principles of this form of classification were laid down by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in the 18th Century.

Organisms should be classified to reflect evolutionary relationships, with each taxon representing organisms that share a common ancestor, very similar to the “Tree of Life” analogy.

Naming Taxa

Formerly, the names of all taxa should be written with a capital letter, except for the species or trivial name, this always begin with a lower case letter.  The species should always be written with the genus to accompany it, even if the genus is reduced to a single letter.  For example, P. leo for our African lion.  To be technically correct all names of genera and species are printed in italics.  If a scientist was preparing a hand-written note then they would underline the genus and the species name.

In formal scientific journals, the name of the scientist(s) person (or people) who first formerly described an organism is sometimes given.  For example, Mammuthus primigenius Blumenbach, indicates that the Woolly Mammoth or Tundra Mammoth as is it sometimes informally known as was named and described by the German scientist Blumenbach.

A Taxonomic Classification of Tyrannosaurus rex

Taxonomic Hierarchy of Tyrannosaurus rex
Category Taxon Contents of Taxon
Kingdom Animalia All animals
Phylum Chordata All vertebrates (plus some minor groups)
Class Reptilia All reptiles
Order Saurischia All lizard-hipped dinosaurs
Sub-Order Theropoda The “beast footed” dinosaurs mainly carnivores
Family Tyrannosauroidea All Tyrannosaurs and close relatives of Tyrannosaurs
Genus Tyrannosaurus The closest relatives of all to Tyrannosaurus rex
Species Tyrannosaurus rex The individual species known as T. rex

Table credit: Everything Dinosaur

Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic classification is a complicated business, for example in the table above we have not included the Super-Order Dinosauria or subdivided the Tyrannosauroidea, classifying this element as a Super-Family and adding Tyrannosauridae as the smaller family element.  Differences in skull morphology (the shape of the skulls) between currently classified Tyrannosaurus rex specimens may indicate that some of the fossils known as Tyrannosaurus rex, may in the future be assigned to a different species.

For models of Tyrannosaurus rex: Tyrannosaurus rex and Other Models from Papo.

19 01, 2010

Dinosaur Footprints get Special Protection

By |2023-03-04T15:16:42+00:00January 19th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page|2 Comments

Dinosaur Trackways Frozen in Time get Protection

Dinosaur footprints are to receive special protection and status under a UK Government scheme.

As motorists drive down the M40 motorway heading towards London, few realise that as they pass through Oxfordshire, they are driving close to a series of working quarries that hold a very special secret.  Preserved amongst the fossils to be found in the sedimentary strata are dinosaur footprints, not just one or two but lengthy trackways made by dinosaurs preserved as if they had been created yesterday.

Dinosaur Footprints

In an announcement made today (19/01/2010), Natural England, the UK Government’s advisory body on the natural environment, stated that the dinosaur footprints and trackways at Ardley, near Bicester in Oxfordshire (England) had been notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

This is the first location in the United Kingdom to be granted Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status based purely on geological features, since Natural England was founded four years ago.  Following this official announcement, there is to be a four month consultation period to allow public responses before the Board of Natural England will confirm the designation.

The working quarries at Ardley reflect a range of geological strata, laid down in the Middle Jurassic approximately 165 million years ago (Bathonian faunal stage).  There are a succession of marls, limestones, clays, mudstones and occasional sandstones, each layer of rock representing different environmental conditions during deposition.  Invertebrate fossils are relatively common, but vertebrate fossils are exceptionally rare.  The strata containing the dinosaur trackways suggest deposition in low tidal energy, lagoonal environments with a subtropical climate.

Walking Close to the Shoreline

The dinosaurs walked close to the shoreline and the soft sediments have preserved their coming and goings.  The picture shows the tracks made by a bipedal meat-eating dinosaur (megalosaur?)  The right foot is the closest in the picture.  Trackways are known as trace fossils, they record behaviour and are made in situ, for example, sometime 165 million years ago, a large meat-eating dinosaur walked across the very ground that you can stand on today to observe the foot prints.

Dr Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, commented:

“Geological sites of this quality and importance are few and far between and we are delighted to give this important window on our past the protection that it so clearly deserves.”

Such extensive and relatively complete dinosaur trackways are otherwise unknown in England and are very rare internationally.  Research conducted over the last decade has revealed important information about these dinosaurs and even shed light on the speed at which the creatures were travelling.  Importantly, a number of different genera are represented by the prints.

It is now important to protect the trackways from exposure to the elements and damage from erosion and the decision by Natural England to designate the site will help secure its unique features for future generations to study and enjoy.  Natural England is pleased to be working closely with the site owners and operators to ensure that the trackways are carefully preserved and made accessible for scientific study.

Helen Phillips concluded:

“As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, these unique dinosaur footprints now join the ranks of England’s most important wildlife and geological conservation sites.  It is important that we continue to look after internationally valuable resources of this type and protect such fascinating insights into our ancient past.”

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s website: The Website of Everything Dinosaur.

18 01, 2010

Feedback on the Feedback Forms

By |2023-03-04T22:29:08+00:00January 18th, 2010|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Press Releases|0 Comments

Feedback on the Feedback Forms

At Everything Dinosaur we get lots of pictures, letters, emails and feedback forms from our customers.  We love receiving them and we do read them all.  Every morning, one of the jobs that is done around 10am, after all the mail has arrived is to divide up the feedback responses we have received and allocate them to a member of staff to respond in person to all those that require a reply.  We also divide up our email information requests, and customer comments that we have received from other sources such as faxes, letters and so forth.

Each team member is given a batch to work through, during the day and normally by close of play we have done them all.

We enjoy reading the letters and customer comments, many of the pictures and drawings that are sent in are posted up on the warehouse notice board, they certainly make a colourful montage.

One of the benefits of carrying out this process is that we get to learn about products and how they are received and used by our customers.  This has certainly helped our product knowledge and works well, complementing our own product testing programmes.  Any correspondence that deserves special attention can be dealt with immediately and if required an update can be provided by the team member responsible at our weekly Friday afternoon meeting.

All the letters, comments, pictures and drawings we receive certainly makes for a lively discussion during our mid-morning tea break.

Visit Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Everything Dinosaur.

17 01, 2010

Stonehenge “Threatened”

By |2023-01-02T07:44:51+00:00January 17th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Educational Activities, Main Page|0 Comments

Ancient Monument Stonehenge Given “Threatened” Status due to Road Traffic

One of the world’s most famous monuments, Stonehenge in Wiltshire (England), has been listed by a travel magazine in their annual survey detailing important human monuments and attractions that are under threat.

Stonehenge

Wanderlust magazine, the UK based travel publication has cited Stonehenge as one of the most threatened visitor attractions, in their second annual survey.

The site of Stonehenge is in an area of southern England which has many henges, burial mounds and other ancient monuments.  This location was first built on approximately 5,000 years ago, a time in human history (Neolithic) when people were adopting a more sedentary lifestyle, moving away from the hunter/gatherer way of life.  Powerful tribe leaders and influential people developed the site making it a focal point for Neolithic culture, the actual purpose of the site remains unclear.

Commenting on the inclusion of Stonehenge in the magazine’s most threatened list, editor in chief; Lyn Hughes stated that Stonehenge was: “brutally divorced from its context.”

This ancient monument is located at the junction of two major roads, the A303 and the A344, the site is badly affected by road traffic and road traffic noise.  Plans to build tunnels to direct traffic underground and to establish a new visitor centre have been abandoned due to the high costs involved.  The A303 is particularly busy.  It is the main trunk road linking Devon and Cornwall and during the Summer months it is an exceptionally busy tourist route.

Lyn Hughes went on to add:

“Seeing it without its surrounding landscape is to experience only a fraction of this historical wonder.  The fact that the government and various planning bodies cannot agree on implementing a radical solution to this problem is a national disgrace.”

English Heritage

Stonehenge is managed by English Heritage, with much of the land surrounding the site owned by the National Trust.  The poor traffic management and lack of tourist facilities has been commented upon before, in 1989 a Parliamentary public accounts committee heavily criticised the poor tourist infrastructure, labelling Stonehenge “a national disgrace.”

It is hoped that a new, (although slightly smaller than originally planned), tourist centre located just over one mile away from the stones will be opened in time for Summer 2012.  Hopefully this new visitor centre will be ready in time to welcome the influx of tourists expected for the London Olympic games.

16 01, 2010

Diapsid Archosaurs out competed Synapsid Ancestor of Mammals Evidence in Alligator Breath

By |2023-01-02T07:42:11+00:00January 16th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

New Study Indicates Alligators Breathe Like Birds – Implications for the Rise of the Archosaurs

The greatest known extinction event took place some 250 million years ago, at the Permian/Triassic boundary.  A lot of groups of animals disappear from the fossil record at this point, never to be found as fossils in younger rocks.  This period in Earth’s history did not just mark the end of one geological period and the start of another but scientists made this boundary the end of the Palaeozoic era and the start of the Mesozoic.  Nearly 60% of all marine families became extinct.  Virtually all the coral species (rugose and tabulate corals), became extinct, along with the last of the trilobites.  Other invertebrate groups such as brachiopods, gastropods and crinoids were devastated.  Vertebrates did not cope much better with many marine species becoming extinct and large numbers of reptilian and amphibian families being wiped out.  An estimated 70% of all terrestrial vertebrate genera died out.

The reasons as to why this mass extinction event occurred remain unclear.  However, as a consequence of this mass extinction, one of the most significant changes in mega fauna can be identified in the fossil record of the Early Triassic.  During the Triassic, the synapsids, one clade of reptiles that had dominated terrestrial life, a group whose descendants are modern mammals, went into dramatic decline.  In contrast, diapsids, particularly the archosaurs, the ancestors of crocodiles, pterosaurs, birds and dinosaurs diversified and came to dominate terrestrial food chains.

There may be many reasons for this, fundamentally the Archosauria seemed better adapted to the environmental conditions around on planet Earth in the Early Triassic, when compared to the majority of their synapsid rivals.  A new study to be published in the scientific journal “Science” may provide some clues as to why one particular group of reptiles were more successful than other groups.  It has all to do with the way in which an Alligator breathes.

Researchers at the University of Utah (United States) have found the Alligators have a uni-directional air flow in their lungs, this is similar to that found in modern birds.  However, although both archosaurs, Alligators and birds represent different branches in the archosaur family tree.  The development of an efficient lung function, more efficient in certain ways than the lung function of synapsids, could have given archosaurs the crucial advantage required in the harsh Triassic world to see them and not the synapsids go onto dominate terrestrial mega fauna.

Crocodile and Alligator comparison.

Crocodile (top) and Alligator (bottom).

For models of ancient archosaurs including prehistoric crocodilians: Prehistoric Animal Replicas and Scale Models.

Birds have a very efficient lung function with de-oxygenated air kept separate from oxygenated air as it is expelled from the lungs.  With mammals such as ourselves (H. sapiens), used air we breathe out gets mixed with fresh air we breathe in.  Birds have more efficient lungs than mammals, so much the better to get oxygen to muscles to help power flight.  However, this new American study demonstrates that Alligators too, have this efficient one-way breathing system, indicating that this type of lung adaptation was present in both branches of the archosaurs, the bird line and the crocodile line.

Low oxygen levels in the Early Triassic would have meant that archosaurs with their efficient lungs would have been able to sustain activity longer than the synapsids and this may have given the archosaurs the opportunity to supplant the synapsids as the dominant large terrestrial animals – hence the rise of Dinosauria.

This is one of the conclusions made by the team of scientists who have studied the lung function of one extant archosaur, a member of the crocodile-like archosaur lineage, the American Alligator (A. mississipiensis).

Assistant Professor of Biology (University of Utah), and lead author of the research paper, Colleen G. Farmer stated:

“The real importance of this air-flow discovery in gators is it may explain the turnover in fauna between the Permian and the Triassic, with the synapsids losing their dominance and being supplanted by these archosaurs.”

Colleen went on to add:

“Even with much less oxygen in the atmosphere, many archosaurs, such as pterosaurs, apparently were capable of sustaining vigorous exercise.  Lung design may have played a key role in this capacity because the lung is the first step in the cascade of oxygen from the atmosphere to the animal’s tissues, where it is used to burn fuel for energy.”

Assistant Professor Farmer, stated that this particular piece of research work did not necessarily help to explain the rise and dominance of the dinosaurs.  Within the two main types of archosaur, there are anatomical differences.  Perhaps the mesotarsal ankle of the dinosaur and bird lineage which gave these types of animals greater mobility on land when compared to the crurotarsal ankle of the crocodile-like archosaurs, may be the answer.

She went on to comment:

“Our data provide evidence that unidirectional flow [of air in the lungs] predates the origin of pterosaurs, dinosaurs and birds, and evolved in the common ancestor of the crocodilian and bird [and pterosaur and dinosaur] lineages.”

In the lungs of humans and other mammals, airflow is like the tides.  When we inhale, the air moves through many tiers of progressively smaller, branching airways, or bronchi, until dead-ending in the smallest chambers, cul-de-sacs named alveoli, where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide moves from the blood into the lungs.

It long has been known that airflow in birds is unidirectional, and some scientists suggest it also was that way in dinosaurs.

In modern birds, the lungs’ gas exchange units are not alveoli, but tubes known as “parabronchi,” through which air flows in one direction before exiting the lung.  Farmer says this lung design helps birds fly at altitudes that would “render mammals comatose.”

Some researchers have argued that unidirectional airflow evolved after crocodilians split from the archosaur family tree, arising among pterosaurs and theropod dinosaurs, the primarily meat-eating group that included Tyrannosaurus rex.  Others have argued it arose only among coelurosaurs, a group of dinosaurs that also includes T. rex and feathered dinosaurs.

To read an article on the relationship between Avian and Dinosaur lungs: Ideas on Dinosaur Breathing – A Breath of Fresh Air.

Unidirectional air flow in birds long has been attributed to air sacs in the lungs.  But Farmer disagrees, since gators don’t have air sacs, and says it’s due to aerodynamic “valves” within the lungs.  She believes air sacs help birds redistribute weight to control their pitch and roll during flight.  Farmer says many scientists simply assume air sacs are needed for unidirectional airflow, and have pooh-poohed assertions to the contrary.

“They cannot argue with this data, “I have three lines of evidence.  If they don’t believe it, they need to get an alligator and make their own measurements.”

Farmer and her team conducted several types of experiments on Alligators to assess their lung function, working with live and dead specimens.  The research involved the use of CT scans on a metre long Alligator to assess the flow of air, plus surgery on Alligators to insert flow meters into the lungs and autopsies and experiments on the dead animals.  The CT scans were performed with the help of Kent Sanders Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Utah School.

Computerised tomographic (CT) X-ray images of side and top views of a 24-pound American alligator, with 3-D renderings of the bones and of airways or bronchi within the lungs.  The windpipe and first-tier of bronchi are not shown.  A University of Utah study found that air flows in one direction through a gator’s lungs.  It flows from the first-tier bronchi through second-tier bronchi (blue), then through tube-like third-tier parabronchi (not shown) and then back through other second-tier bronchi (forest green).  (Credit: C.G. Farmer and Kent Sanders, University of Utah.)

Note: lateral and dorsal views

Farmer says the fact Alligator lungs still had unidirectional flow after being removed shows unidirectional airflow is caused by aerodynamic valves within the lungs, and not by some other factor, like air sacs or the liver, which acts like a piston to aid breathing.

How does air loop through an alligator’s multichambered lungs?

Inhaled air enters the trachea, or windpipe, and then flows into two primary bronchi, or airways.  Each of those primary bronchi enters a lung.

From those primary airways, the bronchi then branch into a second tier of narrower airways. Inflowing air jets past or bypasses the first branch in each lung because the branch makes a hairpin turn away from the direction of airflow, creating an aerodynamic valve.  Instead, the air flows into other second-tier bronchi and then into numerous, tiny, third-tier airways named parabronchi, where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide leaves it.

The air, still moving in one direction, then flows from the parabronchi into the bypassed second-tier bronchi and back to the first-tier bronchi, completing a one-way loop through the lungs before being exhaled through the windpipe.

Our thanks to the following reference source for helping to compile this article:

University of Utah (2010, January 15). Alligators breathe like birds, study finds. ScienceDaily.

15 01, 2010

New Prehistoric Times Issue 92

By |2024-01-01T17:30:21+00:00January 15th, 2010|Prehistoric Times|0 Comments

Prehistoric Times – Sneak Preview of Front Cover

The next edition of the dinosaur model collectors magazine called “Prehistoric Times” will feature a lovely image of a Stegosaurus on the font cover.

Prehistoric Times

Prehistoric Times Issue 92.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The magazine will summarise news in the world of palaeontology for 2009 and it will also feature an interview with palaeontologist Scott Sampson.

For dinosaur models and other prehistoric animal models and figures: Rebor Prehistoric Animal Replicas and Figures.

15 01, 2010

Clever Mums and Cup Cakes

By |2023-01-02T07:34:37+00:00January 15th, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

Clever Mums and Cup Cakes – Adding a Dinosaur Theme

At Everything Dinosaur, we receive lots and lots of emails, letters, photos and drawings from dinosaur fans.  In the warehouse, we have a big, cork-board, display board that is supposed to have things like delivery schedules and shipping logs pinned to it, but over the years the use of this board has changed.  More and more pictures, drawings, comments and such like have been put up.  You could say that our message board has “evolved”, it now shows off a huge montage of items sent into us by our customers.  It makes a very colourful display.

Occasionally, we come across correspondence that deserves a special mention.  We are constantly amazed at how resourceful and clever our customers can be.  For example, a lady called Anna wanted to have a special dinosaur themed birthday party for her young son Ben.  Ben, who has just turned three, is an avid dinosaur fan.  Now we all know, how stressful organising a birthday party can be, but to make it a birthday party with a dinosaur theme, one that will meet with the approval of young palaeontologists, that can be a daunting task.  For Anna and her family, this Brachiosaurus sized problem was soon brought down to size with some clever and innovative use of some of Everything Dinosaur’s products.

For example, we stock a little party favour called Dinosaur Rings, a set of five prehistoric animal themed rings for children.  They proved popular with our product testers, the set consisting of a T. rex, Triceratops, a flying reptile (Pteranodon) and two Ice Age animals, a Sabre-toothed cat and a Woolly Mammoth.  Anna very cleverly used the rings as cup cake decorations, turning party cakes into dinosaur themed delicacies that went down a treat with her young guests.

What a Clever use of a Dinosaur Party Favour

Picture credit: Anna

We were all very impressed, and we love the green icing!  What a super idea, we know that to purchase birthday cakes can be very expensive, but with a bit of thought and imagination Mums and Dads can create their very own prehistoric themed party bites.

Up Close to the Cup Cakes

Great Dinosaur Themed Birthday Party Food

Picture credit: Anna

We do hear about lots of interesting and innovative ways in which our products are used, but we have not come across this before, the rings make wonderful cake toppers, they are just the right size.  A super idea, once the cake has been devoured your little monsters have a souvenir of the party to take home with them.

To view the extensive range of prehistoric animal and dinosaur themed toys and gifts available from the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Visit Everything Dinosaur.

Happy Birthday to you Ben, and thank you for modelling one of our dinosaur T-shirts (blue T. rex),  you are a very lucky boy to have such delightful party food.

From the pictures we received, it seems like everyone had a good time, great to see our dinosaur party masks were a big success.  Our blog is read by all kinds of people from all over the world, scientists, teachers, model makers, dinosaur fans and we love receiving and reading correspondence from all the enthusiastic people that take the time to contact us.

Thanks once again to Anna and Ben for the pictures.

14 01, 2010

Eagerly Awaiting our Next, New Edition of Prehistoric Times

By |2024-01-01T16:26:16+00:00January 14th, 2010|Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page, Prehistoric Times|0 Comments

Eagerly Awaiting our Next Edition of Prehistoric Times

Just when I have finished reading my last edition of Prehistoric Times, the magazine for dinosaur enthusiasts and model collectors, I get sent a sneak preview of the next edition.

Prehistoric Times Edition 92 (Front Cover)

Picture credit: Mike Fredericks

We can’t wait to see the article on old prehistoric postcards, we have one or two around the office and for all we know we might have some very rare ones.  Great to see the feature on Scott Sampson plus a wonderful illustration of a stegosaur (S. armatus?) on the front cover.

To subscribe to Prehistoric Times: Prehistoric Times.

13 01, 2010

From the Water onto the Land only 35 million Years Earlier – Further Input

By |2023-01-02T07:32:23+00:00January 13th, 2010|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Devonian Terrestrial Tetrapods – Further Information

The article published on the Polish paper providing details on the trace fossils indicating that Devonian creatures were venturing onto land many millions of years earlier than previously thought has attracted a lot of comments and additional information.

To read the original article: From the Water onto the Land Thirty-Five Million Years Earlier.

Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology, Professor Jennifer Clack at the University Museum of Zoology (Cambridge), has an extensive knowledge of early tetrapods and has published a number of papers and books on this particular subject.  In 2002, she wrote “Gaining Ground – The Origin and Evolution of Tetrapods”, so Professor Clack is well placed to comment on the Polish trace fossils; Professor Clack provided the following information.

The timing of the origin of terrestriality is a bit contentious because it depends on what you classify as actually being “terrestrial”.  The trackways found in the Polish quarry are certainly older than other previously discovered fossil evidence.  The trackways are 18 million  years older than the “near-tetrapods” that have been seen as the closest relatives of animals with limbs bearing digits.  If the trackways are to be believed, digits were present way back in the early Middle Devonian.  In fact, the figure of 35 million years is a bit misleading, because some already known trackways (other trace fossils) pre-date known tetrapods with digited limbs: 18 million years is the safer figure.

There have been numerous theories as to why tetrapods left the water, over the past couple of decades as more material has been found.  If the new trackway data is corroborated by body fossils, it could suggest new ideas and render some of the previous theories put forward obsolete.

With body fossils to back up the trackway finds, the story could go either way.  We either have the story more or less right, just the timing wrong and the beasts we already know in fact have a long, “ghost” lineage – or they could change all of our conceptions about what an early tetrapod ancestor looked like and how it was related to later ones.

Until some of these questions are resolved, there is no way really to know why the limbs became capable of supporting weight on land.

Ends

We are very grateful to Professor Clack for her input on this complex and fascinating subject.  She informs us that work is currently going on an updated and revised edition of her book which deals with the evolution of the tetrapods “Gaining Ground”.  One of the great things about palaeontology is that one new discovery can turn conventional, accepted theory on its head, or in this case should that be on its feet!

For models of Palaeozoic tetrapods: Prehistoric Animal Scale Models.

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