2013 | Everything Dinosaur Blog

25 09, 2013

Thousands of Dinosaur Tracks Discovered along the Banks of Alaska’s Yukon River

By Mike|2023-02-24T09:10:04+00:00September 25th, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories|0 Comments

Evidence of an Extinct Ecosystem Revealed

A team of researchers from the University of Alaska Museum of the North have found a number of major new sites which show evidence of Late Cretaceous dinosaur fossils, not too far from the Arctic Circle. The research team explored the banks and rocky beaches of the Yukon and Tanana rivers and the expedition returned with over 900 kilogrammes of dinosaur trace fossil specimens. The fossils represent extensive dinosaur tracks and prints.

Dinosaur Tracks

Commentators have stated that the University of Alaska Museum of the North researchers have found major new sites for dinosaur fossils in Alaska.

Earth Sciences Curator Pat Druckenmiller, a member of the expedition team commented:

“There aren’t many places left in the world where palaeontologists can just go out and find thousands of dinosaur footprints”.

In the high summer (July) with the long days of daylight, the research team set off at the start of a 800 kilometre journey, one that would take them down the Tanana and Yukon rivers and also back in time to the Cretaceous a time when, according to the trace fossils, a large number of different dinosaur species roamed these northern latitudes.

Operations Manager at the Museum, Kevin May stated:

“Based on what we know about the geology along the Yukon River, the rocks exposed downriver from Ruby [a small town 400 kilometres west of Fairbanks] suggested they might be a good place to find dinosaurs”.

Ornithopod and Theropod Tracks

Footprints of both plant-eating dinosaurs (ornithopods) and meat-eating dinosaurs (theropods) were discovered indicating that this part of the Late Cretaceous world supported a rich and diverse ecosystem. Many different types of prehistoric animal footprint have been recovered from the nearby Denali Park (Lower Cantwell Formation), including those of a giant prehistoric bird that may have stood over 1.5 metres tall.

In fact, the nearby Denali Park is famous for its extensive bird fossil trackways, it seems that birds were also abundant and shared this Late Cretaceous habitat with the dinosaurs. Intriguingly, the newly discovered dinosaur footprints from the Yukon area are probably 25-30 million years older than the Denali fossils, still Late Cretaceous but indicating a rich and diverse ecosystem flourishing in this part of the world for many millions of years.

Preserved Dinosaur Footprints Found Along the Shore

Tracks along the shore. — *Large boulders littering the shoreline that have been eroded out of the surrounding strata. The boulder in the foreground shows a positive footprint fossil.*

Picture credit: Pat Druckenmiller

The picture above shows the typical shoreline landscape with large boulders littering the shoreline that have been eroded out of the surrounding strata. The boulder in the foreground shows a positive footprint fossil.

Yukon River Dinosaur Footprints

A Positive Dinosaur Footprint – Ceratopsian Hind Foot?

Outlined in red a dinosaur footprint. — *Dinosaur footprint outlined in red.*

Picture credit: Pat Druckenmiller with highlighting by Everything Dinosaur

The picture above shows a close up of the dinosaur footprint, although team members at Everything Dinosaur have only this photograph to study and there is no defined scale, it has been suggested that this trace fossil may have been made by the foot of a ceratopsian (horned dinosaur).

Natural Casts

Pat Druckenmiller explained that one of the reasons the Yukon River dinosaur tracks may have gone undiscovered for so long is due to their method of preservation, they are “natural casts” formed when sand filled in the actual footprint after the dinosaur stepped in soft mud. The footprints are not “sunken impressions”, as we refer to such tracks at Everything Dinosaur, rather, they are “raised positive impressions”, that actually stick out and stand proud of the surrounding matrix. A spokesperson for the Alaskan based team stated that the prints “stick out from the rock and sometimes look like blobs with toes.”

The fossil finds are significant as they hint at an extensive dinosaur rich ecosystem that predates those fossils found from the Lower Cantwell Formation of Denali. The University of Alaska Museum of the North are keen to work with local native communities to help co-ordinate future expeditions to the area, perhaps looking for body fossils of dinosaurs so that new genera of Dinosauria may be identified. The dedicated dinosaur footprint spotters included, Jørn Hurum, from the University of Oslo Natural History Museum, UAMN Earth Sciences Collection Manager Julie Rousseau, and University of Alaska (Fairbanks) students Meghan Shay, Katherine Anderson, and Meg O’Connor.

Some of the Expedition Members with their Finds

Yukon dinosaur tracks. — *Finding dinosaur footprints in Alaska.*

Picture credit: Kevin May

A Rich and Diverse Dinosaur Fauna

The Head of Production at the Museum Roger Topp, has produced a film of the team’s exploits and the University of Alaska Museum of the North is planning to exhibit their finds in the summer of 2015.

Commenting on the fossil footprint discoveries, a spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur said:

“From the preliminary studies that have been made, these fossilised footprints indicate a rich Dinosauria fauna, with herbivorous ceratopsians and duck-billed dinosaurs dominating the mega fauna. These animals may have migrated to high latitudes to take advantage of food resources during the long periods of prolonged daylight. Predators such as tyrannosaurs may well have followed these herds north and south, picking off the sick and the old.”

A Close Up of an Ornithopod Footprint

Dinosaur footprint. — *An impression made by the hind foot of a plant-eating dinosaur.*

Picture credit: Pat Druckenmiller

24 09, 2013

Smilodon fatalis (Sabre-Tooth Cat)

By Mike|2023-02-24T08:09:30+00:00September 24th, 2013|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates|0 Comments

Smilodon Goes on Display

Just a normal day at Everything Dinosaur, sort the mail, email answers out to school children who have sent in dinosaur themed questions to our team, quick update on IT developments on the website and finding a place to display our Smilodon fatalis skull. The skull is quite delicate and it has taken a lot of work to get it sorted, but it is finished along with its huge, foam-filled transport box so that if needed, it can be taken to schools as part of our teaching about evolution and prehistoric animals in schools.

Smilodon fatalis

Taking a “Snap” of a Smilodon (S. fatalis)

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

An Impressive Set of Jaws

The gape of the jaw is most impressive, these predators could open their mouths far wider than a lion or any other modern day “Big Cat”. To read more about the jaws of members of the Machairodontinae and their very special adaptations: Open Wide! The Attack Strategy of Smilodon.

Palaeontologists estimate that the Smilodon genus had four species; there is conjecture whether Smilodon floridus and Smilodon californicus are true species or sub-species of Smilodon fatalis. Many thousands of Smilodon fossils are known, the tar pits at Rancho La Brea in Los Angeles have produced a lot of fossil material relating to the Smilodon genus (mainly S. californicus).

Still a Little Wobbly – Anterior View of Smilodon

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

We shall take the guidance provided by the scientists at La Brea Tar Pits, in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, which incidentally is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and suggest that this is Smilodon fatalis californicus a sub-species of Smilodon fatalis.

Smilodon fatalis was a sizeable beast, this skull alone measures more than thirty centimetres in length. Smilodon fatalis stood over one metre high at the shoulder, not as big as the South American S. populator but considerably larger than Smilodon gracilis.

To view Everything Dinosaur’s range of prehistoric animal models: Models of Prehistoric Mammals.

23 09, 2013

Giant Prehistoric Straight-Tusked Elephant Butchered by H. heidelbergensis in Kent

By Mike|2023-02-24T08:07:04+00:00September 23rd, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

University of Southampton Researchers Uncover a Rich Treasure Trove of Palaeolithic Fossils including Many Hand Axes

Research by a University of Southampton archaeologist suggests that early humans, who lived thousands of years before Neanderthals, were able to work together in groups to hunt and slaughter animals as large as a prehistoric elephant.

Straight-tusked Elephant

The fossil evidence of a straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) has provided tantalising evidence that Homo heidelbergenis was very capable of co-ordinating the butchering of a large animal carcase, with the research team proposing that at least four individuals worked on the corpse, extracting the cuts of meat. It is not known whether, in this instance, H. heidelbergensis actually hunted and killed the elephant but other H. heidelbergensis sites from Germany indicate that they may well have hunted these mega herbivores.

Dr Francis Wenban-Smith discovered a site containing remains of an extinct straight-tusked elephant in 2003, in an area of land at Ebbsfleet in Kent, during the construction of the High Speed 1 rail link from the Channel Tunnel to London. Investigation of the area was carried out with the independent heritage organisation Oxford Archaeology, with the support of HS1 Ltd.

Extensive Fossil Remains

Excavation revealed a deep sequence of deposits containing the elephant remains, along with numerous flint tools and a range of other species such as; wild aurochs, extinct forms of rhinoceros and lion, Barbary macaque, beaver, rabbit, various forms of vole and shrew, frogs and a diverse assemblage of snails. These remains confirm that the deposits date to a warm period of climate around 420,000 years ago, the so-called Hoxnian interglacial, when the climate was probably slightly warmer than the present day.

The Tusks of the Prehistoric Elephant Uncovered During the Fossil Excavation

Straight tusks of prehistoric elephant slowly emerge.

Picture credit: University of Southampton

Evidence for Homo heidelbergensis

Since the excavation, which took place in 2004, Francis has been carrying out a detailed analysis of evidence recovered from the site, including eighty undisturbed flint artefacts found scattered around the elephant carcass and used to butcher it. The prehistoric elephant was twice the size of today’s African variety and much heavier.

Dr Wenban-Smith commented:

“Although there is no direct evidence of how this particular animal met its end, the discovery of flint tools close to the carcass confirm butchery for its meat, probably by a group of at least four individuals. Early hominins of this period would have depended on nutrition from large herbivores. The key evidence for elephant hunting is that, of the few prehistoric butchered elephant carcasses that have been found across Europe, they are almost all large males in their prime, a pattern that does not suggest natural death and scavenging. Although it seems incredible that they could have killed such an animal, it must have been possible with wooden spears. We know hominins of this period had these, and an elephant skeleton with a wooden spear through its ribs was found at the site of Lehringen in Germany in 1948.”

Early Humans

These early humans suffered local extinction in northern Europe during the great ice age known as the Anglian glaciation 450,000 years ago, but re-established themselves as the climate grew warmer again in the following Hoxnian interglacial.

A Model of a Straight-tusked Elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus)

Eofauna Scientific Research Straight-tusked elephant.

Straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

The picture (above) shows a Straight-tusked elephant from the Eofauna Scientific Research range.

To view this range of scale prehistoric animal figures: Eofauna Scientific Research Models.

An Ability to Hunt Large Mammals

An ability to hunt large mammals, and in particular elephants, as suggested by the Ebbsfleet find, would go some way to explaining how these people then managed to push northwards again into what is now Britain. The flint artefacts of these pioneer settlers are of a characteristic type known as Clactonian, mostly comprising simple razor-sharp flakes that would have been ideal for cutting meat, sometimes with notches on them that would have helped cut through the tougher animal hide.

The discovery of this previously undisturbed elephant grave site is unique in Britain, where only a handful of other elephant skeletons have been found and none of which have produced similar evidence of human exploitation. The Ebbsfleet location is just a few miles from the West Sussex gravel beds where further evidence of H. heidelbergensis hunters have been found (Boxgrove).

Ancient Ebbsfleet

Dr Wenban-Smith explains the Ebbsfleet area would have been very different from today:

“Rich fossilised remains surrounding the elephant skeleton, including pollen, snails and a wide variety of vertebrates, provide a remarkable record of the climate and environment the early humans inhabited. Analysis of these deposits show they lived at a time of peak interglacial warmth, when the Ebbsfleet Valley was a lush, densely wooded tributary of the Thames, containing a quiet, almost stagnant swamp.”

The layer of earth containing the elephant remains and flints is overlain by a higher level of sediment, rich in so-called Acheulian tool types, hand axes of various forms from later in the same interglacial. Controversy surrounds whether or not these represent a later wave of colonisation of Britain, or whether the Clactonians themselves evolved a more sophisticated tool-kit as they developed a more sustained occupation.

To read an article on the discovery of a baby Woolly Mammoth carcase in Siberia that shows signs of being butchered by humans (H. sapiens): Baby Mammoth Killed by Lions and then Butchered by Humans.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the contribution of the University of Southampton in the compilation of this article.

22 09, 2013

Silurian Placoderm from China – a “Jaw-Dropping” Fossil Discovery

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:58:23+00:00September 22nd, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Palaeontological articles|0 Comments

Say Hello to “Fish Face” Entelognathus primordialis – Crucial New Evidence into the Evolution of Jawed Vertebrates

The evolution of jaws was perhaps one of the most significant events in the history of the vertebrates (and this group includes us by the way). Jaws permitted vertebrates to eat bigger items, more diverse types of food, develop different feeding styles and in the case of fish, to push more oxygen bearing water through the expanded mouth cavity, a substantial aid to respiration. It can be argued that the development of a complex jaw gave the gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates) the edge over the invertebrates, perhaps most notably the arthropods and the Mollusca as these groups battled it out for the position of apex predators in the Palaeozoic seas.

The Evolution of Jaws

The discovery of cranial elements from an armoured fish at a quarry near to Xiaoxiang Reservoir, Yunnan Province, China, dated to approximately 419 million years ago is shedding new light on the evolution of jaws. This fossil shows the earliest evidence discovered to date of jaws and facial bones seen in gnathostomes. Other bones are more primitive, typical of a placoderm (armoured fish). This sets up the intriguing hypothesis that the face was the first modern skeletal feature to evolve.

The fish, which swam in shallow seas during the Silurian, has been named Entelognathus primordialis, the name means “primordial complete jaw”.

The beautifully preserved fossil skull shows details of the individual bones that make up the skull and jaws, its discovery is extremely significant as the placoderm group is believed to have given rise to the two major classes of extant fish, the cartilaginous fish such as sharks and rays which are known as Chondrichthyes and the bony fish, the Osteichthyes, which encompasses fish with bony skeletons and all other vertebrates that bear limbs with distinct digits, that’s amphibians, reptiles, mammals, birds and of course us. E. primordialis has dermal marginal jaw bones (premaxilla, maxilla and a dentary) and as such it is the first stem gnathostome to show such anatomical features.

Placoderms (Placodermi)

Placoderms (the name means plated skins) were primitive jawed fish. They are named after the broad, flat, bony plates that covered their heads and the front parts of their bodies. Although during the Silurian and up to the Middle Devonian this group was extremely diverse, this type of fish becomes increasingly rare in the fossil record from then onwards and it is believed that placoderms became extinct at the end of the Devonian around 360 million years ago. Features such as the braincase of E. primordialis indicate a strong affinity with the placoderms but, the pattern of the bones in the jaws is almost identical to that seen in fish of the class Osteichthyes and their descendants, terrestrial animals with backbones.

Silurian Placoderm

Member of the research team, Xiaobo Yu (Kean University in Union, New Jersey) commented:

“This is a unique pattern, that is found only in bony fishes. As such, finding the pattern in what otherwise looks like a placoderm is a real surprise.”

The Holotype Fossil Material with an Artist’s Impression of E. primordialis in the Background

“Hello Funny Face”.

Picture Credit: Reuters

Dermal Armour

The dermal armour at the front of placoderm bodies bears little resemblance to the skeletons of extant vertebrates. Scientists had thought that the descendants of the placoderms lost their dermal bones entirely with two main classes of fish evolving, the Chondrichthyes such as the sharks and the Osteichthyes. The sharks and rays continued to evolve without bony skeletons, these fish have skeletons supported by cartilage. The Osteichthyes class re-evolved the bony skeleton, a successful body plan of all bony fish and their descendants the tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals).

This new fossil find, is something of a smack in the mouth for the “second evolution” of the bony skeleton theory. The dermal plates of the placoderm may survive today in the jaws of gnathostomes, and that includes human beings as well. Placoderms may not have lost their dermal armour, it simply evolved into elements of the modern bony skeleton such as the upper and lower jaws. The face may have been the fist element of a modern gnathostome skeleton to evolve.

A Close up of the Fossil Material

Something to get your teeth into the evolution of facial features.

Picture credit: Reuters with the mouth highlighted by Everything Dinosaur

Previously, the common perception had been that the sharks and rays with their skeletons made of cartilage were more primitive than the bony fishes. Their lack of a bony skeleton rather suggests that the Chondrichthyes arguably, have evolved further from the ancestral form than the bony fishes have. It may not be a case of having a cartilaginous skeleton being a primitive trait, this new discovery suggests that in terms of a support structure for their bodies, sharks and rays may be more different from basal forms than the bony fishes. Sharks and rays have evolved further from the ancestral, basal body structure.

A Computer Generated Image of the Fossil Material Revealing Skeletal Features

“Fossilised Face”

Picture credit: Nature

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur stated:

“This intriguing find, one of a number of Silurian fossil fishes that have been discovered in rocks making up the Kuanti Formation (Late Ludlow) Formation, might lead to a revision in the taxonomic relationships between basal members of the modern, vertebrate groups.”

Life in the Silurian Seas – Entelognathus primordialis

The first “Jaws”?

Picture credit: Brian Choo

E. primordialis

The illustration above shows a life restoration of E. primordialis swimming in a warm, tropical sea that was to form the province of Yunnan (western China). Scientists believe that this fossil discovery re-writes the history of the evolution of jaw bones, including our own.

The scientific paper: “A Silurian placoderm with osteichthyan-like marginal jaw bones” by Min Zhu, Xiaobo Yu, Per Erik Ahlberg, Brian Choo, Jing Lu, Tuo Qiao, Qingming Qu, Wenjin Zhao, Liantao Jia, Henning Blom and You’an Zhu published in the journal Nature.

21 09, 2013

No “Good Dinosaur” Until November 2015

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:54:23+00:00September 21st, 2013|Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Pixar Delay the Release of a Dinosaur Movie

Pixar, the digital animation film company responsible for such global hits as “Finding Nemo” and the “Toy Story” movies, has put back their release of “The Good Dinosaur” until November 2015. This animated film, telling the story of our planet if the dinosaurs has not become extinct was originally due for release in May of next year, but following the removal of the film’s director Bob Peterson, the premier has been rescheduled a further 18 months down the line from the original intended release date.

“The Good Dinosaur”

Bob Peterson has worked as a voice actor and storyboard editor on a number of Pixar productions. He co-directed the acclaimed “Up” which was released by Pixar in 2009. Sources at Pixar cite concerns over the creative development of the film as the reason for Mr Peterson’s departure.

Pixar Delaying the Release

Ed Catmull, the President of Pixar, which is owned by the Disney corporation, has stated that:

“Nobody ever remembers the fact that you slipped a film, but they will remember a bad film. Our conclusion was that we were going to give the [dinosaur] film some more time.”

Mojo Fun Mamenchisaurus dinosaur model (new for 2020).

The Mojo Fun Mamenchisaurus dinosaur model. The Pixar film will follow the adventures of a green, sauropod dinosaur. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a sauropod model from the Mojo Fun range.

To view the range of Mojo Fun prehistoric animal models: Mojo Fun Prehistoric Animal Replicas.

Intriguingly the new release date of Pixar’s dinosaur movie will follow just four months after the intended world premier of Jurassic Park IV (Jurassic World), which is scheduled for release in the early summer of 2015. Following this dinosaur themed live action film may well help Pixar, the momentum from the first movie may well attract young dinosaur fans and their mums and dads into cinemas as “dino mania” as we at Everything Dinosaur call it continues towards Christmas 2015.

For dinosaur toys, replicas and prehistoric animal themed clothing visit: Everything Dinosaur.

20 09, 2013

Real Adventure Dinosaur Floor Puzzle Reviewed

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:46:51+00:00September 20th, 2013|Educational Activities, Everything Dinosaur Products, Product Reviews|0 Comments

Colourful Dinosaur Themed Floor Puzzle gets Thumbs Up!

Just in to Everything Dinosaur – a brand new giant dinosaur floor puzzle.

Measuring an enormous 60 cm x 91 cm when complete, with 35 large robust 2″ x 3″ pieces, and its own carrying box with handle, this giant floor puzzle is designed for little hands, and a big floor space.

Dinosaur Floor Puzzle

The new dinosaur jigsaw from the Real Adventure Collection, depicts a bright and colourful prehistoric scene, and is complete with all our favourites. A fearsome T. rex in the foreground is hungry and on the attack, a mother Triceratops is protecting her baby, the Ankylosaurus is wary, whilst a small theropod dinosaur (with feathers), hides and waits. A titanosaur and its young seek protection from the predators in the water, whilst the Parasaurolophus stop by the water’s edge to take a drink. With an exploding volcano in the back drop, and Pteranodon soaring above – this jigsaw really has them all.

Dinosaur Jigsaw Puzzle – Designed for Young Dinosaur Fans

Prehistoric scene as a dinosaur themed jigsaw.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Ideal for Children

This dinosaur floor puzzle has been specially designed so that little hands can grasp and put together the puzzle pieces. Completing jigsaws is a great way to help young dinosaur fans develop observational skills, improve hand-eye co-ordination and assist them with their reasoning, all very helpful as mums, dads and other grown ups help to prepare them for their school days.

Suitable for ages 3+, this giant floor puzzle will aid motor skills, and many of our reviewers told us that once the puzzle was complete they got their budding young palaeontologists to count all the prehistoric animals in the scene, could they spot them all? Look out for the sneaky, camouflaged pachycephalosaur. In addition, many of the children were asked to name the prehistoric animals and to try to work out which ones were plant-eaters and which animals were the meat-eaters.

Putting together a puzzle such as this does lend itself to lots of other learning orientated extension activities – can your young dinosaur fan make up a story to explain what the picture shows?

To view Everything Dinosaurs extensive range of dinosaur themed puzzles and gifts: Everything Dinosaur – Puzzles, Toys and Gifts.

This new addition to Everything Dinosaur’s range of dinosaur themed jigsaws and puzzles gets a big thumbs up.

19 09, 2013

Swaledale Fossil Limestone for King Richard’s Tomb

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:43:16+00:00September 19th, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Famous Figures|0 Comments

Leicester Cathedral Publishes Plans for the Tomb of King Richard III – Fossils to Play a Role

Church authorities at Leicester Cathedral have announced plans for the burial tomb of King Richard III. The impressive tomb, is the proposed final resting place of Richard of York who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in in 1485, although there is a strong campaign to have Richard’s remains returned to York for burial. Leicester Cathedral’s plans are for a stone tomb, carved with a deep cross and set upon an engraving of a white Yorkshire rose. The project is likely to cost something like £1.3 million to complete.

King Richard III

The stone that is intended to be used is Swaledale limestone, highly appropriate as this stone is from Swaledale (naturally), part of the magnificent North Yorkshire countryside. Although this stone comes in various colours, greys, off-white and even with a blueish hue it is highly fossiliferous. The limestone was formed at the bottom of a shallow sea that covered much of what was to become the United Kingdom back in the early Carboniferous geological period.

Swaledale Fossil Limestone

It is coarse grained and contains a substantial amount of fossil remains of invertebrate marine creatures, most notably the flexible stems of sea lilies otherwise known as crinoids. Crinoids belong to the same phylum as starfishes and sea urchins, they look superficially like plants (hence the name sea lily), but they are in fact an animal. Entirely marine, crinoids have been around since the Cambrian and can still be found today. Typically, crinoids consisted of a hold fast to anchor them to the sea-bed and a flexible stem made up of calcite plates (called stem ossicles or columnals), which supported umbrella-like branching tubular arms that were able to trap food items in passing currents. When the creature dies, the minute organic fibres that held the stem ossicles together rot and the stem disintegrates.

In the ancient limestone beds of Swaledale crinoids were so numerous that their fossils form a substantial part of the rocks.

When polished, the fossils show up very clearly and the details of the stem ossicles can be seen very clearly.

Fossil Rich Carboniferous Limestone

Rock fit for a King!

Picture credit: Open University

We are not sure whether there is any record of Richard of York being an avid collector of fossils, but if the tomb is built, visitors to the Cathedral will be able to view evidence of life in a prehistoric sea as well as learning about the last Plantagenet King of England.

The fossilised stems of crinoids are also known as “St Cuthbert’s beads”. St Cuthbert was a monk at the monastery located at Lindisfarne, otherwise called Holy Island (Northumberland), local legend states the Cuthbert would make rosaries by threading a thin piece of thread through columnals that he had collected on the shore.

For models and replicas of ancient creatures including Palaeozoic and Mesozoic animals: CollectA Prehistoric Life Figures and Models.

18 09, 2013

Dinosaurs in a Wind Tunnel – Giving up the Secret of Microraptor Flight

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:39:27+00:00September 18th, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans|0 Comments

Wind Tunnel Tests Provide New Data on the Evolution of Powered Flight in Birds

Thanks to some amazing dinosaur fossil discoveries that have been made in recent years, most notably from the Liaoning Province of northern China, palaeontologists have been able to study a number of feathered theropod dinosaurs and primitive birds. Such studies have shed light on the evolution of feathers and provided information on the origins of powered flight. However, little work has been done on testing the flight abilities of these early Cretaceous creatures. The flight performance, stability and aerodynamics of one theropod dinosaur, a genus called Microraptor, one of the smallest dinosaurs known to science, has been put to the test by a team of researchers at Southampton University (United Kingdom).

Microraptor

About two dozen or so specimens of Microraptor have been excavated from the fine grained sedimentary deposits of Liaoning Province. Many of these beautifully preserved fossils show that this little dinosaur had asymmetrical flight feathers on both its arms and its legs. The body was covered in downy feathers and this carnivore, which probably weighed around 1,000 grammes, had a long, rigid tail that sported an array of feathers too. In essence the feather covered limbs and tail provided Microraptor with five potential lifting surfaces, it essentially had five wings.

The Fossilised Remains of a Microraptor

Insight into the evolution of flight using a wind tunnel.

The scientists from Southampton University built a full scale model of Microraptor in order to test the flight abilities of this “flying dinosaur”. Tests in a wind tunnel suggest that the fore-limb dominated bird flight passed through an evolutionary stage of four-winged flight (terapteryx). The research into Microraptor indicates that this dinosaur’s anatomy represents an important stage in the development of gliding leading on to powered flight.

Wind Tunnel Tests

The wind test results show that Microraptor would have been most stable gliding when large amounts of lift was generated from its wings. Flight simulations demonstrate that this behaviour had advantages since this high lift coefficient allows for slow glides, which can be achieved with less height loss. For gliding down from low elevations, such as trees, this slow, and aerodynamically less efficient flight was the gliding strategy that results in minimal height loss and longest glide distance, a most efficient form of movement.

For many years, the position and orientation of Microraptor’s legs and wings as it glided had been debated. However, the leg position and wing shape turns out to be largely irrelevant, the wind tunnel tests indicate that changes in these variables make little difference to the dinosaur’s ability to fly.

The Evolution of Flight

Senior Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University, Dr Gareth Dyke, a co-author of this new study commented:

“Significant to the evolution of flight, we show that Microraptor did not require a sophisticated, ‘modern’ wing morphology to undertake effective glides, as the high-lift coefficient regime is less dependent upon detail of wing morphology. This is consistent with the fossil record, and also with the hypothesis that symmetric ‘flight’ feathers first evolved in dinosaurs for non-aerodynamic functions, later being adapted to form aerodynamically capable surfaces.”

Model of a Microraptor to Test Aviation Capabilities

PNSO Gaoyuan the Microraptor model.

The black Microraptor model (above) is from the PNSO model series, to view the range of PNSO prehistoric animal models in stock at Everthing Dinosaur: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models and Figures.

The research has been written up for inclusion in the next edition of the academic journal “Nature Communications”.

Dr Roeland de Kat, the study’s co-author and a Research Fellow in the Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Research Group (Southampton University), added:

“What interests me is that aerodynamic efficiency is not the dominant factor in determining Microraptor’s glide efficiency. However, it needs a combination of a high lift coefficient and aerodynamic efficiency to perform at its best.”

New Science on an Early Cretaceous Dinosaur

This is the first time such wind tunnel tests have been carried out on such a sophisticated model representing a Microraptor, the model even has real feathers applied to its limbs, these feathers provide detailed information on the effect of air currents and on drag, helping the researchers to gain a much deeper understanding of the flight capabilities of this Early Cretaceous dinosaur. Further details of this research will be presented at a conference celebrating the importance of British and Chinese dinosaur fossil discoveries being held later this week at the National Oceanography Centre (Southampton).

A Scale Drawing of Microraptor

M. gui scale drawing

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

17 09, 2013

Cloning Dinosaurs from DNA Preserved in Amber Emtombed Blood-sucking Insects Not Possible

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:35:20+00:00September 17th, 2013|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories|0 Comments

Researchers Conclude that “Jurassic Park Scenario” Not Likely

The title of the next instalment of the “Jurassic Park” movie franchise may have just been announced (Jurassic World), but for one group of Manchester University academics it is finally time to pour cold water on the idea that dinosaurs could be cloned from DNA recovered from blood-sucking insects that had been found in amber. Research carried in the early 1990s suggested that minute amounts of DNA could be recovered from insects that had been preserved trapped in tree resin (amber).

However, new research published in the online journal “Public Library of Science – Biology”, which used the very latest DNA recovery techniques, casts doubt on the ability to extract DNA from such a source.

The Existence of DNA in Fossils Unlikely

Researchers from the Faculty of Life Sciences at The University of Manchester can now confirm that the existence of DNA in amber fossils is highly unlikely. The team led by amber expert Dr David Penney and co-ordinated by ancient DNA expert Professor Terry Brown used highly-sensitive “next generation” sequencing techniques, the most advance type of DNA sequencing, on insects in copal, the sub-fossilised resin precursor of amber.

Ancient Insects Preserved in Amber

Scientists explore the “Jurassic Park DNA theory”.

The research was conducted wearing full forensic suits in the dedicated ancient DNA facility at The University of Manchester, which comprises a suite of independent, physically isolated laboratories, each with an ultra-filtered air supply maintaining positive displacement pressure and a managed access system.

According to Professor Brown:

“In the original 1990s studies DNA amplification was achieved by a process called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which will preferentially amplify any modern, undamaged DNA molecules that contaminate an extract of partially degraded ancient ones to give false positive results that might be mistaken for genuine ancient DNA. Our approach, using “next generation” sequencing methods is ideal for ancient DNA because it provides sequences for all the DNA molecules in an extract, regardless of their length, and is less likely to give preference to contaminating modern molecules.”

Cloning Dinosaurs

The team concluded that their inability to detect ancient DNA in relatively young (60 years to 10,600 years old) sub-fossilised insects in copal, despite using sensitive next generation methods, suggests that the potential for DNA survival in resin inclusions is no better, and perhaps worse, than that in air-dried museum insects (from which DNA has been retrieved using similar techniques). This raises significant doubts about claims of DNA extraction from fossil insects in amber, many millions of years older than the copal specimens.

Dr Penney added:

“Intuitively, one might imagine that the complete and rapid engulfment in resin, resulting in almost instantaneous demise, might promote the preservation of DNA in a resin entombed insect, but this appears not to be the case. So, unfortunately, the Jurassic Park scenario must remain in the realms of fiction.”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the contribution of Manchester University in compiling this article.

Visit Everything Dinosaurs award-winning website for dinosaur models, toys and games: Everything Dinosaur – Dinosaur Models, Toys and Games.

16 09, 2013

Dinosaur Expert in a Tin – A Great Christmas Gift

By Mike|2023-02-24T07:30:35+00:00September 16th, 2013|Everything Dinosaur Products, Press Releases|0 Comments

Dinosaur Expert in a Tin – Great Christmas Gift Idea

In response to requests from Mums and Dads of budding young palaeontologists, Everything Dinosaur has come up with a handy dinosaur themed gift idea. With an emphasis very much on education, the team have put together an assortment of prehistoric animal themed goodies all packed into a sturdy metal box with a colourful dinosaur motif. The gift set, appropriately labelled “Dinosaur Expert in a Tin” is aimed at children from eight years and upwards and is available exclusively from Everything Dinosaur’s website. It makes a super Christmas or birthday gift and helps solve the problem of what to give a young dinosaur fan.

“Dinosaur Expert in a Tin” – Gift Idea

Gift idea for a budding palaeontologist.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Dinosaur Expert

A spokesperson for Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We wanted to put together a gift set so that grown ups could provide their young charges with a range of stimulating and creative dinosaur themed activities and items. The product concept has received very favourable feedback, after all, not many gift sets feature a dinosaur excavation kit as well as a genuine fossil.”

The Dinosaur Expert in a Tin gift set includes a full colour, beautifully illustrated dinosaur book, a notebook with pencil, two prehistoric animal models, stickers as well as the fossil find excavation kit and a real fossil with its own display box, all items have been approved by the dinosaur experts in the company.

For Budding Palaeontologists

The metal box even has its own handle so the gift set can be carried around by the young budding palaeontologist.

To see more of Everything Dinosaur’s educational themed products including the Dinosaur Expert in a Tin gift set: Educational Dinosaur Themed Gifts and Toys.

With Christmas just over 100 days away (a mere blink in geological time), it seems that Everything Dinosaur have done their bit to help make shopping for dinosaur themed gift ideas that much easier this year.