The oldest spider ever found in Germany has been scientifically described. Named Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki this ancient creepy-crawly roamed northern Germany more than 300 million years ago (Carboniferous).
The fossils of this arachnid come from the Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück in Lower Saxony. They represent the first Palaeozoic spider found in Germany.
Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki fossils (top) and interpretative line drawing (bottom). Picture credit: Jason Dunlop, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki
In a recent article published in the international journal Paläontologische Zeitschrift, Dr Jason Dunlop from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin described this ancient arthropod. The spider is between 310 and 315 million years old and was named after its discoverer, Tim Wolterbeek, who generously donated the fossil to the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
The spider had a body length of about one centimetre and a leg span of about four centimetres. It was about the same size as a common Wolf spider (Lycosidae). It belonged to a primitive group of arachnids known as the mesotheles, which, in contrast to most spiders today, still have a segmented abdomen. Its living relatives are found only in eastern Asia.
The fossil reveals stunning details. The silk-producing spinnerets and even hair and claws on the legs have been identified.
An Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki life reconstruction. Picture credit: Jason Dunlop, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin.
One of Nature’s Big Success Stories
The Arachnida are one of nature’s great success stories. More than 50,000 species of spider have been described worldwide. About a thousand species live in Germany. Spiders are also preserved as fossils. More than 1,400 extinct species are known. It is thought the first spider-like, terrestrial arthropods evolved in the Devonian. These creatures rapidly diversified and thrived in the swamps of the Carboniferous. They became important predators of insects and other small invertebrates. Some giant forms evolved, although the classification of some specimens remains controversial. For example, Megarachne servinei from the Late Carboniferous of Argentina had a leg span in excess of fifty centimetres. Once thought to be a giant spider, it has been reclassified as a bizarre eurypterid.
To read an article from 2018 about the discovery of a Cretaceous-aged spider with a whip-like tail: A Tale of a Spider with a Tail.
The Piesberg quarry is an important fossil site and was declared a National Geotope in 2019. The location has yielded numerous fossils of plants, insects and other animals, including arachnids such as scorpions. This new fossil shows that Late Carboniferous spiders also lived in the Piesberg coal forests. Spiders of this age are still extremely rare. Only twelve Carboniferous species worldwide can be positively identified as spiders, with previous records coming from France, the Czech Republic, Poland and the United States (Mazon Creek).
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “The first Palaeozoic spider (Arachnida: Araneae) from Germany” by Jason A. Dunlop published in Paläontologische Zeitschrift.
A newly published study suggests that the Cambrian predator Anomalocaris canadensis had grasping appendages that were too weak to crack trilobite exoskeletons.
The research examined the mechanical properties of the claw-like appendages of the Late Cambrian predator Anomalocaris canadensis. The study concluded that this marine carnivore was built for speed but was not strong enough to crack the exoskeletons of trilobites.
An Anomalocaris life reconstruction. Picture credit: Katrina Kenny.
A Nektonic, Agile Hunter
Writing in the academic journal the Proceedings of the Royal Society Biology, the researchers led by Russell Bicknell (American Museum of Natural History), show that A. canadensis was weaker than previously thought. They postulate that Anomalocaris was a fast and agile swimmer. It was nektonic, catching soft prey such as jelly fish and early vertebrates in open water. The study further refutes the idea that this large predator hunted trilobites.
The fossilised head of an Anomalocaris canadensis showing a contracted grasping appendage. Picture credit: Greg Edgecombe.
This Study Supports the Conclusions of Earlier Research
Earlier research (Christopher Nedin, 1999) focused on the ring-shaped mouthparts of Anomalocaris (the oral cone). Anomalocaris mouthparts were at first misidentified. The oral cone was once thought to represent a jellyfish and named Peytoia. The lack of wear on the mouthparts was highlighted suggesting that they did not they did not come into regular contact with mineralised trilobite exoskeletons. It was proposed these radiodonts probably fed on soft-bodied organisms.
Revising the Behaviour of Anomalocaris canadensis
It had been thought that Anomalocaris was responsible for some of the scarred and crushed trilobite specimens preserved in the fossil record.
Postdoctoral researcher Russell Bicknell commented:
“That didn’t sit right with me because trilobites have a very strong exoskeleton, which they essentially make out of rock, while this animal would have been mostly soft and squishy.”
This study set out to investigate whether the pair of grasping appendages located on the head were capable of ripping apart a trilobite. Burgess Shale fossil material was used to create an accurate three-dimensional model of Anomalocaris canadensis.
Natural History Museum researcher and co-author of the paper, Greg Edgecombe explained:
“Having access to specimens with the entire body preserved in the fossils allowed us to understand the anatomy of the appendages in the context of the rest of the head and the trunk. We were able to get a better picture of Anomalocaris as a living organism.”
A new biomechanical study using techniques applied in engineering projects suggests that the spiked, grasping appendages of Anomalocaris canadensis were not strong enough to break the exoskeleton of a trilobite. Picture credit: Greg Edgecombe.
Compared to Extant Whip Scorpions and Whip Spiders
The scientists used modern predatory whip spiders and whip scorpions as analogues. The team demonstrated that the predator’s segmented appendages were able to grab prey and could both stretch and flex. Finite element analysis, a modelling technique used in engineering, was used to identify stresses and points where the appendage would have been under strain.
The team calculated that the appendages would have been damaged while grasping hard prey such as trilobites. The researchers also used computational fluid dynamics to place the three-dimensional model of Anomalocaris in a virtual current to predict the body position it would use while swimming.
Dr Imran Rahman (London Natural History Museum) stated:
“This study emphasises the great potential of modern computer modelling methods in palaeontology. By employing techniques more commonly used in other disciplines like engineering, we can test ideas about long-extinct animals like Anomalocaris.”
This is the first time this combination of biomechanical modelling techniques has been used together in a single study. A different view of Anomalocaris canadensis has emerged. The animal was probably nektonic. A speedy swimmer, chasing soft-bodied prey in the water column with its front appendages outstretched and forward-facing.
Bicknell remarked:
“Previous conceptions were that these animals would have seen the Burgess Shale fauna as a smorgasbord, going after anything they wanted to, but we are finding that the dynamics of the Cambrian food webs were probably much more complex that we once thought.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the London Natural History Museum in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Raptorial appendages of the Cambrian apex predator Anomalocaris canadensis are built for soft prey and speed” by Russell D. C. Bicknell, Michel Schmidt, Imran A. Rahman, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Susana Gutarra, Allison C. Daley, Roland R. Melzer, Stephen Wroe and John R. Paterson published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
The oldest fossil “stomach stone” has been discovered at Kimmeridge Bay, Dorset on the famous “Jurassic Coast”. The baseball-sized fossil was found by the eminent palaeontologist Dr Steve Etches MBE. It is thought to be around 150 million years old. The fossil is at least 59 million years older than the previous oldest known fossilised stomach stone.
The world’s oldest fossil “stomach stone” also known as a calculus. This exceptionally rare fossil was found at Kimmeridge Bay. It is estimated to be approximately 150 million years old (Late Jurassic). Picture credit: Ivan Sansom.
Fossil “Stomach Stone” – A Calculus
Dr Etches sought the opinions of other palaeontologists to see if he could learn more about this mystery object. It was initially dismissed as not being organic in nature. The consensus was that it had formed through geological processes. The stone was passed on to experienced fossil preparator Nigel Larkin who compared it to material in the collections of the Royal College of Surgeons, England, and the University College London (UCL) pathology collections.
It soon became clear the stone was a “calculus”. A “calculus” is a concretion, a collection of minerals that form in the body. These objects are found in many parts of the body, the kidneys, the bladder, the stomach the urinary tract and they have a very specific internal structure.
Dr Steve Etches MBE holding the world’s oldest calculus. One of the UK’s rarest fossils. Found by Steve at Kimmeridge on the Jurassic Coast. Picture credit: The Etches Collection.
An Exceptional Fossil Discovery
Only a handful of calculi have been discovered in the fossil record. It is thought that more exist, but they have not been formally identified.
Nigel Larkin commented:
“I was fascinated by this very curious mystery object and was determined to discover what it was. Unless stomach stones are actually found preserved within a skeleton it is almost impossible to tell what sort of animal it might have formed inside.”
The size of the stomach stone and the location of its discovery (marine deposits) suggests that this object formed inside the body of a large marine reptile. The calculus could have come from a plesiosaur, an ichthyosaur, a pliosaur or perhaps a marine crocodile.
Dr Ivan Sansom, Senior Lecturer in Palaeobiology at the University of Birmingham, carried out microscopic analyses of the stone to determine the exact structure of the specimen and its mineral composition. Based on this analysis Dr Sansom concluded that this stone had formed in the gastro-intestinal tract. It was a fossil “stomach stone”.
The Only Calculus from the UK Fossil Record
The fossil “stomach stone” is estimated to be around 150 million years old (Late Jurassic). This discovery extends the range of known calculi in the fossil record by approximately 59 million years. It is the only fossil of its kind to have been found in the UK. It also confirms their occurrence in marine palaeoenvironments rather than just terrestrial deposits.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Reading in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “The fossil record’s oldest known calculus (an enterolith of the gastrointestinal tract), from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Upper Jurassic), UK” by Nigel R. Larkin, Thomas Henton, Steve Etches, Adrian J. Wright, Tzu-Yu Chen, Laura L. Driscoll, Richard M. Shelton and Ivan J. Sansom published in the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association.
A Victorian-era statue of a Palaeotherium magnum, an ancient mammal distantly related to horses has been rebuilt and installed at Crystal Palace. The original sculpture, designed by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, was lost in the 1960s. Thanks to a dedicated team of historians, palaeontologists and artists Palaeotherium has returned to the famous Crystal Palace Dinosaurs site.
The new Palaeotherium sculpture in situ at the Park. Picture credit; James Balston.
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Site
The Crystal Palace Dinosaurs have Grade 1 listed status. The collection consists of around thirty figures and approximately forty geological displays. They were created in the 1850s and represent the world’s first attempt to depict life-size prehistoric animals.
Commenting on the significance of the site, evolutionary biologist at the Natural History Museum and Chair of the Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, Elinor Michel stated:
“The sculptures are of huge historic and scientific importance. The display first opened twenty-eight years before the London Natural History Museum and was the first-time models of extinct creatures had been used to engage people with science and geological time. For many visitors, this was their first introduction to the idea of lost worlds of animals and environments that no longer exist.”
Victorian-era Sculptures of Prehistoric Animals
Crystal Palace might be famous for its dinosaur sculptures, but only four of the statues represent members of the Dinosauria. The other figures represent marine reptiles, pterosaurs, crocodilians, amphibians and prehistoric mammals.
A pair of Iguanodons study the Crystal Palace landscape. The Grade 1 listed statues have been undergoing extensive conservation. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The building of a life-size Palaeotherium magnum was a task taken up by Britain’s leading palaeo artist and chum of Everything Dinosaur Bob Nicholls. Friends of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, staff from the Natural History Museum and researchers from the University of Portsmouth supervised the project.
Building the Palaeotherium statue, an image of the original sculpture can be seen in the background. Picture credit: Bob Nicholls.
This is the first attempt in twenty years to replace a lost sculpture at Crystal Palace. The resurrection of Palaeotherium emphasises the importance of the work to document the changes that have taken place within the grounds.
Palaeotherium magnum
Professor Adrian Lister (London Natural History Museum) commented:
“Palaeotherium magnum is the largest among a group of five mammal species represented in the Park that lived in the Eocene some 44.5 to 33.5 million years ago when Britain was clothed in tropical forest. The size of a small, chunky pony, it was a browsing mammal some 2 metres long and 1.3 metres high.”
A life reconstruction of Palaeotherium magnum. Picture credit: Mark Witton.
The restored sculpture was unveiled at a special ceremony at Crystal Palace Park today (2nd July, 2023). As part of the events to commemorate the return of Palaeotherium, visitors were offered a conducted tour of the site.
A big crowd gathered to witness the Palaeotherium unveiling. Picture credit: Neil Scott-Sills.
Palaeotherium Project is Part of a Wider Initiative
The Palaeotherium project is part of a wider initiative to revive and conserve the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs site. Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs, Historic England, the new Crystal Palace Park Trust and Bromley Council have been working together to develop a plan to protect the site. The resurrection of Palaeotherium magnum highlights a more optimistic, entertaining and enlightening future for one of the UK’s most iconic greenspaces.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the London Natural History Museum in the compilation of this article.
A newly discovered ornithopod dinosaur is helping to document faunal turnover in the early Late Cretaceous of North America. The dinosaur, named Iani smithi has been classified as a basal member of the Rhabdodontomorpha. This type of dinosaur is distantly related to the duck-billed dinosaurs (Hadrosauridae), which were to become extremely common by the Late Cretaceous.
The plant-eating I. smithi lived when the Earth was undergoing an intensive period of climate change. Global populations of dinosaurs were changing. Many long-established clades were dying out, being replaced with different types of dinosaur that were to dominate terrestrial environments until the end of the Mesozoic.
A life reconstruction of a juvenile Iani smithi. I. smithi an ornithopod from the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah. Picture credit: Jorge Gonzalez.
Iani smithi
Described from fossils excavated in 2014 from a quarry within the lower Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation (Utah), the single specimen is thought to represent a juvenile. The fossil material consists of a disarticulated skull, vertebrae, limb elements, parts of the pectoral and pelvic girdles and ribs.
Researchers estimate that Iani lived approximately 99 million years ago (Cenomanian faunal stage of the Late Cretaceous). The Earth was rapidly warming due to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Sea levels were rising and this dramatic period of climate change, known as the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum (KTM), led to extensive faunal turnover.
In North America, sauropods became rarer and eventually extinct (probably). Smaller ornithischian dinosaur clades began to dominate terrestrial environments. Spinosaurids and carcharodontosaurids were in decline. These theropods were eventually replaced by tyrannosaurs and abelisaurids.
This dramatic faunal turnover is reflected in the dinosaur’s name. The genus honours Janus – the two-faced Roman god of change.
The species name honours Joshua Aaron Smith. It is in recognition of his contribution to the discovery and conservation of paleontological resources in Utah.
A Rarity in North America
Iani smithi will help palaeontologists to better understand the transition of the Ornithopoda from Early Cretaceous groups to those bird-hipped dinosaurs that dominated Late Cretaceous terrestrial environments. Early rhabdodontomorphs such as Iani are exceptionally rare in the North American fossil record.
Corresponding author of the scientific paper, Lindsay Zanno (North Carolina State University) commented:
“Finding Iani was a streak of luck. We knew something like it lived in this ecosystem because isolated teeth had been collected here and there, but we weren’t expecting to stumble upon such a beautiful skeleton, especially from this time in Earth’s history. Having a nearly complete skull was invaluable for piecing the story together.”
A Phylogenetic Assessment of Iani smithi
Zanno and her team used the well-preserved skeleton to analyse the evolutionary relationships of Iani and were surprised, and at first sceptical of their findings.
Associate research professor Lindsay Zanno explained:
“We recovered Iani as an early rhabdodontomorph, a lineage of ornithopods known almost exclusively from Europe. Recently, palaeontologists proposed that another North American dinosaur, Tenontosaurus – which was as common as cattle in the Early Cretaceous – belongs to this group, as well as some Australian critters. If Iani holds up as a rhabdodontomorph, it raises a lot of cool questions.”
The CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Tenontosaurus model.
The picture (above) shows a model of Tenontosaurus from the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular range.
The research team speculate that Iani could be the last of its line. Studying this fossil specimen, in the context of environmental and biodiversity changes during the Cretaceous will provide insight into the history of our planet.
Lindsay Zanno added:
“Iani may be the last surviving member of a lineage of dinosaurs that once thrived here in North America but were eventually supplanted by duckbill dinosaurs. Iani was alive during this transition, so this dinosaur really does symbolise a changing planet.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the North Carolina State University in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “An early-diverging iguanodontian (Dinosauria: Rhabdodontomorpha) from the Late Cretaceous of North America” by Lindsay E. Zanno, Terry A. Gates, Haviv M. Avrahami, Ryan T. Tucker and Peter J. Makovicky published in PLoS One.
New research using complex mathematical models has proposed that placental mammals co-existed with dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous. Using sophisticated Bayesian statistical analysis an international team of researchers have estimated that placental mammals originated during the Late Cretaceous. However, it was only after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs that modern, recognisable lineages of placentals were able to diversify.
Debate has long raged amongst researchers over whether placental mammals were present alongside the dinosaurs before the mass extinction, or whether they only evolved after the non-avian dinosaur extinction. Fossils of placental mammals are only found in rocks younger than 66 million years old, after the end-Cretaceous extinction event. This suggests that the group evolved after the demise of the non-avian Dinosauria. However, molecular clock data indicates that placental mammals originated earlier.
When Did Placental Mammals Evolve?
Writing in the academic journal “Current Biology”, a team of researchers including palaeobiologists from the University of Bristol, the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and scientists from Sweden used a complex statistical analysis to confirm placental mammals co-existed the dinosaurs.
Lead author of the study Emily Carlisle (School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol) commented:
“We pulled together thousands of fossils of placental mammals and were able to see the patterns of origination and extinction of the different groups. Based on this, we could estimate when placental mammals evolved.”
PhD student Emily Carlisle (University of Bristol), the lead author of the paper. Picture credit: Emily Carlisle.
Co-author Daniele Silvestro (University of Fribourg) explained:
“The model we used estimates origination ages based on when lineages first appear in the fossil record and the pattern of species diversity through time for the lineage. It can also estimate extinction ages based on last appearances when the group is extinct.”
Placental Mammals Co-existed with Dinosaurs
The analysis indicates that primates (the ancestors of humans) probably evolved just before the K-Pg mass extinction event. In addition, the Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares) and the Carnivora were shown to have evolved when non-avian dinosaurs still roamed. The Carnivora is an extremely diverse Order of placental mammals. It includes cats, dogs, hyenas, civets, mongooses, bears, raccoons, pinnipeds (seals) and the mustelids (weasels, otters and their relatives).
Co-author Professor Phil Donoghue (School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol) added:
“By examining both origins and extinctions, we can more clearly see the impact of events such as the K-Pg mass extinction or the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a press release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “A timescale for placental mammal diversification based on Bayesian modelling of the fossil record” by Emily Carlisle, Christine M. Janis, Davide Pisani, Philip C. J. Donoghue and Daniele Silvestro published in Current Biology.
An analysis of a single bone from the arm of a dinosaur suggests that South African sauropodomorphs were more diverse than previously suspected. In addition, the study published in Royal Society Open Science, proposes that the fossil bone represents a new taxon. As an adult, with a body weight of around seventy-five kilograms, this dinosaur is one of the smallest sauropodomorph taxa known to science and the smallest reported to date from Jurassic sediments.
Not a Juvenile Massospondylus carinatus
The fossil bone, a humerus, was found in 1978. It comes from a dinosaur bonebed (Massospondylus Assemblage Zone) associated with the Elliot Formation of South Africa. It had been thought to represent a juvenile Massospondylus (M. carinatus).
A Massospondylus fossil skeleton replica on display at the London Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Studying the Sauropoda
Sauropodomorph dinosaurs are famously represented by colossal giants like Diplodocus, Patagotitan and Argentinosaurus, reaching body masses up to 70 tonnes. The ancestors of these animals, however, have more humble beginnings.
The first members of the group appear in the Triassic (Carnian period, 233–231 million years ago), with very small sizes (less than 15 kilograms, for example Buriolestes schultzi from Brazil).
As time progressed into the Jurassic (Hettangian period, 200 million years ago), early branching sauropodomorphs evolved a diverse range of body sizes, postures, and ecological adaptations. At this point, sauropodomorphs of less than 1 tonne are rare, although taxa like Massospondylus carinatus (adult body mass of around half a tonne) occur at nearly all dinosaur-bearing localities worldwide and can be locally superabundant.
The Smallest Sauropodomorph
The sauropodomorph fossil humerus BP/1/4732 from the Free State of South Africa was believed to be a juvenile Massospondylus carinatus specimen until now. A recent morphological and osteohistological study found that it was in fact an adult individual of a new species of dinosaur. The latter would have a fully grown body mass of approximately 75 kilograms, making it the smallest known adult sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Jurassic, and the first one weighing less than 100 kilograms.
Left humerus (specimen number BP/1/4732) and stained cross section of bone providing evidence of the dinosaur’s age and maturity. Picture credit: Kimi Chapelle.
Dr Kimberley Chapelle, commented:
“Until now, we were unaware that early sauropodomorphs could reach such small sizes during the Jurassic period, so the smallest skeletons were assumed to belong to juvenile individuals. We can now reassess these skeletons discovered in southern Africa and hopefully find a more complete individual from which we can name a new species.”
Not Possible to Erect a New Genus
With just a single bone it is not possible to erect a new genus. Previously, all sauropodomorph fossils found in that locality were ascribed to Massospondylus. However, more detailed assessments of the fossil material revealed that some of the bones represent different genera. As a PhD student, Kimberley Chapelle worked on a set of fossils that led to the establishment of a new South African sauropodomorph species named Ngwevu intloko.
“Small ornithischian dinosaurs like Lesothosaurus first appeared in southern Africa during the Early Jurassic, and some scientists suggest they might have outcompeted early sauropodomorphs. I think this is unlikely, as many similarly sized mammals share similar niches today. Instead, it’s possible that sauropodomorphs lost the ability to stay this small as part of the evolution of large size, but we just don’t know.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the corresponding author in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Osteohistology reveals the smallest adult Jurassic sauropodomorph” by Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Jennifer Botha and Jonah N. Choiniere published in Royal Society Open Science.
A new taxon of armoured dinosaur has been described from fossils found on the Isle of Wight. The new ankylosaurid has been named Vectipelta barretti (pronounced Vec-tea-pelt-tah bar-rett-ee). The genus name is derived from the Roman name for the Isle of Wight “Vectis” and “pelta” the Latin for shield. The species name honours Professor Paul Barrett of the London Natural History Museum. This is the first dinosaur named honouring Professor Barrett. The name recognises the on-going contribution Professor Barrett has made to vertebrate palaeontology and his support and mentoring of other scientists who also worked on this study.
An artist’s impression of a pair of Vectipelta armoured dinosaurs from the Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight. Picture credit: Stu Pond.
Vectipelta barretti
Lead author of the paper, published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, Stuart Pond (London Natural History Museum), commented:
“This is an important specimen because it sheds light on ankylosaur diversity within the Wessex Formation and Early Cretaceous England.”
The fossil material consists of a partial skeleton. Cervical, dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae have been recovered along with numerous osteoderms, limb elements and a well-preserved but fragmentary pelvic girdle. The first fossils were discovered in the early 1990s, following a landslip west of Chilton Chine (south-western coast of the Isle of Wight). Like many armoured dinosaur fossils associated with the Wessex Formation, the fossils were ascribed to Polacanthus foxii. However, the researchers were able to identify several unique traits in the bones that confirmed that this was a new species.
Vectipelta barretti IWCMS 2021.75 pelvis in dorsal view. Picture credit: Stuart Pond.
Not Closely Related to Polacanthus
A phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that Vectipelta was not closely related to Polacanthus. It is more closely related to the geologically younger Chinese ankylosaurids Zhejiangosaurus and Dongyangopelta. This suggests that during the Early Cretaceous there may have been extensive faunal interchange between continents. The picture of ankylosaurid distribution and dispersal may be much more complicated than previously suspected.
Vectipelta is estimated to have measured around four metres in length. It would have been relatively slow-moving with broad hips.
When asked to comment about the spiky, ponderous dinosaur named after him, Professor Barrett stated:
“I’m flattered and absolutely delighted to have been recognised in this way, not least as the first paper I ever wrote was also on an armoured dinosaur in the NHM collections. I’m sure that any physical resemblance is purely accidental.”
A closer view of the new armoured dinosaur from the Isle of Wight (V. barretti). Picture credit: Stu Pond.
More Wessex Formation Armoured Dinosaurs Awaiting Discovery
Although the Wessex Formation is notoriously difficult to date, Vectipelta fossil material is associated with the early Barremian. This armoured dinosaur could have roamed the Isle of Wight around 125 million years ago. The Polacanthus holotype material could be late Barremian in age. This suggests that Vectipelta barretti could be 6-8 million years older than Polacanthus foxii. The other ankylosaurid associated with the Wealden Group is Hylaeosaurus armatus. Hylaeosaurus fossils are associated with even older strata (Valanginian faunal stage). There could be as much as three million years separating Hylaeosaurus from Vectipelta.
The researchers conclude that there were probably lots of different armoured dinosaurs roaming southern England during the Early Cretaceous.
Vectipelta life reconstruction. Picture credit: Stuart Pond.
Historically, the assignment of fragmentary ankylosaurid remains to Polacanthus was probably incorrect. There are likely to be several other armoured dinosaurs awaiting discovery in the rocks of southern England and the Isle of Wight. Recent fossil discoveries have led to the revision of the hadrosauriforms and iguanodontids associated with the Wealden Supergroup. It is likely that the Thyreophora will also have to be revised and more taxa erected.
A single Vectipelta armoured dinosaur. Picture credit: Stu Pond.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the London Natural History Museum in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Vectipelta barretti, a new ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, UK” by Stuart Pond, Sarah-Jane Strachan, Thomas J. Raven, Martin I. Simpson, Kirsty Morgan and Susannah C. R. Maidment published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.
The fossils representing the first, non-avian dinosaur with feather-like structures found in South America has been returned to Brazil. The Ubirajara fossil specimen has been repatriated from Germany. This prized but controversial fossil, was named and described in 2020 (Ubirajara jubatus).
Since the scientific publication, campaigners, including many prominent Brazilian scientists, had requested that this dinosaur be returned home. One of the leading advocates for the repatriation was Professor Aline Ghilardi of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN).
Professor Aline Ghilardi, right, next to Professor Juan Cisnero (UFPI) and the minister of MCTI, Luciana Santos (centre). The Ubirajara fossil specimen is returned to Brazil. Picture credit: Luara Baggi – Ascom/MCTI.
The excitement in Brazil sparked by the scientific publication turned to dismay when it was realised that the fossil had been removed from the country. The materials and methods section of the paper stated that the specimen had been taken out of Brazil in 1995.
The first Brazilian law dealing with the protection of fossils was created in 1942. The legislation permitted fossils to leave the country, but authorisation was required. Subsequently, the law was strengthened, and it outlined how fossils should be collected, exported and insisted that Brazilian scientists should be involved in the study of such artifacts.
Ubirajara jubatus life reconstruction by the very talented palaeoartist Bob Nicholls.
Following a campaign, the paper describing U. jubatus, the first non-avian dinosaur to be found in the Southern Hemisphere with feather-like filaments was withdrawn.
After the allegations of illegal smuggling, it was agreed to return the specimen to Brazil. The scientific name Ubirajara jubatus was removed from the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) registry. The dinosaur’s name currently is regarded as invalid. Whether the scientific name for this little theropod is to be retained has yet to be decided.
UbirajaraBelongstoBR
The repatriation was assisted by a highly successful social media campaign using the hashtag UbirajaraBelongstoBR.
An investigation was launched in Germany. This culminated in the recognition of the misconduct and unethical behaviour of the researchers involved. With that, finally, it was decided to return the dinosaur home in July 2022.
The controversy surrounding Ubirajara highlights a growing trend within palaeontology for assessing the impact of colonialism and the removal of fossil material from countries to America and Europe.
Professor Aline explained:
“Colonialist attitudes influence our science and make it a worse science and the results biased.”
Taking photographs of the Ubirajara fossil (counter slab). Picture credit: Juan Cisneros.
The Return of the Ubirajara Fossil Specimen
The social media campaign played a significant role in the successful repatriation. The return of the Ubirajara fossil specimen was achieved through a collaboration with the public, governments and palaeontologists.
A spokesperson commented that this campaign highlights how the public wants to engage and participate with scientific debate. The return of Ubirajara will hopefully inspire other scientists to engage in such campaigns, helping to improve palaeontology by making it more inclusive, fair and ethical.
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in the compilation of this article.
The first tetrapods (land living animals) were amphibious. It had been thought that the development of an egg with a semi-permeable shell (amniote egg) was a fundamental step in the development of life on land. This adaptation meant that land animals did not have to return to water to breed and spawn. Freed from having to return to the water, early tetrapods could explore new environments and expand into new habitats.
However, a new paper written by researchers from Nanjing University (China) and the University of Bristol challenges this view of evolution.
The researchers conclude that the earliest reptiles, birds and mammals (Amniota), may have borne live young.
What is an Amniote?
Amniotes lay eggs that have a semi-permeable shell that protects the embryo from drying out. A tough, internal membrane called the amnion surrounds the growing embryo as well as the yolk, the food source. Development of the embryo in a shelled egg meant that for the first time in history, the tetrapods were no longer tied to water to breed. We as mammals are amniotes, along with the birds and reptiles.
The amniotic egg, showing the semipermeable shell and the extraembryonic membranes. Picture credit: M. J. Benton (University of Bristol).
Studying Extinct and Extant Species
However, a study of 51 fossil species and 29 living species which could be categorised as oviparous (laying hard or soft-shelled eggs) or viviparous (giving birth to live young) suggests that the earliest reptiles, mammals and birds probably were capable of bearing live young.
The findings, published today in the academic journal “Nature Ecology & Evolution”, show that all the great evolutionary branches of the Amniota, the Mammalia, Lepidosauria (lizards and relatives), and the Archosauria (dinosaurs, crocodilians, birds) reveal viviparity and extended embryo retention in their ancestors.
Extended embryo retention (EER) occurs when the young are retained by the mother for a varying amount of time, likely depending on when conditions are best for survival. While the hard-shelled egg (amniote egg), has often been seen as one of the greatest innovations in evolution, this research implies it was extended embryo retention that gave this particular group of animals the ultimate protection.
Professor Michael Benton (School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol) explained:
“Before the amniotes, the first tetrapods to evolve limbs from fishy fins were broadly amphibious in habits. They had to live in or near water to feed and breed, as in modern amphibians such as frogs and salamanders.”
Professor Benton added:
“When the amniotes came on the scene 320 million years ago, they were able to break away from the water by evolving waterproof skin and other ways to control water loss. But the amniotic egg was the key. It was said to be a “private pond” in which the developing reptile was protected from drying out in the warm climates and enabled the Amniota to move away from the waterside and dominate terrestrial ecosystems.”
Challenging the Standard View About Amniote Egg Evolution
Project leader and corresponding author Professor Baoyu Jiang (Nanjing University) stated:
“This standard view has been challenged. Biologists had noticed many lizards and snakes display flexible reproductive strategy across oviparity and viviparity. Sometimes, closely related species show both behaviours, and it turns out that live-bearing lizards can flip back to laying eggs much more easily than had been assumed.”
Phylogeny of amniotes, showing known reproduction mode and eggshell mineralization, and EER of 80 modern and extinct species, and the estimated ancestral states for all branching points. The dominant inferred state at the origin of amniotes is viviparity with extended embryo retention (EER). Picture credit: M.J. Benton, University of Bristol.
Many Marine Reptiles were Live-bearers
Co-author Dr Armin Elsler (University of Bristol) commented:
“Also, when we look at fossils, we find that many of them were live-bearers, including the Mesozoic marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. Other fossils, including a choristodere from the Cretaceous of China, described here, show the to-and-fro between oviparity and viviparity happened in other groups, not just in lizards.”
The picture (above) shows the CollectA Age of Dinosaurs Popular Temnodontosaurus model. The ichthyosaur is giving birth, demonstrating viviparity within the Ichthyosauria.
In many types of extant vertebrate extended embryo retention (EER) is quite common. The developing young are retained by the mother for a lesser or greater span of time. The mother delays giving birth until conditions are most favourable to permit the survival of her offspring. The mother deliberately gives birth at the most propitious time.
Co-author of the paper, Dr Joseph Keating commented:
“EER is common and variable in lizards and snakes today. Their young can be released, either inside an egg or as little wrigglers, at different developmental stages, and there appears to be ecological advantages of EER, perhaps allowing the mothers to release their young when temperatures are warm enough and food supplies are rich.”
Skeleton of a baby choristodere, Ikechuosaurus, from the Early Cretaceous of China, found curled up inside the remnants of a parchment-shelled egg. Picture credit: Baoyu Jiang (Nanjing University).
Profound Implications for our Understanding of Tetrapod Evolution
Professor Benton summarised the study:
“Our work, and that of many others in recent years, has consigned the classic ‘reptile egg’ model of the textbooks to the wastebasket. The first amniotes had evolved extended embryo retention rather than a hard-shelled egg to protect the developing embryo for a lesser or greater amount of time inside the mother, so birth could be delayed until environments become favourable.”
The professor implied that this study had profound implications for our understanding of tetrapod evolution. He added:
“Whether the first amniote babies were born in parchment eggs or as live, snapping little insect-eaters is unknown, but this adaptive parental protection gave them the advantage over spawning earlier tetrapods.”
Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.
The scientific paper: “Extended embryo retention and viviparity in the first amniotes” by Baoyu Jiang, Yiming He, Armin Elsler, Shengyu Wang, Joseph N. Keating, Junyi Song, Stuart L. Kearns and Michael J. Benton published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
