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

Pictures of fossils, fossil hunting trips, fossil sites and photographs relating to fossil hunting and fossil finds.

15 01, 2024

A Beautiful American Mastodon Jaw Fossil

By |2024-01-31T07:13:10+00:00January 15th, 2024|Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Prehistoric elephants have always fascinated the public. Whilst we can marvel at the extant elephants alive today, they are just the remnants from what was a much more diverse Order. When visiting the Manchester Museum, team members photographed an American mastodon jaw fossil that was on display. The exhibit highlighted the evolutionary origins of the Proboscidea.

American mastodon lower jaw.
An American mastodon lower jaw with teeth preserved in situ. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The American Mastodon

The American mastodon (Mammut americanum) may have resembled a Woolly Mammoth. It had a long, shaggy coat and curved tusks. However, the American mastodon was only very distantly related to the coeval Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius). It ranged from Canada to Central America (Pliocene to Pleistocene). Isolated populations may have become extinct as recently as five thousand years ago.

Wild Safari Prehistoric World Mastodon model.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Mastodon model.

The image (above) shows a model of an American mastodon in the Wild Safari Prehistoric World model range.

To view this collection: Wild Safari Prehistoric World Models and Figures.

The Manchester Museum fossil gallery contains an amazing collection of fossil specimens. The Cenozoic mammals section highlights the evolution of horses, the ascent of our own species and the evolution of key mammal groups today such as the elephants, the Carnivora and the rhinos.

It is well worth a visit and free to enter. However, a donation is recommended and can be made at the entrance to the main galleries. Ironically, the donation boxes are located close to the skeleton of an elephant species that is still around today – an Asian elephant Elephas maximus.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

11 01, 2024

A New Tyrannosaurus Species is Described

By |2024-01-11T07:17:32+00:00January 11th, 2024|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|1 Comment

Scientists have identified a new species of tyrannosaur from fossils found in western New Mexico. The dinosaur has been named Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis. Although it lived many millions of years before T. rex, it was closely related to it and around the same size.

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis life reconstruction.
A life reconstruction of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis with the contemporaneous chasmosaur Sierraceratops in the background. Picture credit: Sergey Krasovskiy.

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis

The study, published in “Scientific Reports” postulates that the ancestors of T. rex originated in southern Laramidia. Where and when the tyrannosaur lineage that includes T. rex and its closest relatives evolved remains unclear. It had been thought that these theropods originated in Asia, or perhaps at more northerly latitudes of Laramidia. The identification of fossils representing a giant, 12-metre-plus tyrannosaur suggests that large-bodied, apex predators evolved alongside other exceptionally large dinosaurs at lower latitudes.

The researchers examined a partial skull (NMMNH P-3698), that had been excavated from a location in Sierra County, New Mexico. The fossil material consisted of a right postorbital and squamosal, along with a left palatine, a fragmentary maxilla and elements from the lower jaws including the left dentary. The fossils come from Hall Lake Formation (McRae Group). Uranium to lead (U/Pb) isotope analysis of a layer some thirty metres below the tyrannosaur fossil site is dated to 73.2 mya plus or minus 0.7 million years. This indicates that Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis predates T. rex by approximately 6-7 million years.

Skull bones of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis.
Cranial elements of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis (NMMNH P-3698). Right postorbital in (A), lateral view; (B), medial view; (C), dorsal view. Right squamosal in (D), lateral view; (E), medial view; (F), ventral view. Note scale bars = 10 cm. Picture credit: Dalman et al.

The skull bones, previously assigned to T. rex are currently on display at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS).

Views of the Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis mandible
The left dentary of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis (NMMNH P-3698) in media view (A), lateral view (B) and dorsal view (C). The right spenial in medial view (D) and (E) the right angular in medial view. The right prearticular is shown in medial view (F). Note scale bar = 20 cm. Picture credit: Dalman et al.

Older and More Primitive than Tyrannosaurus rex

While the new discovery predates T. rex, the paper notes that subtle differences in the jaw bones make it unlikely that T. mcraeensis was a direct ancestor. However, it is assigned to the Tyrannosaurini tribe, which is defined by the authors as the last common ancestor of the Asian Tarbosaurus bataar and Tyrannosaurus rex and all its descendants.

Contributing authors on the study include researchers from the University of Bath (UK), NMMNHS, University of Utah, The George Washington University, Harrisburg University, Penn State Lehigh Valley, and the University of Alberta.

Ironically, it was the examination of horned dinosaur fossils from the same palaeoenvironment that led to the discovery of a new Tyrannosaurus species. In 2013, then-student Sebastian Dalman began to re-examine ceratopsian fossils, it led to a broader rethink about the dinosaur fauna associated with the McRae Group.

Dalman commented:

“I started working on this project in 2013 with co-author Steve Jasinski and soon we started to suspect we were on to something new.”

Careful Comparison with T. rex Skull Fossils

Analysis of the skull material revealed subtle, but unique traits relating to their morphology and articulation. Careful comparison with T. rex skull fossils led the research team to conclude that these bones did not represent Tyrannosaurus rex. This was something new.

Comparing skull bones of T. mcraeensis and T. rex.
Comparing skull bones of the newly described Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis and Tyrannosaurus rex. Variation in the postorbitals (A–F), dentaries (G–K) and splenials (M–Q) of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis (A, G, M) and Tyrannosaurus rex (B–F, H–L, N–Q). Scale bars = 10 cm. Picture credit: Dalman et al.

As T. rex is known from multiple individuals, it is possible to show that T. mcraeensis lies outside of the range of individual variation seen in T. rex.

Co-author of the paper, Dr Anthony Fiorillo, Executive Director of NMMNHS explained:

“New Mexicans have always known our state is special, now we know that New Mexico has been a special place for tens of millions of years. This study delivers on the mission of this museum through the science-based investigation of the history of life on our planet.”

Size estimates for Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis put it in the same bracket as the famous and geologically younger T. rex. It is thought to have measured around twelve metres in length.

Fellow author of the paper, Dr Nick Longrich (Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath) added:

“The differences are subtle, but that’s typically the case in closely related species. Evolution slowly causes mutations to build up over millions of years, causing species to look subtly different over time.”

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis and the Origins of T. rex

The identification of a new Tyrannosaurus from New Mexico raises the intriguing possibility that there are several more new tyrannosaur discoveries yet to be made.

Co-author Dr Spencer Lucas (Palaeontology Curator at the NMMNHS) stated:

“Once again, the extent and scientific importance of New Mexico’s dinosaur fossils becomes clear. Many new dinosaurs remain to be discovered in the state, both in the rocks and in museum drawers!”

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis expands our understanding of tyrannosaurs in several ways. Firstly, it suggests that the apex predators lived in what is now the southern United States at least 72 million years ago. Secondly, the Tyrannosaurus genus likely originated in southern North America then later expanded into much of the western portion of the continent.

Phylogenetic analysis supports this hypothesis. The analysis places T. mcraeensis as sister taxon to T. rex and suggests the Tyrannosaurini tribe originated in southern Laramidia.

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis phylogeny and size comparison with T. rex.
Size, relationships and biogeography of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis. (A), relative sizes of Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis (NMMNH P-3698) and Tyrannosaurus rex known as “Sue” (FMNH PR 2081) and the type specimen (CM 9380). An evolutionary tree based on Bayesian tip-dated phylogeny and biogeographic analysis. Picture credit: Dalman et al.

Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis Raises More Questions

The skull fossils assigned to T. mcraeensis suggest that larger, more robust and powerful tyrannosaurs evolved in the southern United States compared to the smaller and more primitive tyrannosaurs found further north.

For reasons as yet unknown, dinosaurs may have evolved to larger sizes in lower latitudes in North America. This body condition pattern is not seen in modern mammals. This newly described tyrannosaur was part of an ecosystem dominated by super-sized dinosaurs. For example, the giant chasmosaur Sierraceratops turneri was contemporaneous. In addition, the titanosaur Alamosaurus and an as yet, undescribed giant hadrosaur shared this palaeoenvironment.

Dinosaurs of the Hall Lake Formation.
Dinosaurs of the Campanian-Maastrichtian Hall Lake Formation. Tyrannosaurus mcraeensis (NMMNH P-3698), the horned dinosaur Sierraceratops turneri, a giant but as yet undescribed hadrosaurid and the titanosaur Alamosaurus. Picture credit: Dalman et al.

Giant tyrannosaurs were able to spread north during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous. The reasons for this migration remain unclear. Perhaps the northward spread of giant herbivores such as Triceratops and Torosaurus created a food source that could be exploited by the very biggest tyrannosaurs.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “A giant tyrannosaur from the Campanian–Maastrichtian of southern North America and the evolution of tyrannosaurid gigantism” by Sebastian G. Dalman, Mark A. Loewen, R. Alexander Pyron, Steven E. Jasinski, D. Edward Malinzak, Spencer G. Lucas, Anthony R. Fiorillo,
Philip J. Currie and Nicholas R. Longrich published in Scientific Reports.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

8 01, 2024

Giant Predatory Worms from the Cambrian of Greenland

By |2024-01-18T13:58:07+00:00January 8th, 2024|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Scientists have named a new, probable apex predator from the Sirius Passet fossil locality in northern Greenland. Measuring in excess of thirty centimetres long, Timorebestia koprii was a giant pelagic predator. These marine worms may be some of the earliest carnivorous animals to have colonised the water column. The fossils are dated to approximately 518 million years ago and reveal a complex, multi-tiered marine ecosystem.

Timorebestia koprii life reconstruction.
A reconstruction of the pelagic ecosystem and the organisms fossilised in Sirius Passet, revealing how Timorebestia was one of the largest predators in the water column more than 518 million years ago. Picture credit: Bob Nicholls.

Picture credit: Bob Nicholls

The image (above) shows a pair of Timorebestia (T. koprii) attacking a shoal of the Cambrian arthropod Isoxys. Several other pelagic (active swimming) animals are featured in the artwork.

Timorebestia koprii

The genus name Timorebestia means “terror beasts” in Latin. These marine worms were some of the largest swimming animals in the Early Cambrian seas. They had fins down the sides of their body, a distinct head with long antennae and large jaw structures. The species has been erected in honour of the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI). It is an acknowledgement of their support of the field expeditions to northern Greenland.

Senior author of the study published in “Science Advances”, Dr Jakob Vinther explained:

“We have previously known that primitive arthropods were the dominant predators during the Cambrian, such as the bizarre-looking anomalocaridids. However, Timorebestia is a distant, but close, relative of living arrow worms, or chaetognaths. These are much smaller ocean predators today that feed on tiny zooplankton.”

Dr Jakob Vinther and a Timorebestia fossil specimen.
Dr Jakob Vinther at the Sirius Passet locality in 2017 showing the largest specimen of Timorebestia koprii after it was found. Picture credit: Dr Jakob Vinther.

Picture credit: Dr Jakob Vinther

The Fossilised Digestive System of Timorebestia

Inside the fossilised digestive system of Timorebestia, the researchers found remains of a common, swimming arthropod called Isoxys.

Co-author, former PhD student at Bristol University, Morten Lunde Nielsen provided more information about Isoxys:

“We can see these arthropods were a food source for many other animals. They are very common at Sirius Passet and had long protective spines, pointing both forwards and backwards. However, they clearly didn’t completely succeed in avoiding that fate, because Timorebestia munched on them in great quantities.”

Fossil of Timorebestia koprii and interpretive drawing.
Fossil of Timorebestia koprii and an interpretive drawing. The scientists used a technique called an electron microprobe to map the carbon in the fossil out, which reveals anatomical features with immense clarity including its fin rays and muscle systems. Picture credit: Dr Jakob Vinther.

Picture credit: Dr Jakob Vinther

Arrow Worms

Described as a stem chaetognath (arrow worm), Timorebestia represents a significant discovery. Chaetognaths are one of the oldest animal groups known from the Cambrian. For example, arthropods appear in the fossil record as far back as 529 million years ago, but arrow worms can be traced back to at least 538 million years ago.

Dr Vinther has suggested that both arrow worms and the more primitive Timorebestia were swimming predators. It can be surmised that these marine worms were the dominant pelagic predators before the arthropods.

He stated:

“Perhaps they had a dynasty of about 10-15 million years before they got superseded by other, and more successful, groups.”

Luke Parry from Oxford University, who was part of the research team, added:

“Timorebestia is a really significant find for understanding where these jawed predators came from. Today, arrow worms have menacing bristles on the outside of their heads for catching prey, whereas Timorebestia has jaws inside its head. This is what we see in microscopic jaw worms today, organisms that arrow worms shared an ancestor with over half a billion years ago. Timorebestia and other fossils like it provide links between closely related organisms that today look very different.”

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bristol in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “A giant stem-group chaetognath” by Tae-Yoon S. Park, Morten Lunde Nielsen, Luke A. Parry, Martin Vinther Sørensen, Mirinae Lee, Ji-Hoon Kihm, Ji-Hoon Kihm, Changkun Park, Giacinto de Vivo, M. Paul Smith, David A. T. Harper, Arne T. Nielsen and Jakob Vinther published in Science Advances.

The Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

3 01, 2024

Nanotyrannus is a Valid Taxon

By |2024-01-02T21:53:41+00:00January 3rd, 2024|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|2 Comments

Newly published research suggests that the Nanotyrannus genus is valid. Writing in the academic journal “Fossil Studies” researchers conclude that Nanotyrannus lancensis is a distinct species and that fossil specimens do not represent juvenile examples of Tyrannosaurus rex.

Nanotyrannus attacks a juvenile T. rex.
An adult Nanotyrannus lancensis attacks a juvenile T. rex. Newly published research suggests that N. lancensis is a valid taxon. Picture credit: Raul Martin.

Nanotyrannus lancensis and Tyrannosaurus rex

The scientists, Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and Dr Evan Saitta, from the University of Chicago propose that Nanotyrannus was probably not closely related to T. rex. Their research indicates that Nanotyrannus was a smaller, longer-armed tyrannosaur with a narrower snout.

The debate as to the validity of Nanotyrannus as a taxon has persisted for decades. The first skull assigned to Nanotyrannus was found in Montana in 1942. Analysis of a skull bone from a previously unrecognised T. rex fossil coupled with a detailed bone histology demonstrates that specimens of N. lancensis do indeed represent adult animals and not juveniles of another, already described species.

The research led Longrich and co-author Evan Saitta to a previous fossil discovery. The skull bone is a frontal, it was at a museum in San Francisco but had not been studied. The researchers were able to conclude that this frontal came from a juvenile T. rex, an animal that would have had a skull about 45 cm long and a body length of 5 metres.

Frontal skull bone from a baby T. rex.
Frontal skull bone from a young T. rex. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.

Dr Longrich explained:

“Yes, it’s just one specimen, and just one bone, but it only takes one. T. rex skull bones are very distinctive, nothing else looks like it. Young T. rex exist, they’re just incredibly rare, like juveniles of most dinosaurs.”

Comparing Growth Rates

Measuring the growth rings in Nanotyrannus bones, the researchers demonstrated that they became more closely packed towards the outside of the bone – its growth was slowing. It suggests these animals were nearly full size, not fast-growing juveniles. Modelling the growth of the fossils showed the animals would have reached a maximum of around 900-1500 kilograms and five metres – about 15 per cent of the size of the giant T. rex, which grew to 8,000 kilograms and twelve metres long or more.

Comparing skulls (Nanotyrannus and T. rex)
Holotype Nanotyrannus lancensis skull (left) compared to T. rex skull (right). Significant autapomorphies in both cranial and postcranial fossils were documented. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.

Dr Longrich commented:

“When I saw these results, I was pretty blown away. I didn’t expect it to be quite so conclusive.”

He added:

“If they were young T. rex they should be growing like crazy, putting on hundreds of kilograms a year, but we’re not seeing that. We tried modelling the data in a lot of different ways and we kept getting low growth rates. This is looking like the end for the hypothesis that these animals are young T. rex.”

Nanotyrannus and T. rex growth curves.
Fossil evidence suggests that Nanotyrannus grew slowly compared to the rapid growth of a teenage T. rex. Picture credit: Longrich and Saitta/University of Bath.

No Evidence of Fossils with Combined Traits

In addition, the researchers found no evidence of fossils combining features of both the Nanotyrannus and T. rex, which would exist if the one transitioned into the other. Every fossil they examined could be confidently identified as one species or the other. Neither did the patterns of growth in other tyrannosaurs fit with the hypothesis that Nanotyrannus fossils were juvenile T. rex.

PNSO Nanotyrannus dinosaur model.
The new for 2021 PNSO Nanotyrannus dinosaur model.

The picture (above) shows a replica of Nanotyrannus lancensis in the PNSO model range.

To view this range of dinosaur models: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs.

Nanotyrannus lancensis – Strong Evidence in Support of this Genus

Dr Longrich said:

“If you look at juveniles of other tyrannosaurs, they show many of the distinctive features of the adults. A very young Tarbosaurus – a close relative of T. rex – shows distinctive features of the adults. In the same way that kittens look like cats and puppies look like dogs, the juveniles of different tyrannosaurs are distinctive. Nanotyrannus just doesn’t look anything like a T. rex. It could be growing in a way that’s completely unlike any other tyrannosaur, or any other dinosaur- but it’s more likely it’s just not a T. rex.”

The researchers argue these findings are strong evidence that Nanotyrannus is a separate species, one not closely related to Tyrannosaurus. It was more lightly-built and long-limbed than its thick-set relative. It also had larger arms, unlike the famously short-armed T. rex.

Furthermore, the authors suggest that, given how difficult it is to tell dinosaurs apart based on their often-incomplete skeletons, palaeontologists may be underestimating the diversity of dinosaurs, and other fossil species.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the University of Bath in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Taxonomic Status of Nanotyrannus lancensis (Dinosauria: Tyrannosauroidea) — A Distinct Taxon of Small-Bodied Tyrannosaur” by Nicholas R. Longrich and Evan T. Saitta published in Fossil Studies.

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

29 12, 2023

Favourite and Most Popular Blog Posts of 2023 (Part 2)

By |2024-01-07T10:48:45+00:00December 29th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils, Press Releases|0 Comments

Today, we at Everything Dinosaur continue our countdown of our favourite blog posts of 2023. In the second of this two-part series, we look at the months July to December (2023).

In July we received some amazing prehistoric animal drawings, undertook model review videos, released newsletters and learned about a prehistoric mammal attacking Psittacosaurus. Fans of the invertebrates were not disappointed to read about Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki, the oldest fossil spider to be found in Germany: Germany’s Oldest Spider Arthrolycosa wolterbeeki.

Stocking the Haolonggood Model Range

Book launches, addressing international conferences and discussing trilobites. Just a few of the highlights from August (2023). New abelisaurs were described along with possibly, the heaviest vertebrate that ever lived (Balaenoptera musculus). We welcomed new Beasts of the Mesozoic and PNSO models, but it was another manufacturer that we focused upon. Everything Dinosaur announced that they would be stocking the Haolonggood prehistoric animal model range.

Haolonggood prehistoric animal models.
The Haolonggood prehistoric animal models will have their own product category area on the Everything Dinosaur website. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Haolonggood models available from Everything Dinosaur: Haolonggood Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Figures.

Vectidromeus insularis

In September, we wrote a blog about the first dicraeosaurid from India. Fossil feather proteins and the complexity of birds were discussed along with a new, bizarre theropod from China. Haolonggood models arrived in stock and brachiopods took centre stage. The second Isle of Wight member of the Hypsilophodontidae was described, over 150 years after the first. The dinosaur named Vectidromeus insularis is geologically much older than Hypsilophodon foxii. Blog readers can expect to hear about more new Wealden Group dinosaurs in the future.

Vectidromeus insularis life reconstruction.
Vectidromeus insularis life reconstruction. Picture credit: Emily Willoughby.

“Lonesome George”

Hollywood film premieres, mentoring university students and the boom in mammoth tusk sales threatening extant elephants were all highlighted. Talented model makers and new theropod figures from PNSO and Nanmu Studio were discussed in October. We enjoyed writing about “Lonesome George” an amazing replica of a Pinta Island giant tortoise.

Rebor "Lonesome George.
The Rebor 1:6 scale Pinta Island tortoise “Lonesome George” in oblique lateral view. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the range of Rebor models and figures: Rebor Figures and Models.

The Everything Dinosaur Blog in November

In November in the UK, the nights were certainly drawing in. The longer evenings allowed us more time to prepare blog posts on the new for 2024 CollectA figures, a new fleet-footed theropod from Brazil and TetZooCon. Rebor introduced GrabNGo Alligators and the Wild Past Scutosaurus and Kotlassia arrived. It was the front page of a national newspaper that drew most attention. Mammoths were going to be back within five years:

Woolly Mammoth De-extinction
A tabloid newspaper on Saturday 18th November was predicting the return of the Woolly Mammoth by 2028. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To read our article: Lovable Boffins Pledge to Bring Back the Woolly Mammoth.

2023 Draws to a Close

In the last month of 2023, we wrote about last recommended parcel posting dates and a new television documentary presented by Sir David Attenborough. A new, enormous titanosaur from Argentina was described and we learned about the last meal of a Gorgosaurus. We highlighted our model video reviews and discussed blog maintenance and new model releases.

The first production figure of the new CollectA Deluxe Dearc sgiathanach arrived and this was certainly a highlight of our entire year.

The new for 2024 CollectA Deluxe Dearc,
The CollectA Deluxe Dearc pterosaur model. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

To view the CollectA Deluxe model range currently in stock: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life Models.

The new for 2024 CollectA Dearc sgiathanach model will be in stock at Everything Dinosaur in the spring of 2024.

The Dearc article: Measuring the CollectA Dearc Pterosaur Model.

What New Blog Posts for 2024?

There are lots of exciting research papers due to be published. Several new books about prehistoric animals are due to be launched. We at Everything Dinosaur have some exciting plans of our own. There is certainly a lot to do in 2024 and a lot of fascinating stories to cover.

We look forward to continuing our blog and trying to write a daily article.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

28 12, 2023

Favourite and Most Popular Blog Posts of 2023 (Part 1)

By |2024-01-03T17:33:22+00:00December 28th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils, Press Releases|0 Comments

At Everything Dinosaur, we try and post up an article on this blog site every single day.  This can be quite a challenge considering all our other activities and projects.  However, as a result of our work on this weblog we have managed to compile a huge amount of information, articles and features chronicling (for the most part), advances in the Earth sciences and new fossil discoveries along with research into prehistoric animals.

We thought it would be interesting to look back at some of our blog posts this year and list the top ten favourite and most popular posts.

Here is part one, numbers ten to six covering January to June.

It was an action-packed January for Everything Dinosaur. The company was awarded Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award once again, there was a cyber incident at Royal Mail, and we discussed Carboniferous suction feeders. However, it was a superb pterosaur fossil from southern Germany that caught the eye.

Balaenognathus Life Reconstruction
A life reconstruction of the newly described pterosaur Balaenognathus maeuseri. Picture credit: Megan Jacobs

To read about this discovery (Balaenognathus maeuseri): A New Pterosaur Species is Described.

February Frogspawn

In February a baby Torosaurus model was reunited with its mum, Mojo models took centre stage and the Rebor Deinosuchus figures arrived. We wrote articles about the larynx of Pinacosaurus, how to leave a review and rare dinosaur footsteps. For the first time, frogs spawned in the office pond in February.

An impact of climate change: Frogspawn in the Office Pond.

Dinosaurs Had Lips

At the end of March, we published an article summarising a new scientific paper that postulated that dinosaurs had lips. The lips versus lipless debate has existed for more than a century. Early depictions of dinosaurs gave them lips like extant lizards. When it came to depicting dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex in early films, the lips were ditched so that cinema goers could see their teeth. The teeth on show made the dinosaurs more frightening. Movie monsters bearing their huge teeth became a recurrent theme that is still seen in movies today. However, this new paper came firmly down in support of lips on theropod dinosaurs.

It also gave us the opportunity to display the excellent artwork of Mark Witton.

Tyrannosaurus rex had lips.
A juvenile Edmontosaurus disappears into the enormous, lipped mouth of Tyrannosaurus. Picture credit: Mark Witton.

Find the article here: Tyrannosaurus rex Had Lips!

Top Everything Dinosaur Blog Posts (April to June 2023)

In April we discussed T. rex brain size, took into stock new CollectA figures, new staff training and praised the Wyoming “Jurassic Fest”. One of our highlights was the article that examined newly published research on marine reptiles. The study focused on the wide variety of swimming styles adopted by Mesozoic marine reptiles.

To read this post: Mapping Marine Reptiles.

Ichthyosaur jaw.
A museum exhibit showing the jaw of a large ichthyosaur. These “fish lizards” figured prominently in the University of Bristol study. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Schleich model retirements were discussed in May along with new Nanmu Studio and PNSO model releases. A rare letter penned by Mary Anning finding a home and a New York prehistoric animal exhibit mystery was solved. However, our highlight was the opportunity to visit the new April the Tenontosaurus exhibit at the Manchester Museum.

Here is the article: Amazing Tenontosaurus Fossils On Display.

It seems appropriate to mention April the Tenontosaurus when reviewing our blog posts from May 2023.

A New Armoured Dinosaur – Vectipelta barretti

Dinosaur drawings, new models and rapidly metamorphosising frogs featured in June. Team members got to visit the astonishing Patagotitan exhibition at the London Natural History Museum. This provides an appropriate segway into our favourite post of that month. A new species of armoured dinosaur was named. Vectipelta barretti honours Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum.

Vectipelta life reconstruction.
Vectipelta life reconstruction. Picture credit: Stuart Pond.

The Vectipelta article: Armoured Dinosaur Honours Museum Professor.

Dinosaur fans can expect further new dinosaur announcements from Wealden Group strata.

We hope you enjoyed reading these blog posts as much as we enjoyed researching and writing them. Part two documenting July to December 2023 will be published shortly.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

23 12, 2023

New Giant Titanosaur from Argentina Described

By |2023-12-22T22:00:03+00:00December 23rd, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

A new species of giant titanosaur has been scientifically described. The dinosaur, known from fossils from Neuquén Province, (Argentina) has been named Bustingorrytitan shiva. This dinosaur may have weighed more than sixty-seven tonnes! Although the body mass estimates are prone to error, it is likely that this huge herbivore weighed at least fifty tonnes.

The fossil material was collected from the base of the Huincul Formation and consists of a relatively complete skeleton and the partial remains of three others. The strata have been dated to the upper Cenomanian (95 mya). The fossils were collected from the surroundings of Villa El Chocón. The genus name was erected to honour Manuel Bustingorry, who permitted the excavation work to take place.

The species name is from the Hindu deity Shiva, which transformed the universe. This alludes to the extensive faunal turnover that occurred in the Cretaceous towards the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary.

Bustingorrytitan fossils.
Forelimb bones of the new, giant titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur Bustingorrytitan shiva. Note largest scale bars equal 2 cm. Picture credit: Simón and Salgado (Acta Palaeontologica Polonica).

Calculating the Weight of a Giant Titanosaur

Both cranial and postcranial material was recovered. The fossil material includes right and left humeri and fragmentary thigh bones (femora). From these bones (humerus and the femur) the minimum circumference of these limb bones can be established. A formula (Campione and Evans, 2012) can then be applied to estimate the body mass of the animal. These calculations suggest that B. shiva was heavier than Dreadnoughtus schrani and perhaps comparable to the original body weight calculated for Patagotitan mayorum.

Pelvic and hindlimb elements ascribed to Bustingorrytitan shiva. Note scale bars equal 20 cm. Picture credit: Simón and Salgado (Acta Palaeontologica Polonica).

Intriguingly, the holotype material from which some of the limb bone measurements originate, suggests that the holotype specimen was not fully grown when it died. Bustingorrytitan shiva, may have been much larger.

The scientific paper: “A new gigantic titanosaurian sauropod from the early Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Neuquén Province, Argentina)” by María Edith Simón and Leonardo Salgado published in Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

8 12, 2023

Researchers Indentify the Last Meal of a Young Gorgosaurus

By |2024-03-09T15:01:33+00:00December 8th, 2023|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal News Stories, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Palaeontological articles, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

A newly published scientific paper has highlighted the diet of juvenile tyrannosaurs. Writing in the academic journal “Science Advances” the research team report that a young Gorgosaurus consumed the hind limbs from a pair of caenagnathid dinosaurs (Citipes elegans). This is the first time that stomach contents have been found in association with a tyrannosaur specimen.

A superb, well-preserved Gorgosaurus libratus specimen was found by Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology staff in the Dinosaur Provincial Park in 2009. The specimen is a juvenile, thought to be between five and seven years of age. When it died this dinosaur weighed around 335 kilograms, only about 13% of the mass of an adult Gorgosaurus.

Dr François Therrien (Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum) and Dr Darla Zelenitsky (Assistant Professor at University of Calgary) stand next to the young Gorgosaurus specimen.
Dr François Therrien (Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum) and Dr Darla Zelenitsky (Assistant Professor at University of Calgary) stand next to the young Gorgosaurus specimen. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

Stomach Contents Preserved in a Young Gorgosaurus

Whilst being cleaned and prepared at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (Alberta, Canada), the partial remains of two small theropods were discovered inside the stomach cavity. The research team determined that this juvenile tyrannosaur ate the hind limbs of two caenagnathids. Rather than consuming the whole animal, the young tyrannosaur only ate the hind limbs (the meatiest parts of the body).

The Last Meal of a Gorgosaurus.
The red square highlights where the preserved gut contents found in the Gorgosaurus libratus can be found. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

Analysis of the Citipes remains demonstrated that they were young animals, perhaps twelve months old. Alongside the Citipes limb bones caudal vertebrae were discovered. This suggests that there was preferential consumption of the Citipes hind quarters.

Gorgosaurus Stomach Contents.
The stomach contents preserved inside Gorgosaurus libratus. The light and dark blue elements show the right and left hindlimbs of one Citipes individual. The light and dark green bones represent the other Citipes specimen consumed. Picture credit: Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.

The elements highlighted in green in the illustration (above) are the remains of the first Citipes individual the gorgosaur consumed. The elements highlighted in blue are fossilised bones from the second Citipes individual eaten.

The Same Meal but Consumed at Different Times

As the elements of the two Citipes individuals are at different stages of digestion, the researchers were able to conclude that the gorgosaur’s stomach contents represent two different meals. These two juvenile Citipes could have been ingested hours or days apart. The presence of two dinosaurs of the same species and age in the stomach contents, ingested at different times, suggests that young caenagnathids may have been among the preferred prey of juvenile gorgosaurs.

This specimen is the first to provide direct evidence that young gorgosaurs had different diets than their adult counterparts. When fully grown Gorgosaurus would have been an apex predator. Feeding traces preserved on fossil bones indicate that Gorgosaurus fed on ceratopsians and duck-billed dinosaurs.

This evidence suggests that tyrannosaurs occupied different ecological niches over their lifetime. As young tyrannosaurs grew and matured, they would have transitioned from hunting small and young dinosaurs to preying on large herbivores. This dietary shift likely began around the age of eleven, when their skulls and teeth started becoming more robust.

PNSO Tristan the Gorgosaurus
The recently introduced PNSO Tristan the Gorgosaurus dinosaur model in lateral view. A replica of an adult Gorgosaurus libratus. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The picture (above) shows a replica of an adult Gorgosaurus. The skull is much more robust and powerful and the teeth proportionately larger. The model is from the PNSO Age of Dinosaurs range.

To view this range of prehistoric animal figures: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Models and Figures.

A Way of Reducing Intraspecific Competition

Dietary differences are seen in animals at different ontogenic stages in modern ecosystems. These differences in diet provide a competitive advantage by lessening intraspecific competition for resources. Therefore, such a shift may have allowed juvenile and adult tyrannosaurs to coexist in the same environment with reduced conflict.

Being able to occupy different ecological niches during their lifespan was probably a key to the evolutionary success of the Tyrannosauridae.

A young Gorgosaurus consumes a Citipes elegans.
An illustration of Gorgosaurus libratus eating Citipes elegans. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology/Julius Csotonyi.

Everything Dinosaur acknowledges the assistance of a media release from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in the compilation of this article.

The scientific paper: “Exceptionally preserved stomach contents of a young tyrannosaurid reveal an ontogenetic dietary shift in an iconic extinct predator” by Francois Therrien, Darla K. Zelenitsky, Jared T. Voris, Gregory M. Erickson, Philip J. Currie, Christopher L. Debuhr and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi published in Science Advances.

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

22 11, 2023

Sinosauropteryx Reconstruction on Display at Famous Museum

By |2023-12-12T11:12:37+00:00November 22nd, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Team members at Everything Dinosaur spotted a cute Sinosauropteryx reconstruction on display at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg in Frankfurt. We visited the museum back in 2017, providing a break from the Frankfurter Buchmesse that we had been attending. The little, life-sized dinosaur was part of an exhibit outlining the origin of birds. A model such as this, helps visitors to interpret fossil information.

A Sinosauropteryx reconstruction on display.
A Sinosauropteryx reconstruction on display at the Frankfurt Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A Sinosauropteryx Reconstruction

Sinosauropteryx has been classified as a member of the Compsognathidae family of theropod dinosaurs. At the time of its scientific description (1996, Ji and Ji), it was classified as a primitive bird. Subsequent revision, placing Sinosauropteryx within the Compsognathidae confirmed that this dinosaur was not closely related to birds. However, it does represent the first dinosaur taxon outside of the Avialae clade to show definitive evidence for feathers.

Sinosauropteryx fossil material.
Sinosauropteryx on display – the first feathered dinosaur described. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

PNSO of China did produce a range of smaller prehistoric animal figures including several feathered models. These figures were beautifully painted and highlighted many feathered dinosaurs and primitive birds.

To view the range PNSO models and figures: PNSO Age of Dinosaurs Figures.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We come across lots of life reconstructions on display in museum cabinets. Whilst this Sinosauropteryx is perhaps, a little outdated, it still provides visitors with information about this small dinosaur. It is quite an endearing model of a tiny theropod. By having a model in the display this helps visitors to better interpret the fossils within the exhibit”

Visit the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur – Our Website.

18 10, 2023

A Remarkable Compsognathus Fossil Cast

By |2023-11-23T11:01:13+00:00October 18th, 2023|Adobe CS5, Dinosaur Fans, Main Page, Photos/Pictures of Fossils|0 Comments

Everything Dinosaur team members took a photograph of the Compsognathus fossil cast on display at the Manchester Museum of Natural History. This chicken-sized theropod is known from two specimens. One fossil was found in France, the other was found in Bavaria (Germany). The fossil cast represents the Bavarian specimen (BSP AS I 563).

A cast of a Compsognathus fossil on display at the Manchester Museum of Natural History.
A cast of a Compsognathus fossil on display at the Manchester Museum of Natural History. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The Famous Compsognathus Fossil Cast

The German specimen was collected from limestone deposits. This fossil came into the ownership of the amateur fossil collector Dr Joseph Oberndorfer. The famous German palaeontologist Johann A Wagner, was loaned the specimen to study. He penned a brief description in 1859. Wagner named this dinosaur Compsognathus longipes. Although at the time, Wagner did not recognise Compsognathus as a member of the Dinosauria. He thought it was a prehistoric lizard.

Numerous Compsognathus models and replicas have been manufactured. Perhaps, the most intriguing is the limited-edition Compsognathus dissection replicas made by Rebor.

The Rebor Oddities Compsognathus longipes Preserved Dissection Specimen
The Rebor Oddities Compsognathus longipes preserved dissection specimen. An amazing replica, it is as if this dinosaur had been dissected.

The picture (above) shows the stunning and extremely realistic Rebor Oddities Compsognathus longipes preserved dissection specimen.

To view the Rebor range: Rebor Models and Figures.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“The fossil cast of a Compsognathus specimen is on display in numerous museums around the world. It is an iconic fossil of a theropod dinosaur.”

Visit the award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

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