All about dinosaurs, fossils and prehistoric animals by Everything Dinosaur team members.
20 03, 2017

Taking Uintatherium Out on a Date

By | March 20th, 2017|Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Drawings, Dinosaur Fans, Everything Dinosaur Products, Main Page, Press Releases|2 Comments

When Did Uintatherium anceps Live?

Everything Dinosaur is preparing for the imminent arrival of the new for 2017 CollectA “Prehistoric Life” models.  The first batch will be arriving at our warehouse very soon, but we are in the process of finalising the fact sheets prior to arrival of other new editions to the CollectA range, due to come into stock later this year.  One of the new fact sheets has left us scratching our collective heads, it concerns an ancient prehistoric mammal that has a reputation for stumping even the most talented and dedicated of palaeontologists.

The beastie is Uintatherium (U. anceps) to be more precise, our team members have been scanning the literature trying to pinpoint the approximate time in geological history that this particular species of “Uintah beast” roamed.

Everything Dinosaur’s Illustration of the CollectA Deluxe Uintatherium Model

Uintatherium anceps drawing.

A scale drawing of the bizarre Uintatherium.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

An Eocene Giant

Uintatherium is one of the more spectacular of a bizarre Order or extinct mammals called the Dinocerata (terrible horns).  Along with the genus Eobasileus, Uintatherium represents one of the largest of this strange Order of mammals, an Order that palaeontologists can’t quite agree where to place amongst the Mammalia.

They are placentals, but their exact position on the mammal family tree and the taxonomic relationship to the other Orders remains controversial.  Scientists such as Earl Manning and Donald R. Prothero have speculated that the simple cheek teeth of these animals might indicate an affinity with the ungulates (mammals with hooves).  Other academics have suggested that the dentition (teeth), most closely resemble the teeth of the Mongolian rabbit relative Pseudictops.  In this is the case, then the Uintatherium could be an example of a “huge horned bunny”!

Uintatheres and the Bone Wars

The role of these Eocene animals in the “Bone Wars” the disputes between the palaeontologists – Leidy, Marsh and Cope has been well documented, but what is not so clear, is when did Uintatherium, specifically U. anceps live?  We have scanned the literature and we have found dates ranging from 53 million years ago to as recently as 37 million years ago.  We doubt whether a single species could have persisted for this long, even in the most stable of environments, so, have you any information of when Uintatherium anceps roamed the Earth?

Fact Sheet Being Prepared for the Arrival of the Deluxe CollectA Uintatherium Model in June

CollectA Deluxe Uintatherium model.

The CollectA Uintatherium model.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

The view the range of CollectA Deluxe scale prehistoric animal models: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Animal Replicas.

With a little luck (and a lot more research), we will be able to complete the Uintatherium data, the next fact sheet will have to prepare is a Brontothere.  This “thunder beast” might have superficially resembled Uintatherium, but it was not that close related.  However, the Brontotherium fact sheet is being put together as Everything Dinosaur will be bringing in a new line shortly, but more about that later…

In the meantime, take a look a the Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

20 03, 2017

Sesame Street Introduces Muppet with Autism

By | March 20th, 2017|General Teaching|Comments Off on Sesame Street Introduces Muppet with Autism

Sesame Street Introduces Julia

The award-winning and much loved children’s television programme “Sesame Street” is introducing a muppet on the autism spectrum.  Julia, a little girl with bright orange hair, a toy rabbit and autism will make her television debut later this spring on US channels PBS and HBO.  The character has already featured in a number of spin-offs from the television series, which has been circulated world-wide since it first aired in 1969.  Everything Dinosaur team members work with many children on the autism spectrum.  Children on this spectrum can obsess about dinosaurs.

Explaining About the Autistic Spectrum

Helping people to understand autism and the autistic spectrum is hard enough when it comes to explaining to adults and explaining the condition to young viewers is going to be particularly challenging, but we at Everything Dinosaur praise the production company behind “Sesame Street” for introducing this new character.

In Julia’s debut episode, the colourful and cheerful muppet will demonstrate some common characteristics associated with children on the autistic spectrum.  For example, when Big Bird is introduced to her, she ignores him.

Confused, Big Bird thinks “that maybe she didn’t like me”.  The other muppets reassure him by explaining that “she does things just a little differently”.

It is about recognising and accepting differences.

The Autism Spectrum and Dinosaurs

Autism and Dinosaurs

dinosaurs and learning about prehistoric animals

Dinosaurs and autism.  Lots of evidence of vocabulary development and independent learning.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Sesame Street’s Connection with Diplodocus

A little-known fact is that the “Sesame Street” programme concept came about during discussions between producer Joan Ganz Cooney and the then Vice President of the Carnegie Foundation Lloyd Morrisett.  The Carnegie Foundation was created by Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish industrialist and philanthropist, after whom the Diplodocus species Diplodocus carnegii was named.

The Connection between Sesame Street and Diplodocus

Eofauna Diplodocus scale model

The Eofauna Diplodocus carnegii model measures around 60 cm in length and stands 11 cm tall. It is a 1/40th scale model.

The picture (above) shows a Diplodocus from the Eofauna series of models and figures.

To view this range: Eofauna Scientific Research Models.

A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:

“We welcome this innovation and we hope that the producers will make resources to help teachers explain autism to children available as downloads on the Sesame Street website.”

Visit the award-winning and user friendly Everything Dinosaur website: Everything Dinosaur.

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