It’s “Turntable” Tuesday at Everything Dinosaur! The time of the week when we put another prehistoric animal model on our turntable and give it a spin. Today, it is the turn of the Bullyland ammonite model, the first invertebrate to feature in this series and an ammonite replica that it is used by museums all over the world to illustrate the Ammonoidea.
The Bullyland Ammonite Model “Turntable Tuesday”
Video credit: Everything Dinosaur
Ammonite Replicas
The Bullyland ammonite is one of the most popular figures in the German company’s “Dinosaur Park” range. It depicts a typical ammonite, with large eyes, a hypernome and a beautifully detailed beak (mouth). The shell has an inverted keel and it is strongly ribbed, characteristics associated with a number of known genera from both the Jurassic and Cretaceous geological periods.
The Bullyland Ammonite Model
The Bullyland replica ammonite model. The strongly ribbed shell, large eyes and the presence of a hypernome (siphon).
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Ubiquitous and Important Extinct Group of Cephalopods
Although extinct, animals in the Subclass Ammonoidea are extremely important to scientists. Ammonites are members of the Mollusca Phylum that lived in chambered shells and were entirely marine. Many hundreds of different genera are known. The ability to evolve rapidly, to leave abundant fossil material in the form of their fossilised shells (comprised of aragonite, a naturally occurring crystalline form of calcium carbonate), has made these molluscs ideal candidates for zonal fossils.
Outcrops of rock, although in some cases, separated by thousands of miles and composed of different constituents, limestone and sandstone for example, can be correlated due to the fact that they contain similar ammonite fossils. The technique of using fossils to identify the relative age of sediments is called biostratigraphy. Rock layers are divided into distinct and easily identifiable zones as they are characterised by one or more particular fossil species. Ammonites make ideal zone fossils.
The Bullyland Ammonite Model is Often Used in Museum Exhibits
The Bullyland ammonite model is often used in museum displays to depict the living animal next to fossil material. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture Credit: Everything Dinosaur
Used in Museum Displays and Exhibits
In the short video, the ammonite model is shown next to a fossil specimen. Many museums use the Bullyland ammonite replica in display cases so that visitors can get an idea of what the living animal was like whilst they view the fossilised remains of the ammonite aragonite shells.
The Posterior Portion of the Bullyland Ammonite Model
The strongly ribbed shell and the obvious keel of the ammonite replica.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
The Bullyland Ammonite Model Features in “Turntable Tuesday”
The “turntable Tuesday” ammonite model video, lasts a little over two minutes, it is one of a series of videos posted on Everything Dinosaur’s YouTube channel showcasing different replicas. To view these videos check out our YouTube channel: Everything Dinosaur on YouTube.
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Our thanks to Amy who sent into Everything Dinosaur some beautiful photographs of her recently acquired Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus model. It looks like the recent good weather was taken advantage of so that the Sarcosuchus could patrol outside. These are wonderful well-composed photographs, especially the ones of the Sarcosuchus in the water.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus Ready to Ambush
A Sarcosuchus takes to the water. Our thanks to Amy for sending into Everything Dinosaur some wonderful photographs of her recently acquired Sarcosuchus model.
Picture credit: Amy
Sarcosuchus
The Sarcosuchus certainly looks very much at home in the water. It looks like it is ready to ambush any unwary dinosaur that decides to take a drink. Only distantly related to extant crocodylians, very little was known about this giant predator until an almost complete skull was unearthed in Niger by a French research team (1964). A series of expeditions to the same region of Africa led by the famous American palaeontologist Paul Sereno in the mid 1990’s resulted in the discovery of six new specimens and it was from these remains that the body plan of this crocodyliform was reconstructed.
It is Likely that Sarcosuchus was an Ambusher of Animals that Ventured to Close to the Water
Ready to ambush! The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus model.
Picture credit: Amy
Sarcosuchus Going for a Swim
The Sarcosuchus model looks quite at home in Amy’s garden pond. The model of “flesh crocodile” measures an impressive 26.5 centimetres long and it is one of the largest prehistoric animal models introduced this year by Safari Ltd. Only the Edmontosaurus replica surpasses it in size. In keeping with the scientific paper published in 2001 by Sereno et al when the fossilised specimens found during the 1990s were formally described, Amy has chosen to depict her Sarcosuchus as a semi-aquatic animal. It would have basked on the riverbank and occasionally moved around on land, but it probably did not stray too far from water.
The Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus model takes a stroll in the sunshine.
Picture credit: Amy
A Beautifully Painted Crocodyliform
The design team at Safari Ltd studied the scales and markings on living crocodiles in order to create their detailed prehistoric crocodile model. The photograph (above), shows the different sized scales on the replica, smaller rounded scales on the flanks with larger, rectangular scales on the legs and the underside of the animal. The parallel rows of osteoderms that run down from the neck to the tail have been skilfully recreated and the model demonstrates the bulbous upper jaw tip first identified in that almost complete fossil skull found in the Gadoufaoua region of northern Niger in 1964.
A Close View of the Head of the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus Model
A close view of the beautifully painted head and jaws of the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus model.
Picture credit: Amy
Fossils from Africa and Also from Brazil
Two species of Sarcosuchus have been scientifically described. Fossils from Africa associated with Lower Cretaceous outcrops of the Elrhaz Formation have been ascribed to S. imperator, whereas, the much older strata from the Ihas Group outcropping in north-eastern Brazil have yielded specimens that have been ascribed to the species S. hartti. The holotype material associated with S. hartti resides at the London Natural History Museum, but given the huge temporal range which spans the African and Brazilian material, it is very likely that other Sarcosuchus species and closely related genera will be identified.
Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus
Wild Safari Prehistoric World Sarcosuchus on the prowl. A carefully composed shot with an effective use of perspective to give the impression of a sizeable animal walking by.
Picture credit: Amy
A spokesperson from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“Our thanks to Amy for sending into us some splendid and carefully composed photographs of her Sarcosuchus model.”
At Everything Dinosaur, we like to do our best when it comes to assisting our customers. Take for example, a fan of Papo prehistoric animal models who asked us to photograph a Papo brown Tyrannosaurus rex model and the Papo Gorgosaurus replica prior to making a potential purchase. Our team members were happy to oblige and emailed over several photographs from the company’s own studio of the two tyrannosaurids including a picture of the two prehistoric animals together on one of the turntables we use for our YouTube videos.
The Papo Brown Tyrannosaurus rex Model and the Papo Gorgosaurus
The Papo brown T. rex model (introduced in 2012) on the left with the 2019 Papo Gorgosaurus adjacent. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
These two tyrannosaurs make an attractive pair. The Papo brown T. rex model was introduced in 2012 replacing the “classic” green version of this dinosaur. The Papo Gorgosaurus is a much more recent addition to the Papo “Les Dinosaures” range. This figure was introduced in 2019.
With the current COVID-19 difficulties, Everything Dinosaur has been able to put in place a series of contingency measures to help the company to continue operating its mail order business. For example, making commitments to stock figures earlier than normal and putting in place plans to hold various products in readiness to bring them into the company’s warehouse. These measures and the other steps that Everything Dinosaur have taken have enabled the company to maintain the availability of a number of product lines, including the popular Papo prehistoric animals.
A team of international researchers including scientists from the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Canada), have provided a new perspective on the palaeoenvironment of western North America during the Late Cretaceous. An extensive study mapping stable isotopes identified in fossilised teeth has provided the research team with detailed information on how some dinosaurs co-existed in a floodplain environment on the landmass of Laramidia around 75 million years ago.
Many Different Types of Dinosaur are Associated with the Late Cretaceous of Laramidia
A large variety of different types of dinosaur co-existed on Laramidia. Ornithischian dinosaurs such as ankylosaurs, ceratopsians, hadrosaurs as well as saurischian dinosaurs such as dromaeosaurs, ornithomimids and tyrannosaurs. They shared their tropical environment with turtles and numerous types of crocodilian.Scientists reconstruct a Late Cretaceous ecosystem.
Palaeontologists had puzzled over how so many different types of large tetrapod could co-exist together and it had been thought that extensive niche partitioning between species must have been taking place. Niche partitioning describes the natural selection process whereby different species reduce competition amongst themselves by becoming more specialised and adopting specific roles within an ecosystem. They become adapted to a particular niche and by doing this competition between species is reduced.
Niche Partitioning Between Ceratopsids and Hadrosaurids
Alberta around 75 million years ago (Dinosaur Park Formation). This part of the western North American landmass (Laramidia), was home to a large number of different types of dinosaur including a number of ceratopsians and duck-billed dinosaurs. It had been suggested that niche partitioning permitted these mega-herbivores to co-exist with each type of plant-eating dinosaur specialising on feeding upon different types of vegetation.
Picture credit: Julius Csotonyi
Stable Isotope Analysis Used to Reconstruct a Late Cretaceous Ecosystem
Researchers from the Royal Ontario Museum in collaboration with colleagues from the Field Museum in Chicago (USA), compared the compositions of stable isotopes identified in the fossilised teeth of different dinosaur taxa. Stable isotopes are naturally occurring varieties of chemical elements such as oxygen and carbon that don’t alter and change into other elements over time. When water and food is consumed the stable isotopes of the elements that make up these resources (for example, nitrogen, carbon and oxygen), are passed on to the animal’s tissues including their teeth enamel.
Lead author of the research paper, published by the Geological Society of America, Dr Thomas Cullen (University of Toronto/Royal Ontario Museum), stated:
“Differences in the sources of water and types of food being consumed, as well as the physiology of the animal itself and the habitats they live in, will all result in small differences in the relative amounts of the stable isotopes of a given element, for example, carbon-13 versus carbon-12, present in their body tissues. Measuring the ratios of the different isotopes of elements such as carbon or oxygen in tissues like tooth enamel gives us a unique window into the diet and habitat of an animal which has been extinct for millions of years.”
One of the Largest Studies of its Type Conducted
This research is one of the largest studies of its kind conducted on a dinosaur dominated ecosystem. Over 350 isotopic measurements from 17 different taxa from fossils representing the Campanian fauna of Alberta. Uniquely, this ancient data set was then compared and contrasted with measurements from 16 living species sampled from a modern coastal wetland in Louisiana, which closely resembles the climate conditions with northern Laramidia during the Late Cretaceous.
One of the co-authors of the study, Dr David Evans (Royal Ontario Museum), commented:
“Most of the time when these types of studies are done, the size of the dataset is much smaller and doesn’t take into consideration how dinosaur ecosystems compared to modern ones. Louisiana was the perfect place to use as a comparison with the dinosaur communities we studied. The environmental conditions were probably quite similar, and a number of the animals there probably had similar lifestyles to those found in dinosaur ecosystems. That gives us a great deal of control when exploring our data.”
Typical Dinosaur Biota from the Campanian Faunal Stage of Northern Laramidia
Typical dinosaur fauna of the Dinosaur Park Formation (Alberta, Canada). A typical dinosaur dominated fauna associated with the study.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
The team’s results challenge existing theories about niche partitioning and habitat exploitation. For example, it had been suggested that the horned dinosaurs tended to congregate in coastal areas, whereas hadrosaurids preferred inland habitats. The stable carbon and oxygen isotope ranges for these large herbivores were found to strongly overlap, providing direct evidence against different types of mega-herbivore segregating.
Large herbivores did not appear to be separating across different habitats. The researchers conclude that these animals may have been doing something different to avoid interspecific competition. Perhaps herds of horned dinosaurs moved around the region in a different pattern compared to the herds of duck-billed dinosaurs. In this way, they may have avoided being in the same part of the habitat at the same time, or perhaps they were feeding on different parts of the same plants.
With the high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the high average temperatures of 16-20 degrees Celsius and the extended daylength at certain times of the year due to the high latitude, competition for food might have been somewhat less intense than it is in modern ecosystems.
Extensive Vertebrate Fossil Deposits Have Helped to Inform Scientists About Ancient Ecosystems
Extensive bonebeds and other fossil deposits have helped to inform scientists about the ancient ecosystem.
Picture credit: Victoria Arbour
Results Helping to Understand the Implications of Global Warming
The isotope analysis enabled the scientists to accurately estimate the climate in this northern Laramidian palaeoenvironment. By using an approach that combined average oxygen isotope compositions from the sampled species, new estimates of mean annual temperatures for the region could be made. The team found that 75-million years ago, this area of southern Alberta to northern Montana had a mean annual temperature of about 16-20 °Celsius, a stark contrast to the current range of about 5-7 °Celsius that is experienced today.
Dr Cullen explained:
“Dinosaurs lived in a weird world: broad-leafed and flowering plants were much less common, it was warm enough in high latitudes to support crocodilians, CO2 in the atmosphere was higher than it is today, and there was little to no ice at the poles. It’s not like anything we as humans have any direct experience with, but it may be the direction we are headed, so it’s critical that we understand how ecosystems and environments function under those sorts of conditions so we can better prepare ourselves for the future.”
Gaining a Better Understanding of a Late Cretaceous Ecosystem
The scientists conclude that that this approach is a simple and effective method that enables accurate palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. These results indicate that dinosaur niche partitioning was much more complex than previously thought. This study can provide a framework for future research on dinosaur-dominated Mesozoic floodplain communities.
The scientific paper: “Large-scale stable isotope characterization of a Late Cretaceous dinosaur-dominated ecosystem” by T.M. Cullen, F.J. Longstaffe, U.G. Wortmann, L. Huang, F. Fanti, M.B. Goodwin, M.J. Ryan and D.C. Evans published by the Geological Society of America.
Today, May 8th, is Sir David Attenborough’s birthday. Sir David Attenborough has enjoyed the best part of seventy years as a broadcaster, narrator and television presenter. His energy and enthusiasm for the natural world shows no sign of deteriorating despite him being just six years short of his centenary. Over recent years, the veteran broadcaster has become an active campaigner raising awareness about climate change, global warming and the impact of our species on the planet.
Sir David Attenborough
He remains as busy as ever, with the BBC producing a new five-part television series narrated by Sir David, highlighting how natural forces such as ocean currents, seismic activity, sunshine and volcanoes contribute to maintaining a sustainable natural world. A source close to Everything Dinosaur has stated that the series is entitled “A Perfect Planet”.
Sir David Attenborough
A gentleman and a scholar. Sir David Attenborough is 94 years old today.
Many Happy Returns
The television programmes will also highlight how some animals such as snub-nosed monkeys, wolves and bears are having to adapt as the world around them changes. Birdlife from the Galapagos islands including vampire finches will also feature in the series.
Commenting on the significance of these programmes, Sir David stated that:
“To preserve our perfect planet we must ensure we become a force for good”.
The fifth and final episode will look at how our species has impacted upon the environment and the billions of other organisms that share our world.
Sir David added:
“Our planet is one in a billion, a world teeming with life. But now, a new dominant force is changing the face of Earth: humans”.
Team members have been lucky enough to have corresponded with Sir David Attenborough, he remains as enthusiastic as ever and passionate about conservation. Many happy returns Sir David, stay safe, keep well.
Sir David Attenborough – A Nonagenarian Passionately Campaigning to Raise Awareness About Climate Change
Sir David Attenborough veteran naturalist and broadcaster. An active campaigner raising awareness about climate change and global warming.
Everything Dinosaur team members had lots of plans for fossil collecting expeditions over the late spring and summer months. Like lots of people at the moment we have had to postpone these activities (COVID-19). Instead, team members are busy planning some projects and fieldwork for the late autumn and for 2021.
Missing Fossil Collecting
A Lot of Plans for Fieldwork are Having to be Redrawn
Looking for fossils at Lyme Regis. Plans for fieldwork are suspended. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A point often overlooked when discussing fossil collecting as a hobby, is that if fossils were not found and collected, many important specimens would be lost to the elements. Fossils eroding out of the cliffs along the Dorset coast for example, they could easily be lost to the sea as there are very few visitors permitted to the “Jurassic Coast” at the moment.
With Many Countries in Lockdown Fossil Finding Expeditions for Many People are not Possible at the Moment
The view towards West Bay and Burton Bradstock. Much of the “Jurassic Coast” is devoid of visitors at the moment (COVID-19).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Museums Closed Too
Important research work has also had to be postponed or suspended. Researchers wanting to access museum specimens will probably have to wait until these institutions and other academic bodies such as universities can function properly with a full complement of staff.
Access to Museum Collections is Restricted for the Time Being
Dean Lomax and Judy Massare examining Ichthyosaur specimens in the marine reptile gallery at the Natural History Museum (London) as part of their research into the Ichthyosauria.
Everything Dinosaur team members have lots to keep them occupied. Ironically, a few weeks before the lockdown came into effect, we were at the London Natural History Museum undertaking some project work ourselves. We visited various parts of the museum including the marine reptiles gallery, although if you know that part of the museum quite well, it is not only the marine reptile specimens that are on display, we were there for the ichthyosaurs, the Metriorhynchidae (marine crocodyliforms) as well as one other very important fossil specimen that is located there but we won’t mention this…
The Marine Reptiles Gallery at the London Natural History Museum
The famous marine reptiles gallery at the London Natural History Museum.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
New Study Challenges Dromaeosaurids Hunting in Packs
The “Jurassic Park/Jurassic World” movie franchise certainly spawned new generations of dinosaur fans. It could be argued that these extremely successful films, may have influenced the career choices of would-be scientists. All very well and good, but one of the problems associated with the films and with the original book “Jurassic Park” written by Michael Crichton, concerns the “raptors”, those fast running, social pack hunters the size of Deinonychus but in this franchise referred to as Velociraptors.
Popular media has depicted these “raptors” as highly social, intelligent animals capable of working together to attack and bring down prey, but what scientific evidence is there to back-up the on-screen abilities of these dinosaurs?
Studying Isotopes in Dinosaur Teeth
Since it is very rare for the fossil record to preserve behaviour, scientists have had to employ some ingenious lines of research in order to gain an insight into the behaviour of dinosaurs. For example, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Oklahoma and the Sam Noble Museum (Oklahoma), set about analysing differences in stable carbon isotopes within Deinonychus teeth. Differences in the composition of these stable isotopes in teeth from young dinosaurs when compared to the isotopes found in the teeth of adults, would indicate a different diet.
If the adults had a different diet compared to the younger animals then this would contradict the idea of these dinosaurs being social and hunting in packs.
They conclude that Deinonychus probably did not hunt in a co-operative, co-ordinated manner. These “raptors” were probably not complex, social hunters.
Life-size Deinonychus Replicas on Display
Life-size Deinonychus replicas on display at the London Natural History Museum. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Laying a Ghost – Highly Intelligent, Pack Hunting “Raptors”
The idea of pack hunting in dromaeosaurids pre-dates “Jurassic Park”, it was first proposed to explain the co-occurrence of Deinonychus (D. antirrhopus) and the iguanodontian Tenontosaurus (T. tilletti). Around a fifth of all Tenontosaurus remains are found in association with D. antirrhopus. It has been proposed that Deinonychus hunted the larger Tenontosaurus and as numerous fossil specimens of Deinonychus have been found with Tenontosaurus remains it was suggested that this was evidence of pack hunting behaviour amongst members of the Dromaeosauridae.
A Pack of “Raptors” (Deinonychus) Attack a Tenontosaurus
A pack of Deinonychus attacking the herbivore Tenontosaurus. Pack hunting behaviour inferred from fossil evidence.
Picture credit: John Sibbick
Dromaeosaurs Probably Not Pack Hunters
The depiction of dromaeosaurs as pack hunters is problematic as sophisticated hunting strategies are rarely observed in living archosaurs such as crocodiles and birds. Palaeontologists have considered that perhaps Deinonychus was more analogous to extant reptilian predators such as the Komodo dragon (V. komodoensis), where there seems to be no co-ordinated attack strategy, instead an attack by an individual may instigate mobbing behaviour which would bring down the prey.
Lead author of the study, published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Dr Joseph Frederickson (University of Wisconsin), explained:
“The evidence for this behaviour [pack hunting], however, is not altogether convincing. Since we can’t watch these dinosaurs hunt in person, we must use indirect methods to determine their behaviour in life. Though widely accepted, evidence for the pack-hunting dinosaur proposed by Yale University palaeontologist John Ostrom is relatively weak. The problem with this idea is that living dinosaurs (birds) and their relatives (crocodilians) do not usually hunt in groups and rarely ever hunt prey larger than themselves. Further, behaviour like pack hunting does not fossilise so we can’t directly test whether the animals actually worked together to hunt prey.”
Social Pack Hunters versus Mob Hunters
In order to test the likelihood of Deinonychus being a social pack hunter or whether these dinosaurs simply mobbed victims in an uncoordinated manner, the researchers looked at evidence for dietary changes preserved in the stable carbon isotopes found in fossilised Deinonychus teeth of various sizes. The team analysed tooth carbonate from teeth less than 4.5 mm tall (crown height less than 4.5 mm) and compared the carbon isotopes found to those from much larger teeth (crown height greater than 9 mm).
The smallest teeth studied were the relatively most enriched with carbon-13 isotope, whilst the largest teeth used in the study had depleted levels. These results suggest that juvenile Deinonychus consumed different prey than older members of this species.
Analysis of Stable Isotope Carbon-13 in the Teeth of Deinonychus Sheds Doubt on the Social Hunter Hypothesis
Deinonychus teeth – carbon-13 isotope analysis. Tooth samples collected from the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly (Montana) and Antlers (Oklahoma) formations when analysed for carbon-13 levels suggest a dietary shift as Deinonychus matured. This challenges the social, pack hunter hypothesis.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Testing the Teeth of Other Prehistoric Animals as Well as Deinonychus
Teeth from goniopholidid crocodilians as well as the teeth of Tenontosaurus tilletti were also tested. The crocodilian results mirrored those found for Deinonychus. If goniopholidid had the same behaviours of extant crocodilians then, just like their modern counterparts, these reptiles went through a distinct dietary transition as they grew. If the teeth of Deinonychus show very similar results to the crocodilians, then, the implication is that just like crocodiles today, this “raptor” was probably not a complex social hunter it is unlikely that its hunting behaviour was comparable to the pack hunting behaviour of wolves or lions.
Still, the prospect of being mobbed by a gang of agile, three-metre-long, predatory dinosaurs remains unappealing.
A Model of a Deinonychus Dinosaur (D. antirrhopus)
New for 2020 the Wild Safari Prehistoric World Deinonychus dinosaur model. Evidence suggests that Deinonychus was not a social, sophisticated pack hunter.
The picture (above) depicts the recently introduced Wild Safari Prehistoric World Deinonychus model.
The scientific paper: “Ontogenetic dietary shifts in Deinonychus antirrhopus (Theropoda; Dromaeosauridae): Insights into the ecology and social behavior of raptorial dinosaurs through stable isotope analysis” by J.A. Frederickson, M. H. Engel, R.L. Cifelli published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology.
It’s “Turntable Tuesday” at Everything Dinosaur and time to give another prehistoric animal figure in our extensive range, a spin. Today, we have selected one of the most underrated models in the CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life model range – the 1:20 scale Woolly Mammoth. It is time this fabulous figure of an iconic Ice Age animal got put into the spotlight.
“Turntable Tuesday”
“Turntable Tuesday” – The CollectA Deluxe 1:20 Scale Woolly Mammoth
Lots of prehistoric animal ranges include a Woolly Mammoth figure (M. primigenius). It seems that as soon as a manufacturer starts to extend a range beyond the Dinosauria, the Woolly Mammoth comes into consideration. The CollectA 1:20 scale replica was introduced back in 2009 along with the Woolly Mammoth calf, which coincidentally, makes a short appearance in our video. Interestingly, although no scale declaration was ever made for the calf model, these models were originally given sequential catalogue and production numbers. They do work very well together in terms of scale.
CollectA Woolly Mammoth Models
The CollectA Deluxe Woolly Mammoth model in 1:20 scale and the CollectA Prehistoric Life Woolly Mammoth calf.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A Woolly Mammoth on the Turntable
Our short video showcasing these excellent replicas lasts around one minute fifty seconds. Using a turntable to display the models we can permit viewers an all-round view of the figure. We did have to place the adult Mammoth on its back so that we could show the beautifully sculpted teeth in the upper jaw. Those tusks (upper incisors), are beautifully weathered too.
The Everything Dinosaur Video Highlights Some of the Details on the Ice Age Models
The Everything Dinosaur video highlights the details in the upper jaw.Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Model Measurements – Are They 1:20 Scale Woolly Mammoth Models?
The CollectA Deluxe adult Woolly Mammoth measures around 20 cm long and that magnificent head is approximately 15 cm off the ground. Different species were different sizes and as with extant elephants today, the males were much larger than the females. Scientific measurements based on Mammuthus primigenius suggest an adult body size of around 3.5 metres to 4 metres in length, so this figure is indeed in approximately 1:20 scale.
The CollectA Deluxe Woolly Mammoth Replica
CollectA Deluxe Woolly Mammoth replica.
The CollectA Woolly Mammoth Calf
CollectA Prehistoric Life Woolly Mammoth calf model.
The Woolly Mammoth video can be found on Everything Dinosaur’s YouTube channel, please subscribe, you can find the channel here: Everything Dinosaur on YouTube.
Stellasaurus ancellae – Missing Link from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana
A new species of horned dinosaur has been described based on fossil material from the famous Two Medicine Formation of north-western Montana. The new species named Stellasaurus ancellae is a possible missing link in the evolutionary transition of Centrosaurinae dinosaurs from Styracosaurus to one of the last of the horned dinosaurs known to science – Pachyrhinosaurus.
Stellasaurus means “star lizard”, reflecting the ornate star-shaped head crest and in honour of British rock/pop star David Bowie, famous for his flamboyant appearance and his hit single “Starman” which was released on April 28th 1972, almost 48 years to the day that the Stellasaurus scientific paper was published in Royal Society Open Science.
United by a Flamboyant Appearance David Jones AKA David Bowie and “Star Lizard” AKA Stellasaurus
David Bowie (left) and Stellasaurus ancellae (right).
Picture credit: Getty Images and Andrey Atuchin
Stellasaurus ancellae
Just like the career of David Bowie, Stellasaurus has had to wait a while before becoming famous. The fossil material now assigned to Stellasaurus was discovered in 1986, near the town of Cut Bank in Montana, close to the USA/Canadian border. The discovery was made by Carrie Ancell. It remained catalogued but not studied in the Museum of the Rockies (Montana), vertebrate fossil collection.
The contribution of Carrie Ancell, now a senior preparator at the Museum of the Rockies, has been recognised as the species name honours her. Carrie Ancell has played a significant role in developing our understanding of northern Laramidian centrosaurines. She discovered and prepared MOR 492, the holotype specimen of Stellasaurus ancellae, as well as the holotype of Achelousaurus horneri, and co-discovered the holotype of Einiosaurus procurvicornis.
Views of the Holotype Fossil Material of Stellasaurus ancellae
Left lateral parietal bar of Stellasaurus ancellae holotype MOR 492 in dorsal and ventral views. The line drawing has been reproduced from a PLOS One article (Evans and Ryan). Note scale bar on left equals 10 cm.
Picture credit: Wilson et al/Royal Society Open Science
Reviewing the Centrosaurinae Fossil Material from the Two Medicine Formation
A review of cranial material, specifically the ornamentation associated with the neck frill (parietal processes), previously assigned to the centrosaurine Rubeosaurus ovatus resulted in the identification of this new taxon. However, this assessment could mark the demise of R. ovatus as the researchers, which include John Wilson of Montana State University, conclude that only what was the holotype fossil, a partial parietal specimen number USNM 11869, can be attributed Rubeosaurus. This could spell the end for Rubeosaurus. When USNM 11869 was first described it was assigned to a new species of Styracosaurus (S. ovatus).
Thus, this new paper proposes that the genus Rubeosaurus is now no longer valid and that Styracosaurus ovatus is the sister taxon to Styracosaurus albertensis and Stellasaurus marks a missing link in centrosaurine evolution between Styracosaurus and Einiosaurus procurvicornis.
A Stratigraphical and Temporal Assessment of Late Cretaceous Centrosaurines Based on Two Medicine Formation Fossil Material*
Stratigraphic and temporal relationship between Two Medicine Formation centrosaurine taxa. *Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai fossil material is not from the Two Medicine Formation but from the younger unit 4 sediments of the Wapiti Formation of Canada.
Picture credit: Wilson et al/Royal Society Open Science
A Missing Link Amongst the Centrosaurinae
The researchers postulate that Stellasaurus represents a missing link in the centrosaurine family tree. The fossils of Stellasaurus are believed to be around 75 million years old. From a stratigraphical perspective, they are younger than Styracosaurus albertensis fossils, but older than fossils assigned to Einiosaurus. That flamboyant head shield with its various lumps and bumps could reflect a transitional stage between the headshield morphology of Styracosaurus and that of Einiosaurus. It is suggested that Stellasaurus was preceded by Styracosaurus and that Styracosaurus evolved into Stellasaurus. In addition, Einiosaurus evolved from Stellasaurus.
A Transitional Process – One Horned Dinosaur Leading Directly to Another Species of Horned Dinosaur
Anagenesis within centrosaurine dinosaurs. Stellasaurus evolved from Styracosaurus and Einiosaurus evolved from Stellasaurus.
Commenting upon the importance of this new research, lead author John Wilson stated:
“The ornamental horns and spiky frills on the skulls of these animals are what changed the most through evolution. The new species has skull ornamentation which is intermediate. This gives us evidence these species are members of a single, evolving lineage – this type of evolution is called anagenesis.”
The Phylogeny of the Centrosaurinae from Statistical Analysis Undertaken by the Research Team
Phylogeny of the Centrosaurinae clade of the Ceratopsidae based on Bayesian statistical analysis mapped against a temporal range. Styracosaurus ovatus (formerly Rubeosaurus ovatus), is placed as the sister taxon to Styracosaurus albertensis, whilst Stellasaurus is mapped between S. albertensis and Einiosaurus procurvicornis.
Picture credit: Wilson et al/Royal Society Open Science
The scientific paper: “A new, transitional centrosaurine ceratopsid from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana and the evolution of the ‘Styracosaurus-line’ dinosaurs” by John P. Wilson, Michael J. Ryan and David C. Evans published in Royal Society Open Science.
Preparations Underway for the CollectA Caviramus Pterosaur Model
At the end of November last year (2019), Everything Dinosaur revealed that CollectA would be introducing a replica of the bizarre Late Triassic pterosaur Caviramus. This 1:2 scale model, along with the rest of the remaining new for 2020 CollectA prehistoric animals, have been delayed (coronavirus outbreak), but team members at Everything Dinosaur have still been busy making preparations for this model’s arrival.
Arriving in 2020 (Later on in the Year) The CollectA Supreme Caviramus Pterosaur Model
The bizarre Late Triassic pterosaur Caviramus (CollectA Caviramus model).
Caviramus schesaplanensis
Of all the pterosaurs known to science (there are around 130 genera), arguably the most bizarre but poorly known are those from the Late Triassic and into the latter stages of the Early Jurassic (Toarcian stage), that have been tentatively grouped together as “Campylognathoidids”. Caviramus is one such member, assigned by several authors, although there is very little agreement amongst pterosaur experts how the various associated genera are related to each other, or indeed, how they fit into the wider Pterosauria.
The grouping consists of around half a dozen or so assorted genera, most of which have been found in Europe. European members include Austriadactylus, Carniadactylus, Eudimorphodon, Campylognathoides, Caviramus and Raeticodactylus.
Named and described in 2006 (Fröbisch and Fröbisch), from a partial lower jaw found on the western slope of the Schesaplana mountain in Switzerland, Caviramus schesaplanensis was soon joined by another species (C. filisurensis), following the scientific description in 2008 of a much more complete skeleton found in contemporaneous deposits.
As if to highlight the complexities of trying to phylogenetically plot these strange flying reptiles, Caviramus filisurensis was placed in its own genus Raeticodactylus when it was described (Rico Stetcher). However, other researchers challenged this placement and comparisons with the jawbone of C. schesaplanensis led to claims that the two pterosaur fossils represented the same species or at least they were congeneric (belonging to the same genus).
Recent Studies
A more recent study (2014), concluded that these two, closely related pterosaurs should be placed in the Raeticodactylidae family and that Raeticodactylus was the sister genus of Caviramus. This phylogenetic assessment remains controversial, as indeed does the placement of all the “campylognathoidids” within the Pterosauria. In our fact sheet that will accompany sales of the CollectA Supreme 1:2 scale Caviramus replica, we hope to provide a little more information about this Triassic flying reptile.
Everything Dinosaur’s Fact Sheet Illustration of Caviramus
A scale drawing of the bizarre pterosaur Caviramus (C. schesaplanensis).Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
With their complex, multi-cusped teeth, large eyes, down-turned lower jaw tips and proportionately long wing fingers, the “Campylognathoidids” represent one of the earliest radiations of the Pterosauria. In common with most other early pterosaurs Caviramus was relatively small, with an estimated wingspan of around 1.2 metres, giving it a wingspan roughly comparable to the Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). However, what Caviramus ate is entirely unknown. Wear and scratches observed on teeth along with studies of jaw morphology suggest that these flying reptiles were capable of processing their food in their mouths to some degree – chewing, an anatomic trait unique within the Pterosauria.
What Caviramus ate is very much open to speculation. It probably was a generalist feeding on plant material, invertebrates, small vertebrates and possibly carrion. Studies of the potential aerial abilities of Caviramus indicate that it may have flown but relied on gliding to an extent.
Problems with Dating Caviramus schesaplanensis Fossils
The fossilised partial lower jaw assigned to C. schesaplanensis comes from the Kössen Formation. Its age is uncertain due to problems over accurately dating the strata. The sediments represent a lagoonal environment that overtime, became a more open marine ecosystem but the absence of any obvious zonal fossils such as ammonites or conodonts makes accurate dating very difficult. The strata are regarded as Late Norian to Early Rhaetian in age. Based on this, our team members conclude that Caviramus was taking to the air around 210-206 million years ago.
