Latest news with #HistoricalBiology
Yahoo
a day ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Velociraptor's new cousin is a raptor unlike any seen before
Sometime before 2010, in the red sands of Mongolia's Gobi Desert brimming with fossils, poachers excavated and stole the exquisite skeleton of a carnivorous dinosaur. They smuggled the fossil out of the country and onto the black market. It passed through private collections in Japan and England and was eventually acquired by the French fossil company Eldonia. In 2016, one of the fossil's owners had the dinosaur's skull and four vertebrae CT-scanned at a Belgian museum, but sometime later the head and neck went missing. Their whereabouts remain unknown to scientists. Negotiations between the fossil company, paleontologists, and government officials led to the return of the dinosaur's body to Mongolia, where it could be cared for and studied, a raptor unlike any seen before. Now, this headless, extra-sharp relative of Velociraptor finally has a name: Shri rapax. The roughly six-foot-long, turkey-sized dinosaur wandered a prehistoric desert more than 71 million years ago. Like Velociraptor, which was also found in Mongolia, Shri is a dromaeosaur. This predatory dinosaur group includes Deinonychus, Utahraptor, and other feathery carnivores with large, hyperextendable claws on their second toes. "I was so surprised to find such an unexpected dromaeosaur in the same geological setting of the iconic Velociraptor," says Andrea Cau an independent paleontologist from Italy. Cau and his colleagues published a paper on July 13 in the journal Historical Biology describing the new species. The discovery is part of a growing number of raptor-like dinosaurs found in Mongolia, revealing an unexpected diversity of species and body types in this group, such as the goose-necked and slender Halszkaraptor escuilliei and Natovenator polydontus. Stronger bite, bigger claws Despite its close relationship to the Hollywood-famous Velociraptor, Shri was a very different dinosaur. A cast of its skull, which was made based off the 2016 CT-scan as the actual fossil skull is still missing, indicates Shri had a deeper and shorter snout. The finding hints that this raptor had a stronger bite than its relative. "Other differences, such as a relatively short snout, proportionally long neck, and short tail indicate that these two relatives had different ecological preferences," says Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, a paleontologist at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and a coauthor of the study. Its arm bones are more robust and stockier, tipped with large, curved claws. It also had stout hands that imply a strong grip. Precisely how Shri used its arms and claws is unclear, though the researchers suggest it may have grappled with and grasped other dinosaurs like the horned herbivore Protoceratops. Bitten Protoceratops bones and a famous fossil of Velociraptor and Protoceratops locked in fossil combat, called the "Fighting Dinosaurs," hint that the pig-like horned dinosaurs were prey for dromaeosaurs like Shri. Michael Pittman, a paleontologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who was not involved in the research, says the authors' hypothesis is reasonable, and that biomechanical studies of the dinosaur's arms can potentially test the idea. He also calls the specimen, "beautiful and well-preserved." The likelihood Shri rapax and Velociraptor lived alongside each other points to a phenomenon called "niche partitioning." Closely related species can sometimes share the same landscape when they have different dietary preferences and behaviors, like how the island of Madagascar hosts many different lemur species that live in different habitats and eat different foods. Evolving different specializations allow related animals to divide habitats in different ways, boosting biodiversity. In the case of the dinosaurs, the anatomical differences between Shri and Velociraptor indicate that the carnivores were likely also part of such an ecological interplay. Returning Shri rapax home Because Shri's skeleton was poached and sold with no geological information, paleontologists are unsure exactly from where the dinosaur was excavated, beyond its clear origin from Mongolia's Djadokhta Formation. The fact that scientists have been able to study, describe, and begin to understand Shri rapax is a victory for paleontology and an effort to push back against black market fossil dealings."This case highlights yet another instance of fossil poaching," Chinzorig says, "part of a long-standing pattern of illegal smuggling of fossils from the Mongolian Gobi over the decades." It's essential that such fossils are returned, Chinzorig says, both to build scientific knowledge about the prehistoric past and to respect Mongolia's fossil heritage. If the smuggled fossil had remained in private hands, scientists would not know this new dinosaur, its relationships, or anything about the role it played in its prehistoric ecosystem. "Scientific value aside," Cau adds, "I am really happy to give some help in returning these dinosaurs home." And by introducing Shri rapax to the world, the paleontologists may, with luck, help return its missing head home. Solve the daily Crossword
National Geographic
3 days ago
- Science
- National Geographic
Velociraptor's new cousin is a raptor unlike any seen before
Shri rapax had bigger claws and potentially a stronger bite than its Hollywood relative. But paleontologists still don't know the whereabouts of its head, which went missing. The newly named raptor Shri rapax was smuggled by poachers, rescued from the black market, and then, sometime following a CT-scan in 2016, its skull went missing. Photograph by Thierry Hubin, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Sometime before 2010, in the red sands of Mongolia's Gobi Desert brimming with fossils, poachers excavated and stole the exquisite skeleton of a carnivorous dinosaur. They smuggled the fossil out of the country and onto the black market. It passed through private collections in Japan and England and was eventually acquired by the French fossil company Eldonia. In 2016, one of the fossil's owners had the dinosaur's skull and four vertebrae CT-scanned at a Belgian museum, but sometime later the head and neck went missing. Their whereabouts remain unknown to scientists. Negotiations between the fossil company, paleontologists, and government officials led to the return of the dinosaur's body to Mongolia, where it could be cared for and studied, a raptor unlike any seen before. Now, this headless, extra-sharp relative of Velociraptor finally has a name: Shri rapax. The roughly six-foot-long, turkey-sized dinosaur wandered a prehistoric desert more than 71 million years ago. Like Velociraptor, which was also found in Mongolia, Shri is a dromaeosaur. This predatory dinosaur group includes Deinonychus, Utahraptor, and other feathery carnivores with large, hyperextendable claws on their second toes. "I was so surprised to find such an unexpected dromaeosaur in the same geological setting of the iconic Velociraptor," says Andrea Cau an independent paleontologist from Italy. Cau and his colleagues published a paper on July 13 in the journal Historical Biology describing the new species. The discovery is part of a growing number of raptor-like dinosaurs found in Mongolia, revealing an unexpected diversity of species and body types in this group, such as the goose-necked and slender Halszkaraptor escuilliei and Natovenator polydontus. This cast was created from a CT-scan of the dinosaur's skull that was conducted in 2016. The real fossilized skull's location is still a mystery to scientists. Photograph by Thierry Hubin, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Shri rapax's claws were larger than the claws that its famous relative, Velociraptor, had on its hands. Photograph by Thierry Hubin, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences Despite its close relationship to the Hollywood-famous Velociraptor, Shri was a very different dinosaur. A cast of its skull, which was made based off the 2016 CT-scan as the actual fossil skull is still missing, indicates Shri had a deeper and shorter snout. The finding hints that this raptor had a stronger bite than its relative. "Other differences, such as a relatively short snout, proportionally long neck, and short tail indicate that these two relatives had different ecological preferences," says Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, a paleontologist at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and a coauthor of the study. Its arm bones are more robust and stockier, tipped with large, curved claws. It also had stout hands that imply a strong grip. Precisely how Shri used its arms and claws is unclear, though the researchers suggest it may have grappled with and grasped other dinosaurs like the horned herbivore Protoceratops. Bitten Protoceratops bones and a famous fossil of Velociraptor and Protoceratops locked in fossil combat, called the "Fighting Dinosaurs," hint that the pig-like horned dinosaurs were prey for dromaeosaurs like Shri. Michael Pittman, a paleontologist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who was not involved in the research, says the authors' hypothesis is reasonable, and that biomechanical studies of the dinosaur's arms can potentially test the idea. He also calls the specimen, "beautiful and well-preserved." The likelihood Shri rapax and Velociraptor lived alongside each other points to a phenomenon called "niche partitioning." Closely related species can sometimes share the same landscape when they have different dietary preferences and behaviors, like how the island of Madagascar hosts many different lemur species that live in different habitats and eat different foods. Evolving different specializations allow related animals to divide habitats in different ways, boosting biodiversity. In the case of the dinosaurs, the anatomical differences between Shri and Velociraptor indicate that the carnivores were likely also part of such an ecological interplay. Returning Shri rapax home Because Shri's skeleton was poached and sold with no geological information, paleontologists are unsure exactly from where the dinosaur was excavated, beyond its clear origin from Mongolia's Djadokhta Formation. The fact that scientists have been able to study, describe, and begin to understand Shri rapax is a victory for paleontology and an effort to push back against black market fossil dealings. "This case highlights yet another instance of fossil poaching," Chinzorig says, "part of a long-standing pattern of illegal smuggling of fossils from the Mongolian Gobi over the decades." It's essential that such fossils are returned, Chinzorig says, both to build scientific knowledge about the prehistoric past and to respect Mongolia's fossil heritage. If the smuggled fossil had remained in private hands, scientists would not know this new dinosaur, its relationships, or anything about the role it played in its prehistoric ecosystem. "Scientific value aside," Cau adds, "I am really happy to give some help in returning these dinosaurs home." And by introducing Shri rapax to the world, the paleontologists may, with luck, help return its missing head home.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant salamander fossil unearthed at Gray Fossil Site
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Researchers at the Gray Fossil Site have discovered the remains of a giant salamander that once called prehistoric Appalachia home. According to a news release from East Tennessee State University (ETSU), the giant plethodontid salamander was strong-jawed and possessed a powerful bite. New guidance on hemp-derived cannabinoid products: What will change on Jan. 1, 2026 The species, Dynamognathus robertsoni, was about 16 inches long, making it one of the largest salamanders to ever exist in the area. In the present day, Northeast Tennessee and all of Southern Appalachia are teeming with a wide variety of salamanders. Among those, researchers say, are dusky salamanders, a stream-dwelling species that measures about seven inches long at their largest. Dusky salamanders are related to Red Hills salamanders, a large species that lives underground with a worm-like body and small limbs. 'Finding something that looks like a Red Hills salamander here in East Tennessee was a bit of a surprise,' Assistant Collections Manager Davis Gunnin stated in the release. 'Today, they're only found in a few counties in southern Alabama, and researchers thought of them as a highly specialized dead-end lineage not particularly relevant to the evolution of the dusky salamanders. Discovery of Dynamognathus robertsoni here in Southern Appalachia shows that these types of relatively large, burrowing salamanders were once more widespread in eastern North America and may have had a profound impact on the evolution of Appalachian salamander communities.' Guinn described Dynamognathus robertsoni as 'the largest plethodontid salamander and one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world.' Assistant Collections Manager Shay Maden said the name of the newly discovered salamander comes from its bite and also pays homage to the volunteer who found the first specimen at Gray Fossil Site. 'This group of salamanders has unusual cranial anatomy that gives them a strong bite force, so the genus name – Dynamognathus – Greek for 'powerful jaw,' is given to highlight the great size and power of the salamander compared to its living relatives,' Maden said. As for 'robertsoni,' that name comes from Gray Fossil Site volunteer Wayne Robertson. According to ETSU, Robertson discovered the first specimen of the salamander and has sifted through more than 50 tons of soil containing fossils since 2000. Guinn, Maden and other researchers from the Gray Fossil Site and ETSU published their findings in the journal Historical Biology. The other authors included: Director and Professor of Geosciences Dr. Blaine Schubert Head Curator and Associate Professor of Geosciences Dr. Joshua Samuels Museum Specialist Keila Bredehoeft Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
21-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Over 60 Early Jurassic dinosaur footprints discovered on a rock that's been at an Australian school for two decades
Summary Scientists discovered 66 dinosaur footprints on a rock displayed at an Australian high school for 20 years. The 200 million-year-old slab contains tracks from 47 individual Early Jurassic dinosaurs of the ichnospecies Anomoepus scambus. This discovery represents one of Australia's highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever documented. University of Queensland paleontologist Anthony Romilio used 3D imaging to reveal the tracks of plant-eating dinosaurs that were likely crossing a river. The footprints provide evidence of dinosaurs from a period when no dinosaur bones have been found in Australia. A remarkable Early Jurassic record has been hiding in plain sight for 20 years on a slab of rock displayed at a high school in Biloela, Australia, according to a new study. While researchers knew the 1.5-meter-long (about 5-foot-long) slab was around 200 million years old and home to an abundance of visible dinosaur footprints, the significance of the fossil remained unclear. Now, a team of paleontologists studying the rock's surface has found 66 fossilized footprints from 47 individual dinosaurs belonging to the ichnospecies Anomoepus scambus. Ichnospecies are organisms identified only through trace fossils, or fossils that are of impressions they leave, such as footprints, rather than the actual organisms. The discovery represents one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever documented in the country, and it provides an 'unprecedented snapshot' of the abundance of dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic, a period during which no dinosaur bones have been uncovered in Australia, according to a news release from The University of Queensland. The findings were published in the journal Historical Biology on March 10. The fact that this fossil slipped under the radar for decades isn't surprising, said lead study author Dr. Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist and research associate with the university's Dinosaur Lab. 'Fossil dinosaur footprints tend to be vastly under-rated even by many (paleontologists),' Romilio said in an email. But in Australia, since the oldest fossilized dinosaur bones come from the Middle Jurassic, about 160 million years ago, 'footprint fossils are the only direct evidence our country has of the types of dinosaurs we had here (during earlier times),' Romilio said. What's more, the slab provides a rare glimpse into the behavior and activity of a dinosaur that has only been described by its footprints found in various parts of the world, experts say. Dinosaur footprints from Early Jurassic By using advanced 3D imaging and light filters, Romilio was able to uncover hidden details in the stone slab, revealing the multitude of footprints and other features such as the direction in which the animals that made the tracks were headed. The 66 fossilized footprints, which range in size from about 5 centimeters to 20 centimeters (about 2 to 8 inches) in length, reveal that the dinosaurs had likely been crossing a river or going up and down the length of a river, Romilio said. Since there are no ripple marks on the surface of the rock, it is difficult to tell the river flow's direction, but the tracks clearly show the dinosaurs walking in two directions, he added. Through his analysis, Romilio found a total of 13 sequences of footprints that belonged to 13 dinosaurs that made the trackways. The remaining footprints, coming to a total of 34, were classified as isolated footprints, accounting for the 47 total individuals. The dinosaurs that made the tracks would have had legs ranging from 15 to 50 centimeters (about 6 to 20 inches) in length along with a chunky body and short arms, Romilio said. Although trace fossils are often overlooked because they are more common than dinosaur bones, they can 'provide a huge amount of information when they're properly analyzed,' said Dr. Paul Olsen, a paleontologist and Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Olsen, who has studied Anomoepus, was not involved with this new study. '(Footprints) provide information about animals that were present even though we don't have the bones … They're really like a parallel dataset that allows us to track, pun intended, what's going on when the bones are rare. That's why they're so important,' Olsen said. From what is known about the other tracks that have been found across parts of the US, Europe, Africa and China, A. scambus was a three-toed, two-legged dinosaur that belonged to the ornithischian family, which includes other plant-eating dinosaurs such as duckbills and triceratops, and had beaks at the front of their mouths with grinding teeth, Olsen said. These new footprints, which preserve a lot of anatomical detail, further support that 'small ornithischian dinosaurs achieved a global distribution by the beginning of the Jurassic Period,' he added. Hidden in plain sight The study authors also analyzed two other instances of trace fossils that were found in unexpected locations. They found that a 2,000-kilogram (about 4,400-pound) boulder used as a parking lot entry marker at the Callide mine near Biloela had two distinct footprints left by a slightly larger dinosaur. And a third rock from a personal collection (in use as a bookend) had a single footprint. The rock slab located at the high school was also originally from the Callide Mine, which is an open-cut mine, meaning that the overlying rock is removed to get to the coal underneath, Romilio explained. During the extraction of the overlying rock, which spans many miles and dates to the Early Jurassic period, fossil footprints such as these can be found. 'There are definitely many more fossils occurring there,' Romilio said. 'Whether they are spotted in time, or whether it is safe to pick them up is another thing entirely. We are just lucky that these and some others have been spotted, recovered and available for people like me to study them and share the findings.'
CNN
21-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Over 60 Early Jurassic dinosaur footprints discovered on a rock that's been at an Australian school for two decades
Summary Scientists discovered 66 dinosaur footprints on a rock displayed at an Australian high school for 20 years. The 200 million-year-old slab contains tracks from 47 individual Early Jurassic dinosaurs of the ichnospecies Anomoepus scambus. This discovery represents one of Australia's highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever documented. University of Queensland paleontologist Anthony Romilio used 3D imaging to reveal the tracks of plant-eating dinosaurs that were likely crossing a river. The footprints provide evidence of dinosaurs from a period when no dinosaur bones have been found in Australia. A remarkable Early Jurassic record has been hiding in plain sight for 20 years on a slab of rock displayed at a high school in Biloela, Australia, according to a new study. While researchers knew the 1.5-meter-long (about 5-foot-long) slab was around 200 million years old and home to an abundance of visible dinosaur footprints, the significance of the fossil remained unclear. Now, a team of paleontologists studying the rock's surface has found 66 fossilized footprints from 47 individual dinosaurs belonging to the ichnospecies Anomoepus scambus. Ichnospecies are organisms identified only through trace fossils, or fossils that are of impressions they leave, such as footprints, rather than the actual organisms. The discovery represents one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur footprints per square meter ever documented in the country, and it provides an 'unprecedented snapshot' of the abundance of dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic, a period during which no dinosaur bones have been uncovered in Australia, according to a news release from The University of Queensland. The findings were published in the journal Historical Biology on March 10. The fact that this fossil slipped under the radar for decades isn't surprising, said lead study author Dr. Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist and research associate with the university's Dinosaur Lab. 'Fossil dinosaur footprints tend to be vastly under-rated even by many (paleontologists),' Romilio said in an email. But in Australia, since the oldest fossilized dinosaur bones come from the Middle Jurassic, about 160 million years ago, 'footprint fossils are the only direct evidence our country has of the types of dinosaurs we had here (during earlier times),' Romilio said. What's more, the slab provides a rare glimpse into the behavior and activity of a dinosaur that has only been described by its footprints found in various parts of the world, experts say. Dinosaur footprints from Early Jurassic By using advanced 3D imaging and light filters, Romilio was able to uncover hidden details in the stone slab, revealing the multitude of footprints and other features such as the direction in which the animals that made the tracks were headed. The 66 fossilized footprints, which range in size from about 5 centimeters to 20 centimeters (about 2 to 8 inches) in length, reveal that the dinosaurs had likely been crossing a river or going up and down the length of a river, Romilio said. Since there are no ripple marks on the surface of the rock, it is difficult to tell the river flow's direction, but the tracks clearly show the dinosaurs walking in two directions, he added. Through his analysis, Romilio found a total of 13 sequences of footprints that belonged to 13 dinosaurs that made the trackways. The remaining footprints, coming to a total of 34, were classified as isolated footprints, accounting for the 47 total individuals. The dinosaurs that made the tracks would have had legs ranging from 15 to 50 centimeters (about 6 to 20 inches) in length along with a chunky body and short arms, Romilio said. Although trace fossils are often overlooked because they are more common than dinosaur bones, they can 'provide a huge amount of information when they're properly analyzed,' said Dr. Paul Olsen, a paleontologist and Arthur D. Storke Memorial Professor of Earth & Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. Olsen, who has studied Anomoepus, was not involved with this new study. '(Footprints) provide information about animals that were present even though we don't have the bones … They're really like a parallel dataset that allows us to track, pun intended, what's going on when the bones are rare. That's why they're so important,' Olsen said. From what is known about the other tracks that have been found across parts of the US, Europe, Africa and China, A. scambus was a three-toed, two-legged dinosaur that belonged to the ornithischian family, which includes other plant-eating dinosaurs such as duckbills and triceratops, and had beaks at the front of their mouths with grinding teeth, Olsen said. These new footprints, which preserve a lot of anatomical detail, further support that 'small ornithischian dinosaurs achieved a global distribution by the beginning of the Jurassic Period,' he added. Hidden in plain sight The study authors also analyzed two other instances of trace fossils that were found in unexpected locations. They found that a 2,000-kilogram (about 4,400-pound) boulder used as a parking lot entry marker at the Callide mine near Biloela had two distinct footprints left by a slightly larger dinosaur. And a third rock from a personal collection (in use as a bookend) had a single footprint. The rock slab located at the high school was also originally from the Callide Mine, which is an open-cut mine, meaning that the overlying rock is removed to get to the coal underneath, Romilio explained. During the extraction of the overlying rock, which spans many miles and dates to the Early Jurassic period, fossil footprints such as these can be found. 'There are definitely many more fossils occurring there,' Romilio said. 'Whether they are spotted in time, or whether it is safe to pick them up is another thing entirely. We are just lucky that these and some others have been spotted, recovered and available for people like me to study them and share the findings.'
