Latest news with #dinosaur
CBC
a day ago
- Science
- CBC
Face to face with a perfectly preserved dinosaur that looks like it was alive yesterday
Graham Duggan An accidental discovery of a 3D fossil reveals the dinosaur's mysterious death Parts of Alberta are libraries of Earth's history, treasure troves of fossils from animals that lived millions of years ago. But sometimes, an especially rare gem is found. In Dinosaur Cold Case, a documentary from The Nature of Things, we meet the remarkable dinosaur known as Borealopelta — preserved in eye-popping 3D. Paleontologists are solving the mystery of what killed it, how it came to rest at the bottom of a prehistoric sea and how it was preserved so perfectly. The accidental discovery of an incredible dinosaur In March 2011, Shawn Funk, a shovel operator at Suncor Energy's Millennium oilsands mine north of Fort McMurray, Alta., was digging away at a large bank when he inadvertently stumbled upon Alberta's oldest dinosaur fossil and one of the most well-preserved dinosaur fossils ever found. "Right away, we knew it was going to be something good," says Don Henderson, curator of dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta. "But we had no idea how good it was going to be." After getting the fossil back to the museum, Don and his team set to work solving the 110-million-year-old mystery. The life and times of Borealopelta Six years after it was found, the mysterious dino was declared a new species to science and given a proper name: Borealopelta markmitchelli. " Borealopelta" means "shield of the North," and its species name is a nod to Mark Mitchell, the Royal Tyrrell Museum technician who spent 7,000 hours fighting for every millimetre while freeing the dinosaur from the rock it was found in. The approximately five-and-a-half-metre-long specimen was so perfectly preserved that researchers were able to stare into the face of a real dinosaur that lived during a time when North America was a very different place. Borealopelta was built like a tank and covered in thick armour, especially around its neck, indicating that it needed protection from predators. At its shoulders, a massive, 51-centimetre-long spike extended out on either side. At first, it was thought these weapons could have been used for fighting other Borealopeltas, but Victoria Arbour, curator of palaeontology at the Royal BC Museum, believes they could have been used for both love and war. "When you see something like a huge spike," says Arbour, "that could simultaneously be a signal to mates that you're in good health." Borealopelta's massive shoulder spikes could have acted like a bull's horns or an elephant's tusks, which are used in defense when necessary but are also an indicator of status and strength. Many of the fossilized armour plates possessed a keratin sheath (the same material as our fingernails) with a thin film that allowed researchers to guess at Borealopelta 's colour. "It was found that at least one component of Borealopelta 's colour was this reddish brown," says Caleb Brown, a curator at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. "The pigment seemed to be concentrated on the back of the animal and not the belly, and this is consistent with this idea of countershading." Countershading allows animals to blend with their environment and hide from keen-eyed predators. Although some researchers question whether the colouration was just an anomaly of fossilization, if Borealopelta, an almost 1,300-kilogram animal, did require camouflage, it must have had some terrifying predators indeed. The terrifying dinosaur of the day, 110 million years ago, was Acrocanthosaurus, a killing machine that ruled the Cretaceous long before more well-known predators like T. rex arrived on the scene. Could an attack from an Acrocanthosaurus have been the cause of Borealopelta 's death? In a simulated test, researchers found that Acrocanthosaurus's bite would have done some serious damage to Borealopelta, and it was likely one of its main predators. But this particular specimen was found in such pristine condition, with no signs of trauma, that it must have died another way... Dino's last meal may be the key to its mysterious death After studying the location the fossil was found, the team determined that Borealopelta likely came to rest, belly up, at the bottom of a prehistoric sea. In an extremely rare find, the stomach contents of Borealopelta were preserved along with its body, providing an important clue as to how it got there. Paleobotanist David Greenwood examined Borealopelta 's miraculously fossilized last meal and discovered twigs and ferns. Incredibly, the twigs appeared to be in mid-growth, indicating that they were eaten during the wet season, when extreme storms and flash floods would have been a real problem. On the coastal plains where Borealopelta lived, a rapid rise in water level could have caught it off guard — and Borealopelta was not built for swimming. Borealopelta is preserved in incredible detail If Borealopelta drowned in a torrent that swept it away, how did it come to rest upside down on the sea floor? Henderson and Brown went back to the records to see the position in which other armoured dinosaur fossils in Alberta were found, and discovered that about 70 per cent of these dinosaurs were also found on their backs. "As [ Borealopelta ] started to rot," Brown reasons, "gases built up within the body cavity." In the water, the rest was simple physics. "That bloated body, with the soft belly and dense back, causes it to flip over," says Henderson. "Its arms and legs [would have been] sticking up in the air." With its stiff limbs acting as sails, Borealopelta would have caught the wind and literally sailed out to sea, travelling a long way into open water. Then, says Henderson, "it goes pop … and it goes down like a stone." Borealopelta would have hit the sea floor with force, burying itself in sediment that was disturbed from the impact — key to the fossil's incredible preservation. Through a chemical reaction, this sediment would have formed a natural concrete, preserving the body within its own sarcophagus. Henderson and Brown suspect this is how Borealopelta was protected from immense pressure and decay. Safe within this natural time capsule, the nodosaur waited 110 million years until one fateful day, when a miner in Alberta came across a miraculous find and Borealopelta 's mysteries were unearthed.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
First-of-its-kind fossil settles long-standing debate
A pterosaur fossil unearthed in China has provided the first direct evidence that some species of the dinosaur-era flying reptile ate plants. The well-preserved Sinopterus atavismus fossil, found in the Jehol Biota, contained intact gut contents, settling a long-standing debate about their diet. Researchers discovered an abundance of tiny plant cell particles, known as phytoliths, and small grinding stones, called gastroliths, within the pterosaur's stomach. The presence of phytoliths and gastroliths, previously found in other herbivorous dinosaurs, indicates the pterosaur consumed full meals consisting only of plants. This finding, published in the journal Science Bulletin, concludes a scientific debate, as previous theories on pterosaur diets were mainly based on anatomical features or partial remains.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Chinese Pterosaur fossil sparks debate on what giant flying reptiles really ate
A first-of-its-kind pterosaur fossil unearthed in China with its gut content intact has revealed what the dinosaur-era flying reptile ate, settling a long-standing debate about whether its diet was plant or meat-based. The pterosaur is considered the first vertebrate animal to achieve powered flight, but exactly what constituted the giant reptile's diet has remained elusive. Until now, most studies have theorised their diet mainly based on anatomical features revealed by fossils, such as the structure of their beak. Some prior research has found partially digested food remains in pterosaur fossils, either within the stomach or the mouth, suggesting they ate fish and insects. While a few species of the giant beast had beak shapes indicating they might have eaten plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds, direct evidence has been lacking. Now, a new study, published in the journal Science Bulletin, provides the first direct evidence that pterosaurs also ate full meals consisting of plants. The findings are based on an analysis of a well-preserved young pterosaur of the species Sinopterus atavismus, which grew up to a wingspan of two to four meters in adulthood. The remains were unearthed at the famous Jehol Biota in northeastern China, a fossil site dated to about 145 million years ago to 100.5 million years ago. Studies suggest this region was once home to several lakes and wetlands with nearby volcanoes that periodically blanketed the area in ash. Researchers, including those from Beijing's Chinese Academy of Sciences, found the pterosaur fossil with stomach remains containing an abundance of tiny plant cell particles. These particles, called phytoliths, have previously been found in the stomachs of plant-eating dinosaurs, but never in pterosaurs before. Since phytoliths were not found anywhere else in the immediate fossil site region, researchers concluded these particles originated from the pterosaur's stomach. Scientists also found small stones called gastroliths inside the stomach remains of the giant reptile, which have been found in the guts of other herbivorous dinosaurs. These tiny stones are well known to have aided plant-eating dinosaurs in digesting plant parts by grinding them in the gut. Overall, researchers uncovered 320 phytoliths from inside the pterosaur specimen. However, scientists have yet to determine the species of plants the pterosaur likely consumed. "Phytolitholith morphologies in the stomach contents, with this high diversity, are nearly impossible to attribute to one single taxon based on the recent knowledge, which suggests that Sinopterus might have consumed a diverse range of plants,' they wrote in the study. The findings conclude a long-standing debate that at least some species of pterosaurs ate full meals consisting only of plants.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Denver Museum of Nature & Science showing off dinosaur fossil found in parking lot; oldest in city's history
One of Colorado's most astonishing and coincidental fossil discoveries was found earlier this year, right beneath the parking lot of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, museum officials announced last week. While drilling for a geothermal tap in January, museum scientists decided to take the opportunity to study what lay below the surface. To their surprise, they hit something unexpected: a dinosaur bone. Patrick O'Connor, director of Earth and space sciences at the museum, recalled the moment vividly. "He said, 'there's a fossil in the core,'" O'Connor said. "Really?" What makes the discovery so improbable is how precisely the fossil had to be struck. Crews had to drill in just the right spot, at just the right depth, and then puncture the bone with a core bit only a couple of inches wide. "In the mud was this," O'Connor said, referring to the sample. "It looks like a piece of dinosaur bone." Regardless of its appearance, researchers confirmed that it's the oldest and deepest fossil ever found in Denver. "Given the age of the rocks where this was found, it's estimated to be about 67 million years ago," O'Connor said. "There were not a number of large animals on the surface of the planet at that time other than dinosaurs." "In my 35 years at the museum, we've never had an opportunity quite like this, to study the deep geologic layers beneath our feet with such precision," said Earth Sciences Research Associate Bob Raynolds. "That this fossil turned up here, in City Park, is nothing short of magical." Although scientists don't yet know which specific species it belonged to, they've narrowed it down to a group of plant-eating dinosaurs based on the bone's structure. "The bones that make up their backbone are constructed differently," O'Connor said. "So even though we can't tell you all of the details about it just by looking at the structure of the bone, we know it pertains to one group of plant-eating dinosaurs." The fossil is now on display in the museum's "Teen Rex" exhibit. "Everyone can discover," O'Connor said. "Everyone can participate in science."
CTV News
6 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Rare Ceratosaurus fossil sells for US$30.5 million
The fossil is the only juvenile Ceratosaurus specimen known to exist. (Matthew Sherman via CNN Newsource) A Ceratosaurus fossil that is one of only four known to exist has sold for US$30.5 million at auction. The rare dinosaur fossil is 'one of the finest and most complete examples of its kind ever found,' auction house Sotheby's said in a statement published Wednesday. The specimen, which is the only juvenile Ceratosaurus fossil of the four, sold for multiples of its $4 million-$6 million estimate at Sotheby's New York following a six-minute battle between six different bidders. Ceratosaurus nasicornis was a meat-eating predator with a nasal horn, long teeth and bony armor that ran down its back and tail. Standing six feet, three inches (1.9 metres) tall and approximately 10 feet, eight inches (3.25 metres) long, this juvenile fossil is made up of 139 bone elements, of which 57 make up 'a superb virtually complete skull,' according to Sotheby's. It was found in 1996 at Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming and dates from the late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago. The fossil was displayed at the Museum of Ancient Life in Thanksgiving Point, Utah, from 2000 to 2024 and has not been studied or described formally in a scientific journal, Sotheby's said. Ceratosaurus fossil A close view of the head of the fossil is pictured. (Matthew Sherman via CNN Newsource) 'The buyer of the Ceratosaurus intends to loan it to an institution, as is fitting for a specimen of this rarity and importance,' the auction house said. In the same sale, a meteorite that is the largest known piece of Mars on Earth sold for $5.3 million. 'These stellar results underscore a deep and enduring fascination and respect for the natural world — from the farthest reaches of space to the ancient depths of the Earth. What draws collectors is more than just a passion for science; it's a deep-seated curiosity about the forces that have shaped our planet and beyond,' Cassandra Hatton, global head of science and natural history at Sotheby's, said in the statement. Mark Westgarth, a professor of history of the art market at the University of Leeds, England, told CNN that the sale 'is part of a recent resurgence of interest in fossils and natural history.' For example, Sotheby's also sold the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction, Apex the Stegosaur, which fetched $44.6 million in July 2024. 'At the top end of the market … seems to be about an increasing desire for 'distinction,'' said Westgarth. 'These dinosaur specimens also have a particular aesthetic — they are sculptural and awe inspiring.' For Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland's University of Edinburgh, these kinds of price tags are shocking. 'Who has that kind of money to spend on a dinosaur? Certainly not any museums or educational institutions,' he told CNN. 'While I'm pleased that the buyer might loan the skeleton to a museum to be put on display, at this point it is just a vague suggestion. The buyer is still anonymous,' Brusatte added. 'My fear is that this skeleton will disappear into the ether, into the mansion of an oligarch or a bank vault to accumulate value as just another investment in the portfolio of a hedge fund, and not see the light of day until it's auctioned again, or maybe never at all,' he said. Ceratosaurus fossil A human is pictured standing next to the fossil. (Matthew Sherman via CNN Newsource) 'Bottom line, a world where dinosaur skeletons can fetch tens of millions of dollars within a few minutes at auctions is not a world where dinosaurs will long be accessible to educate and inspire everyone,' Brusatte added. However, Westgarth argues that there is a 'symbiotic' relationship between the market and wider research interests. He cites the example of Mary Anning, who discovered fossils on England's south coast in the early 19th century and went on to open a successful fossil shop. 'Here the market for fossils acted as a catalyst for research in public institutions in the 19th century, inculcating increasing attention and public interest and acting as a catalyst for increased research activity on dinosaur fossils,' said Westgarth, who argues that the fact that the buyer of the Ceratosaurus fossil 'has suggested that they will loan it to an institution only adds to its potential for future research activity.' By Jack Guy, CNN
