Latest news with #dinosaurs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Paleontologists Discover Prehistoric ‘Dance Floor' Where Dinosaurs Courted Mates
Dinosaurs may have ruled the prehistoric world with their size and strength, but apparently, they also had moves. A team of researchers in Colorado has uncovered one of the largest known dinosaur 'dance arenas,' an ancient mating ground where male theropods likely performed ritualistic displays to attract females. Using high-resolution drone photography and 3D modeling at Dinosaur Ridge near Denver, the team identified dozens of clustered scrape marks in the sandstone — a prehistoric 'dance floor' etched into the earth more than 100 million years ago. The site builds on previous discoveries of similar scrape marks called leks, where male animals gather to compete for female attention. But this newly analyzed area suggests a massive congregation, with markings that scientists believe show not just nest displays but physical courtship performances. 'These trace fossils, we interpret them to be evidence of dinosaur courtship activities,' study co-author Caldwell Buntin of Old Dominion University told ABC News. 'They likely built display nests and performed some kind of dance or scraping activity to impress mates, which are behaviors we still see in modern birds like plovers.' The scrape marks belong to theropod dinosaurs, a group that includes raptors and the infamous T. rex. Based on the impressions, these dinosaurs stood around three to four feet at the hip and stretched up to 16 feet long. The patterns vary from shallow toe marks to deep bowl-shaped scrapes—even circular patterns hinting at dance-like movements. The discovery, published in the latest research from Dinosaur Ridge, pushes our understanding of dinosaur behavior beyond hunting and migration. It also suggests that some mating rituals date back tens of millions of years and could be part of a deep evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and modern birds. Perhaps best of all, the site is open to the public, meaning visitors can stand right where these ancient creatures showed off their best moves. 'It's rare to find evidence of behavior, not just bones or tracks,' said co-author Neffra Matthews. 'And it's even rarer to find a site like this that people can actually go see for themselves.' Turns out, dinosaurs weren't just prehistoric predators. They may have been prehistoric showmen, Discover Prehistoric 'Dance Floor' Where Dinosaurs Courted Mates first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 21, 2025 Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Free dinosaur workshop for children at garden centre
Children can explore the world of prehistoric plants and dinosaurs at a free interactive workshop this summer. The event will take place at Dobbies' Cadnam store on August 3, as part of the garden centre's monthly Little Seedlings Club. Aimed at children aged four to 10, the session will introduce young explorers to dinosaurs, ancient plants, and hands-on activities, including making their own fossil to take home. Spaces can be booked at Ayesha Nickson, events programme manager at Dobbies, said: "Our Prehistoric Plants workshop is a very exciting opportunity for children to show and share their love for dinosaurs while learning more about plants. READ MORE: New festive experience to be launched in the New Forest this Christmas "The activities that the children can take part in are a great way to discover and explore the world of prehistoric plants, and the crafts allow the fun to carry on at home." She added that Dobbies is a welcoming space for families to enjoy learning, play, and dining together.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jurassic Quest brings life-sized dinosaurs to Tampa fairgrounds this weekend
The Brief Jurassic Quest, the nation's largest dinosaur experience, is now open at the Florida State Fairgrounds. The exhibit features more than 80 life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs. The event runs through Sunday, July 20. TAMPA - A prehistoric adventure has arrived in Tampa as Jurassic Quest opens at the Florida State Fairgrounds this weekend. The nationally touring exhibit is known as the largest and most realistic dinosaur experience in North America, featuring more than 80 life-sized, roaring, moving animatronic dinosaurs, from the towering T-Rex to the spiky Stegosaurus. "We're super-excited to bring you our live animatronic dinosaurs," said Brainy Beth, a Dinosaur Trainer with Jurassic Quest. "You will be able to walk through our dinosaurs, say hello to prehistoric creatures that are the accurate sizes and have an absolute blast while doing it." In addition to the massive creatures, Jurassic Quest includes interactive shows, fossil digs, science stations, and a soft-play area called "Triceratots" designed for younger dino fans. Families can also enjoy baby dino encounters and dinosaur rides. For more information, click here. The Source FOX 13 special project's photographer Mike Hughes gathered the information for this story. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
5 days ago
- Science
- New York Times
This Dinosaur Probably Tweeted More Than It Roared
Since the 1930s, dinosaurs have rumbled, snarled and roared on film. But the fossilized inspirations for these cinematic characters have preserved little evidence for any such dramatic voices. In a paper published last week in the journal PeerJ, researchers announced the discovery of a fossilized herbivorous dinosaur from China preserving a surprisingly birdlike throat. It provides a clue that the origins of birdsong might go as far back as the beginning of dinosaurs themselves. The two-foot-long dinosaur, which the researchers named Pulaosaurus, was discovered in 163-million-year-old rocks in northeastern China, said Xing Xu, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing and an author of the paper. The largely complete skeleton offers a strong anatomical view into the fleet-footed, beaked animal, an early member of the family that later produced 'duck-billed' hadrosaurs and horned dinosaurs. The Jurassic period formation that produced Pulaosaurus is also the source of other dinosaur discoveries like the feathered proto-bird Anchiornis, the tiny, batlike Yi qi and the feathered herbivorous dinosaur Tianyulong. Unlike those animals, Pulaosaurus is not preserved with obvious soft tissues that could help better explain its living appearance. 'On some parts of the fossil we thought we'd found very thin filaments, but we can't confirm that,' Dr. Xu said. The team did note interesting formations in the stomach region of the fossil but hasn't determined what those are. 'They could be stomach contents — food eaten by this dinosaur, or organs, or maybe even eggs within the body,' Dr. Xu said. The most interesting remains were found within the throat. In vertebrates, vocal organs play an important role in protecting the airway and helping produce everything from simple hisses and grunts to speech. In most living reptiles, these tissues are composed of cartilage, and can produce simple bellows, grunts, groans and chirps. Modern birds have vocal organs made up partially of delicate bones, allowing them to make much more complicated sounds — including, in some cases, mimicking human speech. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Sun
14-07-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Map of Earth's underworld shows hidden ‘blobs' blamed for wiping out almost all life & killing the dinosaurs
MYSTERIOUS 'BLOBS' lurking beneath the Earth's surface could be responsible for the cataclysmic volcanic eruptions that helped kill off the dinosaurs. While an asteroid impact was the main force behind the demise of the dinosaurs, a chain of violent volcanic eruptions that followed the impact is also thought to have played a role. 4 4 4 Volcanic eruptions can wipe out entire cities - just look at Pompeii - and even wipe out life on Earth. The source of these Earth-shattering eruptions can be traced back to specific features deep within Earth's underworld, called 'BLOBS', according to a new study. These so-called 'BLOBS' - which stands for big lower-mantle basal structures - lie thousands of kilometers below Earth's surface. And they move just like the tectonic plates above them. There are two giant 'BLOBS' that are both the size of continents hiding under the African and Pacific hemispheres, researchers said. Volcanologist Annalise Cucchiaro from the University of Wollongong in Australia, discovered these 'BLOBS' with her colleagues. They say these deep Earth structures have a direct influence on volcanic activity above ground. Giant volcanic eruptions occur when deep mantle plumes - scorching columns of rock - rise from nearly 3,000 kilometers below the surface. Analysing three different datasets on large volcanic eruptions that occurred around 300 million years ago, the researchers concluded that the 'BLOBS' are the source of these plumes. "This work highlights the importance of mantle plumes in acting as 'magma highways' to the surface, creating these giant eruptions," Cucchiaro said in a statement. World's smallest volcano found by locals after bursting from ground in Peru "It also shows that these plumes move along with their source, the BLOBS." Although some mysteries remain - like whether the BLOBS are fixed in place or if they travel across the underworld. "This research cracks open one of the questions that has long plagued scientists – are the BLOBS stationary or mobile and how do they relate to giant volcanic explosions – so it is a thrill to finally [be able] to unravel these mysteries," added geoscientist Nicholas Flament. What the new research suggests is that they are part of a dynamic system that has direct repercussions for all living things above ground. "We used statistics to show that the locations of past giant volcanic eruptions are significantly related to the mantle plumes predicted by our models," Cucchiaro and Flament wrote in The Conversation. "This is encouraging, as it suggests that the simulations predict mantle plumes in places and at times generally consistent with the geologic record." With all the devastation volcanic eruptions can cause, it is important to know what causes them to blow.
