Latest news with #Cretaceous
Jordan News
2 days ago
- Science
- Jordan News
Scientist Abbas Haddadin discovered 17 plant species in Jordanian Amber dating back 140 million years - Jordan News
Scientist Abbas Haddadin discovered 17 plant species in Jordanian Amber dating back 140 million years When you find more than 17 different plant species discovered by scientist Abbas Haddadin in Jordanian Amber dating back 140 million years, as well as more than ten different types of flowers, three types of seeds, and seven types of fossilized trees discovered in excavations, you know that Jordan was rich in biodiversity. This environment was home to dinosaurs and insects of all kinds, and there was a large river that crossed Jordan, which is located on the continent of Gondwana and lies on the coast of the Tethys Sea. اضافة اعلان The climate was tropical, humid, and rainforest-rich, with a variety of trees, including ferns, sedges, gymnosperm trees, and other angiosperm species. During the Lower Cretaceous period, plants and organisms flourished, creating diversity in the environment and vegetation cover. We learn about climate from plant leaves. In the image of plants, we see a leaf with thorns, indicating a change in climate. We see a leaf other plants have appendages to drain water, indicating a humid climate with abundant rain. There are plants with small leaves, indicating a hot, moderate climate. The climate has changed, as Jordan has gone through four climate types over 140 million years. Most of the plants in the pictures have become extinct, and only what has been preserved for us in Jordanian Amber remains. This climate change has led to the extinction of many plants and animals. Pictures of Jordanian plants 140 million years ago, discovered by the scientist Abbas Haddadin in Jordanian Amber. [email protected]
The Independent
3 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Dinosaur fossils found in 1970s are missing link in evolution of T rex
A newly discovered dinosaur from Mongolia, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, or "Dragon Prince," is considered a crucial ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus rex (T rex), providing insights into the T rex's evolutionary history. Khankhuuluu lived approximately 86 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, predating the Tyrannosaurus by about 20 million years; it was a mid-sized dinosaur, about 13 feet long, weighing around 1,600 pounds, and likely hunted smaller prey. Paleontologist Darla Zelenitsky notes that Khankhuuluu, meaning "Dragon Prince," was named to reflect its status as a smaller, earlier form that had not yet evolved into a king, unlike the Tyrannosaurus rex, which means "tyrant king of the lizards." Researchers determined Khankhuuluu's anatomy from fossils found in the 1970s, revealing it shared anatomical traits with tyrannosaurs but lacked certain defining characteristics, indicating it was a predecessor and a transitional animal between smaller forerunners and later true tyrannosaurs. According to University of Calgary doctoral student Jared Voris, Khankhuuluu demonstrates that the ancestors to the tyrannosaurs lived in Asia, later crossing a land bridge to North America and evolving into apex predatory tyrannosaurs, eventually leading to the emergence of T rex.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Newly discovered ‘Dragon Prince' dinosaur rewrites family history of T rex
A newly discovered dinosaur from Mongolia, named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, or "Dragon Prince," is believed to be a crucial ancestor of the Tyrannosaurus rex (T rex), shedding light on the T rex's complex evolutionary history. Living approximately 86 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, Khankhuuluu predates the Tyrannosaurus by around 20 million years. This mid-sized dinosaur, measuring about 13 feet in length and weighing roughly 1,600 pounds, walked on two legs and possessed a long snout filled with sharp teeth. In comparison to the more heavily built T rex, Khankhuuluu's body proportions suggest it was a swift predator, likely hunting smaller prey such as oviraptorosaurs and ornithomimosaurs. The largest known T rex specimen reached a length of 40-1/2 feet. Khankhuuluu means "Dragon Prince" in the Mongolian language. Tyrannosaurus rex means "tyrant king of the lizards." "In the name, we wanted to capture that Khankhuuluu was a small, early form that had not evolved into a king. It was still a prince," said paleontologist Darla Zelenitsky of the University of Calgary in Canada, co-author of the study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Tyrannosaurs and all other meat-eating dinosaurs are part of a group called theropods. Tyrannosaurs appeared late in the age of dinosaurs, roaming Asia and North America. Khankhuuluu shared many anatomical traits with tyrannosaurs but lacked certain defining characteristics, showing it was a predecessor and not a true member of the lineage. "Khankhuuluu was almost a tyrannosaur, but not quite. For example, the bone along the top of the snout and the bones around the eye are somewhat different from what we see in tyrannosaurs. The snout bone was hollow and the bones around the eye didn't have all the horns and bumps seen in tyrannosaurs," Zelenitsky said. "Khankhuuluu had teeth like steak knives, with serrations along both the front and back edges. Large tyrannosaurs had conical teeth and massive jaws that allowed them to bite with extreme force then hold in order to subdue very large prey. Khankhuuluu's more slender teeth and jaws show this animal took slashing bites to take down smaller prey," Zelenitsky added. The researchers figured out its anatomy based on fossils of two Khankhuuluu individuals dug up in the 1970s but only now fully studied. These included parts of its skull, arms, legs, tail and back bones. The Khankhuuluu remains, more complete than fossils of other known tyrannosaur forerunners, helped the researchers untangle this lineage's evolutionary history. They concluded that Khankhuuluu was the link between smaller forerunners of tyrannosaurs and later true tyrannosaurs, a transitional animal that reveals how these meat-eaters evolved from speedy and modestly sized species into giant apex predators. "What started as the discovery of a new species ended up with us rewriting the family history of tyrannosaurs," said University of Calgary doctoral student and study lead author Jared Voris. "Before this, there was a lot of confusion about who was related to who when it came to tyrannosaur species." Some scientists had hypothesized that smaller tyrannosaurs like China's Qianzhousaurus - dubbed "Pinnochio-rexes" because of their characteristic long snouts - reflected the lineage's ancestral form. That notion was contradicted by the fact that tyrannosaur forerunner Khankhuuluu differed from them in important ways. "The tyrannosaur family didn't follow a straightforward path where they evolved from small size in early species to larger and larger sizes in later species," Zelenitsky said. Voris noted that Khankhuuluu demonstrates that the ancestors to the tyrannosaurs lived in Asia. "Around 85 million years ago, these tyrannosaur ancestors crossed a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska and evolved in North America into the apex predatory tyrannosaurs," Voris said. One line of North American tyrannosaurs later trekked back to Asia and split into two branches - the "Pinnochio-rexes" and massive forms like Tarbosaurus, the researchers said. These apex predators then spread back to North America, they said, paving the way for the appearance of T rex. Tyrannosaurus ruled western North America at the end of the age of dinosaurs when an asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago. "Khankhuuluu was where it all started but it was still only a distant ancestor of T rex, at nearly 20 million years older," Zelenitsky said. "Over a dozen tyrannosaur species evolved in the time between them. It was a great-great-great uncle, sort of."
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
‘The missing link': New early tyrannosaur species discovered by Calgary researchers
CALGARY - Scientists from the University of Calgary have discovered a new dinosaur specimen that they say appears to be the 'missing link' in the evolution of tyrannosaurs. The specimen was originally discovered in Mongolia's Gobi Desert over 50 years ago in the 1970s. But its significance wasn't recognized until Darla Zelenitsky, an associate professor in the university's faculty of science, sent graduate student Jared Voris to Mongolia on a research trip. 'He was there a couple of years ago on this research trip and looked at the fossil and texted me (that) he thought it was a new species. I was like, 'yay,'' Zelenitsky told The Canadian Press. 'I said, 'This is good, but we don't want to jump the gun on this.' It turned out it (was) a new species.' The species, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis — meaning 'Dragon Prince' or 'Prince of Dragons of Mongolia' — is believed to have crossed via a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska roughly 85 million years ago. Zelenitsky said it appears to sit on the evolutionary scale between smaller tyrannosauroids and tyrannosaurs. 'It's the missing link between smaller tyrannosauroids and the large predatory tyrannosaurs,' she said. 'This missing link was around 750 kilograms. Its ancestors were a couple of hundred kilograms and just tiny, but then when you get to tyrannosaurs proper, they were over a thousand kilograms, up to estimates of 5,000 kilograms.' The findings were published Wednesday in the British weekly scientific journal 'Nature.' 'It's really exciting to be involved in a discovery of something that's been sitting in a drawer for 50 years. But it's even more exciting when it's a PhD student that makes that discovery,' Zelenitsky added. 'This discovery forced us to look at the family tree of tyrannosaurs in a very different light. It ended up with us rewriting the family history of tyrannosaurs.' The arrival of Khankhuuluu or a similar species after moving from Asia to North America may have been the result of following their prey to a new location, said Zelenitsky. 'It's possible that there weren't many tyrannosaur type predators so it's possible they were able to take over that niche in North America and moved to the top of the food chain,' she said. 'Tyrannosaurs were in the right place at the right time. It allowed them to diversity and evolve a large body size, ultimately becoming the massive apex predator that terrorized North America and Asia during the late Cretaceous period.' Zelenitsky said the evolution to the tyrannosaur happened rapidly, geologically speaking, and probably took a few million years. She has co-authored over 50 different publications during her career and was part of a team that first found evidence of feathered dinosaurs in North America. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘The missing link': New early tyrannosaur species discovered by Calgary researchers
CALGARY – Scientists from the University of Calgary have discovered a new dinosaur specimen that they say appears to be the 'missing link' in the evolution of tyrannosaurs. The specimen was originally discovered in Mongolia's Gobi Desert over 50 years ago in the 1970s. But its significance wasn't recognized until Darla Zelenitsky, an associate professor in the university's faculty of science, sent graduate student Jared Voris to Mongolia on a research trip. 'He was there a couple of years ago on this research trip and looked at the fossil and texted me (that) he thought it was a new species. I was like, 'yay,'' Zelenitsky told The Canadian Press. 'I said, 'This is good, but we don't want to jump the gun on this.' It turned out it (was) a new species.' The species, Khankhuuluu mongoliensis — meaning 'Dragon Prince' or 'Prince of Dragons of Mongolia' — is believed to have crossed via a land bridge from Siberia to Alaska roughly 85 million years ago. Zelenitsky said it appears to sit on the evolutionary scale between smaller tyrannosauroids and tyrannosaurs. 'It's the missing link between smaller tyrannosauroids and the large predatory tyrannosaurs,' she said. 'This missing link was around 750 kilograms. Its ancestors were a couple of hundred kilograms and just tiny, but then when you get to tyrannosaurs proper, they were over a thousand kilograms, up to estimates of 5,000 kilograms.' The findings were published Wednesday in the British weekly scientific journal 'Nature.' 'It's really exciting to be involved in a discovery of something that's been sitting in a drawer for 50 years. But it's even more exciting when it's a PhD student that makes that discovery,' Zelenitsky added. 'This discovery forced us to look at the family tree of tyrannosaurs in a very different light. It ended up with us rewriting the family history of tyrannosaurs.' The arrival of Khankhuuluu or a similar species after moving from Asia to North America may have been the result of following their prey to a new location, said Zelenitsky. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'It's possible that there weren't many tyrannosaur type predators so it's possible they were able to take over that niche in North America and moved to the top of the food chain,' she said. 'Tyrannosaurs were in the right place at the right time. It allowed them to diversity and evolve a large body size, ultimately becoming the massive apex predator that terrorized North America and Asia during the late Cretaceous period.' Zelenitsky said the evolution to the tyrannosaur happened rapidly, geologically speaking, and probably took a few million years. She has co-authored over 50 different publications during her career and was part of a team that first found evidence of feathered dinosaurs in North America. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
