 |
|
New dinosaur from Mexico offers insights into ancient life on West America
February 13, 2008SALT LAKE CITY - A new species of dinosaur unearthed in Mexico is giving scientists fresh insights into the ancient history of western North America, according to an international research team led by scientists from the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah.
"To date, the dinosaur record from Mexico has been sparse," said Terry Gates, a paleontologist with the Utah Museum of Natural History, Utah's designated natural history museum.
The new creature - aptly dubbed Velafrons coahuilensis - was a massive plant-eater belonging to a group of duck-billed dinosaurs, or hadrosaurs. "Velafrons is a combination of Latin and Spanish meaning "sailed forehead," in reference to the large sail-like crest that grew atop the dinosaur's head," said Rosario Gomez, director of the paleontology program in Coahuila, Mexico. "The second part of the name honors the state of Coahuila in north-central Mexico, where the specimen was found," said Gomez.
Utah Museum of Natural History paleontologists teamed up with researchers from the Utah Geological Survey; Coordinacion de Paleontologia, Secretaria de Educacion y Cultura de Coahuila the Museo del Desierto, in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico; and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, to excavate and study the 72-million-year-old specimen. The species was announced in the December edition of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Mexico's arid climate poses challenges for dinosaur hunters, Gates explained. With little rainfall, there is minimal erosion, which means fewer fossils ever see daylight. Yet the fossils emerging from Coahuila turn out to be a vital part of the North American story for the latter part of the Age of Dinosaurs.
A Different World
For most of the Late Cretaceous, high global sea levels resulted in flooding of the central, low-lying portion of North America. As a result, a warm, shallow sea extended from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, splitting the continent in two. Dinosaurs living on the long, narrow, peninsula-like western landmass - known as Laramidia, or more simply, "West America," - occupied only a narrow belt of plains that were sandwiched between the seaway to the east and rising mountains to the west. Central America had not formed at the time, which made Mexico the southern tip of the continent.
In many ways, the Late Cretaceous is the best-understood time during the Age of Dinosaurs, thanks in large part to over 120 years of dinosaur hunting in Canada, Montana, and the Dakotas. "Yet the dinosaurs from Mexico have remained a mystery," noted Scott Sampson, a Utah Museum of Natural History paleontologist and co-author of the study.
Gates described the arid, desert terrain where the dinosaur was recovered as nothing like Mexico during the Late Cretaceous. About 72 million years ago, this region was a humid estuary near the southernmost tip of West America, an area where salt water from the ocean mixed with fresh water from rivers. Many of the dinosaur bones are covered with fossilized snails and marine clams, indicating that these animals inhabited environments near the shore.
In addition to isolated skeletons, the researchers found large bonebeds of jumbled duck-bill and horned dinosaur skeletons. These sites appear to represent mass death events, perhaps associated with powerful storms like those that are known to occur around the southern tips of Africa and South America today.
"The region was periodically hammered by monstrous storms," Sampson said, "devastating miles of fertile coastline, apparently killing off entire herds of dinosaurs."
Recovering a Hatchet Head
Until recent years, there have been few large-scale paleontological projects in Mexico focused on the Age of Dinosaurs. Velafrons stands as one of the first dinosaurs to be named from Mexico.
The creature comes from a rock unit known as the Cerro del Pueblo Formation, which dates to around 71.5 million to 72.5 million years ago. The skeleton was discovered in the early 1990s on the outskirts of a small town called Rincon Colorado, about 27 miles west of the city of Saltillo.
The skeleton was found by Martha Carolina Aguillon, and excavated over the course of several seasons by members of the Coordinacion de Paleontologia de la Secretaria de Educacion y Cultura de Coahuila under the direction of Jim Kirkland, of the Utah Geological Survey, and Rene Hernandez-Rivera, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Much of the excavation work was completed by volunteers as a participant-funded research project organized by the Dinamation International Society and the staff of the Museo del Desierto.
On becoming Utah's state paleontologist, Kirkland encouraged Scott Sampson and his students to take over his role on the Coahuila Paleontological research project.
Then, in 2002, Sampson spearheaded the first of two paleontological expeditions to Coahuila, by securing funds from the University of Utah and National Geographic Society. The Utah Museum of Natural History crew, along with other researchers from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., undertook the daunting task of completing the hadrosaur excavation, in addition to locating several other sites that contain new dinosaur species.
Armed with a jackhammer and shovels, the crew returned to the Rincon Colorado dig site, where they labored for two weeks through 12 feet of overburden, eventually uncovering the ancient skull. Upon its arrival at the Utah Museum of Natural History, the skull then required another two years of meticulous preparation by Jerry Golden, a skilled volunteer at the museum.
Based on the development of several bony features on the skull and skeleton, the scientists believe that this animal was still a youngster at the time of death. Nevertheless, although not yet fully grown, Velafrons would have been on the order of 25 feet long, suggesting an impressive adult size of 30 feet to 35 feet.
Gates explained that Velafrons represents the first occurrence of a crested duck-billed dinosaur in this region of North America. "The crested duck-billed dinosaurs are an extraordinary example of vertebrate evolution," he said. Unlike other animals where the nose bone lies in front of their eyes, these dinosaurs transformed their skulls so that the nose rested atop their skull. The snout extended backward, up their face, in order to fill the gap left by the relocated nose bone.
Interestingly, breathing was not straight-forward for Velafrons and its kin. Air flowed through a series of passages from the snout, into their crest, and finally inserting through a hole above their eyes. Scientists are uncertain what Velafrons' fan-shaped crest would have been used for, but a leading hypothesis suggests mate attraction, which explains the complex nasal passages as a possible musical instrument.
An Ancient Ecosystem Revealed
In addition to Velafrons, the most recent expeditions recovered remains of a second kind of duck-bill dinosaur, as well as a plant-eating horned dinosaur. Like its famous cousin, Triceratops, the new Coahuila horned dinosaur bore a massive horn over each eye and a long bony frill projecting rearward. The Cerro del Pueblo Formation has also yielded remains of large and small carnivores, including large tyrannosaurs (though smaller, older relatives of T. rex), and more diminutive Velociraptor-like predators armed with sickle-claws on their feet. As well as an abundance of fossilized bones, researchers discovered the largest assemblage of dinosaur track ways known from Mexico, a large area crisscrossed with the tracks of different kinds of dinosaurs. In all, the emerging picture is one of a diverse group of dinosaurs, perhaps representing an entirely new set of species.
Gates noted that this project is about much more than naming new dinosaurs. Each new species represents another vital piece of the puzzle as we attempt to comprehend the world of dinosaurs.
As might be suspected, paleontologists are excited about the future paleontological potential of this area.
"I am amazed at how prolific this region is," Gates said of the amount of material waiting to be collected. "Given the large number of fossils, the high quality preservation, and the great research team that is working this area, more spectacular discoveries are just around the corner."
"Dinosaurs from this particular period are important because this is a time that is relatively poorly understood," said Don Brinkman, a project researcher from Canada's Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, who along with Aguillon, is studying the non-dinosaur vertebrates found at the site, including turtles, fish, and lizards. "The locality in Mexico goes a long way to filling in a gap in our knowledge of the record of changes in dinosaur assemblages throughout the Late Cretaceous era."
Few dinosaurs from this time period are known in North America outside the Drumheller region of Alberta, which is where the Royal Tyrrell Museum is located. Brinkman explained that researchers now have two points of comparison to examine not only different dinosaurs, but also different ecologies.
Research teams want to find examples of plant life and smaller animals that co-existed with these dinosaurs. This information can be compared with collections made in other parts of North America to understand north-south variations in species and entire ecosystems.
Sampson added, "Now that we've cracked open this amazing window into the world of dinosaurs, we look forward to future expeditions that will undoubtedly reveal more of Mexico's ancient past."
In addition to advancing the field of paleontology, the researchers hope that this project in Coahuila may encourage more tourism to the area and bring attention to the Museo del Desierto, where the original specimen will be permanently housed.
University of Utah
Utah Museum of Natural History paleontologists teamed up with researchers from the Utah Geological Survey; Coordinacion de Paleontologia, Secretaria de Educacion y Cultura de Coahuila the Museo del Desierto, in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico; and the Royal Tyrrell Museum, in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, to excavate and study the 72-million-year-old specimen. The species was announced in the December edition of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Mexico's arid climate poses challenges for dinosaur hunters, Gates explained. With little rainfall, there is minimal erosion, which means fewer fossils ever see daylight. Yet the fossils emerging from Coahuila turn out to be a vital part of the North American story for the latter part of the Age of Dinosaurs.
A Different World
For most of the Late Cretaceous, high global sea levels resulted in flooding of the central, low-lying portion of North America. As a result, a warm, shallow sea extended from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, splitting the continent in two. Dinosaurs living on the long, narrow, peninsula-like western landmass - known as Laramidia, or more simply, "West America," - occupied only a narrow belt of plains that were sandwiched between the seaway to the east and rising mountains to the west. Central America had not formed at the time, which made Mexico the southern tip of the continent.
In many ways, the Late Cretaceous is the best-understood time during the Age of Dinosaurs, thanks in large part to over 120 years of dinosaur hunting in Canada, Montana, and the Dakotas. "Yet the dinosaurs from Mexico have remained a mystery," noted Scott Sampson, a Utah Museum of Natural History paleontologist and co-author of the study.
Gates described the arid, desert terrain where the dinosaur was recovered as nothing like Mexico during the Late Cretaceous. About 72 million years ago, this region was a humid estuary near the southernmost tip of West America, an area where salt water from the ocean mixed with fresh water from rivers. Many of the dinosaur bones are covered with fossilized snails and marine clams, indicating that these animals inhabited environments near the shore.
In addition to isolated skeletons, the researchers found large bonebeds of jumbled duck-bill and horned dinosaur skeletons. These sites appear to represent mass death events, perhaps associated with powerful storms like those that are known to occur around the southern tips of Africa and South America today.
"The region was periodically hammered by monstrous storms," Sampson said, "devastating miles of fertile coastline, apparently killing off entire herds of dinosaurs."
Recovering a Hatchet Head
Until recent years, there have been few large-scale paleontological projects in Mexico focused on the Age of Dinosaurs. Velafrons stands as one of the first dinosaurs to be named from Mexico.
The creature comes from a rock unit known as the Cerro del Pueblo Formation, which dates to around 71.5 million to 72.5 million years ago. The skeleton was discovered in the early 1990s on the outskirts of a small town called Rincon Colorado, about 27 miles west of the city of Saltillo.
The skeleton was found by Martha Carolina Aguillon, and excavated over the course of several seasons by members of the Coordinacion de Paleontologia de la Secretaria de Educacion y Cultura de Coahuila under the direction of Jim Kirkland, of the Utah Geological Survey, and Rene Hernandez-Rivera, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Much of the excavation work was completed by volunteers as a participant-funded research project organized by the Dinamation International Society and the staff of the Museo del Desierto.
On becoming Utah's state paleontologist, Kirkland encouraged Scott Sampson and his students to take over his role on the Coahuila Paleontological research project.
Then, in 2002, Sampson spearheaded the first of two paleontological expeditions to Coahuila, by securing funds from the University of Utah and National Geographic Society. The Utah Museum of Natural History crew, along with other researchers from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S., undertook the daunting task of completing the hadrosaur excavation, in addition to locating several other sites that contain new dinosaur species.
Armed with a jackhammer and shovels, the crew returned to the Rincon Colorado dig site, where they labored for two weeks through 12 feet of overburden, eventually uncovering the ancient skull. Upon its arrival at the Utah Museum of Natural History, the skull then required another two years of meticulous preparation by Jerry Golden, a skilled volunteer at the museum.
Based on the development of several bony features on the skull and skeleton, the scientists believe that this animal was still a youngster at the time of death. Nevertheless, although not yet fully grown, Velafrons would have been on the order of 25 feet long, suggesting an impressive adult size of 30 feet to 35 feet.
Gates explained that Velafrons represents the first occurrence of a crested duck-billed dinosaur in this region of North America. "The crested duck-billed dinosaurs are an extraordinary example of vertebrate evolution," he said. Unlike other animals where the nose bone lies in front of their eyes, these dinosaurs transformed their skulls so that the nose rested atop their skull. The snout extended backward, up their face, in order to fill the gap left by the relocated nose bone.
Interestingly, breathing was not straight-forward for Velafrons and its kin. Air flowed through a series of passages from the snout, into their crest, and finally inserting through a hole above their eyes. Scientists are uncertain what Velafrons' fan-shaped crest would have been used for, but a leading hypothesis suggests mate attraction, which explains the complex nasal passages as a possible musical instrument.
An Ancient Ecosystem Revealed
In addition to Velafrons, the most recent expeditions recovered remains of a second kind of duck-bill dinosaur, as well as a plant-eating horned dinosaur. Like its famous cousin, Triceratops, the new Coahuila horned dinosaur bore a massive horn over each eye and a long bony frill projecting rearward. The Cerro del Pueblo Formation has also yielded remains of large and small carnivores, including large tyrannosaurs (though smaller, older relatives of T. rex), and more diminutive Velociraptor-like predators armed with sickle-claws on their feet. As well as an abundance of fossilized bones, researchers discovered the largest assemblage of dinosaur track ways known from Mexico, a large area crisscrossed with the tracks of different kinds of dinosaurs. In all, the emerging picture is one of a diverse group of dinosaurs, perhaps representing an entirely new set of species.
Gates noted that this project is about much more than naming new dinosaurs. Each new species represents another vital piece of the puzzle as we attempt to comprehend the world of dinosaurs.
As might be suspected, paleontologists are excited about the future paleontological potential of this area.
"I am amazed at how prolific this region is," Gates said of the amount of material waiting to be collected. "Given the large number of fossils, the high quality preservation, and the great research team that is working this area, more spectacular discoveries are just around the corner."
"Dinosaurs from this particular period are important because this is a time that is relatively poorly understood," said Don Brinkman, a project researcher from Canada's Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, who along with Aguillon, is studying the non-dinosaur vertebrates found at the site, including turtles, fish, and lizards. "The locality in Mexico goes a long way to filling in a gap in our knowledge of the record of changes in dinosaur assemblages throughout the Late Cretaceous era."
Few dinosaurs from this time period are known in North America outside the Drumheller region of Alberta, which is where the Royal Tyrrell Museum is located. Brinkman explained that researchers now have two points of comparison to examine not only different dinosaurs, but also different ecologies.
Research teams want to find examples of plant life and smaller animals that co-existed with these dinosaurs. This information can be compared with collections made in other parts of North America to understand north-south variations in species and entire ecosystems.
Sampson added, "Now that we've cracked open this amazing window into the world of dinosaurs, we look forward to future expeditions that will undoubtedly reveal more of Mexico's ancient past."
In addition to advancing the field of paleontology, the researchers hope that this project in Coahuila may encourage more tourism to the area and bring attention to the Museo del Desierto, where the original specimen will be permanently housed.
University of Utah
Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
Protons Autoimmunity Human Migration Botox Spintronics Tibetan Plateau Cell Death Stem Cell Sustainable Energy Ancient Egypt Arctic Ocean Drug Addiction Cancer Drug Amino Acids Origin Of Life Diet Myopia Gecko Arctic sea ice Avian influenza life on Mars Neuroblastoma Exoplanet Bisphenol A Volcanic Eruptions
See More: Science News Tags
Dinosaur Current Events and Dinosaur News RSSNew Research Shows Dinosaurs May Have Been Smaller Than We Thought
For millions of years, dinosaurs have been considered the largest creatures ever to walk on land. While they still maintain this status, a new study suggests that some dinosaurs may actually have weighed as little as half as much as previously thought.
Largest carnivorous dinosaur tooth in Spain described
Researchers from the Teruel-Dinópolis Joint Palaeontology Foundation have compared an Allosauroidea tooth found in deposits in Riodeva, Teruel, with other similar samples.
Beaked, bird-like dinosaur tells story of finger evolution
Scientists have discovered a unique beaked, plant-eating dinosaur in China. The finding, they say, demonstrates that theropod, or bird-footed, dinosaurs were more ecologically diverse in the Jurassic period than previously thought, and offers important evidence about how the three-fingered hand of birds evolved from the hand of dinosaurs.
Sands of Gobi Desert yield new species of nut-cracking dinosaur
Plants or meat: That's about all that fossils ever tell paleontologists about a dinosaur's diet.
Bone bed tells of life along California's ancient coastline
In the famed Sharktooth Hill Bone Bed near Bakersfield, Calif., shark teeth as big as a hand and weighing a pound each, intermixed with copious bones from extinct seals and whales, seem to tell of a 15-million-year-old killing ground.
Discovery raises new doubts about dinosaur-bird links
Researchers at Oregon State University have made a fundamental new discovery about how birds breathe and have a lung capacity that allows for flight - and the finding means it's unlikely that birds descended from any known theropod dinosaurs.
New dinosaur species possible in Northwestern Alberta
The discovery of a gruesome feeding frenzy that played out 73 million years ago in northwestern Alberta may also lead to the discovery of new dinosaur species in northwestern Alberta.
Princeton geoscientist offers new evidence that meteorite did not wipe out dinosaurs
A Princeton University geoscientist who has stirred controversy with her studies challenging a popular theory that an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs has compiled powerful new evidence asserting her position.
Evidence of the 'Lost World' -- did dinosaurs survive the end Cretaceous extinctions?
The Lost World, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's account of an isolated community of dinosaurs that survived the catastrophic extinction event 65 million years ago, has no less appeal now than it did when it was written a century ago.
Field Museum paleontologist leads study on two new dinosaurs from China
During the summers of 2006 and 2007, an international team of researchers from China and the United States excavated a treasure trove of dinosaur skeletons from Early Cretaceous rocks in the southern part of the Gobi Desert near the ancient Silk Road city of Jiayuguan, Gansu Province, China.
More Dinosaur Current Events and Dinosaur News Articles
 |
Dozen Jumbo Dinosaurs up to 6 inches long by Toy C Set of 12 realistic toy dinosaur figures. Dinos are made from slightly flexible plastic, are hollow inside. Set includes: Ceratosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Stegosaurus, Parasaurolophus, Tyrannosaurus, Spinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Velociraptor, Apatosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Triceratops, Styracosaurus. |
 |
Dinosaur Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Samuel E. Wright, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis Directed By: Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag Also With: Ralph Zondag (Writer), John Harrison (Writer), Rhett Reese (Writer), Robert Nelson Jacobs (Writer), Shirley Pierce (Writer), Tamara Lusher (Writer) Join the action-packed adventure of a group of dinosaurs overcoming enormous challenges through courage, loyalty, and hope in Disney's DINOSAUR, a special effects phenomenon! Set 65 million years ago, DINOSAUR tells the compelling story of an iguanodon named Aladar, who is separated from his own kind and raised by a clan of lemurs, including the wisecracking Zini and the compassionate Plio. When a devastating meteor shower plunges their world into chaos, Aladar and his family follow a herd of dinosaurs heading for the safety of the "nesting grounds." Along the way, Aladar befriends Baylene, the dignified, elderly brachiosaur with a take-no-prisoners attitude; Eema, the unstoppable styrachosaur; and Neera, a feisty fellow iguanodon. Together, they must stand strong amid food and water... |
 |
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen (Author), Mark Teague (Illustrator) Featuring ten sleepy dinosaurs, this adorable picture book from prize-winning writer Jane Yolen and best-selling illustrator Mark Teague celebrates the funny, endearing, naughty bedtime behavior of young children... and young dinosaurs. |
 |
Dinosaur Collage t-shirt 100% Cotton short sleeve Kids shirt (Medium 6-8) This high quality T-shirt is hand dyed with earth friendly dyes and printed in the United States. This is not an iron-on decal that will crack and flake off. The ink is deeply embedded in the fibers which guarantees a long lasting print design and extraordinary comfort. Oekotex 100% certified guarantees the shirts are free of chemicals harmful to the body. Available in kids small to xlarge. See Size Chart for Details. |
 |
RoomMates RMK1043SCS Dinosaurs Peel & Stick Appliques by RoomMates The Jurassic Age is here! These are realistic and beautifully painted peel and stick dinosaurs that will plunge your room back to a time when these impressive animals walked the earth! Great for classrooms too. Do not forget to get the matching self-adhesive border as well as the Giant T-Rex (sold separately) to complement the look. |
 |
Scientific Explorer's My First Dinosaur Science Kit by Scientific Explorer With My First Dino Kit, you're a real paleontologist! Use excavation tools to dig up a dinosaur skeleton and then classify and display your findings. |
![Dinosaur [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61OB%2BOQhZ5L._SL160_.jpg) |
Dinosaur [Blu-ray] Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Samuel E. Wright, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis Directed By: Eric Leighton, Ralph Zondag Also With: Ralph Zondag (Writer), John Harrison (Writer), Rhett Reese (Writer), Robert Nelson Jacobs (Writer), Shirley Pierce (Writer), Tamara Lusher (Writer) Travel 65 million years into the past and experience the age of the dinosaurs in mind-blowing Blu-ray High Definition. DINOSAUR, Disney's landmark special effects spectacular, makes an evolutionary leap through the revolutionary new Blu-ray technology. For the first time ever, witness the film's dazzling meteor storm and all of Aladar's breathtaking battles in brilliant 1080p. Prepare for a stunning auditory experience with 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed sound -- from the thundering footsteps of the deadly carnosaurs to the smallest leaf blowing in the breeze. You've never experienced DINOSAUR like this. Go beyond everyday entertainment with Blu-ray High Definition. |
 |
How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends by Jane Yolen (Author) What if a dinosaur's friends come to play? Does he mope, does he pout if he can't get his way? Does he hide all his dump trucks, refusing to share? Does he throw his friends' coloring books up in the air? Time and time again, children are told to "play nice." This brilliantly illustrated board book is packed with rhymes that will teach children how. Mark Teague's laugh-aloud illustrations, along with Jane Yolen's playful text, will show children that "playing nice" can be easy and fun. Perfect for parents to read aloud with their children, this book is as humorous as it is instructive. |
 |
ZipBin Dinosaur Playset by Neat Oh The Toy Chest That's also a Dinosaur Playset looks like and is shaped like a mag wheel and opens to reveal a side-by-side race track for stirring road action. The Playscape includes a garage area and a winner's circle and built-in parking for 12 vehicles. Two sturdy die cast sports cars are included. Peel out for hours of fun. And when play is done, the Playscape becomes a toy bin in a zip, holding the toys inside for easy clean up. The ZipBin line has won over 20 awards for product excellence. The features include colorful, durable wipe-clean surfaces, sturdy heavy duty zippers, a handle, and portability. |
 |
Dinosaurs - The Complete First and Second Seasons Starring: Bill Barretta, Kevin Clash, Mitchel Evans, Dave Goelz, Harold Gould Directed By: Bruce Bilson, Jay Dubin, Mark Brull, Michael Jacobs, Patrick Johnson Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 05/02/2006 |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |