Articles tagged with Dinosaur Fossils
Researchers have uncovered historic letters written by Edward Drinker Cope to geologist Robert T. Hill, shedding new light on the Texas connection to the Bone Wars. A newly translated German ode to a fossil also provides insight into the era's intense fossil collecting frenzy.
Researchers found a young megalosaur with filamentous integument, revealing its body was covered in feathers, which may have been present in all predatory dinosaurs. The discovery also sheds light on the changing diets and lifestyles of juvenile dinosaurs as they grew older.
A newly discovered dinosaur, Sciurumimus albersdoerferi, has provided evidence that all predatory dinosaurs had feathers, challenging the previous assumption that feathered dinosaurs were only related to birds. The fossil, which represents a juvenile specimen, shows a remarkable difference in diet between young and adult megalosaurs.
Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a new method to accurately measure dinosaur weight, reducing estimates for a Brachiosaur skeleton from 80 tonnes to 23 tonnes. The team's laser scanning technique provides a more accurate estimate of body mass, suggesting dinosaurs were not as massive as previously believed.
Fossil discovery reveals ancient flea-like animals that could feed on dinosaur skin, leading to a painful bite experience. The creatures, similar to modern fleas but much larger, had flat bodies and long claws.
The study, published in Geological Magazine, reveals that Aragosaurus ischiaticus, found in Teruel, Spain, is the oldest of its kind and could be a common ancestor. Its new age means it fills the gap in the transitional period between Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Researchers have discovered a new species of turtle, Polysternon isonae, that lived with dinosaurs in Isona, Spain. The fossil remains found are rare and provide valuable information about the morphology and size of the animal.
A new species of horned dinosaur named Spinops sternbergorum was discovered nearly 100 years after its initial discovery in southern Alberta, Canada. The animal lived approximately 76 million years ago and weighed around two tons, featuring a unique bony neck frill with long spikes.
A new study using cutting-edge technology finds that Tyrannosaurus rex grew more quickly and reached significantly greater masses than previously estimated. The team calculated the body mass of five specimens, including the iconic SUE skeleton, which weighed over nine tons.
Researchers have discovered the fossil of a newborn nodosaur, the youngest known species, in Maryland. The discovery sheds light on the development of limbs and skulls early in a dinosaur's life, as well as dinosaur parenting and reproductive biology.
The museum's new dinosaur hall features a unique 78-million-year-old fossil that shows evidence of live birth in an adult plesiosaur and its developing embryo, resolving a long-standing mystery in the field. The research establishes that plesiosaurs gave birth to live young, rather than laying eggs on land.
The discovery of Acristavus gagslarsoni, a non-crested hadrosaur, reveals that two distinct styles of headgear evolved independently. The fossils found in different locations suggest earlier species roamed over a larger region of North America.
Researchers in Argentina used fossilized insect cocoons to describe how wasps played a crucial role in consuming rotting dinosaur eggs. The study provides insight into the murky world of insect communities that thrived at the feet of gigantic dinosaurs.
Researchers at Yale University found a ceratopsian horn fossil buried just five inches below the K-T boundary, suggesting that dinosaurs did not go extinct prior to the impact. The discovery provides further evidence for the impact hypothesis and may have closed the 'three-meter gap' in the fossil record.
A new species of gigantic theropod dinosaur, Zhuchengtyrannus magnus, was identified from fossil skull and jaw bones discovered in China. The newly named dinosaur measured about 11 metres long, stood about 4 metres tall, and weighed close to 6 tonnes.
A unique 89-million-year-old pterosaur fossil found in Texas may be the earliest known Pteranodon. The specimen, discovered by an amateur fossil hunter north of Dallas, has a wing span between 12 and 13 feet and belongs to the toothless variety of pterosaurs.
A new census of dinosaur skeletons reveals that Tyrannosaurus rex subsisted on both carrion and fresh-killed prey, exploiting a variety of animals. The discovery challenges the long-held notion of T. rex as an apex predator.
Researchers create first high-resolution, three-dimensional digital model of an at-risk fossil using portable laser scanning technology, providing a baseline to measure future deterioration. The digital model duplicates a 110-million-year-old Texas dinosaur track and is shareable with others.
Researchers have discovered a 100-million-year-old ancestor of large, carnivorous insects still alive today. The genus has undergone little change since the Early Cretaceous Period.
A newly discovered species, Titanoceratops, has been identified as the earliest known member of its family, with an estimated weight of nearly 15,000 pounds and a massive eight-foot-long skull. The discovery suggests that the triceratopsian family evolved over five million years earlier than previously thought.
Researchers at University of Alberta used U-Pb dating to determine a hadrosaur bone is 64.8 million years old, contradicting the long-held paradigm that dinosaurs died between 65.5 and 66 million years ago.
Researchers from UC Davis and UC Berkeley have discovered a new dinosaur, Eodramaeus, that lived 230 million years ago in South America. The carefully dated fossils suggest dinosaurs existed alongside other animals during the same periods of extinction, challenging the prevailing hypothesis about their origin.
Scientists have solved the long-standing problem of pterosaur head crests by discovering a female fossil with an egg, showing females were crestless and males used crests to intimidate rivals. The discovery uses hip size and crest development to sex pterosaurs.
A team of paleontologists discovered a nearly complete skeleton of Eodromaeus, a long-necked and tail dinosaur weighing only 10-15 pounds, in the 'Valley of the Moon' in Argentina. The species lived around 230 million years ago during the dawn of the dinosaurs.
A new species of pterosaur, Gwawinapterus beardi, has been discovered on Hornby Island off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The fossil, dated to 70 million years ago, features small teeth and a wing span of approximately 3 metres.
The newly identified genus Koreaceratops hwaseongensis is the first ceratopsian dinosaur from the Korean peninsula, featuring a parrot-like face and unique fan-shaped tail. It lived approximately 5-6 feet long and weighed around 60-100 pounds, indicating it was relatively small compared to its giant relatives.
The discovery of Yizhousaurus sunae sheds light on the evolution of sauropod dinosaurs. The ancient creature lived around 200 million years ago with a long neck and robust skeleton, exhibiting hallmarks of later sauropods.
A study published in PLoS ONE found that Tyrannosaurus rex had bite marks on its own bones, indicating cannibalism. The research suggests that T. rex may have eaten smaller dinosaurs as well, and that its eating habits were different from those of modern species.
A new species of dinosaur, Sarahsaurus, discovered in Arizona challenges conventional wisdom about dinosaurs' spread across the world. The fossil suggests that dinosaurs took advantage of a natural catastrophe to move into North America, rather than overpowering other species.
Researchers have discovered that dinosaurs had thick layers of cartilage in their joints, which may have made them considerably taller than originally estimated. This study has implications for understanding dinosaur posture and speed.
A new species of predatory dinosaur, Balaur bondoc, has been discovered in Romania with unusual features such as a re-evolved functional big toe with a large claw. Its unique anatomy suggests it was adapted for strength over speed and likely hunted in a different way than its relatives.
A new study re-examines the mosasaur fossil, considered the world's finest, revealing that these marine reptiles were better swimmers than previously thought. The team demonstrates that advanced shark-like swimming began in mosasaurs millions of years earlier than previously believed.
A recent discovery of a 29-million-year-old fossil catarrhine provides new insights into the facial anatomy of the ancestral stock of apes and Old World monkeys. The Saadanius skull supports the hypothesis that the last common ancestor had a baboon-like, long snout, similar to that of modern true apes and monkeys.
A new dinosaur species with a heart-shaped frill has been discovered in Canada's Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces, named Mojoceratops perifania. The species is related to Triceratops but appeared 10 million years earlier, survived for only one million years.
A new species of plant-eating dinosaur, Jeyawati rugoculus, has been discovered in western New Mexico. The dinosaur is believed to have had a unique chewing mechanism that includes large scales above its eye, providing protection from predators.
Azendohsaurus is redefined as a non-dinosaur, primitive reptile with convergent features to herbivorous dinosaurs. The species lived during the time of dinosaur origin and was an efficient herbivore.
A team of researchers from the University of Bonn has confirmed that Magyarosaurus dacus was a dwarf sauropod dinosaur, contrary to earlier theories that it was just a juvenile. The study reveals that dinosaurs on islands underwent the same ecological and evolutionary processes as modern mammals.
Paleontologists have discovered a new bony-skulled dinosaur species, Texacephale langstoni, in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The plant-eating dinosaur lived 70-80 million years ago and had a distinctive solid bone lump on its skull.
A new species of plant-eating dinosaur, Seitaad ruessi, has been discovered in the Navajo Sandstone of Utah's red rocks. The dinosaur lived around 185 million years ago during the Early Jurassic Period and was part of a group known as sauropodomorphs, which includes giant sauropods with long necks and tails.
A new species of raptor dinosaur, Linheraptor exquisitus, has been discovered by a GW Ph.D. candidate and UCL grad student. The exceptionally well-preserved fossil provides valuable insights into the evolution of related dinosaurs.
A nearly complete fossilized snake from India, Sanajeh indicus, has been discovered coiled around a sauropod dinosaur egg and a freshly hatched hatchling. The find provides critical information about the early diversification of snakes and how they evolved to eat large prey.
A nearly complete fossilized skeleton of a primitive snake coiled inside a dinosaur nest was discovered in India, showing that ancient snakes ate dinosaur hatchlings. The study suggests that the ecosystem of predators during the hatching season supported hundreds or thousands of defenseless baby sauropods.
A newly discovered fossil snake from India, named Sanajeh indicus, was found coiled around a crushed dinosaur egg next to a freshly hatched sauropod. The arrangement of the bones and delicate structures suggests that the snake ingested the half-meter-long hatchling due to its large size.
A GW research team has discovered a new species of dinosaur, Haplocheirus sollers, that links to bird evolution. The Late Jurassic fossil, found in China, shows early evolutionary stages in bird-like dinosaurs.
Researchers have discovered a new primitive dinosaur species, Tawa hallae, in northern New Mexico with nearly complete skeletons providing insights into the evolutionary path of dinosaurs towards birds. The species, likely a meat-eater, had air sacs in its braincase and neck areas.
The discovery of Tawa hallae, a 213-million-year-old carnivorous dinosaur from New Mexico, reveals that early dinosaurs originated in South America and dispersed across Pangea before splitting into separate continents. Fossil analysis suggests that climate, possibly related to latitude, controlled the distribution of some reptile species.
A rare primitive theropod, Tawa hallae, has been discovered in New Mexican sediments from the Upper Triassic period, forcing a redefinition of early dinosaur evolution. The fossil finds evidence of air sacks and pneumatization in birds, showing that these traits are more primitive than previously thought.
A new study compares expert identification and computer analysis in reconstructing ancient fossils from hundreds of thousands of jumbled pieces. The research found that specialized experts provided the most reliable identifications, while less experienced palaeontologists made more mistakes.
Researchers used portable 3D laser scanners to capture and preserve a 110-million-year-old fossilized dinosaur footprint, providing valuable data for scientific research and education. The preserved track will be made available for download, allowing others to study and analyze the specimen.
A new study reveals that two recently named dinosaurs may actually be juvenile or subadults of already known taxa, wiping out a third of named species. The research analyzed three dome-headed dinosaurs and found that their bizarre head ornaments changed dramatically with age and sexual maturity.
A team of researchers is exploring the fossil record of ancient plants in Patagonia, Argentina, which could provide insights into plant evolution, distribution, and ecology. The study aims to determine if a major plant extinction occurred when dinosaurs went extinct and how long it took for recovery.
A new study found that Archaeopteryx, the iconic first bird, actually grew much slower than modern birds and had more reptilian features. This challenges the long-held assumption that rapid bone growth was necessary for flight.
A new species of tyrannosauroid dinosaur, Raptorex kriegsteini, has been discovered in China that predates the Tyrannosaurus rex by tens of millions of years. The fossil, which is only three meters long, exhibits the same physical traits as T. rex, including an oversized skull and powerful jaws.
A team of paleontologists and ornithologists have discovered evidence of vivid iridescent colors in fossil feathers dating back 40 million years. They found a preserved color-producing nanostructure, called melanosomes, which produced black with metallic greenish, bluish or coppery colors at certain angles.
Theropod dinosaurs likely targeted young and small dinosaur species as a primary food source, exploiting their softer bones. This hypothesis is supported by fossil finds and stomach contents, suggesting that giant carnivores mainly fed on juvenile animals, not large herbivorous dinosaurs.
New research suggests that dinosaur bones from the Ojo Alamo Sandstone may date from after the extinction event, and could indicate that some species survived for up to half a million years. The study uses chemical investigations and evidence of rock age to support the hypothesis.
A 90-million-year-old dinosaur herd composed entirely of juveniles of the Sinornithomimus species was discovered in the Gobi Desert. The site provides a rare snapshot of social behavior, suggesting that immature individuals were left to fend for themselves when adults were preoccupied with nesting or brooding.
Researchers at Stanford University are using synchrotron X-ray technology to reveal previously unknown details about dinosaur fossils and ancient documents. By analyzing the chemical elements left behind in fossilized bones, scientists hope to gain new insights into the evolution of dinosaurs and their relationships with modern birds.
A recent study by researchers at the University of Bath and London's Natural History Museum found that dinosaur fossils match their evolutionary trees remarkably well. The study used statistical data from fossils of four major dinosaur groups to confirm the accuracy of current views on their evolution.
Researchers at University of Calgary and Royal Tyrrell Museum uncover a one-of-a-kind fossil nest with eggs, shedding light on dinosaur nesting behavior and evolution. The discovery provides valuable insights into the characteristics of modern birds and the ancient behaviors of small theropod dinosaurs.