Articles tagged with Dinosaurs
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Researchers found evidence of a large ornithopod dinosaur and a herd of 11 sauropods walking together at the same speed. The site preserved footprints that provide insights into dinosaur herding behavior, a rare example of social behavior for reptiles.
Researchers found evidence of a large ornithopod dinosaur and a herd of 11 sauropods walking together along a Mesozoic coastal mudflat in Yemen. The discovery provides insight into dinosaur herding behavior, with the trackways preserved in rocks likely dating back to the Late Jurassic period.
A study published in Science confirms that Tyrannosaurus rex shares common ancestry with modern-day birds, including chickens and ostriches, based on molecular analysis of ancient protein sequences. This finding provides the first molecular evidence for the evolutionary relationships of a non-avian dinosaur.
Researchers at New York Medical College discovered a link between bird lack of brown fat and dinosaur extinction. The study found that birds' inability to generate heat may have contributed to the demise of dinosaurs.
A new study by the University of Colorado at Boulder and California Institute of Technology suggests that the Grand Canyon is significantly older than previously thought, potentially dating back to the time of dinosaurs. The research uses radiometric dating to show that the canyon may have formed over 55 million years ago.
Computer simulations revealed that pachycephalosaur domes enabled safe collisions during courtship combat, allowing nearly-adult dinosaurs to handle head-butting contests. The study suggests special sliding joints in the vertebrae and giant domes played key roles in this ability.
A 70-million-year-old giant frog fossil from Madagascar has been identified as a relative of living Horned toads, providing evidence for the link between Madagascar, India, and South America during the Late Cretaceous period. The discovery sheds light on the paleobiogeography of Madagascar's unique fauna.
Two new dinosaurs, Kryptops and Eocarcharia, provide insight into an earlier stage in the evolution of Cretaceous Period's bizarre meat-eaters. They had distinctive adaptations for eating fresh meat, including short snouts and jaws designed for gnawing on carcasses.
Scientists unveil Velafrons coahuilensis, a massive duck-billed dinosaur from Mexico's Cerro del Pueblo Formation. The discovery provides valuable insights into the region's ecosystem and mass death events, challenging previous understanding of West America's Late Cretaceous history.
Researchers found medullary bone in T. rex specimens, indicating dinosaurs reached sexual maturity earlier than thought and had short lifespans of 3-4 years in adulthood. This discovery sheds new light on the evolution of birds and reproductive strategies.
A new study by UC Berkeley scientists reveals that dinosaurs experienced rapid growth spurs and reached sexual maturity near the end of this phase, well before reaching maximum body size. This finding suggests that dinosaurs were born precocious and suffered high adult mortality, making early sexual maturity necessary for survival.
Nigersaurus taqueti is a 110-million-year-old plant-eating dinosaur with a unique skull structure, featuring hundreds of needle-shaped teeth and a broad, straight-edged muzzle. Its distinctive anatomy allowed it to efficiently crop plants near the ground, making it an unusual example among sauropods.
Researchers from the University of Utah and California's Raymond M. Alf Museum have unearthed a new duck-billed dinosaur species, Gryposaurus monumentensis, in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The creature is estimated to have grown up to 30 feet long as an adult and had over 300 teeth embedded in its thick skull.
A new dinosaur species, Cerasinops hodgskissi, has been identified from a 80-million-year-old fossil found in Montana, sharing characteristics with Neo-ceratopsian dinosaurs in North America and Asia. The specimen, weighing 30-40 pounds and standing 3 feet tall, was discovered by Jack Horner and Brenda Chinnery in 1983.
Fossils discovered in New Mexico reveal that dinosaurs and their predecessors lived side by side for 15-20 million years. The findings provide new insights into the evolution of dinosaur precursors and challenge long-held theories about the pace of changeover.
Fossilized dinosaurs exhibiting wide-open mouth and head-back poses were likely victims of brain damage or asphyxiation due to trauma, according to two paleontologists. This new explanation challenges the long-held notion that the pose resulted from water currents or muscle contractions.
A team of scientists discovered a 15-meter-long trackway with 12 consecutive prints that provide definitive evidence of a non-avian theropod dinosaur's swimming ability. The tracks show an underwater stride of 243-271 cm and suggest the dinosaur swam in approximately 3.2 meters of water.
Fused tyrannosaurid nasals increased skull strength, allowing for deep bone biting and superior bite force. This adaptation made T. rexes nearly unbeatable predators.
A new study suggests that amphibians are losing the battle against environmental change due to their inability to adapt quickly enough. With 43% of species in decline and 168 extinct, the impacts on amphibians are far more pervasive than other vertebrates.
A new study has found that the ancestors of modern mammals did not quickly evolve and spread to fill empty niches following the mass extinctions of dinosaurs. Instead, diversification rates dropped and stayed low for 40 million years, with modern mammal orders emerging around 50-55 million years ago.
A new study reveals that the mass extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs did not prompt the rapid diversification of modern mammal species. Instead, these early mammals evolved and radiated around 10 million years after the dinosaurs' demise, driven by a sudden increase in global temperature.
A comprehensive tree of mammalian evolution puts major diversifications well after dinosaur die-off, casting doubt on their impact. The team constructed a complete evolutionary tree using molecular data and fossil evidence, finding that diversification didn't take off until the Eocene epoch, about 56 to 34 million years ago.
Robert Reisz's lifelong passion for fossils led to groundbreaking discoveries, including the oldest known dinosaur embryos and two-legged reptile. He is being recognized by AAAS for his significant contributions to the field.
A CU-Boulder research team has discovered over 200 suspected parasite burrows in a well-preserved duck-billed dinosaur, indicating the presence of tiny worms similar to annelids and nematodes. The findings provide evidence for interactions between dinosaurs and invertebrates.
A team of paleontologists proposes that the Chicxulub meteor impact was not the sole cause of the dinosaurs' demise. Instead, they suggest that a series of massive meteor impacts, volcanic eruptions, and climate change culminated in the end of the Cretaceous Period.
A team of scientists led by University of Washington paleontologist Peter Ward has found a similar gap during the same period among non-marine arthropods, largely insects and spiders. They believe a precipitous drop in the oxygen content of Earth's atmosphere is responsible for this phenomenon.
A revised dinosaur census by University of Pennsylvania scientist Peter Dodson estimates that 71% of discoverable genera are still awaiting discovery. The researchers predict that new discoveries will decline sharply in the early 22nd century, but a child born today can expect a fruitful career in dinosaur paleontology.
A study published in Science found that Albertosaurus survived for two years with low mortality rates, but death rates increased after reaching teenage years. The research provides insight into the life patterns of tyrannosaurs and challenges previous theories about their behavior.
A new University of Florida study suggests that large dinosaurs, such as Sauroposeidon proteles, had body temperatures close to 48 degrees Celsius, comparable to modern-day birds and mammals. This discovery challenges the long-held assumption that dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles.
A new study resolves a long-standing debate on dinosaur metabolism by using mathematical modeling and fossil data to estimate body temperatures. The results suggest that the largest dinosaurs had relatively constant body temperatures maintained through thermal inertia.
A team of scientists has discovered a new species of dwarf sauropod dinosaurs in the Harz Mountains, estimated to weigh only one tonne. The unique microstructure of their bones suggests that these animals were fully grown when they died, reaching lengths of up to 6 metres and 90 centimetre tall.
Researchers discovered that males of the extinct species Thyrohyrax had oversized, swollen lower jaws shaped like a banana, which may have been used to produce sound. The discovery suggests that Thyrohyrax and its fossil relatives were the only mammals to use this skeletal structure for sound production.
Paleontologist Josh Smith rediscovered two photographs of the holotype of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, providing new insight into the dinosaur's skeleton. The images were found in the Palaontologische archives of the Museum in Germany and allow for direct comparison with Stromer's 1915 illustrations.
The newly discovered Triceratops skull provides valuable insights into the dinosaur's growth patterns, suggesting that its horns and frill had a purpose beyond sexual display. The fossil, estimated to be around three years old, shows significant changes in the development of its frill and horn shape from juvenile to adult stages.
Researchers are using advanced techniques to analyze ancient proteins in fossils, providing insights into prehistoric life, diet, and relationships. By studying these molecular remnants, scientists can reconstruct the history of life on Earth and gain a deeper understanding of dinosaurs.
Researchers identified a new dinosaur species, Guanlong wucaii, as the oldest known cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex, pre-dating its branch by about 100 million years. The discovery sheds light on early evolution and geographical distribution of tyrannosaur ancestors.
A University of Toronto study has ruled out the theory that duck-billed dinosaurs' crests were linked to their sense of smell. The research, led by David Evans, found that the brain changed little from non-crested dinosaur ancestors, suggesting the crests may have been used for visual display or attracting mates.
Dr. David Wake will receive the prestigious Joseph Leidy Award for his groundbreaking work in conservation biology and systematics on worldwide amphibian decline. The award recognizes his contributions to understanding the complex causes of this alarming phenomenon.
Researchers found that plateosaurs adjusted their growth to environmental conditions, growing faster in abundant food and slowing down during scarcity. This discovery challenges the conventional understanding of dinosaur growth, which was previously thought to be similar to modern mammals.
A University of Colorado researcher has discovered tracks of a previously unknown two-legged swimming dinosaur along the shoreline of an ancient inland sea that covered Wyoming 165 million years ago. The six-foot-tall bipedal creature, similar to a Coelosaur, likely waded along the shoreline and swam offshore to feed on fish or carrion.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Alan Feduccia found that fossilized patterns resembling feathers are more likely skin-related tissues, contradicting the theory of feathered dinosaurs. The study also revealed embryos of developing birds have distinct wing structures, making it unlikely for birds to evolve from flightless dinosaurs.
Research suggests that increased oxygen levels in Earth's atmosphere led to the emergence of large placental mammals, including massive sloths and saber-toothed cats. The study, published in Science journal, uses deep-sea core samples to track changes in oxygen content over 205 million years.
A recent restudy and reconstruction of a Mongolian sauropod skull adds to evidence for sauropod diversity at the end of the dinosaur era. The discovery highlights the existence of titanosaurs, a late surviving sauropod lineage that flourished during this period.
A new study reveals that predatory dinosaurs, such as T. rex, had a more complex air sac system similar to that in modern birds. The findings suggest that these ancient beasts may have been warm-blooded creatures, with a pulmonary machinery for enhanced gas exchange.
Researchers at North Carolina State University discovered a link between dinosaurs and living birds by finding medullary bone in a T. rex fossil, indicating the dinosaur was female and likely producing eggs. The presence of this tissue provides an objective means of sexing dinosaurs.
A team of paleontologists analyzed stegosaur plates to rule out thermoregulation as a function. Instead, they suggest that the plates may have been used for species recognition, similar to African antelopes. The analysis also found that scutes on other dinosaur ancestors had similar internal structures, supporting this theory.
Scientists have discovered a new species, Falcarius utahensis, in Utah that provides clues about the evolution of plant-eating dinosaurs. The dinosaur had leaf-shaped teeth and a larger gut to digest plant material, and its neck and forelimbs were more elongated for reaching plants.
Dr. Mary Schweitzer isolated intact soft tissue from a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex femur, showing blood vessels and cell-like structures. The discovery, published in Science, suggests that dinosaur fossils may retain some of their original flexibility and resilience.
The discovery of Neuquenraptor argentinus provides the first uncontroversial evidence that raptors roamed beyond the Northern Hemisphere. The find reveals a common raptor ancestor likely existed on both Gondwana and Laurasia supercontinents before they split apart.
A new avian species called Vegavis iaai has provided unprecedented fossil proof that some close cousins to living bird species coexisted with dinosaurs during the Cretaceous period. The research, published in Nature, places Vegavis within the Anseriformes group and indicates its evolutionary relationship to ducks and geese.
Research refutes old idea that dinosaurs were declining in diversity during their time on Earth. Early dinosaur diversity increased dramatically throughout the Cretaceous period, reaching 245 genera.
A team of paleontologists has reestimated Seismosaurus's length to 110 feet, bringing it within range of the blue whale. The new estimate was achieved by scaling up a smaller Diplodocus dinosaur and comparing its caudal vertebrae.
The discovery of a prosauropod dinosaur, ancestral crocodilians and a mammal-like cynodont reveals diverse terrestrial faunas at the end of the Triassic period. The findings contradict previous assumptions about the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.
Scientists charted T. rex life history for the first time, revealing a giant size due to an extraordinary growth spurt from 14 to 18 years of age. This was followed by about 10 years of little or no growth as an adult. The study provides insight into T. rex evolution, biology, biomechanics and population dynamics.
Researchers used growth line counts on T. rex and other relatives to estimate accelerated growth from age 14-18, gaining insight into how these dinosaurs became gargantuan. The study compares T. rex's growth rate to modern-day elephants.
Research team led by Mark Springer has traced solenodon origins to the Mesozoic era, 76 million years ago. The findings suggest that these shrew-like creatures branched off from insect-eating relatives and have remained biologically unchanged over millions of years.
Fossils of Rugops primus and Spinostropheus gautieri reveal that Africa separated from southern continents around 100 million years ago. The discoveries provide fresh evidence on the timing of continental drift, shedding light on how dinosaurs like Rugops and other animals used narrow land bridges to colonize adjacent continents.
The discovery of Suuwassea emilieae, a smaller relative of Diplodocus and Apatosaurus, provides significant insights into the fauna of the Morrison Formation. The new species features an anomalous second hole in its skull, which has puzzled paleontologists for years.
The web-based program calculates thermal radiation, seismic shaking, ejecta deposition, and air-blast effects based on user input distance from impact site. It provides detailed descriptions of damage severity, including ignition times for grass and wood, shaking intensity levels, and debris particle sizes.
Researchers analyzed over 250 dinosaur genera, finding the fossil record to be moderately complete, but highly congruent with existing family tree relationships. This study provides valuable insights for paleontologists studying dinosaur evolution.