Articles tagged with Cretaceous Period
A new study published in PNAS sheds light on the functional importance of dinosaur beaks, revealing they helped stabilize the skull structure during feeding. The research, led by Drs Stephan Lautenschlager and Emily Rayfield, used CT scanning and computer simulations to analyze a therizinosaur's beak.
A University of Missouri researcher has found evidence suggesting the Late Cretaceous Period was ice-free, despite initial thoughts of a continental ice sheet. The study uses fossilized shells to analyze oxygen and carbon isotope ratios, providing insights into past temperatures and environmental conditions.
Researchers have discovered a fossil egg in Lleida, Spain, with an oval shape similar to that of chicken eggs. The Sankofa pyrenaica egg belongs to the same species and provides evidence for a connection between dinosaurs and modern birds.
Scientists have discovered a new sauropod dinosaur, Brontomerus mcintoshi, with enormous thigh muscles and unique hip structure, suggesting it may have used its kick as defense against predators. The discovery challenges the previous idea that sauropods began to disappear in the Early Cretaceous period.
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 used laser scanning to reconstruct five dinosaurs' bodies, including T. rex and Acrocanthosaurus. The study found that smaller T. rex specimens weighed between 5.5-7 tonnes, while larger ones could have reached 8 tonnes.
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.
Paleontologists from Emory University have discovered large carnivorous dinosaur tracks in Victoria, Australia, revealing that these dinosaurs roamed a polar environment. The tracks are estimated to be around 115 million years old and suggest that dinosaurs were larger than previously thought.
Researchers have discovered evidence of massive carbon dioxide releases into the atmosphere over a short geological timescale. Fossil records show significant changes in carbon isotope ratios, indicating sudden releases of light carbon isotopes.
Researchers find that ancient corals built skeletons mostly of calcite, contrary to the long-held belief that this mineral is fixed over time. The study also reveals that corals in ancient seawater grew more slowly than those in modern water.