Posts Tagged ‘fossil’
The evolution of whales at the “Explore Evolution” Exhibit
Evolutionary Biologist, Richard Dawkins, gives us a quick explanation of whale evolution at the Explore Evolution exhibit at the University of Nebraska State Museum.
Ida “The Missing Link” Creates Buzz and Controversy
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on May 24th, 2009
Darwinius masillae - History/Atlantic Productions
It is hard for those who love science to go onto the web or read a paper and not see something about Ida “The Missing Link”. Ida is indeed remarkable as one of the best preserved and earliest primate fossils we have. But some in the scientific community are weary of the hype. Although Ida is indeed a transitional form between Lemur-like creatures and more modern primates it is not entirely certain that we humans are a direct descendant.
A copy of the fossil is on display as part of the American Museum of Natural History’s “Extreme Mammals” exhibit.
The New York Times has a good general article about the discovery here.
Brian Switek, a scienceblogs blogger who covers paleontology has a really good write up of some of the science and controversy here.
Predator X – Giant Jurassic Sea Reptile Fossils Found in Arctic
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on March 20th, 2009
An illustration of a pliosaur, with its crushing bite force, on attack. -Atlantic Productions
Scientists digging in the arctic island regions of Norway have found the enormous remains of a new member in a family of ancient ocean reptiles, called pliosaurs, that lived during the reign of the dinosaurs. This sea hunter was at least 50 feet long and weighed 45 tons. The skull alone measures 10 feet long as well as the front two flippers. The average length of previously studied pliosaurs is about 16-20 feet. It is estimated that Predator X had a bite 2-3 times as powerful as T-Rex and 100 times more powerful than any animal alive today, at 33,000 pounds. As the top predator in it’s habitat, Predator X probably fed on fish, squid and other marine reptiles, such as the long necked plesiosaur and the dolphin like ichthyosaurs.
Excavating the Skull of Predator X - Kelly Nobay
The story of the discovery and excavation of Predator X will be shown in a documentary on the History Channel on March 29th at 8pm.
Monster 42 Foot Snake Fossil Found
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on February 5th, 2009
An artist’s rendering of the prehistoric snake Titanoboa cerrejonensis, which was 42 feet long and lived 60 million years ago. - University of Florida
A new fossil find in a open coal mine in the northeast corner of the country of Colombia has uncovered the largest snake species known. Named Titanoboa cerrejonensis, this monstrous jungle dweller lived 60 million years ago,weighed over a ton and measured 42ft long. For a snake, which is cold blooded, to have evolved to be so large, it must have lived in a very hot tropical climate. Scientists have calculated that the average temperature must have been between 86 and 93 degrees. This is 10-15 degrees higher than the average temperature in today’s South American jungle.
Dino ‘graveyard’ reveals first Asian triceratops
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on January 8th, 2009
The world’s largest dinosuar fossil site that was recently found in China’s Shandong province has yielded its first big discovery. A 2 meter long skull resembling that of the famed horned dinosaur triceratops has been found. This is the first evidence that Ceratopsids, which is a family of four-legged, horned and crested dinosuars, lived outside of what is now North America.
Although early ancestors of ceratopsids have been found in China, true Ceratopsids have only been found in Alaska, western Canada and the western US… until now. The bones have not been precisely dated but are thought to be from 100 to 65 million years old.
Ancient armored amphibian had world’s oddest bite
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on December 16th, 2008
There existed 210 million years ago, an armored amphibian that has one of the stranges bites of all the animals ever. pulcherrimus opened its mouth not by dropping its lower jaw but by lifting back its head. Scientists think that this creature may have lived at the bottom of lakes and when a fish or other food swam by, it snapped its head up like a toilet seat to snatch up a meal. Due to a special adaptation of the joint between the skull and first neck bone, Gerrothorax could lift its head about 50 degrees relative to its lower jaw.
Gerrothorax measured about 3 feet long, had a flat head and body, and was protected by body armor. The jaws had sharp teeth and the roof of its mouth had fangs to keep prey from slipping out of its grasp. It is a member of a family of ancient amphibians called plagiosaurs. Although they were fairly successful at the time, having had fossils found in Greenland, Scandinavia and Europe, there are no modern descendants. It is most likely that they dissapeared during the extinction at the end of the Triassic period 200 million years ago.
New Fossil Sheds Light on the Evolution of the Turtle Shell
Posted by: Avi in New Discoveries on December 15th, 2008
In the Guizhou Province of southwestern China, Chun Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has found a new fossil that may help explain the evolution of the turtle. The oldest known turtle species is from 210 million years ago and features a full top shell , called a carapice, and a bottom shell, called a plastron. The new fossil, named Odontochelys semistestacea, lived 10 million years earlier and has only a full bottom shell. The top shell is incomplete, with only bony extensions from the back bone and ribs.
Scientist used to think that a turtle shell evolved from scales that formed plates, which then fused into a shell. This new fossil evidence tells a different story of a shell forming from changes to the animals skeleton.
