fossil
zooillogix | October 31, 2007Using a technique called very high-resolution x-ray computed tomography, researchers at the University of Manchester dissected a 50 million year old spider encased in amber. As reported in Zootaxa, leveraging the same technology used in CAT scans, it can make out features the width of a human hair. In this case, the technique enabled the researchers to identify the critter of Halloween past as a new species.
laelaps | October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween, everyone! In searching for a somewhat frightening image (I already recently used Prestosuchus and Amphicyon), I recalled this photo of the AMNH Tyrannosaurus rex mount. Most of the photos I have of the reconstruction are of the whole head or body, but I especially like this one for far more subtle reasons; the close-up makes it appear as if the dinosaur is just beginning to open its jaws, my imagination filling in the sound of heavy breaths escaping the cavernous tooth-lined maw.
laelaps | October 30, 2007
The sculpted skull of the AMNH Deinonychus mount.
For nearly as long as I can remember, artistic depictions of Deinonychus and related dromeosaurs have featured the dinosaur as a pack hunter, often pouncing on a hapless ornithischian like Tenontosaurus (see here, here, here, and here for examples). After being confronted with such imagery time and time again I didn't think twice about the pack-hunting behavior in Deinonychus as a kid, but I started to wonder on what evidence all these gory illustrations were based. The popular books in my own library treated the behavior as a fact and gave…
laelaps | October 26, 2007Just a quick reminder that the next exhibition of The Boneyard will be going up tomorrow at the Hairy Museum of Natural History, so be sure to get all your paleo (or palaeo, if you prefer) oriented links to me or Matt soon! If you need some inspiration check out Matt's fantastic artwork and discussion on phytosaurs, a group that often doesn't get the attention it deserves.
There's some good opportunities for some cross-over posts coming up as well, as the next edition of The Accretionary Wedge is fast approaching, and it's host (Kevin Z of The Other 95%) has asked for submissions about "…
laelaps | October 26, 2007
Yesterday my friend Julia commented that one of the best times to visit a museum is in the late afternoon during the winter, and these two photographs will give you some idea why. While the fourth floor of the AMNH is usually bathed in natural lighting during most of the day and artificial lighting from above during the evening, there's a few minutes during the winter months while the sun is getting low in the sky but the overhead illumination hasn't come on yet, a time when shadows sweep across the ancient bones. These two photographs of the "Bear Dog" Amphicyon were taken during that short…
laelaps | October 23, 2007
Regardless of whether it was gradual or happened in a geologic instant, non-avian dinosaurs went extinct by approximately 65 million years ago, but the question of what they might be like today had they survived makes for some entertaining fiction. Most of such imaginary works are set on isolated islands or plateaus, "Lost Worlds" that have provided a refuge for dinosaurs (the most spectacular and enjoyable example being Weta Workshop's companion book to Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong entitled The World of Kong). Still, many of the dinosaurian hideaways do not take evolution into…
laelaps | October 19, 2007
The intimidating skull of Prestosuchus, taken at the AMNH.
I've been trying for quite some time now to get some information about a predatory member of the Order Rauisuchia, Prestosuchus chiniquensis so that I could write something substantial about it, but most of the references I've been able to get a hold of only mention it in reference to similar animals (i.e. Postosuchus, Saurosuchus, etc.). If anyone has any papers or technical literature they could send me on this animal (my e-mail can be found via the "contact" tab on this blog), I would be more grateful.
pharyngula | August 29, 2007As I've mentioned before, Lucy is going to be in Houston at the end of this week for an extended stay. This is not entirely a joyous occasion in the scientific community: many people, including Richard Leakey, are not happy that such a precious specimen has been subjected to the risks of travel. I sympathize. The bones of Lucy must be treated with the utmost care and regard, and any loss or damage would be an awful tragedy. However, there's more to it than preserving an important fossil: Lucy is a touchstone to our past and is a symbol of the importance of our long history. We need to bring…
zooillogix | April 23, 2007For over a century the nature of prototaxites has been a source of mystery and debate among scientists. Growing over 20 feet tall and a yard wide, the organism grew straight up like a tree trunk, but had no leaves or branches. Prototaxites fossils from between 420 and 350 million years ago have been found throughout the world. Speculation as to whether prototaxites was a lichen, algae or fungus has divided researchers since the first fossil was found over 100 years ago. After advanced chemical analysis, the verdict is finally in: prototaxites was a huge friggin fungus. University of Chicago…