A skeleton discovered on Dorset's Jurassic coast has been identified as a new species of prehistoric marine reptile that once ruled the oceans. The dolphin-sized ichthyosaur, called Xiphodracon goldencapensis or the Sword Dragon of Dorset, is the only known example of its kind in existence. Thousands of ichthyosaur fossils have been found along the Jurassic Coast, but scientists say this particular fossil helps to fill an evolutionary gap.
Mark Norell, whose discoveries helped to demonstrate that birds are living dinosaurs, has died aged 68. As a curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Norell combined fieldwork, cutting-edge analysis and a gift for collaboration, transforming how scientists and the public see dinosaurs. Norell and his colleagues showed that birds belong to the group of carnivorous dinosaurs known as theropods, which also include Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus.
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In a corner of the sprawling grounds of Niamey's only museum a unique, open-air style arrangement in Niger's capital that doubles as a zoo imposing fossil replicas of long-extinct animals stand in a corrugated iron stall. On a recent late Friday afternoon, the Boubou Hama National Museum was busy with scores of excited children. They shrilled, delighted by the rubbery grunts of the hippos near the replicas, and the faint roars of the lions further up.
In this new study, the Human Paleontology Institute team, led by archaeologist Christophe Falguères, used a remarkably simple technique to offer a more concise time frame for the Petralona skull. Using calcite samples directly from the skull itself and from the deposits surrounding it, the researchers used a technique known as uranium-series dating that measures the decay rate of uranium isotopes as they morph into thorium over time.
Matt Lamanna, a dinosaur paleontologist, points out that the T-Rex’s portrayal in the original Jurassic Park film, where it cannot see stationary objects, misrepresents its visual acuity, which was likely superior compared to many dinosaurs.