#mesozoic — Public Fediverse posts

🌊 Habitat #debate: Most austrolimulid occurrences are near shallow marine areas (or at least areas with #marine influence) and together with their wide distribution, challenge the idea they lived in fully #freshwater environments. This new material adds to the growing picture of #xiphosurid diversity and evolution in the early #Mesozoic.

🌊 Habitat #debate: Most austrolimulid occurrences are near shallow marine areas (or at least areas with #marine influence) and together with their wide distribution, challenge the idea they lived in fully #freshwater environments. This new material adds to the growing picture of #xiphosurid diversity and evolution in the early #Mesozoic.

🌊 Habitat #debate: Most austrolimulid occurrences are near shallow marine areas (or at least areas with #marine influence) and together with their wide distribution, challenge the idea they lived in fully #freshwater environments. This new material adds to the growing picture of #xiphosurid diversity and evolution in the early #Mesozoic.

🌊 Habitat #debate: Most austrolimulid occurrences are near shallow marine areas (or at least areas with #marine influence) and together with their wide distribution, challenge the idea they lived in fully #freshwater environments. This new material adds to the growing picture of #xiphosurid diversity and evolution in the early #Mesozoic.

🦀 New discovery: 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 gen. et sp. nov., a striking new austrolimulid #xiphosurid from the Early #Triassic of Poland’s Holy Cross Mountains! This find pushes the boundaries of what we know about early #Mesozoic horseshoe crab #diversity https://peerj.com/articles/20950/

🦀 New discovery: 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 gen. et sp. nov., a striking new austrolimulid #xiphosurid from the Early #Triassic of Poland’s Holy Cross Mountains! This find pushes the boundaries of what we know about early #Mesozoic horseshoe crab #diversity https://peerj.com/articles/20950/

🦀 New discovery: 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 gen. et sp. nov., a striking new austrolimulid #xiphosurid from the Early #Triassic of Poland’s Holy Cross Mountains! This find pushes the boundaries of what we know about early #Mesozoic horseshoe crab #diversity https://peerj.com/articles/20950/

🦀 New discovery: 𝘗𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘻𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘻𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 gen. et sp. nov., a striking new austrolimulid #xiphosurid from the Early #Triassic of Poland’s Holy Cross Mountains! This find pushes the boundaries of what we know about early #Mesozoic horseshoe crab #diversity https://peerj.com/articles/20950/

@xolotl it was a stone age prediction mkt #Mesozoic

@xolotl it was a stone age prediction mkt #Mesozoic

@xolotl it was a stone age prediction mkt #Mesozoic

@xolotl it was a stone age prediction mkt #Mesozoic

"Dinosaurs are the protagonists so far in the history of animal life on land — not some peculiar preamble to our own story. Throughout the epochs they inhabited every niche — predator and prey, herbivore and carnivore — and spanned every size, from the pigeonlike anchiornis to the hangarsized argentinosaurus. Sauropods like these were so monumental that their methane farts might have been partly responsible for making the Mesozoic so warm."

— Peter Brannen: Ends of the World

This is a majestic book. It really blew my mind. It is all so beautiful, mesmerizing, and fucking scary.

And maybe funny #Mesozoic #Farts #Dinosaurs

"Dinosaurs are the protagonists so far in the history of animal life on land — not some peculiar preamble to our own story. Throughout the epochs they inhabited every niche — predator and prey, herbivore and carnivore — and spanned every size, from the pigeonlike anchiornis to the hangarsized argentinosaurus. Sauropods like these were so monumental that their methane farts might have been partly responsible for making the Mesozoic so warm."

— Peter Brannen: Ends of the World

This is a majestic book. It really blew my mind. It is all so beautiful, mesmerizing, and fucking scary.

And maybe funny #Mesozoic #Farts #Dinosaurs

"Dinosaurs are the protagonists so far in the history of animal life on land — not some peculiar preamble to our own story. Throughout the epochs they inhabited every niche — predator and prey, herbivore and carnivore — and spanned every size, from the pigeonlike anchiornis to the hangarsized argentinosaurus. Sauropods like these were so monumental that their methane farts might have been partly responsible for making the Mesozoic so warm."

— Peter Brannen: Ends of the World

This is a majestic book. It really blew my mind. It is all so beautiful, mesmerizing, and fucking scary.

And maybe funny #Mesozoic #Farts #Dinosaurs

"Dinosaurs are the protagonists so far in the history of animal life on land — not some peculiar preamble to our own story. Throughout the epochs they inhabited every niche — predator and prey, herbivore and carnivore — and spanned every size, from the pigeonlike anchiornis to the hangarsized argentinosaurus. Sauropods like these were so monumental that their methane farts might have been partly responsible for making the Mesozoic so warm."

— Peter Brannen: Ends of the World

This is a majestic book. It really blew my mind. It is all so beautiful, mesmerizing, and fucking scary.

And maybe funny #Mesozoic #Farts #Dinosaurs

"Dinosaurs are the protagonists so far in the history of animal life on land — not some peculiar preamble to our own story. Throughout the epochs they inhabited every niche — predator and prey, herbivore and carnivore — and spanned every size, from the pigeonlike anchiornis to the hangarsized argentinosaurus. Sauropods like these were so monumental that their methane farts might have been partly responsible for making the Mesozoic so warm."

— Peter Brannen: Ends of the World

This is a majestic book. It really blew my mind. It is all so beautiful, mesmerizing, and fucking scary.

And maybe funny #Mesozoic #Farts #Dinosaurs

Just some #Mesozoic sea chonk for #Thanksgiving. More than pool toys, but not quite parade parade balloons.

2D design by me
3D design by @artskiko.bsky.social

#prehistoric #inflatable #pliosaur #mosasaur #furryart

Just some #Mesozoic sea chonk for #Thanksgiving. More than pool toys, but not quite parade parade balloons.

2D design by me
3D design by @artskiko.bsky.social

#prehistoric #inflatable #pliosaur #mosasaur #furryart

Just some #Mesozoic sea chonk for #Thanksgiving. More than pool toys, but not quite parade parade balloons.

2D design by me
3D design by @artskiko.bsky.social

#prehistoric #inflatable #pliosaur #mosasaur #furryart

https://www.storyangles.com/post/dinosaur-dominance
Dinosaur Dominance
(230–65 million years ago)
Earth once teemed with creatures that roamed the lands, swam the seas, and soared through the skies.
#dinosaur #life #StoryAngles #Jurassic #cretaceous #Mesozoic

https://www.storyangles.com/post/dinosaur-dominance
Dinosaur Dominance
(230–65 million years ago)
Earth once teemed with creatures that roamed the lands, swam the seas, and soared through the skies.
#dinosaur #life #StoryAngles #Jurassic #cretaceous #Mesozoic

"[Darren Naish] This week sees the publication (in the UK!) of just such a successor, namely Mesozoic Art II (MAII from hereon), again edited by Steve and myself, again published by Bloomsbury (White & Naish 2025). Here, we take a quick look at this lavish, riotously colourful, spectacular volume that showcases the state of modern palaeoart, one that we hope audiences will enjoy."

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/23/mesozoic-art-ii

#Art #Books #Prehistoric #Mesozoic #Paleoart

"[Darren Naish] This week sees the publication (in the UK!) of just such a successor, namely Mesozoic Art II (MAII from hereon), again edited by Steve and myself, again published by Bloomsbury (White & Naish 2025). Here, we take a quick look at this lavish, riotously colourful, spectacular volume that showcases the state of modern palaeoart, one that we hope audiences will enjoy."

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/23/mesozoic-art-ii

#Art #Books #Prehistoric #Mesozoic #Paleoart

"[Darren Naish] This week sees the publication (in the UK!) of just such a successor, namely Mesozoic Art II (MAII from hereon), again edited by Steve and myself, again published by Bloomsbury (White & Naish 2025). Here, we take a quick look at this lavish, riotously colourful, spectacular volume that showcases the state of modern palaeoart, one that we hope audiences will enjoy."

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/23/mesozoic-art-ii

#Art #Books #Prehistoric #Mesozoic #Paleoart

"[Darren Naish] This week sees the publication (in the UK!) of just such a successor, namely Mesozoic Art II (MAII from hereon), again edited by Steve and myself, again published by Bloomsbury (White & Naish 2025). Here, we take a quick look at this lavish, riotously colourful, spectacular volume that showcases the state of modern palaeoart, one that we hope audiences will enjoy."

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/23/mesozoic-art-ii

#Art #Books #Prehistoric #Mesozoic #Paleoart

"[Darren Naish] This week sees the publication (in the UK!) of just such a successor, namely Mesozoic Art II (MAII from hereon), again edited by Steve and myself, again published by Bloomsbury (White & Naish 2025). Here, we take a quick look at this lavish, riotously colourful, spectacular volume that showcases the state of modern palaeoart, one that we hope audiences will enjoy."

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2025/9/23/mesozoic-art-ii

#Art #Books #Prehistoric #Mesozoic #Paleoart

Your morning dose of #Mesozoic marine #reptile.

#inflatable #pliosaur #pooltoy

Your morning dose of #Mesozoic marine #reptile.

#inflatable #pliosaur #pooltoy

The ammonites' graveyard: https://shutterbugofstone.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-ammonites-graveyard.html

#MolluscMonday #Ammonite #Mesozoic #Fossils

The ammonites' graveyard: https://shutterbugofstone.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-ammonites-graveyard.html

#MolluscMonday #Ammonite #Mesozoic #Fossils

The ammonites' graveyard: https://shutterbugofstone.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-ammonites-graveyard.html

#MolluscMonday #Ammonite #Mesozoic #Fossils

The ammonites' graveyard: https://shutterbugofstone.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-ammonites-graveyard.html

#MolluscMonday #Ammonite #Mesozoic #Fossils

The ammonites' graveyard: https://shutterbugofstone.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-ammonites-graveyard.html

#MolluscMonday #Ammonite #Mesozoic #Fossils

I redid the Keyser Park photoshop from a few years back with the life-sized #inflatable #pliosaur but at 9.25m (30'4") since that pushes right up against the limits...hopefully this can be finished next spring build with the other two #mesozoic #marinereptiles.

I redid the Keyser Park photoshop from a few years back with the life-sized #inflatable #pliosaur but at 9.25m (30'4") since that pushes right up against the limits...hopefully this can be finished next spring build with the other two #mesozoic #marinereptiles.

I redid the Keyser Park photoshop from a few years back with the life-sized #inflatable #pliosaur but at 9.25m (30'4") since that pushes right up against the limits...hopefully this can be finished next spring build with the other two #mesozoic #marinereptiles.

Brought out from a discussion elsenet: would Earth now be warm enough to support large, #nonavian #dinosaurs today? This is a fair question, because as bad as global warming is—and it's going to get worse—we're still nowhere near the hottest times of the #Mesozoic.

The answer is, it was *generally* warmer than the present day, but #global #temperatures went up and down considerably, as you'd expect over such a long stretch of time—about 175 million years from the first dinosaurs to the #Chicxulub impact. Dinosaurs as a #clade did fine the whole way through, although of course with plenty of various groups dying out in the meantime.

Also, the planet has always had warmer and cooler regions. Many large dinosaurs lived comfortably in polar regions that had #climates comparable to the cooler parts of the temperate zones today. The idea that non-avian dinosaurs exclusively inhabited steaming jungles or baking deserts has been embedded by generations of paleoart, but it's just wrong. If the impact hadn't happened, they'd still be thriving.

That being said, #sauropods in particular seemed to prefer warmer environments, so their range might be a lot more limited now than it was then, and it's possible the ice age(s) would have finished them off. Other famous giants like #tyrannosaurs, #ceratopsians, and #hadrosaurs would still be widespread, and smaller ones like #dromaeosaurs ("raptors") would be as numerous as coyotes and wildcats are in our world.

Brought out from a discussion elsenet: would Earth now be warm enough to support large, #nonavian #dinosaurs today? This is a fair question, because as bad as global warming is—and it's going to get worse—we're still nowhere near the hottest times of the #Mesozoic.

The answer is, it was *generally* warmer than the present day, but #global #temperatures went up and down considerably, as you'd expect over such a long stretch of time—about 175 million years from the first dinosaurs to the #Chicxulub impact. Dinosaurs as a #clade did fine the whole way through, although of course with plenty of various groups dying out in the meantime.

Also, the planet has always had warmer and cooler regions. Many large dinosaurs lived comfortably in polar regions that had #climates comparable to the cooler parts of the temperate zones today. The idea that non-avian dinosaurs exclusively inhabited steaming jungles or baking deserts has been embedded by generations of paleoart, but it's just wrong. If the impact hadn't happened, they'd still be thriving.

That being said, #sauropods in particular seemed to prefer warmer environments, so their range might be a lot more limited now than it was then, and it's possible the ice age(s) would have finished them off. Other famous giants like #tyrannosaurs, #ceratopsians, and #hadrosaurs would still be widespread, and smaller ones like #dromaeosaurs ("raptors") would be as numerous as coyotes and wildcats are in our world.

Brought out from a discussion elsenet: would Earth now be warm enough to support large, #nonavian #dinosaurs today? This is a fair question, because as bad as global warming is—and it's going to get worse—we're still nowhere near the hottest times of the #Mesozoic.

The answer is, it was *generally* warmer than the present day, but #global #temperatures went up and down considerably, as you'd expect over such a long stretch of time—about 175 million years from the first dinosaurs to the #Chicxulub impact. Dinosaurs as a #clade did fine the whole way through, although of course with plenty of various groups dying out in the meantime.

Also, the planet has always had warmer and cooler regions. Many large dinosaurs lived comfortably in polar regions that had #climates comparable to the cooler parts of the temperate zones today. The idea that non-avian dinosaurs exclusively inhabited steaming jungles or baking deserts has been embedded by generations of paleoart, but it's just wrong. If the impact hadn't happened, they'd still be thriving.

That being said, #sauropods in particular seemed to prefer warmer environments, so their range might be a lot more limited now than it was then, and it's possible the ice age(s) would have finished them off. Other famous giants like #tyrannosaurs, #ceratopsians, and #hadrosaurs would still be widespread, and smaller ones like #dromaeosaurs ("raptors") would be as numerous as coyotes and wildcats are in our world.

Brought out from a discussion elsenet: would Earth now be warm enough to support large, #nonavian #dinosaurs today? This is a fair question, because as bad as global warming is—and it's going to get worse—we're still nowhere near the hottest times of the #Mesozoic.

The answer is, it was *generally* warmer than the present day, but #global #temperatures went up and down considerably, as you'd expect over such a long stretch of time—about 175 million years from the first dinosaurs to the #Chicxulub impact. Dinosaurs as a #clade did fine the whole way through, although of course with plenty of various groups dying out in the meantime.

Also, the planet has always had warmer and cooler regions. Many large dinosaurs lived comfortably in polar regions that had #climates comparable to the cooler parts of the temperate zones today. The idea that non-avian dinosaurs exclusively inhabited steaming jungles or baking deserts has been embedded by generations of paleoart, but it's just wrong. If the impact hadn't happened, they'd still be thriving.

That being said, #sauropods in particular seemed to prefer warmer environments, so their range might be a lot more limited now than it was then, and it's possible the ice age(s) would have finished them off. Other famous giants like #tyrannosaurs, #ceratopsians, and #hadrosaurs would still be widespread, and smaller ones like #dromaeosaurs ("raptors") would be as numerous as coyotes and wildcats are in our world.

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/six-types-dinosaur-eggs-found-one-place/

The story is less dramatic than the headline (try to contain your shock) which makes it sound like multiple #species sharing a #nest. That would be tremendous news, implying amazing things about #interspecies behavior. But it's still a very nice find. And I love some of the site names on the map.

Also, the journal article is linked from the story, which IMO should be mandatory for all #popular #science #reporting. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314689

What the find does seem to show is a diverse ecosystem with multiple species sharing nesting *grounds*. Some of them were related, like various kinds of the unfairly-named† #oviraptors, while others weren't even #dinosaurs at all! That's still pretty nifty.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no more than today, the #Mesozoic was never All Killing, All The Time. Dinosaurs did, of course, hunt and eat each other, and no doubt destroyed rivals' nests as well. But most of the time, they were living their lives in relative peace. Modern dinosaurian behavior is as good a guide as any here: even the meanest #birds tend their nests more than they fight.

†#Oviraptor was discovered on a nest, and the initial assumption was that it was stealing the eggs for food, thus the name "egg thief." Subsequent discoveries showed the eggs were its own—it was brooding, not raiding. But the species and all its kin have to bear the slander through their afterlife.

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/six-types-dinosaur-eggs-found-one-place/

The story is less dramatic than the headline (try to contain your shock) which makes it sound like multiple #species sharing a #nest. That would be tremendous news, implying amazing things about #interspecies behavior. But it's still a very nice find. And I love some of the site names on the map.

Also, the journal article is linked from the story, which IMO should be mandatory for all #popular #science #reporting. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314689

What the find does seem to show is a diverse ecosystem with multiple species sharing nesting *grounds*. Some of them were related, like various kinds of the unfairly-named† #oviraptors, while others weren't even #dinosaurs at all! That's still pretty nifty.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no more than today, the #Mesozoic was never All Killing, All The Time. Dinosaurs did, of course, hunt and eat each other, and no doubt destroyed rivals' nests as well. But most of the time, they were living their lives in relative peace. Modern dinosaurian behavior is as good a guide as any here: even the meanest #birds tend their nests more than they fight.

†#Oviraptor was discovered on a nest, and the initial assumption was that it was stealing the eggs for food, thus the name "egg thief." Subsequent discoveries showed the eggs were its own—it was brooding, not raiding. But the species and all its kin have to bear the slander through their afterlife.

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/six-types-dinosaur-eggs-found-one-place/

The story is less dramatic than the headline (try to contain your shock) which makes it sound like multiple #species sharing a #nest. That would be tremendous news, implying amazing things about #interspecies behavior. But it's still a very nice find. And I love some of the site names on the map.

Also, the journal article is linked from the story, which IMO should be mandatory for all #popular #science #reporting. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314689

What the find does seem to show is a diverse ecosystem with multiple species sharing nesting *grounds*. Some of them were related, like various kinds of the unfairly-named† #oviraptors, while others weren't even #dinosaurs at all! That's still pretty nifty.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no more than today, the #Mesozoic was never All Killing, All The Time. Dinosaurs did, of course, hunt and eat each other, and no doubt destroyed rivals' nests as well. But most of the time, they were living their lives in relative peace. Modern dinosaurian behavior is as good a guide as any here: even the meanest #birds tend their nests more than they fight.

†#Oviraptor was discovered on a nest, and the initial assumption was that it was stealing the eggs for food, thus the name "egg thief." Subsequent discoveries showed the eggs were its own—it was brooding, not raiding. But the species and all its kin have to bear the slander through their afterlife.

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/06/six-types-dinosaur-eggs-found-one-place/

The story is less dramatic than the headline (try to contain your shock) which makes it sound like multiple #species sharing a #nest. That would be tremendous news, implying amazing things about #interspecies behavior. But it's still a very nice find. And I love some of the site names on the map.

Also, the journal article is linked from the story, which IMO should be mandatory for all #popular #science #reporting. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314689

What the find does seem to show is a diverse ecosystem with multiple species sharing nesting *grounds*. Some of them were related, like various kinds of the unfairly-named† #oviraptors, while others weren't even #dinosaurs at all! That's still pretty nifty.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: no more than today, the #Mesozoic was never All Killing, All The Time. Dinosaurs did, of course, hunt and eat each other, and no doubt destroyed rivals' nests as well. But most of the time, they were living their lives in relative peace. Modern dinosaurian behavior is as good a guide as any here: even the meanest #birds tend their nests more than they fight.

†#Oviraptor was discovered on a nest, and the initial assumption was that it was stealing the eggs for food, thus the name "egg thief." Subsequent discoveries showed the eggs were its own—it was brooding, not raiding. But the species and all its kin have to bear the slander through their afterlife.

A new study by Smyth and colleagues identifies pterosaur trackmakers and shows that several lineages of Jurassic and Cretaceous pterosaurs independently evolved to thrive in terrestrial ecosystems, foraging on foot rather than on the wing!

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2825%2900446-4

#science #paleontology #pterosaurs #pterodactyl #mesozoic #reptiles #paleoecology #ecology #locomotion #functionalmorphology

A new study by Smyth and colleagues identifies pterosaur trackmakers and shows that several lineages of Jurassic and Cretaceous pterosaurs independently evolved to thrive in terrestrial ecosystems, foraging on foot rather than on the wing!

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2825%2900446-4

#science #paleontology #pterosaurs #pterodactyl #mesozoic #reptiles #paleoecology #ecology #locomotion #functionalmorphology

A new study by Smyth and colleagues identifies pterosaur trackmakers and shows that several lineages of Jurassic and Cretaceous pterosaurs independently evolved to thrive in terrestrial ecosystems, foraging on foot rather than on the wing!

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2825%2900446-4

#science #paleontology #pterosaurs #pterodactyl #mesozoic #reptiles #paleoecology #ecology #locomotion #functionalmorphology

A new study by Smyth and colleagues identifies pterosaur trackmakers and shows that several lineages of Jurassic and Cretaceous pterosaurs independently evolved to thrive in terrestrial ecosystems, foraging on foot rather than on the wing!

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2825%2900446-4

#science #paleontology #pterosaurs #pterodactyl #mesozoic #reptiles #paleoecology #ecology #locomotion #functionalmorphology

A new study by Smyth and colleagues identifies pterosaur trackmakers and shows that several lineages of Jurassic and Cretaceous pterosaurs independently evolved to thrive in terrestrial ecosystems, foraging on foot rather than on the wing!

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2825%2900446-4

#science #paleontology #pterosaurs #pterodactyl #mesozoic #reptiles #paleoecology #ecology #locomotion #functionalmorphology