#paleontologists — Public Fediverse posts

A new dino #fossil may solve an ancient murder mystery
Since 2002, researchers have unearthed over 100 prehistoric #bird remains in #ChangmaBasin of NW #China. Some consist of broken bones embedded in regurgitated pellets, similar to those coughed up by owls. #Paleontologists long assumed a carnivorous #dinosaur was to blame. Fossil evidence of predator has remained elusive, until now. Newly described #microraptor species may explain avian carnage.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-dinosaur-fossil-murder-mystery
https://archive.ph/FF6C5

A new dino #fossil may solve an ancient murder mystery
Since 2002, researchers have unearthed over 100 prehistoric #bird remains in #ChangmaBasin of NW #China. Some consist of broken bones embedded in regurgitated pellets, similar to those coughed up by owls. #Paleontologists long assumed a carnivorous #dinosaur was to blame. Fossil evidence of predator has remained elusive, until now. Newly described #microraptor species may explain avian carnage.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/new-dinosaur-fossil-murder-mystery
https://archive.ph/FF6C5

A New #Fossil Discovery Just Rewrote 150 Years of Evolutionary Theory
For 150 years, #paleontologists assumed that the first vertebrates to leave the sea for land evolved a tadpole phase, similar to modern #frogs. Immaculately-preserved #fossils disprove that, scientists say. To their surprise, esearchers found no evidence of a transient larval phase in the early animals, thereby “falsifying hypotheses of an ancestral origin of metamorphosis."
https://www.404media.co/a-new-fossil-discovery-just-rewrote-150-years-of-evolutionary-theory/
https://archive.ph/QTUek

A New #Fossil Discovery Just Rewrote 150 Years of Evolutionary Theory
For 150 years, #paleontologists assumed that the first vertebrates to leave the sea for land evolved a tadpole phase, similar to modern #frogs. Immaculately-preserved #fossils disprove that, scientists say. To their surprise, esearchers found no evidence of a transient larval phase in the early animals, thereby “falsifying hypotheses of an ancestral origin of metamorphosis."
https://www.404media.co/a-new-fossil-discovery-just-rewrote-150-years-of-evolutionary-theory/
https://archive.ph/QTUek

extinction did not fit in with the story of creation. During her lifetime she was barred from even attending meetings of the Geological Society of London (let alone applying for membership) because of her sex & many wealthy “paleontologists” published claims of discovery based on having purchased fossils from Anning & other fossil hunters (neglecting to mention Anning’s name or contribution). Nonetheless, many contemporary #geologists & #paleontologists became so impressed with 🧵2/

extinction did not fit in with the story of creation. During her lifetime she was barred from even attending meetings of the Geological Society of London (let alone applying for membership) because of her sex & many wealthy “paleontologists” published claims of discovery based on having purchased fossils from Anning & other fossil hunters (neglecting to mention Anning’s name or contribution). Nonetheless, many contemporary #geologists & #paleontologists became so impressed with 🧵2/

#Gorgosaurus ( GOR-gə-SOR-əs; lit. 'dreadful lizard') is a #genus of #tyrannosaurid #theropod #dinosaur that lived in western North America during the #LateCretaceous #Period (#Campanian), between about 76.5 and 75 #millionYearsAgo. #Fossil remains have been found in the #CanadianProvince of #Alberta and the #USState of #Montana. #Paleontologists recognize only the #typeSpecies, G. libratus, although other species have been erroneously referred to the genus. Like most known tyrannosaurids.

I swear #climatologists think less about #climatechange, #epidemiologists think less about #vaccination, and #paleontologists think less about #evolution, than the crowd of screeching #denialists who descend like locusts on any news story even vaguely related to any of these subjects.

I swear #climatologists think less about #climatechange, #epidemiologists think less about #vaccination, and #paleontologists think less about #evolution, than the crowd of screeching #denialists who descend like locusts on any news story even vaguely related to any of these subjects.

RAWR!: The Best New #Dinosaur #Books for Little #Paleontologists

https://bookriot.com/new-dinosaur-books-for-kids/

RAWR!: The Best New #Dinosaur #Books for Little #Paleontologists

https://bookriot.com/new-dinosaur-books-for-kids/

The #Megaraptor Had Giant Claws and an Appetite for Crocodilians
A #fossil of the 23-foot-tall #predator could help unlock secrets of an order of #dinosaurs that remain poorly understood.
As the team of #paleontologists worked on the remains, they realized that a bone tucked between the jaws was not from the #skeleton: it was, instead, the upper arm bone of a #crocodile relative. The dinosaur’s teeth were actually touching the crocodile bone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/science/megaraptor-fossil-crocodile.html
https://archive.ph/NDhhG

The #Megaraptor Had Giant Claws and an Appetite for Crocodilians
A #fossil of the 23-foot-tall #predator could help unlock secrets of an order of #dinosaurs that remain poorly understood.
As the team of #paleontologists worked on the remains, they realized that a bone tucked between the jaws was not from the #skeleton: it was, instead, the upper arm bone of a #crocodile relative. The dinosaur’s teeth were actually touching the crocodile bone.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/science/megaraptor-fossil-crocodile.html
https://archive.ph/NDhhG

From #Dinosaur Scratches to #Insects in #Amber, How #Paleontologists Uncover #Prehistoric Courtship

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/from-dinosaur-scratches-to-insects-in-amber-how-paleontologists-uncover-prehistoric-courtship-180987244/

From #Dinosaur Scratches to #Insects in #Amber, How #Paleontologists Uncover #Prehistoric Courtship

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/from-dinosaur-scratches-to-insects-in-amber-how-paleontologists-uncover-prehistoric-courtship-180987244/

Gothamist: Paleontologist says NJ school lost his 380M-year-old fossils, and now they’re in a landfill. “A professor said the North Jersey university where he works lost his collection of 380 million-year-old fossils. In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, paleontologist Martin Becker accuses William Paterson University in Wayne of negligence in caring for the fossils, which he was trying to […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/18/gothamist-paleontologist-says-nj-school-lost-his-380m-year-old-fossils-and-now-theyre-in-a-landfill/

Cretaceous #fossil from #Antarctica reveals earliest modern bird
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cretaceous-fossil-antarctica-reveals-earliest.html

#Cretaceous Antarctic bird skull elucidates early avian ecological diversity https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08390-0

"Few #birds are as likely to start as many arguments among #paleontologists as #Vegavis. This new fossil is going to help resolve a lot of those arguments. Chief among them: where is Vegavis perched in the bird tree of life?"

Cretaceous #fossil from #Antarctica reveals earliest modern bird
https://phys.org/news/2025-02-cretaceous-fossil-antarctica-reveals-earliest.html

#Cretaceous Antarctic bird skull elucidates early avian ecological diversity https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08390-0

"Few #birds are as likely to start as many arguments among #paleontologists as #Vegavis. This new fossil is going to help resolve a lot of those arguments. Chief among them: where is Vegavis perched in the bird tree of life?"

#Paleontologists Discover Extremely Rare 45-Million-Year-Old #Bird #Fossil Hiding in Plain Sight

https://scitechdaily.com/paleontologists-discover-extremely-rare-45-million-year-old-bird-fossil-hiding-in-plain-sight/

#Paleontologists Discover Extremely Rare 45-Million-Year-Old #Bird #Fossil Hiding in Plain Sight

https://scitechdaily.com/paleontologists-discover-extremely-rare-45-million-year-old-bird-fossil-hiding-in-plain-sight/

How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Steps https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-make-a-mammal-in-nine-evolutionary-steps-180985289/ by Riley Black

"#Paleontologists have known for decades that #mammals emerged from a broader, diverse group of creatures called #synapsids... Nevertheless, a big evolutionary gap exists between a very early, lizard-like synapsid and modern mammals like ourselves."

How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Steps https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-to-make-a-mammal-in-nine-evolutionary-steps-180985289/ by Riley Black

"#Paleontologists have known for decades that #mammals emerged from a broader, diverse group of creatures called #synapsids... Nevertheless, a big evolutionary gap exists between a very early, lizard-like synapsid and modern mammals like ourselves."

Therapsids Originated in Tropical Rather than Temperate Regions https://www.sci.news/paleontology/mallorca-gorgonopsian-13515.html

Early–middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsian suggests an equatorial origin of therapsids https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54425-5

"#Therapsids were a dominant component of #Permian terrestrial ecosystems, eventually giving rise to #mammals during the early #Mesozoic... #Paleontologists have discovered a #NewSpecies of early #gorgonopsian #therapsid that was part of an ancient summer wet biome of equatorial #Pangea"

Therapsids Originated in Tropical Rather than Temperate Regions https://www.sci.news/paleontology/mallorca-gorgonopsian-13515.html

Early–middle Permian Mediterranean gorgonopsian suggests an equatorial origin of therapsids https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54425-5

"#Therapsids were a dominant component of #Permian terrestrial ecosystems, eventually giving rise to #mammals during the early #Mesozoic... #Paleontologists have discovered a #NewSpecies of early #gorgonopsian #therapsid that was part of an ancient summer wet biome of equatorial #Pangea"

The Top Ten #Dinosaur Discoveries of 2024 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-top-ten-dinosaur-discoveries-of-2024-180985656/

Riley Black: "From the realization that #paleontologists still haven’t found the biggest #dinosaurs to the unearthing of a small burrowing dino, the year has been marked by awe-inspiring finds"

The Top Ten #Dinosaur Discoveries of 2024 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-top-ten-dinosaur-discoveries-of-2024-180985656/

Riley Black: "From the realization that #paleontologists still haven’t found the biggest #dinosaurs to the unearthing of a small burrowing dino, the year has been marked by awe-inspiring finds"

https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/11/what-fossilized-dino-feces-can-tell-us-about-their-rise-to-dominance
#Paleontologists have long puzzled over how the dinosaurs—originally relatively small and of minor importance to the broader ecosystem—evolved to become the dominant species some 30 million years later. Fossilized #feces and #vomit from #dinosaurs might hold important clues to how and why this evolutionary milestone came about, according to a new paper published in the journal Nature.

De l'intérêt du #caca de #dinosaure

Dinosaurs Evolved Feathers for Far More Than Flight https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaurs-evolved-feathers-for-far-more-than-flight-180985012/

Riley Black: "Fluff and fuzz helped the creatures keep warm, blend in and communicate... The more #paleontologists dig, the more feathered #dinosaurs they find. Bird-like raptors, tyrannosaurs, and even horned dinosaurs have been found with feathers and feather-like body coverings, revealing that fluff and fuzz were widespread among dinosaurs."

Dinosaurs Evolved Feathers for Far More Than Flight https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/dinosaurs-evolved-feathers-for-far-more-than-flight-180985012/

Riley Black: "Fluff and fuzz helped the creatures keep warm, blend in and communicate... The more #paleontologists dig, the more feathered #dinosaurs they find. Bird-like raptors, tyrannosaurs, and even horned dinosaurs have been found with feathers and feather-like body coverings, revealing that fluff and fuzz were widespread among dinosaurs."

#Paleontologists discover #fossil #birds with teeth had #seeds in their stomachs, indicating that they ate fruit
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-paleontologists-fossil-birds-teeth-seeds.html

Direct evidence of #frugivory in the #Mesozoic #bird Longipteryx contradicts morphological proxies for diet: Jingmai O’Connor et al. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01124-2

"Since #Longipteryx lived in a temperate #climate, it probably wasn't eating #fruits year-round... it had a mixed diet which included things like #insects when fruits weren't available."

#Paleontologists discover #fossil #birds with teeth had #seeds in their stomachs, indicating that they ate fruit
https://phys.org/news/2024-09-paleontologists-fossil-birds-teeth-seeds.html

Direct evidence of #frugivory in the #Mesozoic #bird Longipteryx contradicts morphological proxies for diet: Jingmai O’Connor et al. https://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(24)01124-2

"Since #Longipteryx lived in a temperate #climate, it probably wasn't eating #fruits year-round... it had a mixed diet which included things like #insects when fruits weren't available."

Three new ancestors added to #TasmanianTiger's storyline https://phys.org/news/2024-09-ancestors-added-tasmanian-tiger-storyline.html

Three new #thylacinids (Marsupialia, Thylacinidae) from late Oligocene deposits of the #Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern #Queensland https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2384595

"#paleontologists say the #NewSpecies are now the oldest members of the #Thylacine family to date, estimated to be 25–23 million years old, making them late #Oligocene in age."

Three new ancestors added to #TasmanianTiger's storyline https://phys.org/news/2024-09-ancestors-added-tasmanian-tiger-storyline.html

Three new #thylacinids (Marsupialia, Thylacinidae) from late Oligocene deposits of the #Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern #Queensland https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2384595

"#paleontologists say the #NewSpecies are now the oldest members of the #Thylacine family to date, estimated to be 25–23 million years old, making them late #Oligocene in age."

There’s been no doubt for some time that we’re in the middle of a sixth #mass #extinction. Here are some numbers.

If we’re very lucky, we’ll stop at the level of the #Devonian extinction, the least severe of the Big Five. More likely we’re headed for something on the scale of the #Ordovician or #Triassic. The #Cretaceous is in sight, and the #Permian is not out of reach. From an evolutionary time perspective it will look like the Cretaceous, practically as instantaneous as the Big Rock.

I confess, I really like the idea of #corvid #paleontologists digging up the #Anthropocene. Feathers gleaming under badlands dust, exciting cawing as dextrous claws scrape rock away from a flat-faced skull … But I’m very much not okay with what we’re doing right now to make that happen.

Pop-sci coverage: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2023/07/19/modern-sixth-mass-extinction-event-will-be-worse-than-first-predicted/

Journal article, open access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12974

There’s been no doubt for some time that we’re in the middle of a sixth #mass #extinction. Here are some numbers.

If we’re very lucky, we’ll stop at the level of the #Devonian extinction, the least severe of the Big Five. More likely we’re headed for something on the scale of the #Ordovician or #Triassic. The #Cretaceous is in sight, and the #Permian is not out of reach. From an evolutionary time perspective it will look like the Cretaceous, practically as instantaneous as the Big Rock.

I confess, I really like the idea of #corvid #paleontologists digging up the #Anthropocene. Feathers gleaming under badlands dust, exciting cawing as dextrous claws scrape rock away from a flat-faced skull … But I’m very much not okay with what we’re doing right now to make that happen.

Pop-sci coverage: https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2023/07/19/modern-sixth-mass-extinction-event-will-be-worse-than-first-predicted/

Journal article, open access: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12974

Taco-shaped arthropod #fossils give new insights into the history of the first mandibulates https://phys.org/news/2024-07-taco-arthropod-fossils-insights-history.html

The #Cambrian #Odaraia alata and the colonization of nektonic suspension-feeding niches by early mandibulates https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.0622

"#Paleontologists are finally able to place it to the #mandibulates, ending its long enigmatic classification since it was first discovered in the #BurgessShale over 100 years ago and revealing more about early #evolution and diversification."

Taco-shaped arthropod #fossils give new insights into the history of the first mandibulates https://phys.org/news/2024-07-taco-arthropod-fossils-insights-history.html

The #Cambrian #Odaraia alata and the colonization of nektonic suspension-feeding niches by early mandibulates https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.0622

"#Paleontologists are finally able to place it to the #mandibulates, ending its long enigmatic classification since it was first discovered in the #BurgessShale over 100 years ago and revealing more about early #evolution and diversification."

#Paleontologists are the OG #ReverseEngineers https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/1e5xtiv/what_is_this_in_bad_influence_1990/

During her lifetime she was barred from even attending meetings of the Geological Society of London (let alone applying for membership) because of her sex & many wealthy "paleontologists" published claims of discovery based on having purchased fossils from Anning & other fossil hunters (neglecting to mention Anning's name or contribution). Nonetheless, many contemporary #geologists & #paleontologists became so impressed with her knowledge that they would visit her to consult on the anatomy & 🧵2/

During her lifetime she was barred from even attending meetings of the Geological Society of London (let alone applying for membership) because of her sex & many wealthy "paleontologists" published claims of discovery based on having purchased fossils from Anning & other fossil hunters (neglecting to mention Anning's name or contribution). Nonetheless, many contemporary #geologists & #paleontologists became so impressed with her knowledge that they would visit her to consult on the anatomy & 🧵2/

#Paleontologists Unravel Secrets of Enigmatic 33-Foot Prehistoric #Shark After #Fossil Discovery
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paleontologists-unravel-secrets-of-enigmatic-33-foot-prehistoric-shark-after-fossil-discovery-180984218/

Exceptionally preserved shark #fossils from #Mexico elucidate the long-standing enigma of the #Cretaceous elasmobranch Ptychodus https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.0262

"#Ptychodus has long been a classic example of teeth in search of a body... Now, they report it was likely a close relative of today’s great white sharks and crunched on hard-shelled creatures with unique grinding teeth"

#Paleontologists Unravel Secrets of Enigmatic 33-Foot Prehistoric #Shark After #Fossil Discovery
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paleontologists-unravel-secrets-of-enigmatic-33-foot-prehistoric-shark-after-fossil-discovery-180984218/

Exceptionally preserved shark #fossils from #Mexico elucidate the long-standing enigma of the #Cretaceous elasmobranch Ptychodus https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2024.0262

"#Ptychodus has long been a classic example of teeth in search of a body... Now, they report it was likely a close relative of today’s great white sharks and crunched on hard-shelled creatures with unique grinding teeth"

#Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile https://phys.org/news/2024-04-paleontologists-unearth-largest-marine-reptile.html #paleoart by @serpenillus

The last giants: New evidence for giant Late #Triassic (Rhaetian) #ichthyosaurs from the UK https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0300289

"This new specimen is more complete, better preserved, and shows that we now have two of these giant bones—called a surangular—that have a unique shape and structure."

#Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile https://phys.org/news/2024-04-paleontologists-unearth-largest-marine-reptile.html #paleoart by @serpenillus

The last giants: New evidence for giant Late #Triassic (Rhaetian) #ichthyosaurs from the UK https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0300289

"This new specimen is more complete, better preserved, and shows that we now have two of these giant bones—called a surangular—that have a unique shape and structure."

Early #JawlessFish was Filter-Feeder, #Paleontologists Find https://www.sci.news/paleontology/rhinopteraspis-dunensis-12846.html

The three-dimensionally articulated oral apparatus of a #Devonian heterostracan sheds light on feeding in #Palaeozoic jawless fishes https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2258

"The images revealed the structure and arrangement of finger-like bones that project from the lower lip of the #animal’s mouth, which the #scientists believe acted to control the mouth’s size and shape as it captured food particles from surrounding water"

Early #JawlessFish was Filter-Feeder, #Paleontologists Find https://www.sci.news/paleontology/rhinopteraspis-dunensis-12846.html

The three-dimensionally articulated oral apparatus of a #Devonian heterostracan sheds light on feeding in #Palaeozoic jawless fishes https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2023.2258

"The images revealed the structure and arrangement of finger-like bones that project from the lower lip of the #animal’s mouth, which the #scientists believe acted to control the mouth’s size and shape as it captured food particles from surrounding water"

#Paleontologists Redescribe Enigmatic Dwarf Pareiasaur https://www.sci.news/paleontology/nanoparia-luckhoffi-12828.html

Cranial #osteology and a new diagnosis of the late Permian pareiasaur Nanoparia luckhoffi from the #KarooBasin of #SouthAfrica, and a consolidated pareiasaurian phylogeny https://sbpbrasil.org/publications/index.php/rbp/article/view/420

"Pareiasaurs were an enigmatic and diverse group of plant-eating #animals from the Middle and Late #Permian. Despite their wide range and variety, much about dwarf #pareiasaurs remained a mystery"

#Paleontologists Redescribe Enigmatic Dwarf Pareiasaur https://www.sci.news/paleontology/nanoparia-luckhoffi-12828.html

Cranial #osteology and a new diagnosis of the late Permian pareiasaur Nanoparia luckhoffi from the #KarooBasin of #SouthAfrica, and a consolidated pareiasaurian phylogeny https://sbpbrasil.org/publications/index.php/rbp/article/view/420

"Pareiasaurs were an enigmatic and diverse group of plant-eating #animals from the Middle and Late #Permian. Despite their wide range and variety, much about dwarf #pareiasaurs remained a mystery"

New dinosaur species discovered in Portugal
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-03-19/new-dinosaur-species-discovered-in-portugal/87070

An unexpected early-diverging iguanodontian #dinosaur (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper #Jurassic of #Portugal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2310066

"#Paleontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur in #Lourinhã, which roamed the area 150 million years ago, was herbivorous, bipedal and relatively small."

New dinosaur species discovered in Portugal
https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-03-19/new-dinosaur-species-discovered-in-portugal/87070

An unexpected early-diverging iguanodontian #dinosaur (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper #Jurassic of #Portugal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2024.2310066

"#Paleontologists have identified a new species of dinosaur in #Lourinhã, which roamed the area 150 million years ago, was herbivorous, bipedal and relatively small."

Why Did #Seals and #SeaLions Never Commit to a Life Fully at Sea? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-did-seals-and-sea-lions-never-commit-to-a-life-fully-at-sea-180983926/ by Riley Black

"#Paleontologists are still piecing together how otter-like creatures related to bears evolved into these amphibious marine #mammals... The #fossil tale of #pinnipeds is not nearly as old as that of whales. The oldest seal relative paleontologists have uncovered dates to about 24 million years ago. Throughout their entire history, pinnipeds have been tied to the land, at least in some way"

Why Did #Seals and #SeaLions Never Commit to a Life Fully at Sea? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-did-seals-and-sea-lions-never-commit-to-a-life-fully-at-sea-180983926/ by Riley Black

"#Paleontologists are still piecing together how otter-like creatures related to bears evolved into these amphibious marine #mammals... The #fossil tale of #pinnipeds is not nearly as old as that of whales. The oldest seal relative paleontologists have uncovered dates to about 24 million years ago. Throughout their entire history, pinnipeds have been tied to the land, at least in some way"

#Paleontologists Are Still Unraveling the Mystery of the First Dinosaur https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/paleontologists-are-still-unraveling-the-mystery-of-the-first-dinosaur-180983672/ by Riley Black via @Smithsonianmag

"Two hundred years after it was first named, #scientists are just beginning to reveal the secrets of #Megalosaurus."

#Dinosaurs #Fossils #Animals #Fossil #Reptiles #Science #Mesozoic #Dinosaur

#Paleontologists Are Still Unraveling the Mystery of the First Dinosaur https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/paleontologists-are-still-unraveling-the-mystery-of-the-first-dinosaur-180983672/ by Riley Black via @Smithsonianmag

"Two hundred years after it was first named, #scientists are just beginning to reveal the secrets of #Megalosaurus."

#Dinosaurs #Fossils #Animals #Fossil #Reptiles #Science #Mesozoic #Dinosaur

#Paleontologists of the West! I hope you can join us in #Spokane this May for our #GSA section meeting session on regional #paleontology. Until Tuesday's abstract deadline, I'll be sharing some favorite western #fossils as reminders, starting with this #entelodont at #JohnDayFossilBeds National Monument!

#Paleontologists of the West! I hope you can join us in #Spokane this May for our #GSA section meeting session on regional #paleontology. Until Tuesday's abstract deadline, I'll be sharing some favorite western #fossils as reminders, starting with this #entelodont at #JohnDayFossilBeds National Monument!

#Paleontologists Find 315-Million-Year-Old Sponge Fossil in Ireland https://www.sci.news/paleontology/cyathophycus-balori-12588.html

An oversized, late-surviving reticulosan sponge from the #Carboniferous of Ireland https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016699523000736

"This is an exceptionally large example of a type of #fossil sponge that was previously only known from much older rocks elsewhere in the world... The #sponge was originally composed of a rectangular meshwork of tiny spicules made of silica, held together by a thin organic membrane"

#Paleontologists Find 315-Million-Year-Old Sponge Fossil in Ireland https://www.sci.news/paleontology/cyathophycus-balori-12588.html

An oversized, late-surviving reticulosan sponge from the #Carboniferous of Ireland https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016699523000736

"This is an exceptionally large example of a type of #fossil sponge that was previously only known from much older rocks elsewhere in the world... The #sponge was originally composed of a rectangular meshwork of tiny spicules made of silica, held together by a thin organic membrane"

#Paleontologists Find #Fossil of Early Megaraptorid #Dinosaur in Australia https://www.sci.news/paleontology/early-megaraptorid-dinosaur-fossil-12438.html

A megaraptorid (#Dinosauria: #Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower #Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667123002975

"It provides limited support for the hypothesis that #Megaraptoridae might have originated in #Australia."

#Paleontologists Find New #Fossils of Enigmatic North American Primate
https://www.sci.news/paleontology/ekgmowechashala-12425.html

#Phylogeny and #paleobiogeography of the enigmatic North American #primate #Ekgmowechashala illuminated by new #fossils https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047248423001318

"Ekgmowechashala is a poorly documented but very distinctive species of ancient primate that lived in western North America during the Early #Oligocene epoch, some 30 million years ago."