Possible Evidence of Gregarious Behavior in Tyrannosaurids
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Fused and Vaulted Nasals of Tyrannosaurid Dinosaurs: Implications for Cranial Strength and Feeding Mechanics
Fused and vaulted nasals of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs: Implications for cranial strength and feeding mechanics ERIC SNIVELY, DONALD M. HENDERSON, and DOUG S. PHILLIPS Snively, E., Henderson, D.M., and Phillips, D.S. 2006. Fused and vaulted nasals of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs: Implications for cranial strength and feeding mechanics. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 51 (3): 435–454. Tyrannosaurid theropods display several unusual adaptations of the skulls and teeth. Their nasals are fused and vaulted, suggesting that these elements braced the cranium against high feeding forces. Exceptionally high strengths of maxillary teeth in Tyrannosaurus rex indicate that it could exert relatively greater feeding forces than other tyrannosaurids. Areas and second moments of area of the nasals, calculated from CT cross−sections, show higher nasal strengths for large tyrannosaurids than for Allosaurus fragilis. Cross−sectional geometry of theropod crania reveals high second moments of area in tyrannosaurids, with resulting high strengths in bending and torsion, when compared with the crania of similarly sized theropods. In tyrannosaurids trends of strength increase are positively allomeric and have similar allometric expo− nents, indicating correlated progression towards unusually high strengths of the feeding apparatus. Fused, arched nasals and broad crania of tyrannosaurids are consistent with deep bites that impacted bone and powerful lateral movements of the head for dismembering prey. Key words: Theropoda, Carnosauria, Tyrannosauridae, biomechanics, feeding mechanics, computer modeling, com− puted tomography. Eric Snively [[email protected]], Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Donald M. Henderson [[email protected]], Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Box 7500, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0, Canada; Doug S. -
PALEONTOLOGY and BIOSTRATIGRAPHY of MONGOLIA the JOINT SOVIET-MONGOLIAN PALEONTOLOGICAL EXPEDITION (Transactions, Vol
PALEONTOLOGY AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF MONGOLIA THE JOINT SOVIET-MONGOLIAN PALEONTOLOGICAL EXPEDITION (Transactions, vol. 3) EDITORIAL BOARD: N. N. Kramarenko (editor-in-chief) B. Luvsandansan, Yu. I. Voronin, R. Barsbold, A. K. Rozhdestvensky, B. A. Trofimov, V. Yu. Reshetov 1976 S. M. Kurzanov A NEW CARNOSAUR FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF NOGON-TSAV, MONGOLIA* The Upper Cretaceous locality of Nogon-Tsav, located in the Zaltaika Gobi, 20 km NW of Mt. Ongon-Ulan-Ula, was discovered by geologists of the MNR. Then, in a series of years (1969–1971, 1973) the joint Soviet-Mongolian Geological Expedition investigated the site. According to the oral report of B. Yu. Reshetova, the deposits in this region are composed basically of sandstone and clay, clearly subdivided into two deposits. The lower great thickness contains many complete skulls, separate bones of tarbosaurs, ornithomimids, and claws of therizinosaurs. The upper red-colored beds are characterized only by scattered fragments of skulls. The fragments described below are of a new carnivorous dinosaur, Alioramus remotus (coll. South Goby region), from the family Tyrannosauridae, which occurs in the lower gray beds. Genus Alioramus Kurzanov, gen. nov. G e n u s n a m e from alius (Lat.) – other, ramus (Lat.) – branch; masc. G e n o t y p e — A. remotus Kurzanov, sp. nov., Upper Cretaceous, Nemegetinskaya suite, southern Mongolia. D i a g n o s i s . Tyrannosaurid of average size. Skull low, with highly elongated jaws. Nasals with well-developed separate crests of 1–l.5 cm height. Second antorbital fenestrae displaced forward, reaching the anterior end of the 5th tooth. -
Anomalously High Variation in Postnatal Development Is Ancestral for Dinosaurs but Lost in Birds
Anomalously high variation in postnatal development is ancestral for dinosaurs but lost in birds Christopher T. Griffina,1 and Sterling J. Nesbitta aDepartment of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061 Edited by Neil H. Shubin, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, and approved November 3, 2016 (received for review August 19, 2016) Compared with all other living reptiles, birds grow extremely fast sequence analysis (OSA) (32) to reconstruct growth sequences of and possess unusually low levels of intraspecific variation during these early dinosaurs, two avian species (Branta canadensis and postnatal development. It is now clear that birds inherited their high Meleagris gallopavo), and a single crocodylian species (Alligator rates of growth from their dinosaurian ancestors, but the origin of mississippiensis), and demonstrate that the earliest dinosaurs the avian condition of low variation during development is poorly developed differently than living archosaurs. constrained. The most well-understood growth trajectories of later Mesozoic theropods (e.g., Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus)showsimilarly Results low variation to birds, contrasting with higher variation in extant Our OSAs indicate that both C. bauri and M. rhodesiensis pos- crocodylians. Here, we show that deep within Dinosauria, among sessed a high level of intraspecific variation, both in sequence the earliest-diverging dinosaurs, anomalously high intraspecific var- polymorphism and in body size at different levels of morpho- iation is widespread but then is lost in more derived theropods. This logical maturity (Figs. 1 and 2). Analysis of the 27 ontogenetic style of development is ancestral for dinosaurs and their closest characters for C. bauri reconstructed 136 equally parsimonious relatives, and, surprisingly, this level of variation is far higher than developmental sequences (Fig. -
The-Smartest-Dinosaur.Pdf
BY “DINO” DON LESSEM ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHN BINDON a LERNER PUBLICATIONS COMPANY / MINNEAPOLIS To Emily Lessem, my favorite niece Text copyright © 2005 by Dino Don, Inc. Illustrations copyright © 2005 by John Bindon Photographs courtesy of: Dino Don, Inc., p. 12; Dr. Philip Currie, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, p. 13; Photographed by Robert Fillion. Reproduced with permission of the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, p. 30; Animals, Animals © OSF/BARTLETT, D&J, p. 31. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publications Company, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. This book is available in two editions: Library binding by Lerner Publications Company, a division of Lerner Publishing Group Soft cover by First Avenue Editions, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication-Data Lessem, Don. The smartest dinosaurs / by Don Lessem ; illustrations by John Bindon. p. cm. — (Meet the dinosaurs) Includes index. eISBN: 0–8225–3285–9 1. Dinosaurs—Juvenile literature. I. Bindon, John, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Lessem, Don. Meet the dinosaurs. QE861.5.L477 2005 567.9—dc22 2004011152 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – DP – 10 09 08 07 06 05 MEET THE SMARTEST DINOSAURS . 4 HOW SMART WERE DINOSAURS? . -
Rule Booklet
Dig for fossils, build skeletons, and attract the most visitors to your museum! TM SCAN FOR VIDEO RULES AND MORE! FOSSILCANYON.COM Dinosaurs of North America edimentary rock formations of western North America are famous for the fossilized remains of dinosaurs The rules are simple enough for young players, but and other animals from the Triassic, Jurassic, and serious players can benefit Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era. Your objective from keeping track of the cards that is to dig up fossils, build complete skeletons, and display have appeared, reasoning about them in your museum to attract as many visitors as possible. probabilities and expected returns, and choosing between aggressive Watch your museum’s popularity grow using jigsaw-puzzle and conservative plays. scoring that turns the competition into a race! GAME CONTENTS TM 200,000300,000 160,000 VISITORS VISITORS PER YEAR 140,000 VISITORS PER YEAR 180,000 VISITORS PER YEAR 400,000 VISITORS PER YEAR Dig for fossils, build skeletons, and 340,000 VISITORS PER YEAR RD COLOR ELETONS CA GENUS PERIODDIET SK FOSSIL VISITORSPARTS 360,000 VISITORS PER YEAR PER YEAR attract the most visitors to your museum! VISITORS PER YEAR PER YEAR Tyrannosaurus K C 1 4 500,000 Brachiosaurus J H 1 3 400,000 ON YOUR TURN: TM SCAN FOR VIDEO Triceratops K H 1 3 380,000 RULES AND MORE! Allosaurus J C 2 Dig3 a first360,000 card. If it is a fossil, keep it hidden. FOSSILCANYON.COM Ankylosaurus K H 2 If it3 is an340,000 action card, perform the action. -
Estimating Mass Properties of Dinosaurs Using Laser Imaging and 3D Computer Modelling
Estimating Mass Properties of Dinosaurs Using Laser Imaging and 3D Computer Modelling Karl T. Bates1*, Phillip L. Manning2,3, David Hodgetts3, William I. Sellers1 1 Adaptive Organismal Biology Research Group, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Jackson’s Mill, Manchester, United Kingdom, 2 The Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom, 3 School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom Abstract Body mass reconstructions of extinct vertebrates are most robust when complete to near-complete skeletons allow the reconstruction of either physical or digital models. Digital models are most efficient in terms of time and cost, and provide the facility to infinitely modify model properties non-destructively, such that sensitivity analyses can be conducted to quantify the effect of the many unknown parameters involved in reconstructions of extinct animals. In this study we use laser scanning (LiDAR) and computer modelling methods to create a range of 3D mass models of five specimens of non- avian dinosaur; two near-complete specimens of Tyrannosaurus rex, the most complete specimens of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis and Strutiomimum sedens, and a near-complete skeleton of a sub-adult Edmontosaurus annectens. LiDAR scanning allows a full mounted skeleton to be imaged resulting in a detailed 3D model in which each bone retains its spatial position and articulation. This provides a high resolution skeletal framework around which the body cavity and internal organs such as lungs and air sacs can be reconstructed. This has allowed calculation of body segment masses, centres of mass and moments or inertia for each animal. However, any soft tissue reconstruction of an extinct taxon inevitably represents a best estimate model with an unknown level of accuracy. -
Implications for Predatory Dinosaur Macroecology and Ontogeny in Later Late Cretaceous Asiamerica
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Theropod Guild Structure and the Tyrannosaurid Niche Assimilation Hypothesis: Implications for Predatory Dinosaur Macroecology and Ontogeny in later Late Cretaceous Asiamerica Journal: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Manuscript ID cjes-2020-0174.R1 Manuscript Type: Article Date Submitted by the 04-Jan-2021 Author: Complete List of Authors: Holtz, Thomas; University of Maryland at College Park, Department of Geology; NationalDraft Museum of Natural History, Department of Geology Keyword: Dinosaur, Ontogeny, Theropod, Paleocology, Mesozoic, Tyrannosauridae Is the invited manuscript for consideration in a Special Tribute to Dale Russell Issue? : © The Author(s) or their Institution(s) Page 1 of 91 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 1 Theropod Guild Structure and the Tyrannosaurid Niche Assimilation Hypothesis: 2 Implications for Predatory Dinosaur Macroecology and Ontogeny in later Late Cretaceous 3 Asiamerica 4 5 6 Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. 7 8 Department of Geology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA 9 Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013 USA 10 Email address: [email protected] 11 ORCID: 0000-0002-2906-4900 Draft 12 13 Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. 14 Department of Geology 15 8000 Regents Drive 16 University of Maryland 17 College Park, MD 20742 18 USA 19 Phone: 1-301-405-4084 20 Fax: 1-301-314-9661 21 Email address: [email protected] 22 23 1 © The Author(s) or their Institution(s) Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 2 of 91 24 ABSTRACT 25 Well-sampled dinosaur communities from the Jurassic through the early Late Cretaceous show 26 greater taxonomic diversity among larger (>50kg) theropod taxa than communities of the 27 Campano-Maastrichtian, particularly to those of eastern/central Asia and Laramidia. -
Histology and Ontogeny of Pachyrhinosaurus Nasal Bosses By
Histology and Ontogeny of Pachyrhinosaurus Nasal Bosses by Elizabeth Kruk A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Systematics and Evolution Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta © Elizabeth Kruk, 2015 Abstract Pachyrhinosaurus is a peculiar ceratopsian known only from Upper Cretaceous strata of Alberta and the North Slope of Alaska. The genus consists of three described species Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis, Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai, and Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum that are distinguishable by cranial characteristics, including parietal horn shape and orientation, absence/presence of a rostral comb, median parietal bar horns, and profile of the nasal boss. A fourth species of Pachyrhinosaurus is described herein and placed into its phylogenetic context within Centrosaurinae. This new species forms a polytomy at the crown with Pachyrhinosaurus canadensis and Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum, with Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai falling basal to that polytomy. The diagnostic features of this new species are an apomorphic, laterally curved Process 3 horns and a thick longitudinal ridge separating the supraorbital bosses. Another focus is investigating the ontogeny of Pachyrhinosaurus nasal bosses in a histological context. Previously, little work has been done on cranial histology in ceratopsians, focusing instead on potential integumentary structures, the parietals of Triceratops, and how surface texture relates to underlying histological structures. An ontogenetic series is established for the nasal bosses of Pachyrhinosaurus at both relative (subadult versus adult) and fine scale (Stages 1-5). It was demonstrated that histology alone can indicate relative ontogenetic level, but not stages of a finer scale. Through Pachyrhinosaurus ontogeny the nasal boss undergoes increased vascularity and secondary remodeling with a reduction in osteocyte lacunar density. -
FIELD NOTES from the Friends of Qu Arry Hill Natu Re Cente R
Spring 2016 Stan the T.rex returns Volume XXVI He’s big. He’s bold. He’s back. Stan the T.rex - all 40 feet of him - is stomping back to Quarry Hill Nature Center. And this time he’s bringing along his dinosaur buddies - Issue 2 Allosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and Gorgosaurus! The infamous Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex is the iconic anchor for T.rex: Tiny Arms, Big Teeth showing at Quarry Hill Nature Center from March 5—April 10. This carnivorous theropod which ruled the late Cretaceous over 65 million years ago first made his “modern-day” appearance at Quarry Hill Nature Center in the spring of 2006. The first fossil exhibit of its kind for the Nature Center and the community drew crowds to view a dinosaur up close. This tremendous exhibit launched Quarry Hill into a successful and highly anticipated series of biyearly fossil exhibits. The exhibits are centered on providing unique, educational and engaging experiences embody Quarry Hill’s mission of “opening eyes and minds through natural science discovery”. Open to the public daily (hours listed on page 2), T.rex: Tiny Arms, Big Teeth, also offers opportunities for 5th grade students to participate in a curriculum and lab experience created around the exhibit and designed to meet MN Science Standards. Special events and group showings keep Stan busy around the clock! 2016 marks the ten year anniversary of STAN’s debut at Quarry Hill. The Black Hills Institute of Geological Research has cast a new Stan replica for this exhibit featuring Stan in the fierce New Mexico pose. -
Rocky Start of Dinosaur National Monument (USA), the World's First Dinosaur Geoconservation Site
Original Article Rocky Start of Dinosaur National Monument (USA), the World's First Dinosaur Geoconservation Site Kenneth Carpenter Prehistoric Museum, Utah State University Eastern Price, Utah 80504 USA Abstract The quarry museum at Dinosaur National Monument, which straddles the border between the American states of Colorado and Utah, is the classic geoconservation site where visitors can see real dinosaur bones embedded in rock and protected from the weather by a concrete and glass structure. The site was found by the Carnegie Museum in August 1909 and became a geotourist site within days of its discovery. Within a decade, visitors from as far as New Zealand traveled the rough, deeply rutted dirt roads to see dinosaur bones in the ground for themselves. Fearing that the site would be taken over by others, the Carnegie Museum attempted twice to take the legal possession of the land. The second attempt had consequences far beyond what the Museum intended when the federal government declared the site as Dinosaur National Monument in 1915, thus taking ultimate control from the Carnegie Museum. Historical records and other archival data (correspondence, diaries, reports, newspapers, hand drawn maps, etc.) are used to show that the unfolding of events was anything but smooth. It was marked by misunderstanding, conflicting Corresponding Author: goals, impatience, covetousness, miscommunication, unrealistic expectation, intrigue, and some Kenneth Carpenter paranoia, which came together in unexpected ways for both the Carnegie Museum and the federal Utah State University Eastern Price, government. Utah 80504 USA Email: [email protected] Keywords: Carnegie Museum, Dinosaur National Monument, U.S. National Park Service. -
'Big Al'? Quantifying the Effect of Soft
Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org HOW BIG WAS ‘BIG AL’? QUANTIFYING THE EFFECT OF SOFT TISSUE AND OSTEOLOGICAL UNKNOWNS ON MASS PREDICTIONS FOR ALLOSAURUS (DINOSAURIA:THEROPODA) Karl T. Bates, Peter L. Falkingham, Brent H. Breithaupt, David Hodgetts, William I. Sellers, and Phillip L. Manning ABSTRACT MOR693, nicknamed ‘Big Al,’ is the most complete skeleton of the non-avian theropod Allosaurus and therefore provides the best opportunity to investigate the mass properties of this important Jurassic theropod through accurate physical or digital volumetric models. In this study, laser scanning and computer modelling software have been used to construct volumetric models of MOR693. A long-range laser scanner has been used to digitize the mounted cast of MOR693, allowing the reconstruction of body volumes and respiratory structures around and within the three-dimensional (3D) skel- etal model. The digital medium offered the facility to modify model properties non- destructively in a detailed sensitivity analysis to quantify the effects of the many unknown parameters involved in such reconstructions. In addition to varying the vol- umes of body segments and respiratory structures, we also extend the sensitivity anal- ysis to include uncertainties regarding osteological articulations in non-avian dinosaurs, including effects of inter-vertebral spacing and the orientation or ‘flare’ of the rib cage in MOR693. Results suggest body mass and inertial values are extremely uncertain and show a wide range in plausible values, whilst the CM (centre of mass) position is well constrained immediately in front and below the hip joint in MOR693, consistent with similar reconstructions of non-avian theropods. Karl T. -
Dinosaur Eggshells from the Lower Maastrichtian St. Mary River Formation of Southern Alberta, Canada
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Dinosaur eggshells from the lower Maastrichtian St. Mary River Formation of southern Alberta, Canada Journal: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Manuscript ID cjes-2017-0195.R1 Manuscript Type: Article Date Submitted by the Author: 13-Nov-2017 Complete List of Authors: Voris, Jared; University of Calgary, Geoscience; Zelenitsky, Darla; Department of Geoscience, Tanaka, Kohei; Nagoya Daigaku Hakubutsukan; University of Calgary, DepartmentDraft of Geoscience Therrien, François; Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Is the invited manuscript for consideration in a Special N/A Issue? : Keyword: eggshell, dinosaur, Cretaceous, Maastrichtian, Alberta https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Page 1 of 47 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dinosaur eggshells from the lower Maastrichtian St. Mary River Formation of southern 10 Alberta, Canada 11 12 Jared T. Voris, Darla K. Zelenitsky,Draft François Therrien, Kohei Tanaka 13 J. T. Voris, D. K. Zelenitsky, and K. Tanaka. Department of Geoscience, University of 14 Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; [email protected], 15 [email protected], [email protected] 16 K. Tanaka. Nagoya University Museum, Nagoya University Furocho, Chikusa-Ku, Nagoya, 17 464-8601, Japan; [email protected] 18 F. Therrien. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Box 7500, Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y0, 19 Canada.; [email protected] 20 1 https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 2 of 47 1 2 Abstract–North America is known for its rich uppermost Cretaceous record of dinosaur egg 3 remains, although a notable fossil gap exists during the lower Maastrichtian.