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Paleontology and Evolution in the News Evo Edu Outreach (2010) 3:302–308 DOI 10.1007/s12052-010-0234-0 OTHER MEDIA REVIEW Paleontology and Evolution in the News Sidney Horenstein Published online: 27 May 2010 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010 Three months have elapsed since my previous contribution ogy in Beijing, have discovered ancient color-producing and, as usual, the number of publications related to sacs in fossilized feathers from the Jehol site in northeastern paleontology and evolution exceeds the space allowed for China that are more than 100 million years old. The article this column. How to choose which contribution to include indicates that up to now these pigment-packed organelles, here? Often, press releases are issued in connection with the called melanosomes, have only been found in fossilized publication of articles, and those that have some compelling bird feathers. In the new discovery, melanosomes were aspect enjoy attention from various media outlets. In found in small theropod dinosaurs that "ran around low to general, it turns out that those chosen would also be of the ground with tiny feathers or bristles distributed across interest for discussions in classrooms. I realize that there are their bodies." The team found two types of melanosomes many outstanding contributions not accompanied by press buried within the structures of the fossil feathers: sausage- releases, but there are many more covered than can be shaped organelles called eumelanosomes that are seen described here. News releases of general interest in media today in the black stripes of zebras and the black masks outlets often may interest students too. In choosing which of cardinal birds, and spherical organelles called phaeome- of the news-making articles claim my attention, I'm apt to lanosomes which make up and store the pigment that choose those that are well illustrated and can be down- creates the rusty reds of red-tailed hawks and red human loaded for use during class presentations and provide addi- hair. Other colors such as yellows and purples were not tional information such as interviews with the author(s). found because the authors suggest that those pigments Occasionally, fossils are found that seem to possess degrade and do not leave a trace in the fossils. One of the preserved color patterns on their shells: notably brachio- theropod dinosaurs, Sinosauropteryx, reveals that it had pods, snails, and clams raise considerable interest. In the light- and dark-feathered stripes along the length of its tail online edition of Nature on January 27, 2010 (http://www. that were phaeomelanosomes indicating that they were nature.com) Matt Kaplan reports on "Fossil feather reveals russet orange in color. One would expect that an article dinosaurs true colors. Pigment-storage sacs found in fossils describing colors of dinosaurs would create considerable give hints about hue." He reports that a team of paleontol- interest. In fact, within a day and a half of the press release, ogists led by Michael Benton of the University of Bristol, there were 238 news stories. One of them occurred in U.S. UK, and Zhongle Zhou of the Institute of Paleoanthropol- News and World Report (http://www.usnews.com). The New York Times story by Carl Zimmer on January 28, 2010 (http://www.nytimes.com) "Study offers an insight into S. Horenstein (*) dinosaur colors" begins with a slightly different description American Museum of Natural History, of the discovery: "What color were dinosaurs? Well at least Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA one of them had a feathered mohawk tail in a subdued e-mail: [email protected] palette of chestnut and white stripes." Evo Edu Outreach (2010) 3:302–308 303 And also in The New York Times, a recurring column, sandstone as a "signature geological formation of the "Remarkable Creatures," occurs occasionally in the Tues- Colorado Plateau containing many natural features from day Science section (http://www.nytimes.com)bySeanB. dramatic stone arches to ancient cliff dwellings.” He also Carroll. The subject of the column on March 22, 2010 is indicates that the 500-foot thick sandstone, actually ancient "For extinct monsters of the deep, a little respect." The title fossil sand dunes, deposited during the early Jurassic doesn't really give a clue to what these monsters were, Period, contributed little to the state's rich record of but the introductory paragraph of the article may, and reads dinosaur paleontology. Up to 2005, that is. "A near- as follows: "Here is a quick paleontology quiz. What group complete specimen recovered in 2005 from Comb Ridge of animals included large, air-breathing predators up to 50 near Bluff has proven to be a 200-hundred pound precursor feet long that bore live young, dominated their world for to... sauropods, according to research published" in PloS more than 100 million years and were ultimately extermi- One, vol. 5, issue 3, pp 1-17, (http://www.plosone.org/ nated by an asteroid 65 million years ago. Easy, right? Did article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0009789) by (at the you say dinosaurs? Sorry, wrong answer." He reveals that time) University of Utah Paleontologists Joseph J. W. the correct answer is marine reptiles, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs Sertich and Mark A. Loewen. The specimen, a 185 million- and pliosaurs, animals that became extinct with the year old plant-eating dinosaur that stood only four feet at dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous Period. The clue to the shoulders, was found protruding from the base of a the correct answer to his question is "bore live young." 200-foot face near the Anasazi cliff ruins known as Eagle's Dinosaurs were terrestrial and laid eggs. "Marine reptiles Nest. After the discovery, scientists carefully removed the were fully aquatic and bore live young. Just like baby bones from their sandstone tomb only to discover that its whales, dolphins and manatees the young of these marine head and tail were missing, probably eroded long ago. The reptiles emerged tail-first, a necessary adaptation to prevent skeleton was located at the base of the sandstone just above air-breathing young from drowning. Knowledge of the live the darker Kayenta formation, sediments that were depos- birth method of these animals comes from the numerous ited in a much wetter environment. At the time, the base of specimens which have been preserved in the act of giving the Navajo sandstone was still in the transition zone that birth. Sean B. Carroll is the author of two books, Endless would eventually become a Sahara-like desert, with Forms Most Beautiful (2005) and The Making of the Fittest towering sand dunes accounting for the rarity of fossils in (2007), both published by W.W. Norton, that were the basis the formation. The animal probably was buried by a for the December 29, 2009 two-hour Nova special on PBS, migrating dune after it died. Excellent illustrations that "What Darwin Never Knew," which is still available on can be used for class lessons accompany the article. DVD (http://www.pbs.org), exploring how evolution sci- Another first has occurred in Australia: the discovery of ence reveals the workings of evolution at the most the first tyrannosaur fossil in the southern hemisphere, an fundamental level. He is the winner of the 2010 Stephen animal that was nine to ten feet long, weighing 175 pounds, Jay Gould Prize, awarded annually by the Society for the was reported by Randolph E. Schmid of the Associated Study of Evolution. His latest book is Remarkable Press on March 25, 2010 (http://www.newsvine.com/_ Creatures (2009), published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. news/2010/03/25/4068844-first-tyrannosaur-fossil-from- It seems as if the discoveries of and reporting about southern-hemisphere). The specimen, one bone, was dinosaurs remain the number one paleontological news actually found in 1989 along with other fossils by Museum maker, so here are a few selections. Victoria paleontologist Thomas Rich. It was discovered in Jurassic Park, the first theme park with a Museum of Dinosaur Cove, Victoria. Only last year, they took it to Paleontology in Latin America, will open in the municipal Roger Benson, University of Cambridge, to see if he could park of La Victoria in the province of Chicalayo in Peru, identify it. Although only a foot long, the bone has reports Andina (http://www.andina.com/pe/Ingles/)onMarch distinctive characteristics that identify it as a hip of 23, 2010. The 40,000 square meter project will receive tyrannosaurs. A team of researchers led by Roger Benson support from foreign institutions in Germany (Praehistorica of Cambridge University said in an email message "The Institut de Hanau) and the United States (Wyoming Dinosaur new discovery tells us that 110 million years ago, in the Center) and training, as well as the donation of fossils. The middle of their history, tyrannosaurs were everywhere. So park is designed to show visitors the evolution of the earth the question is, why did they achieve giant size as apex within an integrated environment that combines ecology, predators in the north, but dwindle away in the south?" types of dinosaurs, and games for students. Although one bone was found, "It shows that 110 million Brian Maffly writes in The Salt Lake Tribune (http:// years ago small tyrannosaurs like ours might have been www.sltrib.com) on March 24, 2010 that "Utah's Navaho found worldwide." This story was reported in several dozen sandstone yields rare dinosaur find." To set the scene of the media outlets and is based on an article in Science discovery, Mr. Maffly describes the Jurassic Navajo Magazine (http://www.sciencemag.org) on March 29, 304 Evo Edu Outreach (2010) 3:302–308 2010, page 1,613.
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