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University of Alberta Research Reveals Raptor Fed on Larger Albertosaurus

University of Alberta Research Reveals Raptor Fed on Larger Albertosaurus

Researchers at the University of Alberta have uncovered evidence suggesting that a raptor, a smaller carnivorous dinosaur, fed on a larger Albertosaurus. This discovery stems from bite marks found on the jawbone of an eight-year-old sub-adult Albertosaurus, a relative of Tyrannosaurus rex, which roamed Alberta approximately 70 million years ago. Joshua Doyon, a master's student in paleontology at the University of Alberta, led the research into these bite marks. By analyzing the spacing of the marks and comparing them to the teeth of other carnivorous dinosaurs from the same period, researchers concluded that a raptor was the most probable culprit. An alternative, though less likely, hypothesis considered was that a much younger member of the Albertosaurus species, less than two years old and about two meters long, cannibalized the larger dinosaur. This finding offers rare insight into the feeding interactions between carnivorous dinosaurs, particularly the instance of one carnivore consuming another, rath...

Raptor Scavenging on Tyrannosaur Discovered in Alberta, Revealing Complex Dinosaur Food Web

Raptor Scavenging on Tyrannosaur Discovered in Alberta, Revealing Complex Dinosaur Food Web

A new study published in the Journal of Paleontology presents the first evidence of a dromaeosaurid, or 'raptor,' feeding or scavenging on a tyrannosaur. Paleontology master's student Joshua Doyon's research on an 8-year-old Albertosaurus, a cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex, found near Drumheller, Alberta, suggests that the tyrannosaur died of unknown causes and subsequently became a meal for a much smaller raptor. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the dinosaur food web, indicating a more complex ecological interaction where smaller predators could scavenge on apex predators. An alternative, less likely hypothesis, also considered, is that the bite marks were the result of cannibalism by a baby Albertosaurus on a larger subadult.

Spinosaurus Identified as Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur, Exceeding T. Rex in Size

Spinosaurus Identified as Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur, Exceeding T. Rex in Size

Spinosaurus is currently recognized as the largest known carnivorous dinosaur, surpassing the Tyrannosaurus rex in size. Recent findings and studies indicate that Spinosaurus could reach lengths of 41-59 feet and weigh over 20 tons. This theropod dinosaur, which lived in what is now North Africa during the Cretaceous period (approximately 112 to 97 million years ago), was semi-aquatic. Its distinctive features included neural spines up to 5.4 feet long, likely forming a sail-like structure, and a narrow, nearly 6-foot skull with elongated jaws and conical, unserrated teeth, indicative of a piscivorous diet. Isotope analysis of its teeth further supports a semi-aquatic lifestyle, suggesting it was a generalized and opportunistic predator with a bias towards fishing. The original fossil evidence of S. aegyptiacus was destroyed in WWII, but more recently, abundant Spinosaurus fossils have been discovered in the Kem Kem Beds of Morocco.

Otter-like critter swam lakes and rivers in the age of dinosaurs

Otter-like critter swam lakes and rivers in the age of dinosaurs

By Will Dunham Oct 8 (Reuters) - About 165 million years ago, a furry critter that swam like a platypus, hunted like an otter and had a tail similar to a beaver's frolicked in the lakes and rivers of what is now China pursuing fish and salamanders, the oldest-known example of a semiaquatic lifestyle

520-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Larva Discovered with Intact Brain and Nervous System

520-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Larva Discovered with Intact Brain and Nervous System

Paleontologists have unearthed a 520-million-year-old fossilized larva from the Cambrian period, remarkably preserving its internal organs, including a brain and digestive tract. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the fossilization of soft-bodied organisms, as such delicate tissues typically decompose before mineralization can occur. Lead researcher Martin Smith expressed surprise at the level of detail maintained over half a billion years. The specimen, an ancient ancestor of arthropods like insects, crabs, and lobsters, offers a rare glimpse into the early organization of life during the Cambrian Explosion. Advanced imaging technology, specifically synchrotron X-ray tomography, was used to create 3D reconstructions of the larva, revealing a preserved brain, digestive glands, a primitive circulatory system, and nerve fibers connected to its limbs and eyes. Co-author Katherine Dobson highlighted the almost perfect preservation achieved through natural fossilization.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Social Behavior Revealed Through Fossil Evidence

Tyrannosaurus Rex Social Behavior Revealed Through Fossil Evidence

New fossil evidence is shedding light on the social behavior of Tyrannosaurus rex, suggesting a more complex social life than previously thought. While T. rex often walked alone, as indicated by sparse track records and single skeletons, trace fossils like bite marks on bones reveal significant social interactions. Approximately half of all large tyrannosaur skulls show healed puncture wounds, indicating that T. rex and related dinosaurs frequently engaged in face-biting. These wounds suggest conflicts, possibly over carcasses or territory, where their powerful jaws were the primary weapons. Despite the ferocity of these encounters, the presence of healed bones indicates that T. rex often survived, though likely enduring painful injuries.

Oxford Study Suggests Animal Origins May Predate Current Fossil Record by 200 Million Years

Oxford Study Suggests Animal Origins May Predate Current Fossil Record by 200 Million Years

New research from the University of Oxford, published in Science Advances, indicates that animal life on Earth may have originated between 700 million and 800 million years ago, pushing back their estimated appearance by as much as 200 million years. This challenges traditional reliance on fossil evidence, which places the oldest unambiguous animal fossils around 574 million years ago, just before the Cambrian Period. The study re-evaluated the significance of fossil absence in well-preserved geological formations, such as the Weng’an Biota in China (590 million years old) and the Kheseen Biota in Mongolia (over 40 million years younger than Weng’an). Despite exceptional preservation conditions in these sites, no definitive animal fossils were found, suggesting that fossilization conditions might not always capture the presence of early, soft-bodied animals. By incorporating the ages of even older formations, like Norway’s Svanbergfjellet Formation and Arizona’s Chuar Group (850 to 730 million years old), ...

Scientists Identify New Ancient Crocodile Species from Great Sphinx Bedrock

Scientists Identify New Ancient Crocodile Species from Great Sphinx Bedrock

Paleontologists have identified a new species of ancient crocodilian, named Herugavialis cairensis, from fossilized remains discovered in the Mokattam Formation in northern Egypt. This limestone bedrock is the same material used to construct the Great Sphinx and the pyramids at Giza. The species, which roamed a shallow sea approximately 45 million years ago, adds to the understanding of gharial diversity and evolution. One key fossil, a nearly complete skull unearthed in the 1920s, notably resembles the Sphinx due to its missing snout tip, inspiring the genus name 'Herugavialis' after the Egyptian god Horus. Initially misclassified as Tomistoma cairense in 1927 due to its resemblance to the false gharial, new evolutionary analyses and CT scans revealed it to be a distinct genus. Herugavialis cairensis possessed razor-sharp, pointed teeth and a long, thin snout adapted for catching fish, with eyes protruding like a telescope, similar to the modern Indian gharial. The Mokattam Formation has preserved numerou...

Scientists just found a crocodile they never knew existed

Scientists just found a crocodile they never knew existed

A new species of extinct crocodile has been identified from fossils originally discovered in the same limestone used to build the Great Sphinx.

New Study Suggests Animal Life May Have Evolved 200 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

New Study Suggests Animal Life May Have Evolved 200 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

A new study led by the University of Oxford, published in Science Advances, suggests that the animal kingdom may have begun significantly earlier than indicated by the oldest undisputed animal fossils. Researchers propose that animals could have evolved between 800 and 700 million years ago, pushing back the estimated origin by up to 200 million years. This re-evaluation challenges the long-held belief that animal origins were tied to the Ediacaran Period, around 590 million years ago, based on the Weng'an Biota in southern China. The Oxford-led team re-examined the logic behind this timeline by studying the younger Kheseen Biota in Mongolia. Despite excellent preservation of microfossils, no animal remains were found there, even though animals were known to exist elsewhere at that time. This finding weakened the argument that the absence of animal fossils in the Weng'an Biota meant animals hadn't yet appeared. By recalibrating molecular clock analyses with older geological anchors from Norway, Australia, ...

Tunnel Boring Machine Unearths Mastodon Remains in Virginia

Tunnel Boring Machine Unearths Mastodon Remains in Virginia

During the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion project in Virginia, a 46-foot tunnel boring machine named Mary, operating 110 feet beneath the harbor, unearthed mastodon remains. An operator at the slurry treatment plant spotted a mastodon tooth among the excavated material, leading to the discovery. The machine processes up to 16,000 gallons of slurry per minute, and operators are primarily trained to identify objects that could damage the cutterhead, such as metal. The mastodon tooth, with its distinctive pointed ridges, stood out from typical seabed contents. This discovery marks only the third mastodon found in Virginia. The project's soil data suggests the remains are between 12,000 and 50,000 years old. Experts from the Virginia Museum of Natural History, William & Mary, and Virginia’s historic-resources department believe the animal likely died in a mud pit within a freshwater river that once flowed through the area when sea levels were lower.

New Study Suggests Animals May Have Evolved 200 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

New Study Suggests Animals May Have Evolved 200 Million Years Earlier Than Previously Thought

A new study led by the University of Oxford suggests that animals may have evolved up to 200 million years earlier than current fossil evidence indicates. Published in *Science Advances*, the research challenges the conventional understanding that animal life appeared relatively suddenly just before the Cambrian Period (539 to 487 million years ago). The study re-evaluates how scientists have used the fossil record to set a maximum age for the origin of animals. Previously, the 590-million-year-old Weng'an Biota in China, which preserves microscopic organisms but no definitive animals, led scientists to infer that animals originated after this period. However, the research team, including members from the University of California, Berkeley, ETH Zürich, and Yale University, conducted a comprehensive survey of microfossils from the Kheseen Biota in Mongolia. This biota is over 40 million years younger than Weng'an, and while it also shows exceptional preservation of microfossils, it lacks definitive animal f...