Dinosaurs
Scale diagram comparing the largest known dinosaurs in five major clades and a human
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, approximately 230 million years ago, and became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for 135 million years, from the beginning of the Jurassic (about 200 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (65.5 million years ago), when the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of most dinosaur groups at the close of the Mesozoic era. The fossil record indicates that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic, and consequently they are considered a type of dinosaur in modern classification systems. Some birds survived the extinction event that occurred 65 million years ago, and continue the dinosaur lineage to the present day.
Dinosaurs are a varied group of animals from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 9,000 living species, are the most diverse group of vertebrates besides perciform fish. Using fossil evidence, paleontologists have identified over 500 distinct genera and more than 1,000 different species of non-avian dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs are represented on every continent by both extant species and fossil remains. Some are herbivorous, others carnivorous. Most dinosaurs have been bipedal, though many extinct groups included quadrupedal species, and some were able to shift between these body postures. Many species possess elaborate display structures such as horns or crests, and some prehistoric groups developed skeletal modifications such as bony armor and spines. Birds have been the planet's dominant flying vertebrate since the extinction of the pterosaurs, and evidence suggests that egg laying and nest building is a trait shared by all dinosaurs.
Many prehistoric dinosaurs were large animals--the largest sauropods could reach lengths of almost 60 meters (200 feet) and were several stories tall--and while many extinct theropods were quite large, a majority evolved very small sizes, especially among birds and other advanced groups.
Although the word dinosaur means "terrible lizard," the name is somewhat misleading, as dinosaurs are not lizards. Rather, they represent a separate group of reptiles with a distinct upright posture not found in lizards. Through the first half of the 20th century, before birds were recognized to be dinosaurs, most of the scientific community believed dinosaurs were sluggish and cold-blooded. Most research conducted since the 1970s, however, has indicated that ancient dinosaurs, particularly the carnivorous groups, were active animals with elevated metabolisms and numerous adaptations for social interaction.
Since the first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century, mounted fossil dinosaur skeletons or replicas have been major attractions at museums around the world, and dinosaurs have become a part of world culture. Their diversity, the large sizes of some groups, and their seemingly monstrous and fantastic nature have captured the interest and imagination of the general public for over a century. They have been featured in best-selling books and films such as Jurassic Park, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media.
Scholarly descriptions of what would now be recognized as dinosaur bones first appeared in the late 17th century in England. Part of a bone, now known to have been the femur of a Megalosaurus, was recovered from a limestone quarry at Cornwell near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, in 1676. The fragment was sent to Robert Plot, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Oxford and first curator of the Ashmolean Museum, who published a description in his Natural History of Oxfordshire in 1677. He correctly identified the bone as the lower extremity of the femur of a large animal, and recognized that it was too large to belong to any known species. He therefore concluded it to be the thigh bone of a giant human similar to those mentioned in the Bible.
In 1699, Edward Lhuyd, a friend of Sir Isaac Newton, was responsible for the first published scientific treatment of what would now be recognized as a dinosaur when he described and named a sauropod tooth, "Rutellum implicatum", that had been found in Caswell, near Witney, Oxfordshire.
Between 1815 and 1824, the Rev William Buckland, a professor of geology at Oxford University, collected more fossilized bones of Megalosaurus and became the first person to describe a dinosaur in a scientific journal.
The second dinosaur genus to be identified, Iguanodon, was discovered in 1822 by Mary Ann Mantell - the wife of English geologist Gideon Mantell. Gideon Mantell recognized similarities between his fossils and the bones of modern iguanas. He published his findings in 1825.
The study of these "great fossil lizards" soon became of great interest to European and American scientists, and in 1842 the English paleontologist Richard Owen coined the term "dinosaur". He recognized that the remains that had been found so far, Iguanodon, Megalosaurus and Hylaeosaurus, shared a number of distinctive features, and so decided to present them as a distinct taxonomic group. With the backing of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, the husband of Queen Victoria, Owen established the Natural History Museum in South Kensington, London, to display the national collection of dinosaur fossils and other biological and geological exhibits.
In 1858, the first known American dinosaur was discovered, in marl pits in the small town of Haddonfield, New Jersey (although fossils had been found before, their nature had not been correctly discerned). The creature was named Hadrosaurus foulkii. It was an extremely important find: Hadrosaurus was one of the first nearly complete dinosaur skeletons found (the first was in 1834, in Maidstone, Kent, England), and it was clearly a bipedal creature. This was a revolutionary discovery as, until that point, most scientists had believed dinosaurs walked on four feet, like other lizards. Foulke's discoveries sparked a wave of dinosaur mania in the United States.
Dinosaur mania was exemplified by the fierce rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, both of whom raced to be the first to find new dinosaurs in what came to be known as the Bone Wars. The feud probably originated when Marsh publicly pointed out that Cope's reconstruction of an Elasmosaurus skeleton was flawed: Cope had inadvertently placed the plesiosaur's head at what should have been the animal's tail end.
The fight between the two scientists lasted for over 30 years, ending in 1897 when Cope died after spending his entire fortune on the dinosaur hunt. Marsh 'won' the contest primarily because he was better funded through a relationship with the US Geological Survey.
Unfortunately, many valuable dinosaur specimens were damaged or destroyed due to the pair's rough methods: for example, their diggers often used dynamite to unearth bones (a method modern paleontologists would find appalling).
Despite their unrefined methods, the contributions of Cope and Marsh to paleontology were vast: Marsh unearthed 86 new species of dinosaur and Cope discovered 56, a total of 142 new species. Cope's collection is now at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, while Marsh's is on display at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.
After 1897, the search for dinosaur fossils extended to every continent, including Antarctica. The first Antarctic dinosaur to be discovered, the ankylosaurid Antarctopelta oliveroi, was found on Ross Island in 1986, although it was 1994 before an Antarctic species, the theropod Cryolophosaurus ellioti, was formally named and described in a scientific journal.
Current dinosaur "hot spots" include southern South America (especially Argentina) and China. China in particular has produced many exceptional feathered dinosaur specimens due to the unique geology of its dinosaur beds, as well as an ancient arid climate particularly conducive to fossilization.
Dinosaur Renaissance was a small-scale scientific revolution that started in the late 1960s, and led to renewed academic and popular interest in dinosaurs. It was sparked by new discoveries and research indicating that dinosaurs may have been active and warm-blooded animals, rather than cold-blooded and sluggish as had been the prevailing view and description during the first half of the twentieth century.
The new view of dinosaurs was championed by John Ostrom, who argued that birds evolved from coelurosaurian dinosaurs, and particularly Robert Bakker who argued passionately that dinosaurs were warm-blooded in a way similar to modern mammals and birds. Bakker frequently portrayed his ideas as a renaissance of those popular in the late nineteenth century, referring to the period in between the wars as "the dinosaur doldrums". The dinosaur renaissance led to a profound shift in thinking on nearly all aspects of dinosaur biology, including physiology, evolution, behavior, ecology and extinction. It has also led to multiple depictions of dinosaurs in popular culture.
Ellie and her grandchildren visit the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan
Exploring The Dinosaur Era
Dinosaurs In the News
Huge Asteroid Is Still the Central Villain in Dinosaurs' Extinction New York Times - May 7, 2012
For some 30 years, scientists have debated what sealed the fate of the dinosaurs. Was an asteroid impact more or less solely responsible for the catastrophic mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous geological period, 65 million years ago? Or were the dinosaurs already undergoing a long-term decline, and the asteroid was merely the coup de gr‰ce?
Australia had 'globe-trotting' dinosaurs: study PhysOrg - May 7, 2012
Scientists said Monday a new fossil discovery suggested Australia's dinosaurs were cosmopolitan globe-trotters, unlike the "unique weirdos" of its current wildlife. Palaeontologist Erich Fitzgerald said an ankle bone fossil found 87 kilometres (54 miles) from Melbourne indicated that meat-eating dinosaurs known as ceratosaurs lived in what is now Australia some 125 million years ago.
Dinosaur gases 'warmed the Earth' BBC - May 7, 2012
Giant dinosaurs could have warmed the planet with their flatulence, say researchers. British scientists have calculated the methane output of sauropods, including the species known as Brontosaurus. By scaling up the digestive wind of cows, they estimate that the population of dinosaurs - as a whole - produced 520 million tonnes of gas annually. They suggest the gas could have been a key factor in the warm climate 150 million years ago.
First Dinosaur Discovered in Spain Is Younger Than Believed Live Science - March 12, 2012
The first dinosaur ever found in Spain is not as old as paleontologists had believed - though at 130 million years old, the long-necked creature is no spring chicken. The dinosaur, Aragosaurus ischiaticus, was originally discovered in 1987. But the fossil was difficult to date. Now, researchers at the University of Zaragoza's Aragon Research Institute of Environmental Sciences have found the sauropod's age was estimated at 15 million years too old. The age-shaving results suggest the dinosaur was an ancestor of the enormous Titanosauriforms, a group that includes the largest dinosaurs to ever live. The new age estimate puts the dinosaur in the Hauterivian age between 136 million and 130 million years ago, the researchers reported March 12 in the journal Geological Magazine.
Caught in the Act: Ancient Armored Fish Downs Flying Reptile Live Science - March 9, 2012
An ancient armored fish was fossilized in the act of attacking and drowning a pterosaur in a toxic Jurassic lake, revealing that the winged reptiles were victims of a wide variety of carnivores, scientists find. Pterosaurs dominated the skies during the Age of Dinosaurs. Still, flight did not always ensure them safety - researchers have recently discovered that Velociraptor dined on the flying reptiles.
Velociraptor's last meal revealed BBC - March 7, 2012
The bone of a large flying reptile has been found in the gut of a Velociraptor, sparking fresh discussion among paleontologists. Velociraptors have previously been described as "hyper predators". However, scientists suggest this pterosaur was too large to be the Velociraptor's intended prey but could have been scavenged. An international team of scientists revealed the drama of 75 million years ago with a detailed analysis of the skeleton found in the Gobi desert, Mongolia. A famous fossil unearthed in 1971 known as the "fighting dinosaurs" shows a Velociraptor and larger Protoceratops apparently locked in combat.
Triceratops and Torosaurus dinosaurs 'two species, not one' BBC - March 1, 2012
A study has rejected claims that Triceratops and the lesser-known Torosaurus are one and the same type of dinosaur. Nicholas Longrich and Daniel Field, of Yale University, looked at 35 specimens ascribed to both species and concluded they represented two distinct creatures. "We looked at a bunch of changes in the skulls as the animals age and used a programme to arrange the skulls from youngest to oldest," explained Dr Longrich to BBC News. "What we found is there are young Torosaurus individuals and very old Triceratops individuals and that's inconsistent with Torosaurus being an adult Triceratops."
Dinosaurs had fleas too -- giant ones, fossils show PhysOrg - February 29, 2012
In the Jurassic era, even the flea was a beast, compared to its minuscule modern descendants. These pesky bloodsuckers were nearly an inch long. New fossils found in China are evidence of the oldest fleas - from 125 million to 165 million years ago, said Diying Huang of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology. Their disproportionately long proboscis, or straw-like mouth, had sharp weapon-like serrated edges that helped them bite and feed from their super-sized hosts, he and other researchers reported today.
T. rex bite was world's strongest BBC - February 29, 2012
Tyrannosaurus rex had the most powerful bite of any creature that has ever walked the Earth, say scientists. Previous estimates of the prehistoric predator's bite suggested it was much more modest - comparable to modern predators such as alligators. This measurement, based on a laser scan of a T. rex skull, showed that its bite was equivalent to three tonnes - about the weight of an elephant.
Study says T. rex has most powerful bite of any terrestrial animal PhysOrg - February 28, 2012
Research at the University of Liverpool, using computer models to reconstruct the jaw muscle of Tyrannosaurus rex, has suggested that the dinosaur had the most powerful bite of any living or extinct terrestrial animal. Previous studies have estimated that T. rex's bite had a force of 8000 to 13,400 Newtons, but given the size of the animal, thought to weigh more than 6000kg, researchers suspected that its bite may have been more powerful than this. Liverpool scientists developed a computer model to reverse engineer the animal's bite, a method that has previously been used to predict dinosaur running speeds.
Dinosaur forests mapped PhysOrg - February 28, 2012
The first detailed maps of the Earth's forests at the time of the dinosaurs have been drawn up. The patterns of vegetation, together with information about the rate of tree growth, support the idea that the Earth was stifling hot 100 million years ago.
Oldest dinosaur nest site found BBC - January 24, 2012
A nesting site for dinosaur eggs found in South Africa is 100 million years older than the previous oldest site. Paleontologists found 10 separate nests, each containing clutches of up to 34 eggs measuring 6-7cm. The fossils are of the prosauropod Massospondylus, a relative of the long-necked sauropods such as Diplodocus. They suggest that Massospondylus returned to the site repeatedly, laying their eggs in groups in the earliest-known case of "colonial nesting".
Meet America's biggest dinosaur MSNBC - December 7, 2011
Here's a trivia question for your dino-crazy kids: What's the biggest dinosaur to roam North America? Paleontologists report that it's Alamosaurus sanjuanensis, one of many breeds of long-necked, long-tailed sauropods to roam the continent 69 million years ago.
North America's Biggest Dinosaur Revealed Science Daily - December 7, 2011
New research from Montana State University's Museum of the Rockies and the State Museum of Pennsylvania has unveiled enormous bones from North America's biggest dinosaur.
Massive volcanoes, meteorite impacts delivered one-two death punch to dinosaurs: study PhysOrg - November 17, 2011
A cosmic one-two punch of colossal volcanic eruptions and meteorite strikes likely caused the mass-extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous period that is famous for killing the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, according to two Princeton University reports that reject the prevailing theory that the extinction was caused by a single large meteorite.
15 Infant Dinosaurs Discovered Crowded in Nest Live Science - November 17, 2011
A nest of 15 young dinosaurs uncovered in Mongolia - cousins of Triceratops - now suggests these plant-eating beasts might have cared for their young, scientists reveal. The dinosaur is named Protoceratops andrewsi, a sheep-size herbivore that lived about 70 million years ago that's known for the frill at the back of its head. Within the nest were infants about 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) long and probably no more than a year old.
First Long-Necked Dinosaur Fossil Found In Antarctica Live Science - November 5, 2011
It's official, long-necked sauropod dinosaurs once roamed every continent on Earth - including now-frigid Antarctica. The discovery of a single sauropod vertebra on James Ross Island in Antarctica reveals that these behemoths, which included Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus, lived on the continent in the upper Cretaceous Period about 100 million years ago. "Sauropods were found all around the world, except Antarctica," said study researcher Ariana Paulina Carabajal, a paleontologist at the Carmen Funes Municipal Museum in Plaza Huincul, Argentina. "Until now."
Archaeopteryx was first bird after all PhysOrg - October 26, 2011
The crown of the famous 150-million-year-old Archaeopteryx fossil as the first bird has been restored by a new evolutionary tree. Archaeopteryx had been considered for 150 years to be the first known bird since the first complete specimen was found in Germany in 1861, revealing a combination of reptilian and and bird features. But Chinese researchers asserted recently that a new and closely related fossil, Xiaotingia zhengi, was a bird-like dinosaur - therefore suggesting that Archaeopteryx was also a dinosaur.
Dinosaurs Migrated, Tooth Fossils Confirm Live Science - October 26, 2011
By analyzing fossilized dinosaur teeth, researchers determined that the dinosaurs migrated hundreds of miles from their home to find food and water during dry spells. This is the first direct evidence supporting the theory that certain types of dinosaurs migrated to avoid seasonal food slumps. "Sauropods in western North America were living in an environment that was seasonally dry, that has a pronounced wet season and a pronounced dry season," said study researcher Henry Fricke of Colorado College. "If you have an animal that needs to eat a lot and drink a lot, it's going to have to move to access vegetation and to get water."
Fossil of an Armored Dinosaur Hatchling: Youngest Nodosaur Ever Discovered Science Daily - September 27, 2011
It is the youngest nodosaur ever discovered, and a founder of a new genus and species that lived approximately 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Era. Nodosaurs have been found in diverse locations worldwide, but they've rarely been found in the United States.
Tiniest Baby Dinosaur Discovered by Amateur Fossil Hunter Live Science - September 16, 2011
On a mid-afternoon stroll with his wife on a Sunday in January 1997, amateur dinosaur hunter Ray Stanford stumbled upon something extraordinary. While walking in the riverbed near his home in College Park, Md., he found the tiniest example of an armored dinosaur anyone has ever seen. It took awhile for Stanford to realize the find he had on his hands. The impression left by the 5-inch (13 centimeter) baby dinosaur was covered in silt from the riverbed. One night, when a dim overhead kitchen light hit the stone in the right way, the shadows highlighted what was really there, the impression of a tiny dinosaur.
Pictures: "Incredible" Dinosaur Feathers Found in Amber National Geographic - September 16, 2011
Preserved for 70 to 85 million years, these feathers are part of a newly revealed trove of likely dinosaur and bird plumage found trapped in amber in Alberta, Canada. The unusual find suggests a wide array of plumed creatures populated the time period - sporting everything from seemingly modern feathers to their filament-like forebears - and that even by this early date, feathers had become specialized, for example, for diving underwater, a new study says.
Tiny Dinosaurs Left Footprints On Ancient South Pole Live Science - August 10, 2011
Several groups of dinosaurs that were roaming the South Pole more than 100 million years ago left three-toed prints in the wet, sandy soil. As they became compacted into cliffs, the prints waited patiently for Anthony Martin of Emory University to stumble across them in what is now Victoria, Australia. He found 24 complete prints.
Giant fossil shows huge birds lived among dinosaurs BBC - August 10, 2011
An enormous jawbone found in Kazakhstan is further evidence that giant birds roamed - or flew above - the Earth at the same time as the dinosaurs.
Enormous bird lived alongside dinosaurs MSNBC - August 10, 2011
All that's left of this big bird is its toothless lower jaw. The structure and characteristics of the jaw are associated with birds and not non-avian dinosaurs, the researchers believe. They conclude that the skull of the bird during its lifetime would have been about a foot long. If flightless, it could have stood close to 10 feet tall. If it flew, its wingspan is likely to have exceeded 13 feet. The big bird is now the second known large avian from the dinosaur era. The first to be identified was Gargantuavis philoinos, which lived in southern France around 70 million years ago. It too may have been flightless and ostrich-like.
Crocodile-Nosed Dinosaur Found in Australia Live Science - June 15, 2011
A mysterious group of large, crocodile-snouted dinosaurs from the northern latitudes also inhabited the land that would become Australia, a newly found fossil reveals, indicating dinosaurs got around far more than is generally thought.
Australian dinosaur had UK double BBC - June 15, 2011
A 5cm-wide (2in) fossil may have something big to say about how dinosaurs ranged across the Earth. The 125-million-year-old neck vertebra belonged to a spinosaurid - an animal with a crocodile-like snout that it probably used to prey on fish. The specimen is the first such dinosaur identified in Australia but one that is nearly identical to a UK creature. This suggests northern and southern hemisphere dinos had a lot more in common than previously thought.
How Dinosaurs Got So Huge Live Science - April 13, 2011
Among dinosaurs, the biggest of the big is Argentinosaurus. This long-necked, puny-headed creature is a member of a group of giants called sauropods. This particular extinct creature measured as much as 140 feet (43 meters) long and weighed up to 90 tons (82 metric tons). Beyond inspiring awe, a creature of these proportions inspires all sorts of questions: Why and how did these dinosaurs, which started out relatively small, become so big? How did they feed and maintain their large bodies? A new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City explores the mysteries surrounding their enormity.
Dinosaur named 'thunder-thighs' BBC - February 23, 2011
Scientists have named a new dinosaur species "thunder-thighs" because of the huge thigh muscles it would have had. Fossil remains recovered from a quarry in Utah, US, are fragmentary but enough to tell researchers the creature must have possessed extremely powerful legs. The new species, described in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, is a sauropod - the family of dinosaurs famous for their long necks and tails.
Fossil female pterosaur found with preserved egg BBC - January 20, 2011
For fossil hunters, it represents one of those breakthrough moments. A pterosaur has been found in China beautifully preserved with an egg. The egg indicates this ancient flying reptile was a female, and that realisation has allowed researchers to sex these creatures for the first time.
Dino-era sex riddle solved by new fossil find PhysOrg - January 20, 2011
The discovery of an ancient fossil, nicknamed 'Mrs T', has allowed scientists for the first time to sex pterodactyls Ð flying reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs between 220-65 million years ago.
Meet 'Mrs. T': Ancient Flying Reptile Found with Egg Live Science - January 20, 2011
As birdlike as the extinct winged reptiles known as pterosaurs might have seemed as they soared through prehistoric skies, it turns out their eggs and nests might have been like their more grounded lizard cousins than any feathered rival, scientists find. These insights, based on the fossils of a female pterosaur named "Mrs. T" and her egg, shed light on bygone creatures that once ruled the skies for more than 150 million years, whose home life we are only beginning to understand.
"Nasty" Little Predator From Dinosaur Dawn Found National Geographic - January 14, 2011
Argentina (Pangea) - Valley of the Moon -- Deadly and dog-size, the dinosaur Eodromaeus (shown in reconstruction) lived in Argentina 230 million years ago, a new study says. The new species is providing fresh insight into the era before dinosaurs overtook other reptiles and ruled the world, a new fossil study says. (Watch video.) One of the earliest known dinosaurs, Eodromaeus was only about 4 feet (1.3 meters) long and would have barely reached the knees of an adult human. But this unassuming little dinosaur gave rise to the theropods, including Tyrannosaurus rex and the "terrible claw," Deinonychus, the new study suggests.
Dinosaur demise allowed mammals to 'go nuts' BBC - November 26, 2010
Land mammals went from small "vermin" to giant beasts in just 25 million years, according to a new study. Mammals rapidly filled the "large animal" void left by the dinosaurs' demise 65 million years ago. They then went from creatures weighing between 3g and 15kg to a hugely diverse group including 17-tonne beasts.
Dino Demise Led to Evolutionary Explosion of Huge Mammals Live Science - November 25, 2010
Mammals around the world exploded in size after the major extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago, filling environmental niches left vacant by the loss of dinosaurs, according to a new study published Nov. 25 in the journal Science. The maximum size of mammals leveled off about 25 million years later, or 40 million years ago, because of external limits set by temperature and land area, reported an international team led by paleoecologist Felisa Smith of the University of New Mexico.
Prehistoric winged beasts 'pole-vaulted' into flight PhysOrg - November 16, 2010
Controversial claims that enormous prehistoric winged beasts could not fly have been refuted by the most comprehensive study to date which asserts that giant pterosaurs were skilled in flight.
Dinosaur the size of a giraffe could fly across continents Telegraph.co.uk - November 15, 2010
Dr Mark Witton, a palaeontologist from the University of Portsmouth and Dr Michael Habib from Chatham University USA, have studied how the giant pterosaur, which was as big as a giraffe, could get off the ground. They found that the reptiles took off by using the powerful muscles of their legs and arms to push off from the ground, effectively pole-vaulting over their wings. Once airborne they could fly huge distances and even cross continents, the scientists claim. Dr Witton said: ''Most birds take off either by running to pick up speed and jumping into the air before flapping wildly, or if they're small enough, they may simply launch themselves into the air from a standstill.
Longest dinosaur thigh bone in Europe found in Spain PhysOrg - September 24, 2010
Palaeontologists in Spain have found the fossiled thigh bone of a dinosaur that is almost two metres in length, the longest such femur ever discovered in Europe, they said Friday. The Dinopolis Foundation, a dinosaur research institute, said the 1.92-metre (6.3-feet) bone was found earlier this year at a site at Riodeva near Teruel in eastern Spain along with a 1.25-metre (4.1-feet) tibia and 15 vertebrae.
Really Horny Dinosaur Heralded from Lost Continent Live Science - September 23, 2010
Fossils of new species of horned dinos found in Utah BBC - September 23, 2010
Scientists have unearthed two new species of giant plant-eating horned dinosaurs in southern Utah, US. The creatures lived on the "lost continent" of Laramidia in the Late Cretaceous period, some 68 to 99 million years ago. Laramidia was formed when a shallow sea flooded part of what is now North America and divided the continent in two.
Humpback Dinosaur Surprises and Puzzles Experts Live Science - September 11, 2010
A hunchback dinosaur of sorts once roamed what is now central Spain. The meat-eating beast sported a humplike structure low on its back, a feature never previously described in dinosaurs, and one that has scientists scratching their heads. The dinosaur, which is being called Concavenator corcovatus, measured nearly 20 feet (6 meters) in length and belonged to a group of some of the largest predatory dinosaurs known to walk the earth - carcharodontosaurs. It lived some 125 million years ago.
Double meteorite strike 'caused dinosaur extinction' BBC - August 27, 2010
The dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago by at least two meteorite impacts, rather than a single strike, a new study suggests. Previously, scientists had identified a huge impact crater in the Gulf of Mexico as the event that spelled doom for the dinosaurs. Now evidence for a second impact in the Ukraine has been uncovered.
Sauropods in Argentina kept their eggs warm near geothermal vents PhysOrg - June 30, 2010
Researchers working in Argentina have found 100-million-year-old neosauropod nesting sites in which clutches of eggs were kept warm by geothermal vents.
Dinosaur mating rituals more elaborate than peacocks', scientists claim Telegraph.co.uk - June 29, 2010
New research into pterosaurs and pelycosaurs - the fin-backed ancestors of modern mammals - have shown their elaborate headcrests and sails were developed for the purpose of sexual selection. Until now, many thought these appendages regulated body temperature or helped them steer while they were flying.
Dino-holocaust linked to monster storm MSNBC - June 23, 2010
Scientists have revealed what may be the world's largest dinosaur graveyard.
Warm-Blooded Marine Reptiles at the Time of the Dinosaurs Science Daily - June 16, 2010
Between 200 and 65 million years ago, fearsome marine reptiles reigned over the oceans. Were they warm-blooded like today's mammals and birds or cold-blooded like nowadays fish and reptiles? For the first time, a study has settled the debate: some large marine reptiles were warm-blooded (in other words, they were endothermic), giving them a considerable advantage to swim fast over long distances and to conquer cold regions.
Dinosaur-chewing mammals leave behind oldest known tooth marks PhysOrg - June 16, 2010
Paleontologists have discovered the oldest mammalian tooth marks yet on the bones of ancient animals, including several large dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Had Horns the Size of Baseball Bats Live Science - May 28, 2010
A tubby dinosaur sporting horns each the length of a baseball bat roamed what is now Mexico some 72 million years ago.
Rare 95 million-year-old flying reptile Aetodactylus halli is new genus, species of pterosaur PhysOrg - April 27, 2010
A 95 million-year-old fossilized jaw discovered in Texas has been identified as a new genus and species of flying reptile, Aetodactylus halli.
Fossil find shows Velociraptor eating another dinosaur BBC - April 6, 2010
Palaeontologists have uncovered fossil fragments of Velociraptor teeth alongside scarred bones of the large horned herbivore Protoceratops. The teeth of the predator match marks on the herbivore's bones, suggesting Velociraptor scavenged its carcass. The discovery is further evidence that predatory dinosaurs both hunted and scavenged their plant-eating relatives.
First tyrannosaur fossil from Southern Hemisphere Found - Tiny T. Rex Ancestors Achieved World Domination National Geographic - March 26, 2010
The pint-size predator, found in what is now Victoria, Australia, is the first Tyrannosaurus rex ancestor unearthed in the Southern Hemisphere. Nicknamed the Southern Tyrant, the dinosaur lived during the early Cretaceous period, about 110 million years ago. Stretching just ten feet (three meters) and weighing only 175 pounds (80 kilograms), the animal, like T. rex, boasted a large head, short arms, and crushing jaws.
Utah: Fossil shows dinosaur caught in collapsing sand dune BBC - March 24, 2010
Researchers have discovered a nearly complete fossil of a dinosaur which appears to have been caught in a collapsing sand dune. The Seitaad ruessi fossil, described in the journal PLoS One, is a relative of the long-necked sauropods that were once Earth's biggest animals. S. ruessi, found in what is now Utah, could have walked on all four legs, or risen up to walk on just two.
Volcanic eruption opened the door for dino rule MSNBC - March 22, 2010
Some 200 million years ago, Earth was on the verge of either an age of dinosaurs or an age of crocodiles. It took the largest volcanic eruption in the solar system - and the loss of half of Earth's plant life - to tip the scales in the dinos' favor, say researchers.
Dinosaurs 'came to rule world after mass extinction' PhysOrg - March 22, 2010
A shade more than 200 million years ago, the Earth looked far different than it does today. Most land on the planet was consolidated into one continent called Pangea. There was no Atlantic Ocean, and the rulers of the animal world were crurotarsans - creatures closely related to modern crocodiles.
How Dinosaurs Came to Rule the Earth Live Science - March 22, 2010
More than 200 million years ago, as North Africa was ripping away from North America, opening up the Atlantic Ocean, hot lava poured out from Earth's surface. The lava, enough to more than cover the United States, created inhospitable conditions for most life ... except the dinosaurs. And new geologic discoveries suggest this climate catastrophe was the ticket for the dinosaur's rise to rule. At that time, about half of all species on Earth died out in what is called the end-Triassic extinction. Scientists have suggested massive volcanic eruptions could be to blame, spewing out lava and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide that would have totally changed the climate.
Mongolia: New Dinosaur: "Exquisite" Raptor Found National Geographic - March 20, 2010
Like a zombie clawing its way out of the grave, a new dinosaur species was discovered when scientists spotted a hand bone protruding from a cliff in the Gobi desert of Inner Mongolia, paleontologists have announced. Called Linheraptor exquisitus, the new dinosaur is a raptor, a type of two-legged meat-eater, that lived during the late Cretaceous period in what is now northeastern China.
Students discover new species of raptor dinosaur PhysOrg - March 19, 2010
Dinosaur extinction link to crater confirmed BBC - March 5, 2010
An international panel of experts has strongly endorsed evidence that a space impact was behind the mass extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs. They reached the consensus after conducting the most wide-ranging analysis yet of the evidence. Writing in Science journal, they rule out alternative theories such as large-scale volcanism.
Dinosaur's oldest relative found BBC - March 4, 2010
Scientists have discovered a dinosaur-like creature 10 million years older than the earliest known dinosaurs. Asilisaurus kongwe is a newly discovered herbivore that lived during the middle Triassic period - about 245 million years ago. The scientists say that its age suggests that dinosaurs were also on the Earth earlier than previously thought.
Dinosaurs Ten Million Years Older Than Thought National Geographic - March 3, 2010
A new dinosaur relative found in Tanzania is the oldest known creature of its kind - a discovery that pushes back the origin of dinosaurs by at least ten million years, paleontologists say. Dubbed Asilisaurus kongwe, the Labrador retriever-size creature was a silesaur, the closest relatives to true dinosaurs. The newfound animal lived 243 million years ago, during the middle Triassic period.
Dinosaurs Had Wrists Like Birds Live Science - March 2, 2010
The flexible wrists of birds that let them fold their wings have now been seen in dinosaurs well before flight, scientists find. Dinosaurs such as Velociraptor might have partly folded their feathered arms to protect such plumage from harm's way, researchers explained. The wrists and the feathers in the lineage that led to birds then became more extreme, laying the groundwork for flight, they added.
'Anaconda' meets 'Jurassic Park': Study shows ancient snakes ate dinosaur babies PhysOrg - March 2, 2010
Snake Caught Attacking Dinosaur - First Fossil Proof National Geographic - March 2, 2010
Pictures: Snake vs. Dinosaur in New Fossil Find National Geographic - March 2, 2010
Abydosaurus: New dinosaur discovered head first, for a change PhysOrg - February 24, 2010
The flexible wrists of birds that let them fold their wings have now been seen in dinosaurs well before flight, scientists find. Dinosaurs such as Velociraptor might have partly folded their feathered arms to protect such plumage from harm's way, researchers explained. The wrists and the feathers in the lineage that led to birds then became more extreme, laying the groundwork for flight, they added.
Abydosaurus: Huge New Dinosaur Found via "Mind-boggling" Skulls National Geographic - February 24, 2010
Four skulls of a giant new species of plant-eating dinosaur may give scientists a head start on understanding the biggest animals ever to have walked the Earth, a new study says. The 105-million-year-old skulls of Abydosaurus mcintoshi were discovered between the late 1990s and 2003 in a sandstone quarry in eastern Utah's Dinosaur National Monument.
Found: 'Jurassic Parkette' Ð the prehistoric island ruled by dwarf dinosaurs Telegraph.co.uk - February 21, 2010
Photo Gallery - The creatures lived on an island Ð a kind of pigmy Jurassic Park Ð and were up to eight times smaller than some of their mainland cousins.
Scientists complete color palette of a dinosaur for the first time PhysOrg - February 4, 2010
Deciphering microscopic clues hidden within fossils, scientists have uncovered the vibrant colors that adorned a feathered dinosaur extinct for 150 million years, a Yale University-led research team reports online Feb. 4 in the journal Science.
Really cool Animation: True-Color Dinosaur Revealed: First Full-Body Rendering National Geographic - February 4, 2010
Thousands of dinosaur footprints uncovered in China PhysOrg - February 7, 2010
Archaeologists in China have uncovered more than 3,000 dinosaur footprints, state media reported, in an area said to be the world's largest grouping of fossilised bones belonging to the ancient animals.
Dinosaur discovery helps solve piece of evolutionary puzzle PhysOrg - January 28, 2010
A George Washington University expedition to the Gobi Desert of China has enabled researchers to solve the puzzle of how one group of dinosaurs came to look like birds independent of birds. The discovery extends the fossil record of the family Alvarezsauridae - a bizarre group of bird-like dinosaurs with a large claw on the hand and very short, powerful arms - back 63 million years, further distancing the group from birds on the evolutionary tree.
Dinosaur had ginger feathers BBC - January 27, 2010
The researchers say that the diminutive carnivore had a "Mohican" of feathers running along its head and back. It also had a striped tail.
Feathered Dinosaurs Leapt from Trees, Not the Ground Live Science - January 25, 2010
Whether birds first evolved flight as ground dwellers or took to the skies from trees has been a longstanding debate. A new study of an ancient four-legged creature called Microraptor gui, poised on the boundary between dinosaurs and birds, suggests that the arboreal, or tree-living, idea may be correct. Microraptor lived about 120 million years ago, and is thought to be an early ancestor of modern birds. It had bird-like feathers that appear to have been used for flight, but a dinosaur-like head with sharp teeth and scales.
New T. Rex Cousin Suggests Dinosaurs Arose in S. America National Geographic - December 10, 2009
The discovery of a dog-size T. rex ancestor may rewrite dinosaur evolutionary history, a new study says. Measuring about 6 feet (180 centimeters) long--tail included--the 215-million-year-old Tawa hallae was found by hikers who noticed some small bits of bone at New Mexico's fossil-rich Ghost Ranch. The dinosaur bears a mix of characteristics, such as air sacs, that link Tawa to older dinosaur species found in South America, researchers say.
South Africa: New Dinosaur Found; Shows How Giants Got That Way National Geographic - November 11, 2009
A new species of dinosaur that roamed the Earth 197 million years ago, likely an ancestor of the enormous brontosaurus, has been discovered in South Africa.
Dinosaur prints found in New Zealand ABC - November 9, 2009
Browne says he found the 70-million-year-old footprints in six locations in the remote Whanganui Inlet in the northwest of Nelson at the top of the South Island. The footprints are spread over 10 kilometres and in one area there are up to 20 footprints, says Browne.
Oldest T. rex relative identified BBC - November 4, 2009
Scientists have identified the most ancient fossil relative of the dinosaur Tyrannosaurus rex. The new addition to T. rex's clan is known from a 30cm-long skull uncovered during excavations in Gloucestershire in the 1900s.
Study: T. rex teens fought, disfigured each other MSNBC - November 2, 2009
Tyrannosaurus rex's reputation as a fierce, battle-hungry carnivore can now also apply to teenagers of this Late Cretaceous dinosaur, according to a new study. The evidence comes from "Jane," who died when she was just a T. rex teen. Her fossils, found at Montana's Hell Creek Formation in 2001, reveal that another T. rex teenager severely bit her in the head, breaking her snout to the point of disfigurement.
Montana: New Dinosaur Built Like a Sherman Tank Live Science - October 30, 2009
Now called Tatankacephalus cooneyorum, the beast is a type of ankylosaur, or a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that resembled nature's armored tanks as they walked about on four limbs and their bodies were covered with bony armor that may have been covered with a colorful keratinous sheathing (same as the stuff in bird beaks and turtle shells).
The tiniest dinosaur in North America weighed less than a teacup Chihuahua National Geographic - October 21, 2009
The tiniest dinosaur in North America weighed less than a teacup Chihuahua, a new study says. The agile Fruitadens haagarorum was just 28 inches (70 centimeters) long and weighed less than two pounds (one kilogram). The diminutive dinosaur likely darted among the legs of larger plant-eaters such as Brachiosaurus and predators such as Allosaurus about 150 million years ago, during the late Jurassic period.
Ancient Flying Pterosaur Also Sailed Seas PhysOrg - October 19, 2009
At first glance, the 115-million-year-old pterosaur looks like a Cretaceous design disaster. With a tail rudder on its head and a spindly, bat-like body, Tapejara wellnhoferi may appear fit for nothing but extinction.
Researchers claim a third of dinosaurs might never have existed PhysOrg - October 13, 2009
A new ten-year study by US paleontologists suggests that up to a third of dinosaur fossils may have been incorrectly identified as new species, when they are actually juveniles of species in which there was a dramatic change as they developed.
New Mesozoic Mammal: Discovery Illuminates Mammalian Ear Evolution While Dinosaurs Ruled Science Daily - October 9, 2009
This new remarkably well preserved fossil, as reported in the October 9 issue of the journal Science, offers an important insight into how the mammalian middle ear evolved. The discoveries of such exquisite dinosaur-age mammals from China provide developmental biologists and paleontologists with evidence of how developmental mechanisms have impacted the morphological (body-structure) evolution of the earliest mammals and sheds light on how complex structures can arise in evolution because of changes in developmental pathways.
Rare Evidence Of Dinosaur Cannibalism: Meat-Eater Tooth Found In Gorgosaurus Jawbone Science Daily - October 7, 2009
University of Alberta researcher Phil Bell has found 70 million year old evidence of dinosaur cannibalism. The jawbone of what appears to be a Gorgosaurus was found in 1996 in southern Alberta. A technician at the Royal Tyrell Museum found something unusual embedded in the jaw. It was the tip of a tooth from another meat-eating dinosaur.
Dinosaur prints found in France, said to be among the biggest in the world BBC - October 7, 2009
French fossil hunters have discovered huge dinosaur footprints, said to be among the biggest in the world. The footprints were made about 150 million years ago by sauropods - long-necked herbivores - in chalky sediment in the Jura plateau of eastern France. The depressions are about 1.5m (4.9ft) wide, corresponding to animals that were more than 25m long and weighed about 30 tonnes.
Gobi Desert: 8-Horned T. Rex Cousin Found Dinosaur Was "Ballerina" National Geographic - October 6, 2009
A sleek cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex has been unearthed in Asia's Gobi desert. The discovery reveals that the fearsome "tyrant lizards," or tyrannosaurids, were much more diverse than thought.
Hundreds of dinosaur nests found in India PhysOrg - October 2, 2009
Geologists have discovered hundreds of fossilized nests each containing clutches of eight dinosaur eggs. The eggs were located in sand banks in Tamil Nadu in Southern India.
Tyrannosaurus Rex killed by a sore throat Telegraph.co.uk - September 29, 2009
Researchers have found that the undisputed king of the dinosaurs may have been ferocious killer, but it was susceptible to a bacterial infection that stopped it eating. They believe the illness, which is similar to one that continues to affect eagles and hawks today, was so severe it would have led to a painful death from starvation.
Four-Winged Fossil Bridges Bird-Dinosaur Gap Wired - September 25, 2009
A newly described, profusely feathered dinosaur may give lift to scientistsÕ understanding of bird and flight evolution, researchers report. The lithe creature, which stood about 28 centimeters tall at the hip, is the oldest known to have sported feathers and is estimated to be between 1 million and 11 million years older than Archaeopteryx, the first known bird.
Tiny "T. Rex" Found -- 150-Pound Species Came First National Geographic - September 17, 2009
Raptorex kriegsteini, described this week in the journal Science, likely lived about 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period. That's almost twice as far back as the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, which first arose about 85 million years ago, according to study leader Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago.
Tiny ancestor is T rex blueprint BBC - September 17, 2009
A 3m-long dinosaur fossil from China which predates T. rex by 60 million years is a blueprint for the mighty carnivore, say researchers. They tell Science magazine that the fossil displays the same features as T. rex but in miniature.
What Do Dinosaurs And The Maya Have In Common? Science Daily - September 14, 2009
One of the world's most famous asteroid craters, the Chicxulub crater, has been the subject of research for about twenty years. The asteroid impact that formed it probably put an end to the dinosaurs and helped mammals to flourish. Together with an Anglo-American team, an ETH Zurich researcher has studied the most recent deposits that filled the crater. The results provide accurate dating of the limestones and a valuable basis for archaeologists to research the Maya.
Australia discovers new dinosaur BBC - August 27, 2009
Australian paleontologists say they have discovered a new species of dinosaur on a sheep farm in the northern state of Queensland. The fossil remains of the large plant-eating sauropod, nicknamed Zac, are about 97 million years old.
Pterosaur tracks show it touched down like a bird New Scientist - August 18, 2009
Pterosaurs may have been furry rather than feathery, but they may not have been so very different from birds in other respects. A set of footprints unearthed in France is the first to show one of the winged reptiles coming into land Ð and suggests they did so in much the same way as most modern birds.
Tyrannosaurus rex 'picked on baby dinosaurs and ate them whole' National Geographic - August 7, 2009
Although past research has suggested Tyrannosaurus rex was related to chickens, now findings hint this giant predator might have acted chicken too. Instead of picking on dinosaurs its own size, researchers now suggest T. rex was a baby killer that liked to swallow defenseless prey whole. Fossil evidence of attacks of tyrannosaurs or similar gargantuan "theropods" on triceratops and duck-billed dinosaurs has been uncovered before, conjuring images of titanic clashes.
Pterosaur's Wing, "Hairs" Unlike Any Living Animals' National Geographic - August 5, 2009
By literally shining new light on a Chinese pterosaur fossil, researchers have found that the membranes in the creature's wings contain a complex pattern of fibers not found in any living animal. The membrane structure may have given some pterosaur species better control when they took to the skies, a new study says.
Utah: New Dinosaur Had Potbelly, Claws Like Wolverine National Geographic - July 15, 2009
Don't let the Wolverine-like claws fool you. Unlike the X-men's most popular pugilist, this new dinosaur species was no predator, scientists say. Dubbed Nothronychus graffami, the 13-foot-tall (4-meter-tall) therizinosaur (reconstructed skeleton pictured) lived about 92.5 million years ago in what is present-day Utah.
Dinosaurs Went Underground to Wait Out Extreme Weather National Geographic - July 15, 2009
The recent discovery of the oldest known dinosaur burrow reveals one way polar dinosaurs adapted to extreme conditions by going underground.
Australian palaeontologists have discovered three new dinosaur species dug up in Queensland BBC - July 3, 2009
Australian palaeontologists say they have discovered three new dinosaur species after examining fossils dug up in Queensland. Writing in the journal PLoS One, they describe one of the creatures as a fearsome predator with three large slashing claws on each hand.
Dinosaur mummy yields its secrets BBC - June 30, 2009
A remarkably well-preserved fossil of a dinosaur has been analyzed by scientists writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. They describe how the fossil's soft tissues were spared from decay by fine sediments that formed a mineral cast. Tests have shown that the fossil still holds cell-like structures - but their constituent proteins have decayed. The team says the cellular structure of the dinosaur's skin was similar to that of dinosaurs' modern-day descendants.
Huge Dinosaur Tooth Found in Spain Live Science - June 23, 2009
Local residents found the 3.8 inch-long (9.8 centimeters) tooth in deposits in Riodeva, Teruel.
Giant Dinosaurs Get Downsized Live Science - June 21, 2009
ome dinosaurs were the largest creatures ever to walk on land, including the classic long-necked, whip-tailed Diplodicus, but a new study suggests it and its many extinct brethren weighed as little as half as much as previously thought.
Nut-Cracking Dinosaur Like a Giant Parrot Live Science - June 17, 2009
A newly described dinosaur hopefully suffered no nut allergies. Fossil remains suggest the parrot-beaked beast that lived 110 million years ago was a sophisticated nutcracker, researchers said this week.
New Dinosaur Was Nut-Cracking "Parrot" National Geographic - June 18, 2009
The 110-million-year-old skull - as well as "a huge pile" of 50 stomach stones found with the fossil - suggests that the beast was chewing hard, fibrous nuts and seeds, the researchers say. Stomach stones are rocks ingested by some animals to grind food in their digestive systems.
New dinosaur gives bird wing clue BBC - June 17, 2009
A new dinosaur unearthed in western China has shed light on the evolution from dinosaur hands to the wing bones in today's birds. The fossil, from about 160 million years ago, has been named Limusaurus inextricabilis. The find contributes to a debate over how an ancestral hand with five digits evolved to one with three in birds.
Fossil Fingers Solve Bird Wing Mystery? National Geographic - June 17, 2009
The fossil hand of a long-necked, ostrich-like dinosaur recently found in China may help solve the mystery of how bird wings evolved from dinosaur limbs, according to a new study. The ancient digits belonged to a 159-million-year-old theropod dinosaur dubbed Limusaurus inextricabilis. Theropods are two-legged dinos thought to have given rise to modern birds.
Giant Dinosaurs Stuck Their Necks Out, Not Up? National Geographic - May 15, 2009
Long-necked dinosaurs didn't graze treetops, according to new research that suggests the prehistoric animals were better off holding their necks horizontal, not upright. Lifting long necks at steep angles would have put intense pressure on sauropod hearts, requiring dramatic expenditures of energy to keep blood pumping to the brain, a new study of dinosaur circulation says.
New dinosaur species possible in Northwestern Alberta PhysOrg - May 12, 2009
The discovery of a gruesome feeding frenzy that played out 73 million years ago in northwestern Alberta may also lead to the discovery of new dinosaur species in northwestern Alberta.
Dinosaur Graveyard Suggests Feeding Frenzy Live Science - May 12, 2009
The discovery of the site took place near Grande Prairie, 280 miles (450 km) northwest of Edmonton, Canada. Two paleontologists came across a nesting site and found the remains of baby, plant-eating dinosaurs and the teeth of a predator. The researchers matched the teeth to a Troodon, a raptor-like dinosaur about 6 feet (2 meters) in length. The finding could open new doors for dinosaur research on this part of the continent.
Oldest Dinosaur Protein Found -- Blood Vessels, More National Geographic - May 1, 2009
The fossilized leg of an 80-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur has yielded the oldest known proteins preserved in soft tissue including blood vessels and other connective tissue as well as perhaps blood cell proteins a new study says.
Dinosaurs declined before mass extinction PhysOrg - May 1, 2009
Dinosaurs were dying out much earlier than the mass extinction event 65 million years ago, Natural History Museum scientists report in the Proceedings of the Royal Society journal today.
Proteins, Soft Tissue from 80 Million-Year-Old Hadrosaur Add Weight to Theory that Molecules Preserve Over Time PhysOrg - May 1, 1009
A North Carolina State University paleontologist has more evidence that soft tissues and original proteins can be preserved over time - even in fossilized remains - in the form of new protein sequence data from an 80 million-year-old hadrosaur, or duck-billed dinosaur.
Giant Pterosaurs Couldn't Fly, Study Suggests National Geographic - April 29, 2009
Giant pterosaurs, colossal winged reptiles that lived alongside the dinosaurs, have long been considered the heaviest animals ever to take to the skies. But new research suggests that the notion of giant pterosaurs soaring over Earth simply doesn't fly.
Evidence of the 'Lost World' - did dinosaurs survive the end Cretaceous extinctions? PhysOrg - April 28, 2009
The Lost World, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's account of an isolated community of dinosaurs that survived the catastrophic extinction event 65 million years ago, has no less appeal now than it did when it was written a century ago. Various Hollywood versions have tried to recreate the lost world of dinosaurs, but today the fiction seems just a little closer to reality.
New Blow for Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Theory PhysOrg - April 27, 2009
The enduringly popular theory that the Chicxulub crater holds the clue to the demise of the dinosaurs, along with some 65 percent of all species 65 million years ago, is challenged in a paper to be published in the Journal of the Geological Society on April 27, 2009.
Dinosaurs Lived in the Arctic Live Science - April 26, 2009
You know the scenario: 65 million years ago, a big meteor crash sets off volcanoes galore, dust and smoke fill the air, dinosaurs go belly up.
Dinosaur Lost World Found in Texas City National Geographic - March 18, 2009
Just down the road from the local Starbucks, a rich trove of 95-million-year-old dinosaurs, sharks, and other prehistoric beasts and their feces have been unearthed in Arlington, one of Texas's biggest cities, researchers said this week.
Smallest Meat-Eating Dinosaur in N. America Discovered National Geographic - March 17, 2009
North America's newest dinosaur had the makings of a monster: razor-sharp claws, a runner's body, and similarities with the Velociraptor of Jurassic Park infamy.
Canadian dig yields tiny dinosaur BBC - March 17, 2009
The smallest meat-eating dinosaur yet to be found in North America has been identified from six tiny pelvic bones. Hesperonychus was the size of a small chicken, and used its rows of serrated teeth to feed on insects, experts say. The bird-like creature is closely related to Microraptor - a tiny feathered dinosaur discovered in China. The specimen helps to confirm that reptiles, and not mammals, filled the role of small predators during the age of the dinosaurs. The fossil skeleton, which lay misidentified for 25 years as a lizard, belongs to a group of dinosaurs called the theropods - bipedal reptiles that eventually gave rise to birds.
Young dinosaurs roamed together, died together PhysOrg - March 16, 2009
A herd of young birdlike dinosaurs met their death on the muddy margins of a lake some 90 million years ago, according to a team of Chinese and American paleontologists that excavated the site in the Gobi Desert in western Inner Mongolia.
Dinosaur Fossils Fit Perfectly Into The Evolutionary Tree Of Life, Study Finds Science Daily - February 1, 2009
Evolutionary biologists use two ways to study the evolution of prehistoric plants and animals: firstly they use radioactive dating techniques to put fossils in chronological order according to the age of the rocks in which they are found (stratigraphy); secondly they observe and classify the characteristics of fossilized remains according to their relatedness (morphology).
Dino Hunter Paradise in Argentina National Geographic - January 14, 2009
Within the last decade, the Chubut province in Argentina has become a paradise for paleontologists seeking fossilized clues about the flora and fauna from millions of years hence.
New Feathered Dinosaur Found; Adds to Bird-Dino Theory National Geographic - January 16, 2009
A fossil of a primitive feathered dinosaur uncovered in China is helping scientists create a better model of how dinosaurs evolved into modern birds. The winged dinosaur is still in the process of being dated, and might have lived toward the end of the Jurassic period, which lasted from 208 to 144 million years ago.
Dino feathers 'were for display' BBC - January 13, 2009
The earliest dinosaur feathers were probably used for visual display, according to a new study. The evidence comes from two 125-million-year-old dinosaur fossils unearthed in north-east China. Writing in PNAS journal, the team says its findings may shed light on the origin of feathers.
Pterosaurs Took Flight on All Fours National Geographic - January 7, 2009
Pterosaurs took flight using all fours, a discovery that flies in the face of previous research on the ancient reptiles, a new study says. Two of the giant creatures' "legs" were extremely strong wings, which when folded, created "knuckles" that allowed the animals to walk and jump (above left, the pterosaur known as Hatzegotpteryx in an artist's rendering). The way a bird lifts off using two legs doesn't make sense for pterosaurs, which would have had to heave their 500 pounds (227 kilograms) airborne using only their hind legs, the study says.
How Huge Flying Reptiles Got Airborne Live Science - January 7, 2009
Millions of years ago, giraffe-sized reptiles called pterosaurs launched into the air with a leap-frog maneuver, relying on all four limbs, suggests a new study that may solve a longstanding mystery.
Polygamy, Paternal Care In Birds Linked To Dinosaur Ancestors Science Daily - December 19, 2008
Scientists had long wondered about the origins of polygamy and paternal care patterns among modern-day Paleognathes -- an ancient avian lineage that branched off soon after birds evolved from dinosaurs and includes ostriches, emus and tinamous. No such reproductive behavior exists among the vast majority of other vertebrates.
Dinosaur Dads Played "Mr. Mom"? National Geographic - December 18, 2008
The paternal care common among birds may have its origins among dinosaurs closely related to Velociraptor, reports a new study. Researchers studying the evolution of reproduction in the swift and carnivorous creatures, which are believed to have evolved into birds, found that one species, Troodon, frequently laid large clutches of eggs.
Dinosaur Baby Boom Hit Cretaceous Korea Discovery - December 18, 2008
Cretaceous-era Korea was the site of a dinosaur baby boom that resulted in hundreds upon hundreds of dinos, ranging from giant plant eaters to bird-like, fleet-footed runners, two new studies suggest. Based on the arrangements of dinosaur nests found there, it appears that the animals lived in densely populated groups, laid many eggs at a time and favored specific sites for their nurseries.
Photos: Huge Dinosaur and Pterosaur Found in Sahara National Geographic - December 18, 2008
Africa's Sahara desert has yielded two potentially new prehistoric species to explorers who traveled 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) over mountains and through sandstorms to a site in southeastern Morocco. Their reward: new types of sauropod (top) and pterosaur both of which lived almost a hundred million years ago, in the Cretaceous period.
"Bizarre" New Dinosaur: Giant Raptor Found in Argentina National Geographic - December 17, 2008
Scientists have discovered what they say is a completely unexpected new giant dinosaur that lived 70 million years ago in Argentina. At 16.5 to 21 feet long (5 to 6.5 meters) long, depending on its tail size, Austroraptor cabazai is among the largest of the slender, carnivorous, two-legged dinosaurs called raptors, said Fernando Novas, the lead researcher behind the discovery.
Rare Look at Darwin and First Dinosaur Hunters Live Science - December 16, 2008
... Charles Darwin, one of many obsessed with dinosaurs, pterodactyls, plesiosaurs and fossilized dung.
Dinosaur Killer May Have Been Volcanism, Not Asteroid Live Science - December 15, 2008
Scientists have found even more evidence that volcanism, not a space rock, may be the culprit behind the dinosaurs' demise. The first well-supported theory for what wiped out all large dinosaurs involved a space rock that created the Chicxulub crater in MexicoÕs Yucatan Peninsula. But climate change and volcanism have been suggested in recent decades, too. A set of new studies further shifts the blame away from the impact and toward volcanism, a position that geologist Gerta Keller of Princeton University has taken in recent years.
Bird-like dinosaur sat on eggs National Geographic - November 13, 2008
If it looks like a duck-billed dinosaur nest, it's probably from a duck-bill - unless it's a newly identified clutch of fossilized eggs from a private collection in Calgary, Canada. The eggs, originally found in Montana in the 1990s, actually belong to a carnivorous dinosaurÑeither a creature related to the fearsome velociraptor (seen above, top right) or a birdlike, upright-walking dinosaur called a caenganathid (top left), a new study says.
Tiny Skull Sheds Light on Strange Dinosaur Diets Live Science - October 23, 2008
A juvenile dinosaur weighing less than two sticks of butter was a toothy hodgepodge equipped with fang-like canines to tear into small mammals, reptiles and insects, as well as flat molars for plant munching.
The world's 7 deadliest dinosaurs MSNBC - October 23, 2008
Yeah, it's cliche to say Tyrannosaurus rex was deadly. But the tyrant king was likely true to the billing. Its bone-crushing jaws could splinter prey like toothpicks, after all. And the beast was big, up to 40 feet long, 20 feet tall, and may have topped the scales at nearly 16,000 pounds.
New feathered dinosaur discovered BBC - October 23, 2008
The fossil of a "bizarre" feathered dinosaur from the era before birds evolved has been discovered in China. Epidexipteryx was very bird-like, with four long ribbon-like tail feathers - probably used in display. But the pigeon-sized creature shows no sign of the flight feathers seen in other bird-like dinosaurs
First Dinosaur Feathers for Show, Not Flight? National Geographic - October 22, 2008
One of the oldest known dinosaur relatives of birds had "bizarre" anatomy, including long, ribbon-like tail feathers that suggest plumage may have first evolved for show rather than for flight, scientists say.
Study Of Polar Dinosaur Migration Questions Whether Dinosaurs Were Truly The First Great Migrators Science Daily - October 22, 2008
Contrary to popular belief, polar dinosaurs may not have traveled nearly as far as originally thought when making their bi-annual migration. The idea that these animals may have travelled distances nine times further than mule deer or four times those of wildebeest would have made them the greatest migrators in history. "There are strong opinions regarding dinosaur migration, but we decided to take a different approach, looking at variables such as energy requirements," said Bell. Their research led them to suggest that migrating dinosaurs could have travelled up to 3,000 kilometres in a round trip - lasting perhaps up to six months - half of the distance suggested previously.
Utah: Dinosaur Graveyard Yields Fossil Bounty Live Science - October 21, 2008
The graveyardÕs star discovery thus far is "Gnatalie," a well-preserved skeleton of a 150 million-year-old sauropod. Tracks of Jurassic Period sauropods at the site in San Juan County were found near tracks of carnivorous theropods and herbivorous ornithopods of the early Cretaceous. And, even more notably, the sandstone site also features tracks belonging to a European stegosaur, named Deltapodus, Chiappe said.
Rock records dino 'dance floor' BBC - October 20, 2008
Scientists have identified an amazing collection of dinosaur footprints on the Arizona-Utah border in the US. There are so many prints - more than 1,000 - that geologists have dubbed the site "a dinosaur dance floor". Located within the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, the marks were long thought simply to be potholes gouged out of the rock by years of erosion. A paper describing the 190-million-year-old footprints is published in the palaeontology journal Palaios. "Get out there and try stepping in their footsteps, and you feel like you are playing the game 'Dance Dance Revolution' that teenagers dance on," says Professor Marjorie Chan from the University of Utah. "This kind of reminded me of that - a dinosaur dance floor - because there are so many tracks and a variety of different tracks." "There must have been more than one kind of dinosaur there," she adds. "It was a place that attracted a crowd, kind of like a dance floor."
New Dinosaur May Link S. American, Aussie Dinos National Geographic - June 11, 2008
A rare fossil found in Australia suggests dinosaurs were able to traverse the vast prehistoric continent of Gondwana much later than thought, scientists report. The hundred-million-year-old fossil belonged to a two-legged meat-eater, or theropod, that is closely related to Megaraptor namunhuaiquii, a giant, big-clawed carnivore from Argentina, says a team led by Nathan Smith of the University of Chicago's Field Museum.
Rare dinosaur tracks found in Arabian Peninsula National Geographic - May 20, 2008
More than a hundred dinosaur footprints have been found on the Arabian Peninsula, the first time that tracks have been unearthed in the region, a new study says. The 150-million-year-old tracks were made by ornithopods and sauropods - large two- and four-legged plant-eaters, respectively - in modern-day Yemen.
When Did Dinosaurs Go Extinct? Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary Dating Refined Science Daily - April 28, 2008
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Berkeley Geochronology Center have pinpointed the date of the dinosaurs' extinction more precisely than ever thanks to refinements to a common technique for dating rocks and fossils.
T. Rex Protein "Confirms" Bird-Dinosaur Link National Geographic - April 24, 2008
A new study of ancient proteins retrieved from a Tyranosaurus rex fossil confirms the long-hypothesized evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and modern birds, experts say. The finding is the first molecular evidence that birds, not lizards or other reptiles, are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs, the researchers note.
Hundreds of Dino-Era Animals in Amber Revealed by X-Ray National Geographic - April 4, 2008
A hidden trove of fossilized treasures in cloudy ancient tree sap have been brought to light with a new form of "x ray vision," scientists announced recently. Fossilized tree sap, or amber, is usually transparent but can become murky due to contamination by dirt and other debris.
Secret 'dino bugs' revealed BBC - April 1, 2008
It is like a magic trick - at first there is nothing and then it appears: a tiny insect unseen by any eye for 100 million years. We are with Paul Tafforeau who is scrolling through images on his computer. His pictures have been produced by a colossal X-ray machine that can illuminate the insides of small lumps of clouded amber (fossil tree resin). As he plays with the settings, what starts out as grey nothingness suddenly becomes the unmistakable outline of a "wee beastie". Who knows? This little creature could once have buzzed a dinosaur. It's certainly the right age.
Tafforeau is a palaeontologist. But whilst others of his profession will be in the dirt with a rock hammer and trowel, you'll find him at the end of one of the most remarkable "cameras" in the world. The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, produces an intense, high-energy light that can pierce just about any material, revealing its inner structure.
New "Sea Monster" Species Identified National Geographic - March 27, 2008
The remarkably well-preserved fossil of a dinosaur-era sea creature found in a Canadian mine is turning out to be a gold mine for paleontologists. The Cretaceous-period reptile, dubbed Nichollsia borealis, is not only a new species it represents a whole new genus, scientists announced on March 20. It's also one of the oldest and most complete plesiosaur fossils ever unearthed in North America. Plesiosaurs were carnivorous reptiles that roamed the seas between about 205 million to 65 million years ago. Mine workers found the intact creature about 200 feet (60 meters) deep in a surface mine in Alberta in 1994. The Syncrude company extracts oil from the mine's sandy soil. A "tomb" of sandstone preserved the 8.5-foot-long (2.6-meter-long) creature almost perfectly unlike other plesiosaur fossils that are often found in porous shale.
North Dakota: Workers Uncovering Mummified Dinosaur National Geographic - March 19, 2008
Using tiny brushes and chisels, workers picking at a big greenish-black rock in the basement of North Dakota's state museum are meticulously uncovering something amazing: a nearly complete dinosaur, skin and all.
Dino-Era Feathers Found Encased in Amber National Geographic - March 11, 2008
Seven dino-era feathers found perfectly preserved in amber in western France highlight a crucial stage in feather evolution, scientists report.The hundred-million-year-old plumage has features of both feather-like fibers found with some two-legged dinosaurs known as theropods and of modern bird feathers, the researchers said.
Bizarre New Dinosaurs Found in Sahara National Geographic - February 13, 2008
Face-to-face in a new fossil discovery, two newfound dinosaur species were revealed today. Both roamed Africa's Sahara desert some 110 million years ago and were found in present-day Niger. Eocarcharia dinops, or ''fierce-eyed dawn shark,'' (left) was armed with three-inch (7.6-centimeter), blade-like teeth, likely for disabling and dismembering prey. Some experts speculate that its menacing brow was used in head-butting contests with rival males.
Giant Duck-Billed Dino Discovered in Mexico National Geographic - February 13, 2008
A giant new species of crested duck-billed dinosaur has been unearthed in Mexico, researchers say. The discovery of the 72-million-year-old fossil adds to the rich gallery of dinosaurs that scientists now know lived in western North America during the latter part of the dinosaur era.
Video: China: Tiny Ancient Reptile Found National Geographic - February 12, 2008
The smallest known pterodactyl was unearthed in China, researchers say. Its wingspan was less than ten inches wide.
China: New Mini-Pterodactyl Among Smallest Known National Geographic - February 11, 2008
A new species of miniature flying reptile that lived more than 120 million years ago has been unearthed in China, researchers announced today. The mini-pterosaur, dubbed Nemicolopterus crypticus, had a wingspan of only 10 inches (25 centimeters) - about the size of a modern sparrow.
Dinos' Veggie Diets Packed Surprising Punch Live Science - February 6, 2008
"Amazing" Dino Fossil Found With Skin, Tissue in China National Geographic - January 16, 2008
UK Dino Ate More Like a Croc National Geographic - January 14, 2008
Big Dinosaurs Had "Teen Sex" National Geographic - January 14, 2008
Dinosaur Had Crocodile-Like Skull National Geographic - January 14, 2008
New meat-eating dinosaur unveiled BBC - December 12, 2007
New Dinosaur Discovered in Antarctica Live Science - December 11, 2007
Massive Dinosaur "Graveyard" Discovered in Spain National Geographic - December 10, 2007
Were Dinosaurs Colorful? Live Science - December 8, 2007
How Did Dinosaurs Communicate? Live Science - December 6, 2007
How Old Were the Oldest Dinosaurs? Live Science - December 5, 2007
Dinosaur Tracks Discovered in Utah Live Science - December 3, 2007
Dino Quiz: Test Your Smarts Live Science - December 3, 2007
How Do Dinosaurs Get Their Names? Live Science - December 3, 2007
North Dakota: Amazing find of dinosaur 'mummy' BBC - December 3, 2007
Fossil hunters have uncovered the remains of a dinosaur that has much of its soft tissue still intact.
Bizarre Dinosaur Grazed Like a Cow, Study Says National Geographic - November 15, 2007
Dino With "Vacuum Mouth" Revealed National Geographic - November 15, 2007
Fossil is new family of dinosaur BBC - November 15, 2007
Giant Dinosaur Skeleton Found in Museum Drawers Live Science - November 14, 2007
Polar Dinosaurs Left Their Tracks Live Science - October 19, 2007
'Giant dino' found in Patagonia BBC - October 16, 2007
Giant Dino Found in Fossil ''Lost World'' National Geographic - October 16, 2007
Big Waddling Dinosaur Discovered Live Science - October 4, 2007
A strange, long-necked waddling dinosaur with massive arms and probably enormous claws has been discovered.
"Missing Link" Dinosaur Discovered in Montana National Geographic - October 3, 2007
Utah: Duck-billed dinosaur had big bite BBC - October 3, 2007
Bug Warfare Discovered in Dinosaur Era Live Science - September 4, 2007
The discovery of a bug that roamed with the dinosaurs has shown that insects were equipped with chemical weapons much earlier than thought.
Dinosaurs Had Sex As Youths, Study Says Live Science - July 20, 2007
Birdlike dinosaurs did not wait until they were fully grown to start having sex, a new study says. Early sexual maturity is a trait associated with modern-day crocodiles more than birds a surprise because most scientists believe birds are akin to modern dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Fossils Part of Longtime Chinese Tonic National Geographic - July 16, 2007
When Chinese villagers were recently discovered grinding dinosaur fossils into traditional elixirs, the incident was reported worldwide as a time-bending oddity of modern-day China. Yet such fossils have probably been key ingredients in Chinese "dragon bone" medicines for the past 25 centuries.
Meep-Meep! 'Road Runner' Dino Discovered Live Science - June 23, 2007
Skeletal remains from a 220-million-year-old dinosaur reveal a prehistoric road runner of sorts, whose svelte figure and long legs allowed it to evade predators lickety-split. The creature stood about 12 inches tall at the hips and weighed just 4.4 pounds. Its head-to-tail length was about 3 feet, with about half of that taken by the tail. The new species is aptly named Eocursor parvus, meaning early little runner. The fox-sized dinosaur is thought to be one of the oldest members of a group of plant-eating dinos called Ornithischians. Later Ornithischians, including the ÒelephantineÓ Stegosaurus and Triceratops, evolved from this half-pint, two-legged dinosaur.
Dinosaur Extinction Spurred Rise of Modern Mammals, Study Says National Geographic - June 20, 2007
The asteroid that finished off the dinosaurs 65 million years ago opened up niches for the majority of today's living mammals, according to a new study. The finding is the latest volley in a long-simmering debate over when and where the direct ancestors of everything from whales to rats to humans first arose.
Massive Birdlike Dinosaur Unearthed in China National Geographic- June 13, 2007
The remains of a huge beaked dinosaur with the looks of an ostrich but the weight of a rhino have been discovered in China's Gobi desert, fossil hunters have announced. The previously unknown dinosaur weighed in around 1.5 tons (1.4 metric tons) and stood more than 16 feet (5 meters) tall - an extraordinary size given its birdlike appearance, say the Chinese researchers who found it.
Prehistoric Gliding Lizard Discovered in U.S. National Geographic - June 13, 2007
Two hundred and twenty million years ago long-necked lizards spread their ribs and glided on winglike membranes through North American forests, according to a new discovery. Two fossils of the animal, called Mecistotrachelos apeoros ("soaring, long-necked"), were excavated at a quarry on the Virginia-North Carolina state border.
Fossil traces deep dinosaur roots - about 210 million years ago BBC - June 13, 2007
Scientists have described a new primitive dinosaur species, Eocursor parvus, which lived in the Late Triassic - about 210 million years ago.
Big Dinosaurs Could Hear Only Low-Pitched Sounds, Experts Suggest National Geographic - June 8, 2007
Large dinosaurs' hearing was more sensitive to booms and thuds than squeaks and whistles, new research says. Dinos such as Brachiosaurus and Allosaurus probably could hear the deep-toned sounds of other dinosaurs' footfalls from miles away, researchers say.
T. rex was 'slow-turning plodder' BBC - June 5, 2007
A Tyrannosaurus rex would have had great difficulty getting its jaws on fast, agile prey, a study confirms. A US team has used detailed computer models to work out the weight of a typical "king of the dinosaurs", and determine how it ran and turned. The results indicate a 6 to 8-tonne T. rex was unlikely to have topped 40km/h (25mph) and would take a couple of seconds to swivel 45 degrees.
"Feathered" Dinosaur Was Bald, Not Bird Ancestor, Controversial Study Says National Geographic - June 2, 2007
A shadow of doubt has been thrown over the widely held theory that dinosaurs had feathers and that they gave rise to modern birds. In a new study, researchers examined the fossil of a 140-million-year-old turkey-size dinosaur called Sinosauropteryx.
T. Rex, Other Big Dinosaurs Could Swim, New Evidence Suggests National Geographic - May 29, 2007
Predatory dinosaurs such as the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex could swim, say scientists who claim they have found definitive proof of the behavior. The evidence, they say, is odd scuff marks found in Cretaceous-era rock in northern Spain's Cameros Basin.
Protein links T. rex to chickens BBC - April 12, 2007
Protein extracted from 68 million-year-old T. rex bones has shed new light on the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. Researchers compared organic molecules preserved in the T. rex fossils with those of living animals, and found they were similar to chicken protein. The discovery of protein in dinosaur bones is a surprise - organic material was not thought to survive this long.
Fossil reveals a caring, sharing dinosaur Guardian - March 21, 2007
The monstrous image of the dinosaurs needs a more touchy-feely makeover after US researchers found convincing evidence that at least some of the king reptiles cared for their young and even dug burrows to hide from predators. The find in Montana includes fossilized bones of an adult and two young. "Here we have the burrow, den, an adult with traits for digging, and two juveniles, all in the same place," said Anthony Martin at Emory University, Atlanta. "It doesn't get much better than that."
Dinosaur den diggers discovered BBC - March 21, 2007
The fossil remains of small dinosaurs that burrowed into the ground have been found by scientists in Montana, US.
Triceratops' "Granddaddy" Discovered in Canada National Geographic - March 6, 2007
Its forehead sprouted horns as large as human arms, and its skull was frilled with spikes the size of sharks' teeth. Even to the scientists who discovered this new species of dinosaur, the fearsome-looking creature was a bizarre sight. But its weird appearance is what helped experts peg the dino as a missing link, a never-before-seen member from the family tree of Triceratops. Dubbed Albertaceratops nesmoi, the 78-million-year-old dinosaur was unearthed in 2001 by paleontologist Michel Ryan and a colleague in the badlands of southern Alberta, Canada.
Over 100 Dinosaur Eggs Found in India National Geographic - February 6, 2007
Three Indian explorers are giving amateurs a good name. The fossil enthusiasts recently set out on an 18-hour hunt near the central city of Indore and ended up with more than a hundred dinosaur eggs. They are the typical, spherical eggs that researchers interpret as having been laid by sauropod dinosaurs," paleontologist Hans-Dieter Sues told National Geographic News via email after viewing photos of the find. Sues is an associate director for research and collections at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., and a former member of the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration.
Two-headed reptile fossil found BBC - December 20, 2006
Scientists have found what is thought to be the first example of a two-headed reptile in the fossil record. The abnormal animal, belonging to a group of aquatic reptiles, was unearthed in northeastern China and dates to the time of the dinosaurs. The specimen reveals that it must have been very young when it died and became fossilised, says lead researcher Eric Buffetaut.
Europe's "Biggest Dino" Discovered in Spain National Geographic - December 21, 2006
A massive Jurassic-age dinosaur - the largest ever discovered in Europe has been unearthed by Spanish fossil hunters.
Baby plesiosaur bones found in Antarctic China View - December 13, 2006
he bones of a baby plesiosaur have been recovered from an Antarctic island, scientists reported Monday. In life, 70 million years ago, the five-foot-long animal would have resembled Nessie, the long-necked creature reported to inhabit Scotland's Loch Ness.
Giant Dinosaur Found in Argentina National Geographic - July 28, 2006
Argentinean scientists have discovered gigantic neck, back, and tail bones from one of the biggest dinosaurs ever to roam the Earth. Puertasaurus reuili, seen here in an artist's conception, is estimated to have been 115 to 131 feet (35 to 40 meters) long and weighed between 88 and 110 tons (80 and 100 metric tons).
T. rex struggled with midlife crisis MSNBC - July 14, 2006
A major midlife crisis came early for dinosaurs in the tyrannosaur family, as new research suggests many of the giant beasts died just as they reached their sexual prime. Like modern long-living birds and mammals, Tyrannosaurus rex and other tyrannosaur species experienced high mortality rates as infants and young adults, with just a choice few surviving to maturity. Researchers recently investigated a quarry in the Canadian province of Alberta, where in 1910 several fossilized specimens were found of the species Albertosaurus sarcophagus, a member of the tyrannosaur family. The collection of 22 dinos, which range from 6 to 30 feet long (2 to 9 meters long), remains the best evidence that tyrannosaurs were gregarious animals living in packs
For Tyrannosaurs, Teen Years Were Murder National Geographic - July 14, 2006
If they survived the deadly toddler years, tyrannosaurs apparently had it pretty cushy, at least until they hit dinosaur puberty. But after these dinosaurs reached sexual maturity, life's harsher realities kicked in again. Beginning at about age 14, tyrannosaurs suffered death rates of nearly 23 percent a year, according to a new study.
Bigger dinosaurs had warmer blood BBC - July 11, 2006
The bigger a dinosaur was, the warmer its blood, a study of the big beasts' fossil remains suggests. Dinosaurs were long considered to be cold-blooded reptiles. More recently, some researchers have proposed that the extinct creatures actively regulated their body temperature like mammals. A study in the journal Plos Biology now suggests this is not the case, but that bigger dinosaurs may have lost heat so slowly that they stayed warm anyway.
Dinosaur-Era Birds Surprisingly Ducklike, Fossils Suggest National Geographic - June 15, 2006
110 million-year-old birds bridge gap between age of dinosaurs and today
A new species of mini-dinosaur has been unearthed in northern Germany BBC - June 7, 2006
A new species of mini-dinosaur has been unearthed in northern Germany. The creature was of the sauropod type - that group of long-necked, four-footed herbivores that were the largest of all the dinosaurs. But at just a few metres in length, this animal was considerably smaller than its huge cousins, scientists report in the journal Nature. The team thinks the Jurassic species evolved its small form in response to limited food resources on an island.
North Sea fossil is deepest dino BBC - April 27, 2006
The first dinosaur fossil discovered in Norway is also the deepest one that has been found anywhere in the world.
Norway: The World's Deepest Dinosaur Finding - 2,256 Metres Below The Seabed Science Daily - April 25, 2006
The somewhat rough uncovering of Norway's first dinosaur happened in the North Sea, at an entire 2256 metres below the seabed. It had been there for nearly 200 million years, ever since the time the North Sea wasn't a sea at all, but an enormous alluvial plane. It is merely a coincidence that the remains of the old dinosaur now see the light of day again, or more precisely, parts of the dinosaur. The fossil is in fact just a crushed knucklebone in a drilling core -- a long cylinder of rock drilled out from an exploration well at the Snorre offshore field.
Meat-Eating Dinosaur Was Bigger Than T. Rex National Geographic - April 18, 2006
The newly revealed species is one of the biggest carnivores ever to have walked the Earth, dinosaur experts say.
T. Rex's Oldest Ancestor Discovered in China National Geographic - February 8, 2006
The earliest in a line of dinosaurs that gave rise to Tyrannosaurus rex has been discovered in China. Scientists say the 160-million-year-old animal, which had an elaborate head crest and possibly bore simple feathers, is the oldest known tyrannosaur - a group of swift, flesh-eating dinos that culminated in T. rex some 90 million years later.
Crocodile ancestor found in museum basement National Geographic - January 25, 2006
210 million-year-old fossil discovered by accident after decades in storage
A study of fossil dinosaur dung has for the first time confirmed that the ancient reptiles ate grass BBC - November 17, 2005
A study of fossil dinosaur dung has for the first time confirmed that the ancient reptiles ate grass. Grass was previously thought to have become common only after the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago. But grasses were probably not a very important part of dinosaur diets - the fossilized feces show the big beasts ate many different types of plants.
Remains of 'Godzilla' croc found in Argentina BBC - November 11, 2005
The fossilized remains of a crocodile that ruled the oceans 140 million years ago have been discovered in Patagonia. Scientists have nicknamed the creature Godzilla, because of its dinosaur-like snout and jagged teeth. The US-Argentine team of researchers believes the animal was a ferocious predator, feeding on other marine reptiles and large sea creatures.
China: Ancient Flying Reptiles Discovered National Geographic - October 5, 2005
Fossils found in northeastern China have revealed two new species of flying reptiles that lived more than 120 million years ago, during the dinosaur era. The extinct species, known as pterosaurs, belong to groups previously found only in Europe. Scientists made the find in a region known for the diversity of its fossil specimens dating from the Cretaceous period, which lasted from 144 million to 65 million years ago.
Rare Fossil Embryos Reveal Dinosaur Growth National Geographic - July 29, 2005
The oldest terrestrial dinosaur embryos ever discovered reveal a strange-looking baby herbivore that was born on four legs, not two, as previously thought.
Experts tell Mr from Mrs Dinosaur BBC - June 2, 2005
Palaeontologists think they have found a way to tell whether dinosaur fossils are from males or females. Writing in Science, a US team describe a specialised type of bone layer in fossils from a T. rex which is similar to one found in female birds.nIn birds, the special tissue is called medullary bone and is laid down in the limbs of females when they lay eggs.
Utah: Killer dino 'turned vegetarian' BBC - May 4, 2005
The "mass graveyard" of a bird-like dinosaur has been uncovered in Utah, US, Nature magazine reports this week. Scientists believe the previously unknown species was in the process of converting to "vegetarianism" from a rather more bloodthirsty diet. Falcarius utahensis seems to represent an intermediate stage between a carnivorous and herbivorous form. The creature, which lived about 125 million years ago, provides a "missing link" in dinosaur evolution.
Eggs found inside dinosaur fossil BBC - April 15, 2005
A dinosaur that died just before it was about to lay two eggs has been found by an international team of scientists. The creature, which lived 65-98 million years ago, was discovered in China's Jiangxi Province. The fossilized remains comprise little more than a pelvis with the shelled eggs still viewable in the body cavity. Tamaki Sato and colleagues tell Science magazine the dinosaur's reproductive system shares similarities with both primitive reptiles and modern birds.
T. rex fossil has 'soft tissues' BBC - March 24, 2005
Dinosaur experts have extracted samples of what appear to be soft tissues from a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil bone. The US researchers tell Science magazine that the organic components resemble cells and fine blood vessels. In the hotly contested field of dino research, the work will be greeted with acclaim and disbelief in equal measure.What seems certain is that some fairly remarkable conditions must have existed at the Montana site where the T. rex died, 68 million years ago.
Fierce badger-like mammals ate dinos for lunch BBC - January 12, 2005
An astonishing new fossil unearthed in China has overturned the accepted view about the relationship between dinosaurs and early mammals. The specimen belongs to a primitive mammal about 130 million years old and its stomach contents show that it ate young dinosaurs called psittacosaurs.
Fossil Egg Finds Yield Clues to How Pterosaurs Lived National Geographic - December 2, 2004
The discoveries of two fossilized eggs from the ancient flying reptiles known as pterosaurs were announced Wednesday. The finds raise to three the number of known pterosaur eggs - the one other known egg was only announced last summer. Until very recently, scientists wondered if the reptiles that filled the skies in the age of the dinosaurs laid eggs or gave birth to live young like mammals do.
Britain's biggest dinosaur found - Isle of Wight BBC - November 22, 2004
Fossil hunters on the Isle of Wight have unearthed bones from the biggest dinosaur so far discovered in the UK. One fossil - a single neck bone from the 125-130-million-year-old sauropod dinosaur - measures an astonishing three-quarters of a metre in length. Based on this, a team of UK and US researchers believes the huge reptile was probably over 20m long and could have weighed as much as 40-50 tones.
'Sleeping dragon' had bird repose BBC - October 13, 2004
A 130-million-year-old fossil dinosaur caught apparently grabbing a kip with its head tucked under its forearm has been discovered by Chinese scientists. It is the earliest known example of an animal unearthed in a bird-like repose. Mei long, which means A 135-million-year-old fossil dinosaur caught apparently grabbing a kip with its head tucked under its forearm has been discovered by scientists in China. It is the earliest known example of an animal unearthed in a bird-like repose."soundly sleeping dragon", was pulled out of the famous fossil beds of Liaoning province.
Long-necked hunter found in China BBC - September 2004
The remains of a 230-million-year-old marine reptile with fangs and a long neck have been found in southeast China.
Fossil hints at devoted parenting in dinosaurs Nature - September 24, 2004
Fossil hunters in China have unearthed what looks like the final resting place of an adult dinosaur with 34 offspring. The unique discovery shows that at least some dinosaurs cared for their young after they hatched out, and suggests that the parental instincts of present-day birds and reptiles such ascrocodiles may have a common evolutionary precursor.
Growing Pains: T. Rex had a massive growth spurt during its adolescent years Science Daily - August 12, 2004
Most teenagers have growing pains, but none probably compared to those of Tyrannosaurus rex as it ascended to adulthood more than 65 million years ago, according to a Florida State University researcher.
Dinosaur-Era Bird - Archaeopteryx - Could Fly, Brain Study Says National Geographic - August 4, 2004
The earliest known bird was discovered in a Bavarian quarry in 1861. Ever since, scientists have disagreed as to whether Archaeopteryx was fully capable of flight. Exquisitely preserved fossils reveal that the winged, feathered animal had numerous modern birdlike features, but much of its primitive reptilian skeleton betrays a close kinship to meat-eating dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Tooth Found in Flying Reptile's Spine National Geographic - June 30, 2004
A hundred-million-year-old Brazilian fossil may offer rare evidence of an ancient encounter between a dinosaur predator and a flying reptile. Massive carnivorous dinosaurs known as spinosaurs had snouts and jaws similar to modern fish-eating crocodiles. The similarity led many experts to believe that they were specialized hunters of fish.
Two Dinosaurs From Africa Give Clues To ContinentsÕ Split Science Daily - June 9, 2004
The fossil skull of a wrinkle-faced, meat-eating dinosaur whose cousins lived as far away as South America and India has emerged from the African Sahara, discovered by a team led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno. The find provides fresh information about how and when the ancient southern continents of Africa, South America and India separated.
"Wrinkle Face" Dinosaur Fossil Found in Africa National Geographic - June 2, 2004
The fossil skull of a new species of dinosaur - a wrinkle-faced carnivore called Rugops primus that lived 95 million years ago - has been found in a remote part of the Sahara in Africa. The discovery of the 30-foot-long (9-meter-long) dinosaur -whose cousins lived as far away as South America and India - sheds new light on how and when the ancient southern continent that included Africa, South America, and India separated.
New dino 'links major landmasses' BBC - June 2, 2004
A cache of dinosaurs discovered in Niger may challenge our understanding of continental formation, US scientists have claimed this week. One of the dinosaurs - Rugops - was a wrinkle-faced carnivore, which lived about 95 million years ago. Rugops had relations in South America, indicating Africa became a separate continent later than thought, some researchers believe.
Dino hunts find 7 rare raptor teeth BBC - April 26, 2004
Seven fossil dinosaur teeth unearthed on the Isle of Wight belong to raptors - the predatory dinosaurs made famous by the film Jurassic Park. The teeth represent only the second example of velociraptorines in the UK and suggest the animals from which they came were surprisingly large.
Argentina: Dinosaur Discovered in Patagonia - Named "Small Head" National Geographic - April 5, 2004
Argentine paleontologists have discovered a 13-foot (4-meter) plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and small head that roamed the southern tip of South America about 70 million years ago. The team, led by Fernando Novas of the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences in Buenos Aires, named the dinosaur Talenkauen santacrucensis. Talenkauen means "small head" in the Aonikenk Indian language.
Spain: One of the World's 'largest dinosaur' found BBC - February 27, 2004
Archaeologists in Spain say they have discovered fossil bones belonging to one of the world's largest dinosaurs. The bones of a what would have been a 35m-long (about 115ft) creature weighting 50 metric tons were found near Riodeva in the eastern province of Teruel. It is thought to have lived in the Lower Cretaceous period between 110m and 130m years ago. The dinosaur has not yet been fully identified, but it is apparently a herbivorous sauropod similar to the Paralititan found in Egypt.
Dinosaur fossils found in Amazon BBC - January 15, 2004
The Federal University in Rio de Janeiro said its researchers found the remains of a new species of dinosaur, estimated to be 100 million years old. The dinosaur is part of a group of long-necked, long-tailed plant-eaters called sauropods.
Dinosaur family footprints found BBC - December 2, 2003
A rare piece of evidence pointing to a dinosaur mothering her young after they had left the nest has been discovered on the Isle of Skye. Dinosaur footprints found on a remote beach on the island reveal an adult ornithopod - a bipedal plant-eating dinosaur - walking along a muddy lake edge, with up to 10 smaller individuals.
Ancient pterosaurs 'could have outperformed modern birds' BBC - October 23, 2003
Pterosaurs were not cumbersome gliding dinosaurs, but nimble and athletic flyers, scientists now believe. The ancient reptiles, which flourished 251 to 65 million years ago, might even have outperformed modern birds. Researchers examined 3D images of their brains and found the regions relating to balance were particularly pronounced - suggesting pterosaurs would have been agile swoopers and divers.
Ancient, Lizard-Like Reptile Discovered National Geographic - October 8, 2003
A pair of Argentine paleontologists have discovered numerous 90-million-year-old fossils of a new type of sphenodontian - an ancient lizard-like reptile thought to have gone extinct about 120 million years ago except for a few relicts that live today in New Zealand, the tuatara. The fossils, including several well-preserved skulls, were found in the red sandstone cliffs of the La Buitrera fossil quarry in northwestern Patagonia, about 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) east of Buenos Aires.
New dino species found in India BBC - August 13, 2003
Scientists in India have discovered a new dinosaur species that roamed the Narmada valley 65 million years ago. The creature, whose fossilised bones were scattered along the Narmada River in the western state of Gujarat, has been named Rajasaurus narmadensis, or the regal reptile from Narmada.
New dinosaur identified in South Africa July 10, 2003 - National Geographic
Neglected for 20 years on the dusty shelves of a South African university, paleontologists have re-discovered the 215-million-year-old fossils bones of one of the earliest giant dinosaurs.
Flap over dino flight origins BBC - January 16, 2003
A new theory of how dinosaurs learned to fly has emerged. According to a US scientist, flight may have evolved in two-legged dinosaurs that flapped their feathered fore-limbs to climb slopes. They eventually developed true wings and became flying birds, says Kenneth Dial of the University of Montana.
Cuba: Dinosaur First Confirmed Remains Discovered December 20, 2002 - National
Geographic
The roughly 150-million-year-old vertebra of a small, coastal-dwelling Saurischian dinosaur was unearthed in the Sierra de los Organos Mountains in western Cuba.
England: Remains of Prehistoric 'sea dragon' found BBC - October 24, 2002
The plesiosaur, which resembles the Loch Ness monster, dates back to the beginning of the Cretaceous period 130 million years ago.
"Mummified" Dinosaur Discovered In Montana National Geographic - October 11, 2002
Leonardo, a mummified, 77-million-year-old duck-billed dinosaur was only about three or four years old when he died, but he's proving to be a bonanza for paleontologists today.
Battle of the sexes 'prehistoric style' - Dinosaurs BBC - September 13, 2002
Dinosaurs took part in mighty displays to attract a mate, a US scientist has proposed. The males showed off their ornate frills and crests, while the females looked on, said Scott Sampson of the Utah Museum of Natural History
Dino family tree shows birds are related June 10, 2002 - BBC
Scientists have produced the most detailed family tree of dinosaurs yet, showing how the great beasts were related to each other and how they evolved. The researchers, from the University of Bristol, UK, took over 150 previously published evolutionary trees of dinosaurs and combined them into a new supertree of 277 dinosaur species. This new look at dinosaur evolution clearly shows that birds are descended from dinosaurs, a matter of much debate in recent years.
Dino heatwave recorded in leaves June 11, 2002 - BBC
Fresh evidence to show an impact from space lay behind the demise of the dinosaurs has been published by scientists. The only thing that can explain such a large and sudden jump in CO2 would be this idea of a space impact. The researchers say analysis of fossil leaves from 65 million years ago shows there was a sudden and dramatic rise in carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere.
The biggest was not necessarily the best nor the fastest BBC - February 27, 2002
A new study suggests that the "king" of the dinosaurs was probably something of a slowcoach, incapable of breaking into a sprint and catching the most agile of prey.
The most primitive wishbone yet found in a dinosaur BBC - February 18, 2002
Sensational fossil discoveries were unveiled on Monday, including the most primitive wishbone yet found in a dinosaur. Also presented was an exquisite skull from a tiny crocodile that could help provide vital new evidence on when the landmasses of Africa and South America split to take up their current positions on the planet's surface.
How reptiles survived the big one BBC - September 25, 2001
Fossils of reptiles that survived the greatest extinction in the Earth's history suggest that the catastrophe had a far greater impact on ocean life than on land-dwellers. The theory that an asteroid or comet slammed into the planet, wiping out most living things, may have to be revised following the discovery. Scientists have found that two-thirds of a group of ancient land reptiles managed to escape the devastation, while about 90% of marine life died out.
More 'feathered' dinosaurs found BBC - June 18, 2001
Scientists in America claim to have discovered two new "bird-like" species of feathered dinosaur, unearthed in New Mexico. The two dinosaurs - the sloth-like Nothronychus and a small carnivore from the coelurosaur family that has not yet been named - lived 90 million years ago in swampy forests.
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