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Death Pose
Non-avian dinosaur and bird fossils are frequently found in a characteristic posture consisting of head thrown back, tail extended, and mouth wide open. The cause of this posture—often called a "death pose"—has been a matter of scientific debate. Traditional explanations ranged from strong ligaments in the animal's neck desiccating and contracting to draw the body into the pose, to water currents arranging the remains in the position. Faux and Padian suggested in 2007 that the live animal was suffering opisthotonus during its death throes, and that the pose is not the result of any post-mortem process at all. They also reject the idea of water as responsible for randomly arranging the bodies in a "death pose", as different parts of the body and the limbs can be in different directions, which they found unlikely to be the result of moving water.Padian K & Faux M (2007)"The opisthotonic posture of vertebrate skeletons: post-mortem contraction or death throes?" ''Paleobiology ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Jurassic epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species, ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ornithomimus Edmontonicus
''Ornithomimus'' (; "bird mimic") is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America. ''Ornithomimus'' was a swift bipedal theropod which fossil evidence indicates was covered in feathers, equipped with a small toothless beak that may indicate an omnivorous diet. It is usually classified into two species: the type species, ''Ornithomimus velox'', and a referred species, ''Ornithomimus edmontonicus''. ''O. velox'' was named in 1890 by Othniel Charles Marsh on the basis of a foot and partial hand from the late Maastrichtian-age Denver Formation of Colorado, United States. Another seventeen species have been named since, though most of them have subsequently been assigned to new genera or shown to be not directly related to ''Ornithomimus velox''. The best material of species still considered part of the genus has been found in Alberta, Canada, representing the species ''O. edmontonicus'', known from several skeletons from the early Maa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Jurassic epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species, are am ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taphonomy
Taphonomy is the study of how organisms decay and become fossilized or preserved in the paleontological record. The term ''taphonomy'' (from Greek , 'burial' and , 'law') was introduced to paleontology in 1940 by Soviet scientist Ivan Efremov to describe the study of the transition of remains, parts, or products of organisms from the biosphere to the lithosphere. The term taphomorph is used to describe fossil structures that represent poorly-preserved, deteriorated remains of a mixture of taxonomic groups, rather than of a single one. Description Taphonomic phenomena are grouped into two phases: biostratinomy, events that occur between death of the organism and the burial; and diagenesis, events that occur after the burial. Since Efremov's definition, taphonomy has expanded to include the fossilization of organic and inorganic materials through both cultural and environmental influences. This is a multidisciplinary concept and is used in slightly different contexts throughout ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shenzhousaurus
''Shenzhousaurus'' (meaning "Shenzhou lizard") is a genus of basal ornithomimosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China. The holotype (NGMC 97-4-002, National Geological Museum of China) was collected from near the bottom (fluvial beds) of the Yixian Formation (Aptian) at the Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton preserved on a sandstone slab in a "death pose," its head above the torso. The distal parts of the hindlimbs, distal portion of the tail, and the forelimbs (except for part of the right hand) and the pectoral girdle are missing. The head is crushed, exposing the left side obliquely. ''Shenzhousaurus'' was first described by Qiang Ji, Mark Norell, Peter J. Makovicky, Keqin Gao, Shu-An Ji and Chongxi Yuan in 2003 and the type species is ''Shenzhousaurus orientalis''. The genus is currently monotypic and appears to be more derived than ''Pelecanimimus polyodon'', yet less derived than '' Harpymimus oklandikovi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camarasaurus
''Camarasaurus'' ( ) was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs and is the most common North American sauropod fossil. Its fossil remains have been found in the Morrison Formation, dating to the Late Jurassic epoch ( Kimmeridgian to Tithonian stages), between 155 and 145 million years ago. ''Camarasaurus'' presented a distinctive cranial profile of a blunt snout and an arched skull that was remarkably square, typical of basal Macronarians. The name means "chambered lizard", referring to the hollow chambers, known as pleurocoels, in its cervical vertebrae ( Greek (') meaning "vaulted chamber", or anything with an arched cover, and (') meaning "lizard". ''Camarasaurus'' contains four species that are commonly recognized as valid: '' Camarasaurus grandis'', ''Camarasaurus lentus'', ''Camarasaurus lewisi'', and '' Camarasaurus supremus''. ''C. supremus'', the type species, is the largest and geologically youngest of the four. ''Camarasaurus'' is the type genus o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scipionyx
''Scipionyx'' ( ) was a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Italy, around 113 million years ago. There is only one fossil known of ''Scipionyx'', discovered in 1981 by an amateur paleontologist and brought to the attention of science in 1993. In 1998 the type species ''Scipionyx samniticus'' was named, the generic name meaning "Scipio's claw". The find generated much publicity because of the unique preservation of large areas of petrified soft tissue and internal organs such as muscles and intestines. The fossil shows many details of these, even the internal structure of some muscle and bone cells. It was also the first dinosaur found in Italy. Because of the importance of the specimen, it has been intensely studied. The fossil is that of a juvenile only half a metre (twenty inches) long and perhaps just three days old. Its adult size is unknown. ''Scipionyx'' was a bipedal predator, its horizontal rump balanced by a long tail. Its body was probably covered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sapeornis
''Sapeornis'' is a monotypic genus of avialan which lived during the early Cretaceous period ( late Barremian to early Aptian, roughly 125-120 mya). ''Sapeornis'' contains only one species, ''Sapeornis chaoyangensis''. Description ''Sapeornis'' was large for an early avialan, about long in life, excluding the tail feathers. The hand of ''Sapeornis'' was far more derived than that of ''Archaeopteryx''. It had three fingers, the outer ones with two and the middle one with three phalanges, and a well-fused carpometacarpus. Its arms were about half again as long as the legs, suggesting a large wing area. On the other hand, its shoulder girdle was apparently ill-adapted to flapping flight and its furcula was unusual, with a hypocleidum similar to more advanced avialans but a general anatomy even more basal than in ''Archaeopteryx''. The humerus was large and bore holes, apparently to save weight, as in the Confuciusornithidae. The skull has a handful of teeth in the upper jawti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Messelornis
''Messelornis'', also known as the Messel rail, is an extinct genus of gruiform bird, closely related to modern rails. It is the most abundant bird from the Messel Lagerstätte, representing roughly half of all Messel bird fossils with more than 500 specimens known. The fossil record are from the Paleocene to the early Eocene. ''Messelornis'' was a generalized terrestrial bird, with a short beak, long legs, and a long tail. It was probably not an especially adept flier. It was omnivorous and had a diet including seeds, fruits, and fish. The name of the type species, ''M. cristata'', refers to the fact that it was initially interpreted as having a comb-like crest, but the existence of this crest has been disputed. One of its feathers had an iridescent coloration, but no chemical analysis has been done yet. ''Messelornis'' was originally interpreted as closely related to the sunbittern, which was also classified as a member of the Gruiformes at the time. However, the sunbittern ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archaeopteryx
''Archaeopteryx'' (; ), sometimes referred to by its German name, "" ( ''Primeval Bird''), is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek (''archaīos''), meaning "ancient", and (''ptéryx''), meaning "feather" or "wing". Between the late 19th century and the early 21st century, ''Archaeopteryx'' was generally accepted by palaeontologists and popular reference books as the oldest known bird (member of the group Avialae). Older potential avialans have since been identified, including '' Anchiornis'', ''Xiaotingia'', and '' Aurornis''. ''Archaeopteryx'' lived in the Late Jurassic around 150 million years ago, in what is now southern Germany, during a time when Europe was an archipelago of islands in a shallow warm tropical sea, much closer to the equator than it is now. Similar in size to a Eurasian magpie, with the largest individuals possibly attaining the size of a raven, the largest species of ''Archaeopteryx'' could grow to about ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorgosaurus
''Gorgosaurus'' ( ; ) is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous Period (Campanian), between about 76.6 and 75.1 million years ago. Fossil remains have been found in the Canadian province of Alberta and the U.S. state of Montana. Paleontologists recognize only the type species, ''G. libratus'', although other species have been erroneously referred to the genus. Like most known tyrannosaurids, ''Gorgosaurus'' was a large bipedal predator, measuring in length and in body mass. Dozens of large, sharp teeth lined its jaws, while its two-fingered forelimbs were comparatively small. ''Gorgosaurus'' was most closely related to '' Albertosaurus'', and more distantly related to the larger ''Tyrannosaurus''. ''Gorgosaurus'' and ''Albertosaurus'' are extremely similar, distinguished mainly by subtle differences in the teeth and skull bones. Some experts consider ''G. libratus'' to be a species of ''Albertosaurus''; t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Struthiomimus
''Struthiomimus'' (meaning "ostrich mimic", from the Greek στρούθειος/''stroutheios'' meaning "of the ostrich" and μῖμος/''mimos'' meaning "mimic" or "imitator") is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous of North America. Ornithomimids were long-legged, bipedal, ostrich-like dinosaurs with toothless beaks. The type species, ''Struthiomimus altus'', is one of the more common small dinosaurs found in Dinosaur Provincial Park; its abundance suggests that these animals were herbivores or omnivores rather than pure carnivores. History of discovery In 1901, Lawrence Lambe found some incomplete remains, holotype CMN 930, and named them '' Ornithomimus altus'', placing them in the same genus as material earlier described by Othniel Charles Marsh in 1890. The specific name ''altus'' is from Latin, meaning "lofty" or "noble". However, in 1914, a nearly complete skeleton (AMNH 5339) was discovered by Barnum Brown at the Red Deer River site in Alberta, p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
