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Inostrancevia
''Inostrancevia'' is an extinction, extinct genus of large carnivorous therapsids which lived during the Late Permian in what is now European Russia and Southern Africa. The first-known fossils of this gorgonopsian were discovered in the context of a long series of excavations carried out from 1899 to 1914 in the Northern Dvina, Russia. Among these are two near-complete skeletons embodying the first described specimens of this genus, being also the first gorgonopsian identified in Russia. Several other fossil materials were discovered there, and the various finds led to confusion as to the exact number of valid species, before only two of them were formally recognized, namely ''I. alexandri'' and ''I. latifrons''. A third species, ''I. uralensis'', was erected in 1974, but the fossil remains of this taxon are very thin and could come from another genus. More recent research carried out in Southern Africa has discovered specimens identified as belonging to this genus, with the spec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorgonopsia
Gorgonopsia (from the Greek Gorgon, a mythological beast, and 'aspect') is an extinct clade of Saber-toothed predator, sabre-toothed therapsids from the Middle Permian, Middle to the Upper Permian, roughly between 270 and 252 million years ago. They are characterised by a long and narrow skull, as well as elongated upper and sometimes lower canine teeth and incisors which were likely used as slashing and stabbing weapons. Postcanine teeth are generally reduced or absent. For hunting large prey, they possibly used a bite-and-retreat tactic, ambushing and taking a debilitating bite out of the target, and following it at a safe distance before its injuries exhausted it, whereupon the gorgonopsian would grapple the animal and deliver a killing bite. They would have had an exorbitant gape, possibly in excess of 90°, without having to unhinge the jaw. They markedly increased in size as time went on, growing from small skull lengths of in the Middle Permian to bear-like proportions of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2023 In Paleontology
Flora "Algae" Phycological research * Liu ''et al.'' (2023) report the discovery of approximately 1.64-billion-years-old multicellular fossils from the Chuanlinggou Formation (China), providing evidence that the multicellular algae had already originated by the late Paleoproterozoic. * A study on deep-sea organic-rich deposits from the Waiheke Island (New Zealand) is published by Grasby ''et al.'' (2023), who interpret the studied deposits as lamalginites formed from phytoplankton, providing evidence of an open-ocean algal bloom during the Permian-Triassic transition. * A study on the fossil material of rhodolith-forming Coralline algae, coralline red algae from the Miocene Long Formation from the Little Andaman (India), interpreted as indicative of high carbonate production in the northeastern Indian Ocean during the Serravallian, is published by Dey ''et al.'' (2023). Plants Fungi Mycological research * New information on the anatomy of ''Sporocarpon, Sporocarpon asteroi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saber-toothed Predator
A saber-tooth (alternatively spelled sabre-tooth) is any member of various extinct groups of predatory therapsids, predominantly carnivoran mammals, that are characterized by long, curved saber-shaped canine teeth which protruded from the mouth when closed. Among the earliest animals that can be described as "sabertooths" are the gorgonopsids, a group of non-mammalian therapsids that lived during the Middle-Late Permian, around 270-252 million years ago. Saber-toothed mammals have been found almost worldwide from the Eocene epoch to the end of the Pleistocene epoch (42 million years ago – 11,000 years ago). One of the best-known genera is the machairodont or "saber-toothed cat" ''Smilodon'', the species of which, especially ''S. fatalis'', are popularly referred to as "saber-toothed tigers", although they are not closely related to tigers (''Panthera''). Despite some similarities, not all saber-tooths are closely related to saber-toothed cats or felids in-general. Instead, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rubidgea
''Rubidgea'' is a genus of gorgonopsian from the upper Permian of South Africa and Tanzania, containing the species ''Rubidgea atrox''. The generic name ''Rubidgea'' is sometimes believed to be derived from the surname of renowned Karoo paleontologist, Professor Bruce Rubidge, who has contributed to much of the research conducted on therapsids of the Karoo Basin. However, this generic name was actually erected in honor of Rubidge's paternal grandfather, Sidney Rubidge, who was a renowned fossil hunter. Its species name ''atrox'' is derived from Latin, meaning “fierce, savage, terrible”. ''Rubidgea'' is part of the gorgonopsian subfamily Rubidgeinae, a derived group of large-bodied gorgonopsians restricted to the Late Permian (Lopingian). The subfamily Rubidgeinae first appeared in the ''Tropidostoma'' Assemblage Zone. They reached their highest diversity in the '' Cistecephalus'' and '' Daptocephalus'' assemblage zones of the Beaufort Group in South Africa. History of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Changhsingian
In the geologic time scale, the Changhsingian or Changxingian is the latest age or uppermost stage of the Permian. It is also the upper or latest of two subdivisions of the Lopingian Epoch or Series. The Changhsingian lasted from to 251.9 Ma ago. It is preceded by the Wuchiapingian age/stage and is followed by the Induan age/stage (Early Triassic epoch). The greatest mass extinction in the Phanerozoic eon, the Permian–Triassic extinction event, occurred around the end of this age. Stratigraphic definitions The Changhsingian is named after Changxing () in northern Zhejiang, China. The stage was named for the Changhsing Limestone. The name was first used for a stage in 1970 and was anchored in the international timescale in 1981.. The base of the Changhsingian Stage is at the first appearance of the conodont species '' Clarkina wangi''. The global reference profile is profile D at Meishan, in the type area in Changxing, just below the Changhsingian foraminifer index fossi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pavel Pravoslavlev
Pavel Aleksandrovich Pravoslavlev (Russian language, Russian: Павел Александрович Православлев; 4 (16) October 1873, in Rakhinka – 12 October 1941, in St. Petersburg, Leningrad) was a Russian and Soviet geologist, stratigrapher, and paleontologist. Pravoslavlev's principal research dealt with the stratigraphic and paleontologic study of Neogene and Anthropocene, Anthropogenic deposits in the Volga and Caspian Sea regions. Pavel Pravoslavlev was the son of a rural Orthodox priest. Early life and education In 1894-1898, he studied at the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University, where he became interested in geology and was retained as a "professor candidate" (18 February 1899 - 18 February 1902) to continue studies under the supervision of Professor Vladimir Prokhorovich Amalitskii, Vladimir Amalitskii. In 1902-1909, Pravoslavlev worked as a laboratory assistant at the geological office of the Warsaw University. From 1 April 1909 to 29 September 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lopingian
The Lopingian is the uppermost series/last epoch of the Permian. It is the last epoch of the Paleozoic. The Lopingian was preceded by the Guadalupian and followed by the Early Triassic. The Lopingian is often synonymous with the informal terms late Permian or upper Permian. The name was introduced by Amadeus William Grabau in 1931 and derives from Leping, Jiangxi in China. It consists of two stages/ ages. The earlier is the Wuchiapingian and the later is the Changhsingian. The International Chronostratigraphic Chart (v2018/07) provides a numerical age of 259.1 ±0.5 Ma. If a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) has been approved, the lower boundary of the earliest stage determines numerical age of an epoch. The GSSP for the Wuchiapingian has a numerical age of 259.8 ± 0.4 Ma. Evidence from Milankovitch cycles suggests that the length of an Earth day during this epoch was approximately 22 hours. Geography During the Lopingian, most of the earth was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Dvina
The Northern Dvina (, ; ) is a river in northern Russia flowing through Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River to the east, it drains most of Northwest Russia into the Arctic Ocean. It should not be confused with the Western Dvina, with which it is not connected. The principal tributaries of the Northern Dvina are the Vychegda (right), the Vaga (left), and the Pinega (right). Etymology According to the Max Vasmer's ''Etymological Dictionary'', the name of the river has been taken from the Western Dvina. The toponym Dvina does not stem from a Uralic language; however, its origin is unclear. Possibly it is an Indo-European word which used to mean ''river'' or ''stream''. In the Komi language, the river is called Вы́нва / Výnva from ''vyn'' "power" and ''va'' "water, river" hence "powerful river". Physical geography River basin The length of the Northern Dvina is . Together with its major tributar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of Africa. No definition is agreed upon, but some groupings include the United Nations geoscheme for Africa, United Nations geoscheme, the intergovernmental Southern African Development Community, and the #Definitions and Usage, physical geography definition based on the physical characteristics of the land. The most restrictive definition considers the region of Southern Africa to consist of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, and South Africa, while other definitions also include several other countries from the area. Defined by physical geography, Southern Africa is home to several river systems; the Zambezi, Zambezi River is the most prominent. The Zambezi flows from the northwest corner of Zambia and western Angola to the Indian Ocean on the coast of Mozambique. Along the way, it flows over Victoria Falls on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a major tourist a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Though the fossil record is incomplete, numerous studies have demonstrated that there is enough information available to give a good understanding of the pattern of diversification of life on Earth. In addition, the record can predict and fill gaps such as the discovery of '' Tiktaalik'' in the arctic of Canada. Paleontology includes the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are sometimes considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before prin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skull
The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent parts: the neurocranium and the facial skeleton, which evolved from the first pharyngeal arch. The skull forms the frontmost portion of the axial skeleton and is a product of cephalization and vesicular enlargement of the brain, with several special senses structures such as the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and, in fish, specialized tactile organs such as barbels near the mouth. The skull is composed of three types of bone: cranial bones, facial bones and ossicles, which is made up of a number of fused flat and irregular bones. The cranial bones are joined at firm fibrous junctions called sutures and contains many foramina, fossae, processes, and sinuses. In zoology, the openings in the skull are called fenestrae, the most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taxon
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and given a particular ranking, especially if and when it is accepted or becomes established. It is very common, however, for taxonomists to remain at odds over what belongs to a taxon and the criteria used for inclusion, especially in the context of rank-based (" Linnaean") nomenclature (much less so under phylogenetic nomenclature). If a taxon is given a formal scientific name, its use is then governed by one of the nomenclature codes specifying which scientific name is correct for a particular grouping. Initial attempts at classifying and ordering organisms (plants and animals) were presumably set forth in prehistoric times by hunter-gatherers, as suggested by the fairly sophisticated folk taxonomies. Much later, Aristotle, and later st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
