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https://paleontology.us/t-rex-skeleton-up-for-auction-for-nearly-32-million-in-new-york/ Paleontology_US Tue, 13 Oct 2020 09:41:24 +0000 Paleontology https://paleontology.us/?p=1837 The amount obtained by the auction of the fossil remains of the dinosaurs surprised all the experts, who had valued the T-Rex between 6 and 8 million dollars. The sample has around 300 pieces. Stan, a T. Rex almost four meters high and another twelve from the head to the last vertebra of the tail, […]
The amount obtained by the auction of the fossil remains of the dinosaurs surprised all the experts, who had valued the T-Rex between 6 and 8 million dollars. The sample has around 300 pieces.
Stan, a T. Rex almost four meters high and another twelve from the head to the last vertebra of the tail, swept this Tuesday (07.10.2020) at an auction held by Christie’s in New York, United States, where it reached a price of 31.8 million dollars (27 million euros), five times its estimated value.
The dinosaur, scientific name BHI 3033, has thus pulverized the calculations of the experts, who had valued the T. Rex between 6 and 8 million dollars, and also far exceeds the price that was paid in 1997 for Sue, considered the specimen largest and most complete of this animal, which reached 8.36 million dollars.
Stan’s replicas, scattered around the planet, have been seen by thousands of fans of paleontology and the world of dinosaurs, and their auction lasted more than 15 minutes in a fierce battle between several buyers, which led to a price hammer of $ 27.5 million, plus taxes and fees.
“It’s the best T. Rex up for auction since 1996,†explained Christie’s Director of Science and Natural History.
The skeleton of this enormous predator that lived 67 million years ago has been seen from September 16 to October 21 in the New York offices of the Christie’s auction house, which can be accessed by making an appointment. although it can also be seen at street level through the showcase of its headquarters, between streets 48 and 49 in downtown Manhattan.
Stan, named after its discoverer, Stan Sacrison, an amateur paleontologist who found his hip bones in the geological region of Hell Creek, in the state of South Dakota in 1987, was ignored at first when to be confused with a Triceratops, “which although it is also an exciting discovery, is a fossil that is quite common to find†in that region.
After a year of excavation and a brief stay in Japan where it was moved for an exhibition, the original 188 bones of its robust skeleton, supported by a steel structure, have been on display since 1996 in the museum of the Black Hills Institute in Dakota. from the south. According to Hyslop , a complete T. rex skeleton is believed to be made up of about 300 pieces.
Also read: Tyrannosaurus
https://paleontology.us/oldest-dinosaur-embryo-found/ Paleontology_US Tue, 13 Oct 2020 09:12:47 +0000 Curiosities https://paleontology.us/?p=1830 Oldest dinosaur embryos ever found A group of American paleontologists has identified the oldest dinosaur embryos discovered so far. Preserved almost intact inside eggs found in 1976 in South Africa, they belong to a species that lived 190 million years ago, and which was the ancestor of the giant four-legged, long-necked prosauropods, such as Diplodocus. […]
A group of American paleontologists has identified the oldest dinosaur embryos discovered so far. Preserved almost intact inside eggs found in 1976 in South Africa, they belong to a species that lived 190 million years ago, and which was the ancestor of the giant four-legged, long-necked prosauropods , such as Diplodocus.
According to a new study published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, these are embryos of a species of herbivore called Massospondylus . The researchers, led by Professor Robert Reisz, of the University of Toronto Mississauga, used the fossil fetuses to reconstruct babies of these dinosaurs and determine what their anatomy was like when they roamed the Earth. And they concluded that, unlike adult individuals, Massospondylus embryos had long forelimbs, disproportionately large heads, and quadruped locomotion.
In addition, “as in the human species, Massospondylus babies began to walk on four limbs, until they were able to walk on two legs,†Reisz explained. If we take into account that, in addition, they were born without teeth, paleontologists suspect that these dinosaurs, which were approximately 20 centimetres long at birth, needed the attention of their parents until their necks and hind limbs were large enough.
The prosauropods are the first dinosaurs to diversify widely, becoming the most widespread group on Earth, so their biology is particularly interesting to understand “the dawn of the age of dinosaurs.â€
Also read: All Dinosaurs May Have Been Warm-Blooded
https://paleontology.us/new-study-reveals-how-reptiles-divided-up-the-spoils-in-ancient-seas/ Paleontology_US Thu, 01 Oct 2020 08:31:33 +0000 Facts https://paleontology.us/?p=1817 While dinosaurs ruled the land in the Mesozoic, the oceans were filled by predators such as crocodiles and giant lizards, but also entirely extinct groups such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. Now for the first time, researchers at the University of Bristol have modelled the changing ecologies of these great sea dragons. Mesozoic oceans were unique […]
While dinosaurs ruled the land in the Mesozoic , the oceans were filled by predators such as crocodiles and giant lizards, but also entirely extinct groups such as ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs.
Now for the first time, researchers at the University of Bristol have modelled the changing ecologies of these great sea dragons.
Mesozoic oceans were unique in hosting diverse groups of fossil reptiles, many of them over 10 metres long.
These toothy monsters fed on a variety of fishes, molluscs, and even on each other. Yet most had disappeared by the end of the Cretaceous, 66 million years ago, when the dinosaurs also died out. There are still some marine crocodiles, snakes and turtles today, but sharks, seals, and whales took over these ecological roles.
In a new study, completed when she was studying for the MSc in Palaeobiology at the University of Bristol’s School of Earth Sciences, Jane Reeves, now a PhD student at the University of Manchester, used modern computational methods to explore how all these marine reptiles divided up the spoils.
Jane said: “It’s difficult to work out the ecology and function of fossil animals but we decided to focus mainly on their feeding and swimming styles. I tracked down information on 371 of the best-known Mesozoic marine tetrapods, and coded each one for 35 ecological traits, including body size, diet, likely hunting style, tooth type, presence or absence of armour, limb shape and habitat.â€
The numerical analysis showed that all these marine reptiles could be divided into just six ecological categories linking how they moved, where they lived, and how they fed: pursuit predators that chased their prey, ambush predators that lurked and waited for the prey to swim past (two groups, one in deep water, one in shallow), a fourth group of reptiles that could still walk on land, shallow-water shell-crushers and foragers, and marine turtles with a variety of life modes.
Professor Mike Benton, who co-supervised the study, said: “A problem with studies of form and function of fossils is that we have to be careful in reconstructing the behaviour of ancient animals. But in Jane’s study, she used ecological characters from the start where their function had already been established. For example, sharp pointy teeth mean fish-eating, whereas broad, flat teeth mean shell crushing.â€
Dr Ben Moon, another co-supervisor, said: “We knew that the different marine reptile groups came and went through the 186 million years of the Mesozoic.
“I’m especially interested in ichthyosaurs, and we wanted to test an idea that they had migrated through ecospace during the Mesozoic. Jane’s study shows definite movement through time from being semi-terrestrial at the beginning of the Triassic to a wide range of ecologies, including ambush hunting, and finally pursuit predation in the Jurassic and Cretaceous.â€
Dr Tom Stubbs, another co-supervisor, said: “We also wanted to test whether all these animals were competing with each other. But in fact, they seem to have avoided competition.
“For example, after a substantial extinction of marine reptiles around the end of the Triassic, the surviving ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs showed considerable conservatism. They didn’t expand their ecological roles at all, and many niches were left empty until new groups of crocodiles and turtles emerged later in the Jurassic to take over these roles.â€
Jane Reeves added: “It was a great experience being able to study a large variety of creatures, and to then reconstruct the ecological lifestyles of extinct animals from just their fossils.
“You do have to be very careful in doing these kinds of studies, not to make any unfounded assumptions. We know animals can be opportunistic, and don’t always behave exactly how we think they should, but we’re confident that the data we collected reflects the most common, day-to-day, behaviours of each animal. These results give us a great insight into what was really happening under the surface of the Mesozoic seas .â€
This research was part funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the European Research Council (ERC).
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https://paleontology.us/antarctica-was-covered-with-forests-in-the-time-of-the-dinosaurs/ Paleontology_US Thu, 17 Sep 2020 12:38:36 +0000 Curiosities https://paleontology.us/?p=1751 A team of scientists finds remains of pollen, spores and even roots in a sediment sample from 90 million years ago found in the Amundsen Sea. His analysis has made it possible to reconstruct the climate of that time and reach surprising conclusions. 90 million years ago, when the dinosaurs were at their peak, the west coast of […]
A team of scientists finds remains of pollen, spores and even roots in a sediment sample from 90 million years ago found in the Amundsen Sea. His analysis has made it possible to reconstruct the climate of that time and reach surprising conclusions.
90 million years ago, when the dinosaurs were at their peak, the west coast of Antarctica was a very different place from what we know today: its average annual temperature was 12 ° C and it was covered with temperate forests. This is the fascinating discovery that an international team of scientists has made after analyzing a sample of Cretaceous sediments found in the Amundsen Sea in 2017.
It is known that the Middle Cretaceous was the warmest period on our planet in the last 140 million years. At that time, when dinosaurs were still roaming around, the sea level was 170 times higher than today and it is estimated that the temperature of the ocean at the height of the tropics would have reached 35 ° C, but it is known very little about what the conditions were in the polar circles.
The team of scientists, from different institutions in Germany and the United Kingdom, was near the Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers taking sediment samples with a drilling platform 30 meters deep from the seabed. “ When we did a first evaluation of the samples on board the ship, we were struck by the coloration of the core of the sediment, it was clearly different from the upper layers ,†explains Johann Klages, geologist at the Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research at the Alfred Institute. Wegener (Germany) and first author of the work, which is published in Nature .
Once in the laboratory, the scientists analyzed the sediments with X-ray computed tomography. The results revealed that the sample contained a dense tangle of fossil roots, so well preserved that they even allowed them to identify cellular structures. The sample also contained remains of pollen, spores, and even flowering plants that had never been found in these latitudes before . “It is fascinating to see fossil pollen and other plant remains so well preserved in a sediment deposited 90 million years ago,†explains Ulrich Salzmann, a paleoecologist at the University of Northumbria. “All this tells us that the coast of West Antarctica was, at that time, a temperate and swampy forest, very similar to what we can find in New Zealand . todayâ€.
To reconstruct the environment of these prehistoric forests , the scientists looked at the climatic conditions in which the plants descended from those found in the sediment sample live. They also used other biological and geochemical indicators of temperature and precipitation that they found in the sample.
In this way, they concluded that, 90 million years ago, the climate of this region 900 kilometers from the south pole was temperate, with average annual temperatures of 12 ° C (two degrees higher than the average temperature in Germany, for example) . On average, in summer it reached 19 ° C and river water would reach 20 ° C. Furthermore, the amount and intensity of annual precipitation would be similar to that of Wales.
This is an extraordinary discovery, especially considering that at this latitude there are approximately four months a year of absolute darkness. These conditions of precipitation and temperature were possible thanks to three factors: the Antarctic continent would have been covered with dense vegetation, there were no large masses of ice on the earth’s surface and, finally, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was much higher. which had been previously assumed for the Cretaceous period. “Until now, the global concentration in the Cretaceous was thought to be about 1000 parts per million (ppm). But, according to the calculations of our paleoclimatic models, concentration levels of 1120 to 1680 ppm were needed to reach the average temperatures in Antarctica at that time, “explains co-author and climate modeler Gerrit Lohmann.
These results also reveal the enormous capacity of greenhouse gases to heat the atmosphere, as well as the importance of the cooling effect produced by today’s ice sheets. “In the Cretaceous there were also four months in a row without light. But, because the concentration of carbon dioxide was so high, the climate around the South Pole was temperate, with no ice masses, †explains Torsten Bickert, a geoscientist at the center of MARUM research from the University of Bremen.
The question now is to know what was the cause that motivated the drastic cooling of this area, so powerful that it caused the formation of the current ice sheets. Finding the explanation is one of the great challenges facing the international community of climate scientists.
Reference: Klages, JP et al, “Temperate rainforests near the South Pole during peak Cretaceous warmthâ€, Nature, 1 April 2020, DOI: 10.1038 / s41586-020-2148-5
Also read: Were Dinosaurs Very Smart?
https://paleontology.us/were-dinosaurs-very-smart/ Paleontology_US Wed, 09 Sep 2020 07:24:22 +0000 Curiosities https://paleontology.us/?p=1738 How Smart Were Dinosaurs? Some paleontologists point out that the most insightful may have been the small theropods of the genus Troodon, which lived about 70 million years ago in present-day North America. They weren’t very big, just over six feet long and one meter tall, weighing around 50 kilos, but apparently they had relatively […]
Some paleontologists point out that the most insightful may have been the small theropods of the genus Troodon, which lived about 70 million years ago in present-day North America.
They weren’t very big, just over six feet long and one meter tall, weighing around 50 kilos, but apparently they had relatively large brains compared to their body mass. In fact, it is often equated with that of modern birds.
The University of Chicago paleontologist James Hopson studied at the end of the 70s of the last century how to apply the so-called encephalization quotient to these animals, which relates the size of the brain to that of the whole organism. Although it is not clear to what extent a higher score on this scale denotes more intelligence, it is assumed that the larger the brain is in relation to the body, more of it could be occupied with processing complex cognitive tasks.
The human being, with a quotient between 7.4 and 7.8, dominates this scale. Among the mammals , some dolphins would follow, with between 4 and 5. According to Hopson, the Troodon would reach 5.8, while most carnivorous dinosaurs would not reach 2 and the large herbivorous dinosaurs , such as sauropods , would be found by below 1.
Also read: Smaller Dinosaurs
https://paleontology.us/dinosaurs-were-cold-too/ Paleontology_US Wed, 09 Sep 2020 07:00:37 +0000 Curiosities https://paleontology.us/?p=1734 Dinosaurs were cold too A team of paleontologists from France and China has shown that during a part of the Lower Cretaceous, temperatures were colder than previously assumed , which implies that in the age of the dinosaurs the climate was not always warm. The paleontologists authors of the study determined the temperatures of the time from fossils of […]
AÂ team of paleontologists from France and China has shown that during a part of the Lower Cretaceous , temperatures were colder than previously assumed , which implies that in the age of the dinosaurs the climate was not always warm.
The paleontologists authors of the study determined the temperatures of the time from fossils of dinosaurs, crocodiles, turtles and fish from deposits in northeast China , in the Dabeigou, Yixian and Jiufotang formations -Jehol group-, as well as in Japan and Thailand , as published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in its latest edition.
The scientists analyzed the isotopic composition of oxygen in each of the samples and reconstructed the air temperature and living conditions of the dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous in Asia. The results show that the average temperatures of that period were very similar to those recorded today at equivalent latitudes, so that the Jehol fauna lived under a moderate cold climate characterized by “harsh winters†.
During this period, cold-blooded animals had to hibernate, while warm-blooded animals such as mammals, birds and dinosaurs took advantage of their fur and plumage to maintain their activity in winter. “These results do not prove at all that the feathers arose with an insulating role, but rather that the plumage should provide the Jehol dinosaurs with a physiological advantage over their contemporaries with scalesâ€, explains Romain Amiot, scientist at the French CNRS and co-author from work.
Also read: When Mammals Replaced Dinosaurs
https://paleontology.us/when-mammals-replaced-dinosaurs/ Paleontology_US Mon, 31 Aug 2020 12:06:06 +0000 Curiosities https://paleontology.us/?p=1727 When dinosaurs became extinct 65 million ago, mammals began to grow, multiplying their size by a thousand in some cases. This is the case of  Deinotherium, a distant relative of elephants that disappeared 2.7 million years ago and weighed 17.00 kilograms. “The dinosaurs disappear and, suddenly, nobody else eats the vegetation. That means a great availability of food , […]
When dinosaurs became extinct 65 million ago, mammals began to grow, multiplying their size by a thousand in some cases. This is the case of Deinotherium , a distant relative of elephants that disappeared 2.7 million years ago and weighed 17.00 kilograms.
“ The dinosaurs disappear and, suddenly, nobody else eats the vegetation. That means a great availability of food , and the mammals begin to eat, and if you are a herbivore it is more efficient to be largeâ€, explains Jessica Theodor, biologist of the University of Calgary (Canada) and co-author with 19 other researchers of the article published today in the journal Science . Mammals, whose weight until then oscillated between 3 grams and 15 kilograms, began to consume this food and in some cases reached up to 17 tons in weight .
For the study, Theodor and his colleagues first analyzed preserved mammalian fossils from all successive periods. In order to demonstrate how much mammals grew after the extinction of the dinosaurs , the researchers collected data on the maximum size of each major group of land mammals from each continent, including perissodactyls (odd-toed ungulates such as horses and rhinos), proboscis (including elephants, mammoths, and mastodons) , xenarthros (anteaters, tree-dwelling sloths, and armadillos), as well as a large number of other groups of now extinct animals.
The results give clues about what factors define the size limits of land mammals : the amount of space available for each animal and the climate in which they live. According to scientists, the colder the climate, the larger the animals , because larger animals conserve heat better.In addition to confirming the extraordinary growth that mammals experienced when the dinosaurs disappeared , the study shows that this evolution took place relatively quickly. “The dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago and in 25 million years the ecosystem was reprogrammed to respond to the growing demand for these ever-larger animals, which is, in geological terms, a short period, a truly evolution fast, “emphasizes Theodor.
Also read: The Most Famous Dinosaurs Of Prehistory
https://paleontology.us/how-long-was-the-asteroid-that-killed-the-dinosaurs/ Paleontology_US Fri, 28 Aug 2020 09:23:36 +0000 Dinosaurs https://paleontology.us/?p=1723 What do we know about that killer rock that darkened the skies for dozens of years, raised the volume of the sea above the heads of large animals, and caused earthquakes and violent volcanic events? The mass extinction event of 65 million years ago, which wiped out most of Earth’s species (including dinosaurs) has been widely publicized […]
What do we know about that killer rock that darkened the skies for dozens of years, raised the volume of the sea above the heads of large animals, and caused earthquakes and violent volcanic events?
The mass extinction even t of 65 million years ago, which wiped out most of Earth’s species (including dinosaurs) has been widely publicized and is probably the most famous event in prehistory, and also, one of the most fascinating.
What do we know about that killer rock that darkened the skies for dozens of years, raised the volume of the sea above the heads of large animals, and caused earthquakes and violent volcanic events?
To begin with, scientists long ago calculated that the large rock was about 15 kilometres in diameter. This means that, at the time of the collision with the Earth, this asteroid had the height in the sky of a passenger plane .
Thanks to experts from NASA and ESA, we know that rocks of different sizes are integrated into the Earth’s atmosphere on a daily basis. Most do not reach the surface as they disintegrate on their journey to the surface; others, the size of bricks, cause little damage. But it would be enough for a rock to have a diameter of at least 10 kilometers to compromise life on Earth as we know it.
The force with which it struck the Earth was a billion times greater than that of the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It created earthquakes greater than 10 on the Richter scale; created monstrous tidal waves, raising the entire depth of the sea; it left a crater, or “ground zeroâ€, 200 kilometres in diameter; and it released materials into the atmosphere , enough to create a global winter that blocked the sun’s rays.
Life on Earth was reeling; animals died directly or indirectly from the impact; and here, the big winners were the smallest and most versatile animals: small mammals that were able to take refuge low in the ground and feed on grains. These animals were the most intelligent, understanding intelligence in its original definition, as the ability to adapt to changes. Thus, the mammals inherited the Earth, and the hegemony of the great saurians came to an end.
Despite the fact that we know a lot about this catastrophe, and there is sufficiently solid evidence to know that it did indeed happen, there are currents of scientists who believe that it was volcanism, and not the impact of the asteroid , that had more weight than the time to provoke mass extinction; regardless of whether both facts were true.
Also read: Theories About Extinction
https://paleontology.us/the-most-famous-dinosaurs-of-prehistory/ Paleontology_US Fri, 21 Aug 2020 08:37:13 +0000 Curiosities Dinosaurs https://paleontology.us/?p=1708 The first dinosaurs evolved during the middle to late Triassic period, about 230 million years ago, in the part of the super continent of Pangea that currently corresponds to South America. Before that, the dominant terrestrial reptiles were archosaurs (dominant reptiles), therapsids (mammal-like reptiles), and pelycosaurs (such as the Dimetrodon that lived during the Permian period). The earliest archosaurs are believed […]
The first dinosaurs evolved during the middle to late Triassic period, about 230 million years ago, in the part of the super continent of Pangea that currently corresponds to South America. Before that, the dominant terrestrial reptiles were archosaurs (dominant reptiles), therapsids (mammal-like reptiles), and pelycosaurs (such as the Dimetrodon that lived during the Permian period). The earliest archosaurs are believed to be from the early Triassic period, approximately 227 to 242 million years ago. They evolved quickly and managed to diversify giving rise to carnivores, but also herbivores.
For roughly 20 million years after the evolution of dinosaurs, the most fearsome reptiles on Earth were prehistoric crocodiles. It would take
until the beginning of the Jurassic period,
200 million years ago, for the dinosaurs to make their appearance on the planet and begin their rise to domination.
The dinosaurs lived on Earth for about 215 to 245 million year s (about 64 times more than the time it takes humanity on Earth). All non-avian dinosaurs became extinct about 66 million years ago. And its name is the work of the English naturalist Sir Richard Owen who coined the term Dinosauria in 1842, derived from the Greek deinos, which means “terribly largeâ€, and sauros, which means “lizardâ€.
How many known species are there of extinct dinosaurs? Approximately 700 different species.
Although Mosasaurs, Ichthyosaurs, Pterosaurs, Plesiosaurs, and Dimetrodon are commonly considered dinosaurs, they are not technically dinosaurs. The term “dinosaur†refers only to reptiles that inhabit the earth that have a specific hip structure, among other traits.
Did you know that the name “Velociraptor†means swift thief? Today we will meet the best known dinosaurs and delve into their characteristics and peculiarities. Like the brutal Tyrannosaurus rex bite that was more than twice as powerful as a lion’s bite. It was the most ferocious carnivore of all.
As we have commented previously, there are an infinity of dinosaurs, however there are some better known ones that have even starred in some fantasy films such as Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, in English).
The Tyranousaurus Rex ( Tyrannosaurus rex) whose name means Tyrant Reptile, lived during the late Cretaceous period . It was 10 to 14 meters long and weighed between four and seven tons (its skull was only 1.5 meters long). It was one of the most ferocious carnivores and also one of the most feared . Despite its size, many paleontologists believe that it could efficiently run after prey and certainly outperform a human. T. rex lived in an area of ​​Earth that now makes up western North America about 66 million years ago.
The Triceratops ( Triceratops horridus ), whose name means Horrible Head with Three Horns, lived during the late Cretaceous period 66-68 million years ago. The adult specimens could be between 8 and 9 meters long and 3 meters high, with a body mass of between 6,000-12,000 kg. With its colossal size, this dinosaur fed on tough, fiber-rich plants. It was the largest of the horned dinosaurs of this stage. The first known fossils of a Triceratops were found near Denver, Colorado in 1887.
The Velociraptor ( Velociraptor mongoliensis ), whose name means “swift or swift thief,†was small in size (approximately 1.8 meters in length and barely 15 kilograms), smarter than most dinosaurs, and a fast runner thanks to its two hind legs. In fact, it could reach up to 65 kilometers per hour, which was great for hunting prey, as it was a carnivore (its favorite prey could be the protoceratops). He lived during the late Cretaceous period and hunted in groups.
The Diplodocus ( Diplodocus longus ), whose name means “double bundleâ€, refers to the strangely shaped bones found in the Diplodocus’ tail (which contained around 80 vertebrae). The end of its tail was so thin that it allowed it to be used as a whip to defend itself from predators. This dinosaur lived in an area that is now western North America at the end of the Jurassic period , about 150 million years ago. It seems that it could measure up to 35 meters and weigh around 10 to 15 tons in weight. He lived during the late Jurassic period. It was a herbivorous dinosaur that fed on the leaves and fruits of tall trees and shrubs, as well as ferns and horsetails that grew at ground level.
The brachiosaurus ( Brachiosaurus Brancai) , whose name means Reptile with Arms, lived in the late Jurassic period in what is now North America. This herbivore was adapted to feed on tall trees. It is estimated that he ate about 200-400 kilos of food a day. It had a long neck, a small head, and a relatively short tail. It was up to 28 meters tall and weighed approximately 50 tons. It was the only dinosaur that had its front legs longer than the back ones. It is a sauropod, like Diplodocus and Apatosaurus.
No one knows why the stegosaurus (which translates to “covered lizardâ€) had such distinctive plates that on average they were two feet tall and wide. On average, it was about 30 feet long and 13 feet high and weighed a maximum of two tons. Some believe that the pointed plates of this dinosaur could have been brightly colored and could move, and the tips on the tail could have been horizontal rather than vertical, helping to ward off predators. The stegosaurus lived on the plains of what is now North America about 150 million years ago. It was a herbivorous dinosaur from the late Jurassic period.
The Iguanodon ( Iguanodon Bernissartensis) , whose name means “iguana tooth, lived in the early Cretaceous about 125 million years ago. It was first discovered in 1822 by the English geologist Gideon Mantell and was the second dinosaur to receive a formal name (in 1825), the first being Megalosaurus (in 1824). It was a herbivorous dinosaur that weighed about 3.5 tons and reached about 10 meters in length. Along with Tyrannosaurus rex and Stegosaurus, the Iguanodon was one of the three dinosaurs that inspired the appearance of Godzilla.
The Archaeopteryx ( Archaeopterix Lithographica ) whose name means “ancient wingâ€, lived in the Jurassic period. It is a primitive carnivorous  bird that had terrifying-looking claws and sharp teeth. Regarding its diet, it probably included small reptiles, mammals, and insects. It measured approximately 60 centimeters and weighed 500 grams. Its physiological characteristics place it as a kind of evolutionary transition between dinosaurs and birds.
The Protoceratops , whose name means “first horned faceâ€, lived in the late Cretaceous period 75 and 71 million years ago in what is now Asia (especially in Mongolia) so ago. It fed on plants and was approximately two meters tall and weighed up to 177 kilos. Did it really have horns? No. This Campanian herbivore did not wear real horns, but bony buttons on the tip of the nose and cheeks.
The Allosaurus ( Allosaurus Fragilis ), whose name means “strange / different delicate reptileâ€, was a carnivorous dinosaur smaller than Tyrannosaurus rex but faster and with a jaw full of teeth. It had a large skull and walked on two legs. But, unlike its cousin Rex, its body and head were quite balanced by a long and heavy tail. Another of its characteristic features is the series of bumps in front of each eye, although its function is unknown. Allosaurus lived during the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago. It was first described by Othniel Marsh in 1877 and it became one of the first known dinosaurs. Marsh also named and gave the first description of the Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus) in that same year. The Allosaurus was approximately 12 meters long and weighed up to two tons. It fed on small dinosaurs such as Camptosaurus and Stegosaurus, as well as lizards and mammals. It is possible that he hunted in packs. It is a very popular dinosaur, featured in books, documentaries and movies, including Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1912 book “The Lost World†and the BBC television series “Walking Among Dinosaurs†(1999).
The Gallimimus ( Gallimimus Bullatus ), whose name means “chicken reptileâ€, is the only known species of the genus Gallimimos . It lived during the late Cretaceous period approximately 70 million years ago in what is now Asia. It measured four meters and weighed just over four tons. It was omnivore and fed on small animals, insects, eggs, and plants. It was a fairly agile dinosaur that walked on two legs, which were quite thin. It is likely that it ran as much as the current ostrich (about 70 km / h).
The Ankylosaurus ( Ankylosaurus ), whose name means “stiff reptileâ€, lived at the end of the Cretaceous period approximately 66 million years ago. They were undoubtedly one of the last dinosaurs left before the great extinction event due to the impact of a meteorite . The Ankylosaurus was herbivorous and fed on low plants. Its teeth were very small compared to the size of its body , measuring up to 11 meters long and weighing about 4-6 tons. The most characteristic thing about this dinosaur is its body armor: thorns and bone plates embedded in the skin that represented a wonderful defense against predators. His tail is not negligible either, because it was capable of breaking the bones of another dinosaur with its onslaught.
The Spinosaurus ( Spinosaurus aegyptiacus ), whose name means “reptile thorny Egyptâ€, lived about 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period in what is now northern Africa. It was larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex and probably one of the largest carnivores in history. It was up to 15 meters long and weighed between 7 and 20 tons. It featured a long, thin skull and distinctive spines that were 1.5 meters long. It is believed that this sail or crest absorbed and dispersed heat, thus regulating its body temperature. It is another of the best known dinosaurs, which has appeared in films such as “Jurassic Park 3â€.
https://paleontology.us/how-many-dinosaurs-existed-on-earth/ Paleontology_US Wed, 19 Aug 2020 11:14:30 +0000 Dinosaurs Entertainment https://paleontology.us/?p=1700 How many dinosaurs were there? Many people question the number of dinosaurs that existed on Earth. This question actually makes a lot of sense, especially when you know that these giant reptiles have been the longest-ruling the world. If you want to know what is known about this matter, you are in the right place. Dinosaurs existed for at […]
Many people question the number of dinosaurs that existed on Earth. This question actually makes a lot of sense, especially when you know that these giant reptiles have been the longest-ruling the world. If you want to know what is known about this matter, you are in the right place.
Dinosaurs existed for at least 160 million years. To this day, there has been no other species that has dominated the world for so long, not even humans, which indicates that this species had an unusual development and survival capacity, although due to a meteorite its story ended.
If it were not for that, surely the human being would not have existed and, in the event that it were, would not be the dominating animal of the planet. To give you an idea, imagine living with the Tyranosaurus Rex, Gigantosaurus or the Spinosaurus; we would be their favorite delicacy, they would hunt us with great ease and we would not have been able to rise to the occasion. Therefore, we should be grateful for the disaster that occurred at the time.
However, this was not the main issue, but how many dinosaurs existed. Well, to be honest, the scientific field does not know exactly the total copies in all their fullness, but there are some confirmed estimates.
According to the different studies that have been carried out over the years, everything indicates that there have been at least 700 species of dinosaurs, although it is also estimated that 350 of them are unique.
This indicates that half of those confirmed would actually be sub-species within species such as Diplodocus.
However, paleontologists themselves say that there are still 900 species of dinosaurs to be discovered . This, in turn, indicates that many fossils are still in the depths of the sea beds or that basically, due to the passage of time, these specimens are found in extreme depths of the terrestrial soil that humans have not yet managed to reach or analyze.
Surely in a few years it will be possible, but in the meantime it will be mere speculation.
Also read: 10 Frequently Questions About Dinosaurs