Jurassic Solstice

The Dino Cam captures Diplodocus under a North American Jurassic winter solstice evening sky

Desert Dino Duel

In stark contrast to the previous post, discussing a cool yet lush prehistoric polar environment, our Dino Cam now focuses on the hot, sandy desert of Mesozoic Mongolia.

Seen here is a dino duel between two desert denizens, Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

In this case, the predator, Velociraptor, may have overestimated it's chances against the "vegi-saurus" ceratopsian, Protoceratops.

This scenario is based on fact: such a clash was preserved forever when an apparent desert sand dune fell on the sparring pair in mid fight, trapping and killing them both in what is now Mongolia.

The fossils capture the over-reaching Velociraptor with an arm being crushed in the vice-grip clamp of a closed Protoceratops jaw. There's no doubt that the peaceful Protoceratops was attacked by the Velociraptor, but the struggle clearly shows how the Protoceratops was not entirely defenseless: by chomping down on the arm of the attacker with it's powerful beaked jaw, it literally had the "upper hand" in the fight, and likely would've rendered the Velociraptor incapable of continuing the tussle.

Had the pair not both perished under the fallen dune, the Protoceratops (the "victim") would have decisively won this battle, while the Velociraptor (the bully) would have eventually died, either from loss of blood or unable to capture prey, as a result of its broken arm.

Who would have thought of this outcome between the fierce Velociraptor and easy-going Protoceratops - quite contrary to expectations.

In this case, the bully lost to the victim.

Cretaceous Fall Foliage

A possible Cretaceous polar scene with Pachyrhinosaurus and changing fall colored foliage


While things are heating up and days are lengthening in the southern hemisphere, in the northern latitudes daylight hours are waning and the leaves of deciduous trees are turning to a riot of reds and gold hues. For only several weeks this vivid palette of the deciduous (non-evergreen) northern forests will delight the populations of America, Europe and Asia.

Then the leaves will fall, as the trees prepare to hibernate through the scant light and mighty chill of winter.

Although a magnificent spectacle to experience, today we take this annual ritual for granted. But it begs the question: did dinosaurs experience a similar annual rite of nature? Did prehistoric creatures witness foliage changing colors and shedding leaves?

Many modern plant species got their evolutionary start during the Mesozoic Era. Species of magnolia, laurel, sycamore, and redwood trees are known from the Cretaceous Period. And the gingko tree hails from before the first appearance of dinosaurs, with fossil species found in Permian deposits.

However, Permian and Mesozoic climates were warmer than today, with less variation between the equator and polar regions. Polar environments were not frozen. And the fossil record indicates that the prehistoric ancestors of modern trees were evergreen. Even trees that today are deciduous (annually shed their leaves) had not yet evolved the leaf-shedding process during the age of the dinosaurs, as exemplified by the sycamore family, which today is largely deciduous, but had evergreen dinosaur-era ancestors.

But wait a minute! Although earth's climate was much more mild when dinosaurs roamed, the earth had the same tilt relative to the sun as it has today. The tilt of the earth is the cause of the seasons, and as a result, the dinosaurs' realm did experience seasonal changes. During dinosaur seasons, temperature changes were less than experienced today, but the changes in the amount of daylight - the changing length of days - was virtually identical to today's daylight.

Trees didn't evolve forms that shed their leaves due to changes in temperature, but in response to seasonal changes in the amount of daylight available for leaves to conduct photosynthesis: deciduous (leaf shedding) trees evolved to accommodate the 3 months of reduced daylight during winter months. During the Mesozoic, the tree species that evolved to drop leaves and live a "modern" deciduous lifestyle evolved at the most northern and southern latitudes as a response to extended seasonal lack of sunlight.

Unlike today, where deciduous species are dominant throughout the "temperate" latitudes of the the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and asia; during the Age of Dinosaurs deciduous species only occurred at the most extreme latitudes - areas that experience total darkness several weeks of the year. This includes regions represented today by northern most Alaska, Scandinavia, Siberia; and Antarctica in the south.

Contrary to "old school" theories, we now know that dinosaurs lived in the polar regions. Polar zones were not frozen barrens during the Mesozoic, but were more similar to the cool, moist environments of modern coastal British Columbia and northwestern Washington State. Discoveries of "polar dinosaurs" that inhabited the extreme latitudes now suggest that, in fact, many dinosaurs DID witness seasonal color displays, as polar deciduous trees evolved to drop their leaves in the company of dinosaurs sharing the polar environment during dark winter months. In fact, the changing of colors may have helped signal the advent of winter to dinosaurs - who are thought to have mostly possessed excellent color vision - to prepare for the approaching dark months: either gather your herd and migrate to more sunlit climates, or get into hibernation mode.

Prehistoric ancestors of the modern deciduous forms of the sycamore tree were widely distributed throughout the polar regions of the Cretaceous Period. In fact, the prehistoric sycamore may have evolved a deciduous lifestyle as a direct response to occupying environments with extreme seasonal variations in sunlight. And, accompanied by an unknown visual symphony of additional plant species, the sycamore may have been just one among many prehistoric tree forms that did regale dinosaurs with an annual visual feast of seasonal changes.....

However, due to a relatively uniform global warmth, the polar regions may have been the only areas that experienced such seasonal fluctuations: everywhere beyond the polar zones - that is, most of the Mesozoic realm, would have been dominated by a dizzying variety of evergreen foliage that never seasonally changed color or dropped leaves. Fortunately, we do have good modern relatives of many plant forms that evolved in the Mesozoic, and can therefore determine the likely lifestyles and appearances of the extinct versions.

Saving Today's Dinos

Dino fans everywhere wish that dinosaurs were still with us - how spectacular that would be! A fundamental aspect of the eternal fascination with dinosaurs is the nearly unbelievable fact that such fantastic creatures actually existed - yet, sadly, are no longer with us. It's a tragic irony that even as we obsess about extinct dinosaurs - even conjuring best-selling books and movies fantasizing the possibilities of resurrecting them (Jurassic Park...), we could soon lose forever two of the modern day giants that most closely echo the dinosaurs = the rhinoceros and elephant. Unless extraordinary action is taken, we may witness the extinction of these magnificent creatures in our lifetime - leaving future generations to experience rhinos and elephants only in museums - just as extinct as the dinosaurs....

Rhinos and elephants represent two of the closest modern ecological "analogies" to two of the largest dinosaur groups:

The Rhinoceros: today's largest "horned" animal is strongly analogous to the prehistoric horned "ceratopsians", represented by the likes of Triceratops, Centrosaurus, Styracosaurus.

The Elephant: today's most massive land animal is analogous to the most massive prehistoric land animal, the long necked "sauropods", famously represented by Apatosaurus, Argentinosaurus, Brontosaurus, Diplodocus, Mamenchisaurus, Seismosaurus.

A prehistoric horned dinosaur, Styracosaurus (left) compared to a modern horned "dinosaur", the black rhinoceros (not to scale: Styracosaurus was 30% larger than a modern rhino)

Modern rhinos occupy the same ecological niche as did the horned ceratopsians of the Mesozoic period, and possess similar anatomy: herbivorous, massive bodied, stout legged quadrupeds specialized for grazing low, ground-based vegetation. The large single or double nasal horn of rhinos is used primarily for combat with rival rhinos, just as the horns of ceratopsian dinosaurs were likely used in engagements between rivals of the same species. However, just as rhinos will not hesitate to also use their horns as potentially lethal weapons against foolish predators, such as lions; ceratopsian dinos likely also used their horns to fend-off predators, such as tyrannosaurs, if provoked.

Modern elephants occupy the same ecological niche as did the enormous "vegisaurus" sauropods of the Mesozoic period: both represent the largest land animals of their respective times, herbivorous with enormous guts and special adaptations for browsing mid to high-level foliage (trees), quadrupedal with massive, tree-like limbs. The feet of sauropods are so structurally similar to those of elephants that they are often referred to as being "elephant-like" or "elephantine".

In effect, the sauropods took the elephant body-plan to the next level: like elephants on steroids. Huge torsos evolved to contain enormous "guts", or stomachs. In the case of the long-necked, massive-bodied sauropods, large stomachs were an advantage, due to the poor nutritional quality of much of the Mesozoic vegetation. Sauropods needed to eat and store a LOT of vegetation in order to obtain sufficient nutrition: high quantity to compensate for low quality. The evolutionary solution was the huge stomach, which in turn manifested a massive body to house it.

As bodies became ever larger, sauropod necks became longer to access more food sources with less energy: it's easier to move a neck - like a crane - than having to move an entire, gigantic body, to reach food. For prehistoric sauropod dinosaurs, evolving long necks was a specialization to access food without engaging their excessively large bodies. Similarly, elephants evolved long trunks as a specialization to reach sources of food without engaging their excessively large bodies. Voila! Almost identical solutions to similar problems (gigantism), but achieved via two very different anatomical devices: the modern long trunk 
and the prehistoric long neck.

And that elephant trunk! Elephant trunks can reach 7 feet in length. Not only can elephants raise their long trunks to reach high foliage, they can also rear up onto their hind legs to reach even higher foliage. With a 7 foot trunk raised and a body length averaging 18-21 feet in length, the reach of an adult African elephant standing on its hind legs can reach leaves well over 20 feet above the ground - exceeding even the reach of the giraffe - the world's tallest animal in natural pose (not standing on hind legs!).

The tallest giraffes can attain heights over 19 feet at the top of their horns. Unfortunately, this third living "dinosaur" giant - the giraffe - is also on a path to extinction. A recent report by the Red List of Endangered Species has found a decline of 40% in the population of remaining giraffes in the wild since the 1980s; the result of a "silent extinction" caused by a combination of illegal hunting and ongoing increases in African farmland.

Due to their long necks, giraffes are the modern animal most commonly compared to the long necked dinosaurs, the sauropods. And this is justified, since the long necks and vegetarian lifestyle of giraffes are very similar to the neck physiology and diets of sauropods. But the relatively thin and lanky legs of giraffes are nothing like the heavy "tree-trunk" limbs of sauropod dinosaurs. It's the elephant that has the heft of body and massive legs most closely matching the sauropods. 

And with its long trunk, the vegetarian elephant completes the elephant-sauropod analogy, since the extraordinary length of the trunk functionally mimics the long necks of the sauropods, in reaching foliage far above the ground. And for that matter, ON the ground: the tall stature of both elephants and sauropod dinosaurs share the common problem of not easily reaching the ground for ground-based foliage. Sauropods solved the problem by lowering their long necks, elephants solve the problem by using their long and dangling trunks. In fact, if we could merge the long necks of giraffes with the bodily heft of elephants we would have a true modern analogy to the extinct sauropods - lacking only the long sauropod tail.

Today we are faced with the very real possibility of witnessing the extinction of three of today's living "dinosaurs", the rhino, elephant and giraffe. Most horrific of all is the ongoing brutal and barbaric practice of illegal poachers slaughtering rhinos and elephants just for their horns and tusks, respectively. After removing its nasal horn, a rhino is left to succumb to a slow death. And although technically tusks are "just" an elephants elongated teeth, the elephant must be killed to remove the tusks.

Saving these magnificent beasts is a just and urgent cause for its own sake: it's essential to save ANY animal from extinction. Especially if mankind is solely responsible and to blame for a species possible permanent demise.

But, due to the magnificent ecological and anatomical parallels between modern rhinos, elephants and giraffes on one hand, and the extinct dinosaurs on the other hand; saving these modern giants should take on extraordinary significance to dinosaur enthusiasts, fans, followers, and experts alike!

Please show your support for today's "living dinosaurs" by ending the atrocities...the senseless, brutal slaughter of rhinos and elephants by illegal poachers seeking to supply dubious markets for rhino horns and elephant ivory, in addition to the illegal hunting of giraffes. It's these markets, and the poachers that supply them, that must become extinct!!!

On Saturday, September 24, 2016 thousands of participants in over 100 cities around the world joined hearts for the International March for Rhinos and Elephants event.

For ongoing support, please contact http://www.96elephants.org/

Prehistoric Autumn Nights

The early dinosaur, Eoraptor, under autumn stars of 230 million years ago

In its general appearance the prehistoric night sky would look similar as today, filled with countless stars, the moon's changing phases, meteor showers. But specific star positions - such as those making up today's constellations - looked very different. This is because the earth's entire solar system orbits around the center of the Milky Way.

As the earth's solar system travels around the spiral of the Milky Way galaxy (similar to how the earth travels around the sun), its relationship to stars are constantly - albeit slowly - changing.

It takes approximately 230 million years for the solar system to complete a trip around the Milky Way galaxy. This means that the dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods - both less than 230 million years old - had different star patterns than we have today. We can't see the stars as Allosaurus, Triceratops or Tyrannosaurus rex did.

However, modern eyes CAN witness many of the stars that shined on earlier dinosaurs. Since the solar system, with the earth in it, takes about 230 million years to revolve around the Milky Way, today the earth is in nearly the same position, relative to the Milky Way, as when the earliest dinosaurs were evolving in the Triassic Period, 230 million years ago. 

230 million years ago the earth was populated by early theropod dinosaurs, such as Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus (both of the Late Triassic period, approximately 231.4 million years ago, Western Gondwana, in what is now the northwestern region of Argentina). As a result, it's possible that many of the same constellations that we see today were also hanging over the heads of dinosaurs in the night skies of the Late Triassic.

National Park Service Centennial

Stegosaurus ungulates - a favorite discovery from the Dinosaur National Monument

It's the middle of the summer in the northern hemisphere. Things are really heating up and the "dog days" of August are just around the corner. It's the heart of vacation-time for many people, and there's no better time to pay a visit to a national park, than on this Centennial celebration of the United States National Park System.

All national parks are the U.S. "repository" of special areas that preserve and present nature to the public, and as such are natural guardians of geology, flora and fauna; as well as laboratories for ongoing research by experts across many scientific fields.

And paleontology is well represented. Standing out among all of the parks of the system is Dinosaur National Monument.

It's the only park of its kind in the world where the general public can see so many dinosaur fossils "in situ" - that is, in their natural state of discovery, embedded in the rocks; as well as reconstructed in the park museum. And these include many of the largest, fiercest and most famous dinosaurs of all time, such as Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus.

A must-see mecca for any dino fan, Dinosaur National Monument spans large sections of the states of Utah and Colorado. Comprised of Jurassic rocks of the Morrison Formation, the park preserves the exact location of the legendary "Carnegie Quarry", famous for it's role in the great dinosaur "bone wars" of the early 1900s, and responsible for many of the Jurassic dinosaur specimens still on display in the renowned Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In fact, as one of the world's largest and most important Jurassic Period formations, Dinosaur National Monument is the real-life "Jurassic Park"!

Kudos to The National Park Service for its outstanding work throughout its entire park system, and in particular, for carrying-on the wishes of Carnegie Quarry discoverer Earl Douglass, who intended for fossil discoveries to be put on public display at the original quarry, instead of shipping everything away.

So, on behalf of Jurassic dinosaur fans around the world, The Dinoblog wishes The National Park Service a Happy 100th birthday!!!

Enjoying Dinos

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3D Portal

WELCOME TO THE PREHISTORIC REALM OF 3D PRINTING!

Click on this link to be transported through the 3D Portal:

http://3dportal.metrics4d.com

Irish Dinos

This week St. Patrick's Day celebrates Irish culture. And to many dino fans it begs the question, what dinosaurs inhabited Ireland? While England boasts many dinosaur discoveries - including the first dinosaur fossil ever formally described, Ireland seems barren of dinosaurs, despite sharing nearly identical geographical and geological features with neighboring England.

And Ireland does not spring to mind when pondering the realm of dinosaurs.

Mythology tells us St. Patrick dispatched all snakes from Ireland, but makes no claim regarding dinosaurs. Did dinosaurs EVER inhabit the Land of Ire?

In fact, it seems they did! Although not necessarily green in color, dinosaurs are known to have inhabited the Emerald Isle, once upon a time...

Since the Mesozoic dinosaur era, Ireland has been largely underwater. This has contributed to successive deposits of marine sediments, ultimately responsible for the dramatic coastal cliffs seen today, as well as doing a good job of covering the remains of dinosaurs.

However, several locales in Ireland have revealed dino fossils, including the partial remains of a medium-sized Jurassic Period bipedal predator, an early ancestor of larger theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus rex. The most complete skeleton discovered to date is attributed to a heavily armored quadrupedal plant eater, Scelidosaurus, pictured here. Covered nearly head to tail in spikes of various sizes, Scelidosaurus was well-equipped to fend-off attacks from the predators sharing its environment. A bit of Irish luck would have come in handy, as well...

Tyrannosaurus Teeth

Terrifying Works in Progress

Leaellynasaurus: Enjoying the New Year Down Under

While northern polar regions of the Mesozoic Era endured extended winter darkness and chill, on the opposite side of the planet, southern polar regions were basking in the full flush of their summer heat and nearly 24 hours of daily sunlight. Here we see the lens of the Dino Cam focused on the dog-sized Cretaceous herbivore, Leaellynasaurus. Specimens of Leaellynasaurus have been found in a rich dinosaur fossil site on the southern coast of Australia called Dinosaur Cove. During the time of Leaellynasaurus, Dinosaur Cove was positioned even further south than it is today, lying fully within the Antarctic circle.