The Paleontology Thread

[Dino-Mario]

Gnathovorax cabreirai, new herrerasaur

https://peerj.com/articles/7963/



https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/la ... -dinosaur/

[Rhedosaurus]

I remember hearing about a theory that T. rex and his North American descendants evolved from invasive species which came from China but it was discredited? Why was it so and can it be revived?

[SoggyNoodles2016]

I remember hearing about a theory that T. rex and his North American descendants evolved from invasive species which came from China but it was discredited? Why was it so and can it be revived?

Probably because we now have multiple specimens of tyrannosaurs that were in North America before the land bridges the theory suggested led to tyrannosaurs formed

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stokesosaurus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moros_intrepidus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suskityrannus

[Rhedosaurus]

I remember hearing about a theory that T. rex and his North American descendants evolved from invasive species which came from China but it was discredited? Why was it so and can it be revived?

Probably because we now have multiple specimens of tyrannosaurs that were in North America before the land bridges the theory suggested led to tyrannosaurs formed

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stokesosaurus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moros_intrepidus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suskityrannus

So it's divergent evolution. Interesting.

New evidence of feathered polar dinosaurs found in Australia.

[Dino-Mario]

Fukuipteryx prima, new non-ornithothoracine bird from Japan

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/fu ... 07808.html

[Rhedosaurus]

Just curious. With Troodon no longer being a valid name and the specimens that lived alongside T. rex and Trike reverting to the old name Pectinodon, what is the Alaskan version now called?

[Gawdziller1954]

Just curious. With Troodon no longer being a valid name and the specimens that lived alongside T. rex and Trike reverting to the old name Pectinodon, what is the Alaskan version now called?

Lateniventarix.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Just curious. With Troodon no longer being a valid name and the specimens that lived alongside T. rex and Trike reverting to the old name Pectinodon, what is the Alaskan version now called?

Lateniventarix.

Latenivenatrix is from the Canadian Dinosaur Park Formation, not the Prince Creek Formation Rhedosaurus is referring to.


From what I've read, the Alaskan remains are too minuscule (literally just teeth) for a full on reexamination and are still labeled Troodon, despite being invalid

[Rhedosaurus]

A bit more of a cryptozoological question, but I think it fits in here too.

What are the chances of Ice Age mammals like mammoths, smilodons, and the like are still alive in Alaska and Siberia?

[JAGzilla]

Extremely slim. The 'mammoth steppe' habitat that supported mammoths is almost completely gone, for one thing, so there goes the food supply they were accustomed to. And even if they could have adapted to the modern tundra or taiga conditions... well, I just can't picture mammoths being this stealthy, you know? It's not exactly difficult to find elephants given their enormous food and water requirements and the destruction they cause as they eat. No reason to think mammoths would be any different. We'd see signs of them all the time, especially since evidence suggests that they lived in herds.

As for smilodons, they were adapted for hunting large prey, and in today's far north their options are limited to caribou, musk oxen, and maybe moose. Even as secretive as cats can be, we'd still see them following the caribou migrations just like wolves do.

[Rhedosaurus]

And even if they could have adapted to the modern tundra or taiga conditions... well, I just can't picture mammoths being this stealthy, you know? It's not exactly difficult to find elephants given their enormous food and water requirements and the destruction they cause as they eat. No reason to think mammoths would be any different. We'd see signs of them all the time, especially since evidence suggests that they lived in herds.

As for smilodons, they were adapted for hunting large prey, and in today's far north their options are limited to caribou, musk oxen, and maybe moose. Even as secretive as cats can be, we'd still see them following the caribou migrations just like wolves do.

To be fair, Alaska is still largely unexplored and most of Siberia is still barely habited.

[ScootaVaran]

An actual full size Mammoth? probably not. Although Siberia is a massive stretch of mostly uninhabited land, so you never know.
As for smilodons, well they lived in warmer climate like southern north America.

of course that doesn't mean there still might be something out there that's undiscovered or thought previously extinct animals. Just maybe not as exciting as a mammoth. Like a new type of deer or bear.
There are actually paleontologists that could see a giant sloth still alive in the amazon! that would be cool.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

And even if they could have adapted to the modern tundra or taiga conditions... well, I just can't picture mammoths being this stealthy, you know? It's not exactly difficult to find elephants given their enormous food and water requirements and the destruction they cause as they eat. No reason to think mammoths would be any different. We'd see signs of them all the time, especially since evidence suggests that they lived in herds.

As for smilodons, they were adapted for hunting large prey, and in today's far north their options are limited to caribou, musk oxen, and maybe moose. Even as secretive as cats can be, we'd still see them following the caribou migrations just like wolves do.

To be fair, Alaska is still largely unexplored and most of Siberia is still barely habited.

So?

We still observe the areas that they would have to frequent for survival like the steppes and caribou herds Jag mentioned.

Its just not plausible they're still around

[_JNavs_]

It's crazy how Antarctica is a whole ass continent, and I believe there's only around 13-200 people that live out there yearly.


Really makes you wonder what's out there.

[Gigantis]

It's crazy how Antarctica is a whole ass continent, and I believe there's only around 13-200 people that live out there yearly.


Really makes you wonder what's out there.

...I mean,who wants to live in a place where your almost certain to die from -50 temperatures.

[Rhedosaurus]

New charcarodontosaur, or super allosaur as I like to call them, found in Argentina named and described as Lajasvenator ascheriae

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Woah, valginian?

If that's correct dating, this is the earliest species yet!

[Dino-Mario]

And a pretty small one too, roughly around 3 meters long! Noice to see more of these guys.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

A perfectly preserved good boy, right from the split between dog and wolf, was just found in Russia


any of you make a Futurama reference, I'll kill you while crying

[Dino-Mario]

A perfectly preserved good boy, right from the split between dog and wolf, was just found in Russia


any of you make a Futurama reference, I'll kill you while crying

The preservation of that doggie is stunning! And yeah, kinda makes me a bit sad too... :'(