Not surprisingly, the latest Archaeopteryx study has kicked up quite a stir within the media and scientific realms, considering the iconic status it has attained since discovery some 150 years past. This latest paper by Carney et al. and published in the journal Nature Communications claims to have resolved the plumage colour of a feather […]
What do we currently understand by a ‘species’? Naming species, also known as alpha taxonomy, forms the fundamental basis and core of systematic analysis (e.g., for biodiversity, macroevolutionary and ecological studies). Since the origin of the species concept, there has been heated and continuous debate as to what exactly constitutes a species. The discovery of […]
Diplodocus has always held a significant position in the hearts of dinosaur palaeontologists, as it was one of the very first genera to ever be formally recognised and described. Following, are some images and attempted reconstructions from Hutchinson (1917), and by comparison some excellent recent research by Taylor et al. (2009) on posture in Diplodocus […]
“If you want to inspire confidence, give plenty of statistics. It does not matter that they should be accurate, or even intelligible, as long as there is enough of them.” Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) The last post on this series gave an introduction to the background and significance of quantitative shape analysis. I conveyed the […]
Merry Christmas, 11 by ~Himmapaan on deviantART. This has to be one of the most incredible pieces of palaeo-art, or even art I’ve ever laid my eyes upon! The image depicts what I presume is Parasaurolophus walkeri, infamously referred to as “Elvis” by Roland Tembo (the late Pete Postlethwaite) in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, […]
Disclaimer: Apparently Carlsberg don’t write my titles.. Back in May 2011, a study was published in Science describing the application of sclerotic ring and orbital morphology in determining daily activity (diel) patterns in extinct archosaurs. Recently, a comment and counter-comment have been published, both with pretty critical rhetoric. I figured that as it appears to […]
What do fossils tell us? It’s an obvious question, commonly phrased as ‘What is the point in studying fossils?’, but often can be one of the more difficult ones to answer objectively. The most prominent reason, that I’m sure a lot of people will agree with, is that we want to know what ancient and […]
Recently, the UKAFH invited me to write an article for them on fossil preservation. What kind of palaeontologist would possibly decline! [excluding inverts – they don’t count] This is just a nice basic guide to taphonomic processes, designed for people with limited knowledge of geology or palaeontology. Feedback, as always, is welcome! 🙂 […]
The origin of life began in our oceans. Complex life, with some forms somewhat resembling what we see today and others too bizarre to even imagine arose over half a billion years ago. This is a time way before the rule of the dinosaurs, and even older than your great great grandparents. Life in the […]
Several links already summarise most of what is already known: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2011/december/new-horned-dinosaur-hidden-for-90-years-in-museum106428.html http://www.alfmuseum.org/in-the-news/112-new-dinosaur-named-by-alf-scientist http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Long+ignored+fossil+determined+species+horned+dinosaur/5816853/story.html I just wanted to spread the word a bit, and also show this picture I just found of the actual specimen! I took this photo last year while volunteering in the NHM. Copyright of the image goes to the Natural History Museum, […]