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More Antarctic Dinosaurs
Posted by
kdawson
on Tue Dec 11, 2007 07:07 PM
from the thing-with-feathers dept.
from the thing-with-feathers dept.
RockDoctor writes "The highly respected palaeontology journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica has published its December number for free access on the Web, with the headline paper concerning new discoveries of dinosaurs from Antarctica. (Paper here, PDF.) The first major part of these discoveries was made in 1991, when isolated bones of a sauropod (a relative of the Apatosaurus, formerly known as Brontosaurus) were found associated with a theropod (ancestor or cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex). The sauropod has been named Glacialisaurus hammeri (the reason for the genus name is obvious, and Professor Hammer led the field expeditions under 'extremely difficult conditions'). The herbivore was some 25 ft. long and weighed 4 to 6 tons; at the time of life, the area was between 55 and 65 degrees south, suggesting a climate similar to the Falkland Islands or Tierra del Fuego."
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Antarctica? (Score:4, Funny)
I'm ready to be modded down, now.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I think you meant the Old Ones.
brontosaurus (Score:4, Informative)
Re:brontosaurus (Score:4, Informative)
Parent
Re:brontosaurus (Score:5, Funny)
Bow before me. I am Brontosaurus. Frickin' sweet!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
FYI, there is another "grand renaming" in the pipeline, due to the description and naming of a partial leg in about 1880. Tyrannosaurus appears to have been described (partially) from a handful of bones over 20 years before Barnum Brown found, described and named the iconic near-complete skeleton.
ICZN does have rules to cover this situation now - if the taxon with the
Re:brontosaurus (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Btw what's with all these obsessing about sources (at least with topics such as these); I don't h
Image (Score:5, Interesting)
Headline: Antarctica (Score:5, Funny)
Researchers have still to uncover this creature's habitat, but they did find the petrified parts of a corpse belonging to a rather large creature, which is referred to more commonly by its Latin name, Nix Quintis, as well as remains of another animal known as Distriae Berkeleyus; the latter was known to have been wiped out approximately sixteen million years ago due to the Netcraft epidemics, which gives us a rough idea as to how old Minix is.
A lean predator, Minix was known to be a vicious and somewhat egotistical creature, prone to fits of foaming anger and long diatribes, with which it used as a means to kill its prey.
While we do not yet know the full extent of Minix, it is well studied by previously found fragments, and today's discovery should present a far clearer picture in the years to come as it reveals its secrets.
Meanwhile, paradoxically, no trace has yet to be found of the species known as Bloatasaurus, or Vista Microsoftae. A large, slow-moving creature, this dinosaur was well known to have been a common victim of predatory attacks, and yet very few have been found. Archaeologist Steve Ballmer is heading the team searching for Bloatasaurus, though his peers still doubt his claims that "They're everywhere! It was the most popular friggin' beast alive!" Whether this creature actually existed still remains in doubt among some.
Brontosaurus, thank you (Score:5, Funny)
The name Brontosaurus strikes an image of a colossal behemoth that would crush you to paste if you got in its way.
Apatosaurus sounds like it should be serving you tea cakes.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
And they rocked out to... (Score:4, Funny)
My, my, my, my dino hits me so hard
Makes me say oh my word
Thank you for proving me
With a mind to dig and two cold feet
Feels good when you know you're down
A superdope therapod from the oldtown
And I'm known
as such
And this is a beat uh you can touch
The sauropod has been named Glacialisaurus hammeri (the reason for the genus name is obvious, and Professor Hammer led the field expeditions under 'extremely difficult conditions')
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Pop goes the theory (Score:5, Insightful)
"This was probably due to the fact that major connections between the continents still existed at that time, and because climates were more equitable across latitudes than they are today," Smith said.
Can we just go one discussion without bringing up global warming? While it's midly related, this is more about Pangaea and where Antarctica was 190 million years ago.
Parent
Re:"climates were more equitable across latitudes" (Score:4, Informative)
The same mechanisms that are said to cause globabl warming today; CO2 levels for earth peaked in the triassic period at about 3000ppm (currently at 381ppm, under 300ppm pre-industrial revolution). The higher CO2 levels led to higher levels of water vapor, and the two together made earth a big greenhouse.
Reference [bris.ac.uk]
On a bit of a tangent, I saw an interesting documentary about four years ago where a group of scientists tried to deduce of all the things needed for life on earth, what would run out first. They came to the conclusion that CO2 levels would continue to fall, till Earth became incapable of supporting plant life, and as a result any higher life form.
Parent
Re:"climates were more equitable across latitudes" (Score:4, Informative)
Actually no. The only reason we have ice at the poles is because we are coming out of an ice age. There have only been four known ice ages in the planets history and outside of these (which is the vast majority of the time) the planet, even at the poles and highest latitudes has been ice free.
The planet has ben changing from completely ice covered to completely ice free long before people ever showed up.
Parent
Re:Formerly Brontosaurus?? (Score:5, Funny)
Honestly, didn't they teach you anything in school?
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
"The species Brontosaurus excelsus was named by its discoverer Othniel Charles Marsh, in 1879 and the designation persisted as an official term in the general public's literature until at least 1974, though it was recognized as a species of a previously-named genus, Apatosaurus, in 1903.."
So yes, we both learned the wrong name from poor school literature.
however, I had a brief flirtation with paleontology so I had learned the proper name in high school and I should have recogni
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:That's impossible (Score:5, Funny)
Out!
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Well that's why they found dinosaur *bones* and not living dinosaurs!
Duh...
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
So just think how much global warming DINO FARTS would have produced!
Seriously, it's no wonder our ancestors never got a break until those polluting beasts kicked the bucket.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
A speaker at last month's conference on "South Atlantic Petroleum Systems", where Antarctica was the "elephant seal in the room which no one mentioned", summarised the prospectivity of Antarctica thus : "Don't drill on an Archean shield (East Antarctica); don't drill in an active volcanic island arc (West Antarctica/ Antarctic Peninsula) ; and for the remaining area, where there ar