Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #FossilFriday
Most recents (19)
Welcome to a somewhat overdue (mega)thread devoted to the @AppleTV / @bbcstudios series #PrehistoricPlanet season 2 (#prehistoricplanet2 if you will), streaming NOW, and specifically to the first episode: ISLANDS... 
Islands is one of my favourite episodes of #PrehistoricPlanet2. We knew early on that we’d cover stories relevant to the Late Cretaceous island faunas of Romania and Madagascar (since both places have revealed numerous amazing Late Cretaceous island-dwelling animals), but…
... what else could we show? The producer for this episode – Paul Stewart – worked really hard to find appropriate stories, and succeeded in focusing on amazing animals doing interesting things…
We introduced you to many #Genuinerockstars in 2022 and in 2023 we will bring you many more!
On this last #FossilFriday before Christmas I'd like to give you all something to watch!
On this last #FossilFriday before Christmas I'd like to give you all something to watch!
The first #GenuineRockstar of the year was @WryCritic, a brilliant palaeontologists and illustrator who introduced us to a new #Pterosaur from #IsleofSkye
#FossilFriday
#FossilFriday
The second pair of #GenuineRockstars of the year were @azerkle and @chrisjunium who explained the aftermath of the impact that killed the dinosaur by studying sulfur that got into the #Stratosphere
Ancient marine mammal buried in mud 5 to 7 million years ago, at low tide today. #KingTides #FossilFriday #PurisimaFormation
This fossil bone looks like a 3 foot long scimitar.. maybe a rib fossil bone.
Congratulations to Sally Reynolds and René Bobe, for this amazing new book! I’ll take this opportunity to talk a bit about the chapter I contributed to, led by @bobe_rene and co-authored by me, @carvalhoprimate and Meave Leakey.
The Koobi Fora Formation in the Lake Turkana Basin is one of the most important rock units in the world, and continues to provide one of the richest records of our evolution in Africa. #paleoanthropology
There are nearly 250 hominins documented from East Turkana. It includes periods of astonishing hominin diversity with Homo habilis, H. rudolfensis, H. erectus, and Paranthropus boisei occupying the region between 2—1.4 million years ago.
#fossilfriday
#fossilfriday
The #Cambrian Explosion marks the first appearance of many animal phyla in the #fossil record, but just how radical was it? I'm starting a new #FossilFriday thread where I post Cambrian fossil representatives of one phylum per week. Join me on this trek across the tree of life
Let's begin with #Annelida. In the #Cambrian these come mainly from deposits of exceptional preservation. Polychaetes and sipunculids, including species with potential affinities to living families, are represented.
#FossilFriday
#FossilFriday
Image references:
Canadia - Parry & Caron 2019
Dannychaeta - Parry et al. 2020
Kootenayscolex - Nanglu & Caron 2018
Archaeogolfingia and Cambrosipunculus - Huang et al. 2004
Canadia - Parry & Caron 2019
Dannychaeta - Parry et al. 2020
Kootenayscolex - Nanglu & Caron 2018
Archaeogolfingia and Cambrosipunculus - Huang et al. 2004
Attacks or accidents? A thread for #FossilFriday!
Several hadrosaurs have been found with serious, oval shaped injuries to the tall spines along the tops of their tail. Some paleontologists have suggested that these are from unsuccessful attacks by tyrannosaurs. But are they?1/11
Several hadrosaurs have been found with serious, oval shaped injuries to the tall spines along the tops of their tail. Some paleontologists have suggested that these are from unsuccessful attacks by tyrannosaurs. But are they?1/11
The two best specimens are a Brachylophosaurus (JRF1002) and an Edmontosaurus (DMNH1493) with strikingly similar injuries. In both cases the bones had begun healing after the injury occurred, so while these may have contributed to the animals deaths they likely weren't the cause.
Both genera were predated on by large tyrannosaurs, so it's possible that these were bite marks from attacks that ended with the hadrosaur managing to escape. Indeed, the shape and size would be roughly congruent with a bite mark from the local tyrannosaur genera.
Aegyptopithecus (L) and Parapithecus (R) from lineages that survived the Eocene-Oligocene Extinction. Lucky thing, because Aegypto's descendents include Old World monkeys and apes and Para's New World monkeys! Both in @DukeLemurCenter fossil collection #FossilFriday Thread 1/4
For more on the extinction check out this press release featuring co-authors @PaleoDorien, @heshamsallam, Erik Seiffert @USC, Steven Heritage and @MattBorths from @DukeLemurCenter @DukeU @dukeresearch 2/4 today.duke.edu/2021/10/climat…
Erik Seiffert describes the process of extinction research in @CommsBio "Behind the Research" blog 3/4 natureecoevocommunity.nature.com/posts/using-ph…
How to count T. Rex -
A 🧵Thread in Cartoons
Happy #FossilFriday ! You may have seen our recent paper where we calculate that 2.5 billion T. Rex ever lived.
But how do we know? 1/11
A 🧵Thread in Cartoons
Happy #FossilFriday ! You may have seen our recent paper where we calculate that 2.5 billion T. Rex ever lived.
But how do we know? 1/11
First:
The art in this thread is by Sara Volz, a biophysicist at UC Berkeley!
The lead art of T. rex heads is by @franzanth - follow for great #paleoart, especially of inverts.
In case you missed the paper here it is: science.sciencemag.org/content/372/65…
2/11
The art in this thread is by Sara Volz, a biophysicist at UC Berkeley!
The lead art of T. rex heads is by @franzanth - follow for great #paleoart, especially of inverts.
In case you missed the paper here it is: science.sciencemag.org/content/372/65…
2/11
So how to get biology out of the ground?
We started with the amazing existing work on T. rex
None of this work is possible without research by colleagues like @dustydino Greg Erickson @histo_holly
@TyrannosaurCarr
@AAlechiarenza @cullen_thomas
@SteveBrusatte @df9465
and more
3/11
We started with the amazing existing work on T. rex
None of this work is possible without research by colleagues like @dustydino Greg Erickson @histo_holly
@TyrannosaurCarr
@AAlechiarenza @cullen_thomas
@SteveBrusatte @df9465
and more
3/11
A hint of the social behavior of early Homo erectus comes from the earliest known #hominin to survive with near total loss of teeth, 1.8 million years ago. Some wild primates also survive years with little functional dentition. #paleoanthropology #FossilFriday
For years, anthropologists have looked at the survival of older people with tooth loss as a possible indication of social caring, empathy, and value of tradition and knowledge to social groups—once with Neandertals, more recently with H. erectus. #paleoanthropology
Some have criticized inferences about social care in these human relatives, by pointing out other primates that sometimes survive. This wild chimpanzee skull in the collection of the @goCMNH is a great example, with loss of all but one molar and premolars.
🗞️New paper!
" Interconnected Magdalenian societies as revealed by the circulation of whale bone artefacts in the Pyreneo-Cantabrian region” published in Quaternary Science Reviews 🐳
Let’s open a thread! 👇
#Archaeology #prehistory #palaeolithic #magdalenian
#FossilFriday
" Interconnected Magdalenian societies as revealed by the circulation of whale bone artefacts in the Pyreneo-Cantabrian region” published in Quaternary Science Reviews 🐳
Let’s open a thread! 👇
#Archaeology #prehistory #palaeolithic #magdalenian
#FossilFriday
Around the Bay of Biscay, interactions between humans and whales are part of a multi-millennial (pre)history.
Until now, the early use of whale bone as a raw material was mainly documented in the #Magdalenian Pyrenean collections. What about the neighbouring Cantabrian region?
Until now, the early use of whale bone as a raw material was mainly documented in the #Magdalenian Pyrenean collections. What about the neighbouring Cantabrian region?
54 whale bone artefacts (essentially large finished weapons) were identified from 12 of the 64 sampled Cantabrian sites. @MuseosCant @gordailua @arkeologimuseoa @museodealtamira @MANArqueologico @MNCNcomunica
Since I didn't get around to it on #FolkloreThursday, here's a new Shaligram thread for #FossilFriday!
Let's talk about the Vasudev Shaligram! It's an interesting one.
Let's talk about the Vasudev Shaligram! It's an interesting one.
Vaasudev carries a wide variety of meanings depending on the particular Hindu tradition in question. In Indian epic poetry, Vasudeva is the father of Krishna. He was the brother of Nanda Baba, the chieftain of the cowherder tribe...
...who was a Surasena (an ancient Indian region corresponding to the present-day Braj region in Uttar Pradesh) who also became the foster father of Krishna.
Our new #IsleofWight #theropod #dinosaurs - Vectaerovenator (not as scary as it looks: 'vect-air-oh-ven-a-tor') from the Greensand of #Shanklin - was published yesterday in an #OA paper, available here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.10… Brief thread on this research...
This dinosaur - so far known from four extremely unusual, anatomically interesting vertebrae (two of them shown here) - was discovered by three different collectors, our work on describing them was led by University of Southampton PhD student @palaeoguy12 ... #FossilFriday
It was obvious from the start that this was (1) a theropod (or predatory dinosaur), (2) a new species and genus, and (3) interesting in being highly pneumatic (that is, it has loads of air-filled cavities and openings: you can see those features in these photos)... #dinosaurs
New Paper: 1st dinosaur from #IsleofEigg! We describe a limb bone, & attribute it to a Middle #Jurassic stegosaur! Thread👇 [1/7] #StEiggosaurus #Fossils #Scotland #dinosaurs #FossilFriday
I discovered the bone on @NatGeo funded #fieldwork in 2017. #IsleofEigg is known for #Jurassic marine reptiles & fish #fossils (found by Hugh Miller & others). It was collected by a team frm @GeosciencesEd & Staffin Dinosaur Museum. #StEiggosaurus [2/7]
The bone was badly eroded, but @MrIchthyosaurus carefully prepared it for the team to study. We combined our expertise in #Mesozoic reptile #anatomy and bone microstructure (#histology), to narrow down the identification. #StEiggosaurus #fossils [3/7]
Occasionally fossil hominin remains show us direct evidence of ancient behaviors. A recent paper by @AEstalrrich highlights the evidence that the famous "Lucy's Child" specimen from Olduvai Gorge, OH 62, used toothpicks. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhev… #FossilFriday
OH 62 is a fragmented partial skeleton. Tim White discovered the first pieces in 1986, and since the 1987 description by team leader Donald Johanson and coworkers, most have regarded it as Homo habilis. The extreme fragmentation makes it challenging to understand.
For their new study, @AEstalrrich and collaborators examined tiny tooth fragments, identifying two with distinct grooves. Under the microscope, they were able to show the striations from back-and-forth wear, probably from pieces of straw.
Last week my first first author paper was published, and also my first plant genus and species description! We described Keraphyton mawsoniae, a new fern-like plant from the Late Devonian of Australia. I wrote a little thread about it for #FossilFriday #Palaeobotany #Paleontology
Our paper is available online #openaccess at peerj.com/articles/9321/ “Keraphyton gen. nov., a new Late Devonian #fern-like plant from Australia” #paleobotany #paleontology #plant #taxonomy (2/17)
The #fossil #plant was first discovered by an amateur geologist on the bank of the Manilla River in Barraba #NewSouthWales… more than 50 years ago #NSW (3/17)
Okay, since Twitter hasn't had enough Spinosaurus stuff over the past few weeks, Ima spend #FossilFriday diving into whether or not #Spinosaurus had lips, from a completely non-osteological perspective!
First, why have lips? Lips serve two big functions in tetrapods: first, as protection against tooth desiccation (retaining moisture), and also for hydrodynamics in whales and dolphins, by smoothing out their profile. (2nd image: Florian Graner)
Let’s look at the proposed analogues for Spinosaurs. Crocodilians are a frequent comparison: freshwater piscivorous reptiles with similar snout and tooth shape, and no lips. Moray eels, however, also hunt fish, have crazy dentition, but also have lips! (Image 1: Hal Beral, Getty)
Anomolacarids ... the apex predator of the Cambrian oceans (550 million years ago). Occasionally, you will find a trilobite fossil with a bite taken out of it ... small enough that it survived a bit longer.
Treasure those fossils.
#TrilobiteTerror
#FossilFriday
Treasure those fossils.
#TrilobiteTerror
#FossilFriday
Anomolacarid fossils are so breathtakingly rare, even a large museum may only have a small piece of this predator arthropod.
#FossilFriday
#FossilFriday
For #FossilFriday, here's another recent paper from our lab, on the skull evolution of *the weirdest dinosaurs of all*, the oviraptorosaurs (like Tongtianlong in the image below). Led by my former Master's student @FionMaWS.
Fion studied several oviraptor skulls and jaws, and used various methods to quantify their shapes and sizes.
The measurements were used to produce lots of morphospaces. So, so many morphospaces!
It’s #Croctober, so that means I’ll be featuring croc-relatives using the hashtag #AtoZcrocs. Follow along this month for a deep dive into how weird croc #evolution really got.
A is for Anatosuchus, a notosuchian from the Cretaceous of Niger. It’s name means “duck-crocodile,” for it’s oddly flared snout. #Croctober #AtoZcrocs #fossils
📸 Sereno and Larsson, 2009: doc.rero.ch/record/200234/…
📸 Sereno and Larsson, 2009: doc.rero.ch/record/200234/…
Anatosuchus’ upright limb posture and funky snout might have helped it wade in the shallows and root around for small prey. #Croctober #AtoZcrocs #fossils
📸 Sereno and Larsson, 2009: doc.rero.ch/record/200234/…
📸 Sereno and Larsson, 2009: doc.rero.ch/record/200234/…
