I've just been looking at Big Sara, the privately owned #Allosaurus skeleton (genuine fossil, not a cast) currently on show at Westquay Shopping Centre, #Southampton. What a spectacular specimen! Here are some thoughts... #dinosaurs#fossils
I've heard some concerns about the displaying of this genuine fossil in a food court. I have no idea how the specimen is faring in terms of pyrite decay and so on but...
... it's not in an environment that will contribute to decay. Indoor spaces like this are, in the UK, not humid, but cool and airy. Big Sara is in a big open space close to a giant window. Moving to anatomy...
Big Sara has REALLY interesting nasals, the most complex I've seen in an #Allosaurus. Check out the three hornlets near the nostril, and the cluster of hornlets over the antorbital fenestra. The lacrimal horns have serrated edges! ...
These features are all symmetrical, so appear anatomically valid. If visible in the live animal (and enlarged by keratin), they would result in very grandiose, spiky, interesting facial ornamentation - wow!
Finally: Big Sara is privately owned and the property of the Richmond Group. I don't know what this means for future study or eventual movement into the public trust.
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I was lead scientific consultant on #PrehistoricPlanet and was extensively involved in our many decisions, all of which were science-led or scientifically informed. I was, of course, merely one among many in a HUGE team that involved hundreds of very talented people!
Ep 5 focuses on the #dinosaurs and #pterosaurs that lived in forests during the Maastrichtian (the final part of the Late #Cretaceous). The Maastrichtian world was heavily forested, with temperate, subtropical & tropical woodland covering around 78% of the land surface…
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Welcome to another thread on the science behind the new @AppleTVPlus@bbcstudios series #PrehistoricPlanet, specifically EP 4: ICE WORLDS. This thread will work best if you read the tweets as you watch the episode in real time – do this if you can…
I was lead scientific consultant on #PrehistoricPlanet, and it was a great privilege to work with so MANY excellent and talented people ... such an amazing team! Here we go...
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Freshwater kicks off in north-east Asia (a location consistent with the geology, climate and animals we show) with a spectacular waterfall connected to canyons. Juvenile #pterosaurs - they're young #azhdarchids - have gathered here to roost... #PrehistoricPlanet
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Join me in this thread as I talk about the science and decisions behind what we show in ep 2 - DESERTS - of the new @AppleTVPlus@bbcstudios series #PrehistoricPlanet . Deserts aired on Tuesday, but better late than never. Here we go...
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OK, hello and let's go as I #livetweet during a watch of ep 1 of #PrehistoricPlanet! I'll try and keep everything in the same thread. This is the COASTS ep - 1 of 5 - that will be streaming one a day on @AppleTVPlus ... Here we go!
Like all eps, Coasts was years in preparation and a huge team are behind its completion. I'll mostly be tweeting about science and not ppl but I will be mentioning some key individuals... #PrehistoricPlanet
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