Philosophy
by
Lance Tillson
November 23rd, 2013
National Monitor
Researchers from The Field Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) note that the new dinosaur is the first of its kind to be found in North America.
More than 30 feet long and weighing more than four tons, Siats meekerorum was the top predator in its ecosystem.
“This dinosaur was a colossal predator second only to the great T. rex and perhaps Acrocanthosarus in the North American fossil record,” noted lead author Lindsay Zanno, Director of Paleontology at NCMNS/NCSU, in a statement.
The large predator was found in 2008 by Zanno during a trip to the Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. It took two summers to remove the fossils of this giant animal.
According to the researchers, Siats is not a close relative of T. rex and other tyrannosaurs that were the prominent predators in North America for the last 20 million years of the age of dinosaurs. Siats belongs to the carchardontosaurian group of theropods. Furthermore, the large predator belongs to a branch of the carcharodontosaurian family tree that was previously unknown in North America.
“We were thrilled to discover the first dinosaur of its kind in North America and add to mounting evidence that dinosaurs were widely dispersed across the globe 100 million years ago,” posited study co-author Peter Makovicky, Curator of Dinosaurs at the Field Museum.
The teeth of tyrannosaurs from the Cedar Mountain Formation suggest that the tyrannosaurs living alongside Siats were a lot smaller in size.
“The huge size difference certainly suggests that tyrannosaurs were held in check by carcharodontosaurs, and only evolved into enormous apex predators after the carcharodontosaurs disappeared,” added Makovicky.
The study’s findings are described in detail in the journal Nature Communications.
- Thalattosaur's Fossilized Skeleton Found In Alaska
What causes an "extreme low tide"? "Rare fossil of sea reptile found on Alaska beach" by Yereth Rosen July 29th, 2011 Reuters Alaska scientists have discovered the fossil of a rare, prehistoric marine reptile that is likely the most complete remnant...
- Archaeopteryx And Xiaotingia Zhengi Smackdown
Archaeopteryx created a sensation in Victorian England with its bird-like wings but teeth and tail of a dinosaur. Birds of a feather with conflicting conclusions. "'Oldest bird' Archaeopteryx knocked off its perch in controversial new study"...
- Mounting Evidence On Dinosaur Extinction
An adult triceratops. "'Last dinosaur' fossil adds weight to theory asteroid wiped out creatures" Horn thought to be of a triceratops found in sedimentary rock was deposited shortly before mass extinction 65.5m years ago by Ian Sample July 13th,...
- Deceased--harley Garbani
Harley Garbani September 19th, 1922 to April 21st, 2011 "Harley Garbani dies at 88; fossil hunter unearthed significant dinosaur finds" A self-taught paleontologist and archaeologist with a longtime passion for hunting dinosaur bones, Harley Garbani...
- Bambiraptor Purloined For Bucks
This is not good, but not new. Remember Sue the T. Rex? Sue Hendrickson, amateur paleontologist, discovered the most complete (more than 90%) and, until 2001, the largest, Tyrannosaurus fossil skeleton known in the Hell Creek Formation near Faith, South...
Philosophy
T. rex has company
"Meet the newly discovered dinosaur that even tyrannosaurs were afraid of"
by
Lance Tillson
November 23rd, 2013
National Monitor
Researchers from The Field Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) and North Carolina State University (NCSU) note that the new dinosaur is the first of its kind to be found in North America.
More than 30 feet long and weighing more than four tons, Siats meekerorum was the top predator in its ecosystem.
“This dinosaur was a colossal predator second only to the great T. rex and perhaps Acrocanthosarus in the North American fossil record,” noted lead author Lindsay Zanno, Director of Paleontology at NCMNS/NCSU, in a statement.
The large predator was found in 2008 by Zanno during a trip to the Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. It took two summers to remove the fossils of this giant animal.
According to the researchers, Siats is not a close relative of T. rex and other tyrannosaurs that were the prominent predators in North America for the last 20 million years of the age of dinosaurs. Siats belongs to the carchardontosaurian group of theropods. Furthermore, the large predator belongs to a branch of the carcharodontosaurian family tree that was previously unknown in North America.
“We were thrilled to discover the first dinosaur of its kind in North America and add to mounting evidence that dinosaurs were widely dispersed across the globe 100 million years ago,” posited study co-author Peter Makovicky, Curator of Dinosaurs at the Field Museum.
The teeth of tyrannosaurs from the Cedar Mountain Formation suggest that the tyrannosaurs living alongside Siats were a lot smaller in size.
“The huge size difference certainly suggests that tyrannosaurs were held in check by carcharodontosaurs, and only evolved into enormous apex predators after the carcharodontosaurs disappeared,” added Makovicky.
The study’s findings are described in detail in the journal Nature Communications.
- Thalattosaur's Fossilized Skeleton Found In Alaska
What causes an "extreme low tide"? "Rare fossil of sea reptile found on Alaska beach" by Yereth Rosen July 29th, 2011 Reuters Alaska scientists have discovered the fossil of a rare, prehistoric marine reptile that is likely the most complete remnant...
- Archaeopteryx And Xiaotingia Zhengi Smackdown
Archaeopteryx created a sensation in Victorian England with its bird-like wings but teeth and tail of a dinosaur. Birds of a feather with conflicting conclusions. "'Oldest bird' Archaeopteryx knocked off its perch in controversial new study"...
- Mounting Evidence On Dinosaur Extinction
An adult triceratops. "'Last dinosaur' fossil adds weight to theory asteroid wiped out creatures" Horn thought to be of a triceratops found in sedimentary rock was deposited shortly before mass extinction 65.5m years ago by Ian Sample July 13th,...
- Deceased--harley Garbani
Harley Garbani September 19th, 1922 to April 21st, 2011 "Harley Garbani dies at 88; fossil hunter unearthed significant dinosaur finds" A self-taught paleontologist and archaeologist with a longtime passion for hunting dinosaur bones, Harley Garbani...
- Bambiraptor Purloined For Bucks
This is not good, but not new. Remember Sue the T. Rex? Sue Hendrickson, amateur paleontologist, discovered the most complete (more than 90%) and, until 2001, the largest, Tyrannosaurus fossil skeleton known in the Hell Creek Formation near Faith, South...