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☆ Rare fossil preserved in fool’s gold reveals newly identified 450 million-year-old species
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The striking fossil is a newly identified species of arthropod, a distant relative of modern-day horseshoe crabs, scorpions, and spiders, that slightly resembles a modern-day shrimp. Named Lomankus edgecombei, the arthropod is a remarkably bright golden color because it’s preserved in three dimensions by iron pyrite — a mineral better known as fool’s gold. Lead study author Luke Parry began examining the fossils when he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Yale Peabody Museum, where three of the specimens were held. courtesy Luke Parry/Yu Liu/Ruixin RanToday, there are more known species of arthropod than any other group of animals on Earth. “Sometimes we see fossils preserved as opals or quartz crystals, or in this case, fool’s gold,” Brusatte said.

Persons: it’s, Lomankus edgecombei, Greg Edgecombe, Luke Parry, Yu Liu, Ruixin, Parry, ” Parry, ‘, Steve Brusatte, ”, ” Brusatte, “ Organizations: CNN, Yale Peabody Museum, Yunnan University, paleobiology, University of Oxford, “, University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, Brusatte Locations: New York, Rome, China

☆ Newly discovered dinosaur’s horns look ‘like something a heavy metal rocker would wear’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“It’s an area that’s known for producing horned dinosaurs. In fact, there are four other species of horned dinosaurs known from this particular region,” Sertich said. Fossils of the four other species of similar horned dinosaurs with which it shared its habitat were discovered in the same area. Different types of horned dinosaurs have distinct horns along the edge of that frill. “The bodies of these horned dinosaurs are very similar, yet their heads are adorned with some wild head gear.”Similar appendages are found on the heads of horned lizards, Lyson added, except in these horned dinosaurs, they are attached to multiton bodies.

Persons: ”, Joseph Sertich, “, ” Sertich, Lokiceratops, Mark Eatman, ” Eatman, don’t, They’re, it’s, Loki, Sertich, Brock Sisson, Ben Meredith, Mark Loewen, Steve Brusatte, ” Brusatte, David Norman, ” Norman, Tyler Lyson, “ I’m, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Colorado State University, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Museum, of Evolution, telltale, of Utah, University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge, Denver Museum of Nature & Science Locations: Maribo, Denmark, Montana, Canada, North America, Raleigh, Lokiceratops, Salt Lake City, United Kingdom

☆ Ancient fossils lead to discovery of largest known marine reptile
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Dr. Dean Lomax, Ruby Reynolds, Justin Reynolds and Paul de la Salle (from left) are shown with the fossil discovery in 2020. “To think that my discovery in 2016 would spark so much interest in these enormous creatures fills me with joy,” de la Salle said. I am overjoyed.”Together, the Reynoldses, Lomax, de la Salle and others returned to Blue Anchor to search for additional fragments. The nearly complete giant jawbone is shown along with the jawbone (middle and bottom) found by Paul de la Salle in 2016. Sergey KrasovskiyThe discovery made by the Reynoldses and de la Salle will soon be displayed at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery in the UK.

Persons: Ichthyotitan, Justin, Ruby Reynolds, Marcello Perillo, Dean Lomax, Justin Reynolds, Paul de la, Lomax, De la Salle, “, de, Ruby, ” Lomax, Paul de, ”, ichthyosaurs, Perillo, ” Perillo, Mary Anning, Joseph, Sergey Krasovskiy, ” Ruby Reynolds, Paul Organizations: CNN, University of Bonn, Paul de la Salle, University of Manchester, University of Bristol, Salle, la Salle, de la Salle, Bristol Museum, Art Locations: Somerset, Braunton, England, , Somerset, Germany, United Kingdom, Devon, Lilstock, Canada, China

☆ Ancient reptile fossil revealed as a forgery
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A 280 million-year-old fossil thought to be a well-preserved specimen of an ancient reptile is largely a forgery, according to new research. The fossil appeared in book and article citations over the decades, but no one ever studied it in detail. A new, detailed analysis has revealed that the dark color of the fossil isn’t preserved genetic material — it’s just black paint covering a couple of bones and carved rock. When the specimen was discovered, researchers thought the fossil might provide a rare glimpse into reptilian evolution. It’s not the first time a fossil forgery has been uncovered, but Rossi said this particular style of forgery is unusual.

Persons: antiquus, ”, Valentina Rossi, ” Rossi, Rossi, Mariagabriella Fornasiero, Evelyn Kustatscher, It’s, Fabrizio Nestola, ” Nestola Organizations: CNN, University of Padua’s Museum of Nature, University College Cork, Museum of Nature, Tyrol Nature Museum, University Center, Museums, University of Padua Locations: Italian, Italy, Ireland, Tyrol, Bolzano

☆ Rare fossil reveals behavior dinosaurs may have had in common with birds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s what scientists have interpreted from the pose of the dinosaur’s fossil skeleton. The study authors identified it as an alvarezsaurid, a type of small theropod (bipedal meat-eating dinosaur) with a long tail and legs and short front limbs. Alvarezsaurids are part of a larger dinosaur group called maniraptorans, which includes birds and birdlike dinosaurs that were their closest relatives. (A) A photo of the fossil skeleton found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Kohta KuboThe new fossil suggests that this sleeping behavior may have been more common than expected among the non-avian relatives of the earliest birds, the researchers reported.

Persons: Sinornithoides, Jaculinykus yaruui, Kohta Kubo, “, ”, Dr, Jingmai O’Connor, ” O’Connor, ” Kubo, Jaculinykus, Shuvuuia deserti, Kubo, Kobu, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Field, Paleobiology Research, Hokkaido University, Scientific Locations: Mongolia, Chicago, Jaculus, yaruu, Japan, alvarezsaurs

☆ Ancient pendants made from giant sloth bones suggest humans were in Americas earlier than thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While G. phoenesis was thought to have been a relatively small species of giant sloth, some ancient sloth species were so big that their fossilized burrows are now caves in southern Brazil that humans can walk through. One of the three pendants made from giant sloth bone. However, Pansani said the team dated other material — sediment, charcoal and other giant sloth bones — from the same layer as where the artifacts were recovered. Many experts are skeptical that humans occupied the Americas any earlier than 16,000 years ago, the study noted. For the new study, Pacheco said the team hadn’t considered the possibility of trying to extract genetic material from the sloth-bone pendants.

Persons: —, Thais Pansani, Federal University of São Carlos, phoenesis, Thaís Pansani, Pierre Gueriau, Mírian Pacheco, Pacheco, ” Pansani, Pansani, “, ” Pacheco, hadn’t, ” Organizations: CNN, Federal University of São, Paleobiology, Royal Society Locations: Brazil, Santa, Americas, South America, New Mexico, Russia

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