Thailand has quietly become a hotspot for fossil discovery in recent years, something that the exquisitely preserved Minimocursor illustrates perfectly. First discovered in 2012, the Jurassic-aged Minimocursor was an early member of the clade Neornithischia, which includes ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs) and hadrosaurs. Who doesn’t love some new dinosaurs? The first of our new genera is the small herbivore Minimocursor phunoiensis, discovered in the Phu Kradung Formation of northeastern Thailand. (Read “ The Fighting Dinosaurs Part 3: Mammals vs Dinosaurs” for more information!) Regardless, the fossil is still incredible, preserved for all eternity by the sporadic volcanic activity of Cretaceous China. However, the size difference and positioning of the skeletons (the mammals leg seems to have gone through the dinosaur) seem odd for an active confrontation. We know from previous fossils that Repenomamus had a taste for young Psittacosaurus (though this too may have been the result of scavenging) and the mammal appears to be attacking the dinosaur from above.
© Han et al.ĭebate has swirled as to whether the mammal was attacking the dinosaur or merely scavenging it. Found in the Yixian Formation of northern China, the specimen captures the moment Repenomamus – a small, badger-like mammal – launches its attack against the ceratopsian dinosaur Psittacosaurus. Perhaps the most memorable research published in July was the fossil of a prehistoric mammal locked in combat with a dinosaur. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to discuss every new discovery, so please don’t be offended if your favourite isn’t included! With that out of the way, let’s get started. In today’s article, I will discuss some of the most interesting and exciting advancements in the field. It’s been weird! From mammals attacking dinosaurs to fetal ground sloths, July 2023 has turned into one of the most memorable months for paleontology in a long time. Yet, for reasons unknown, July has been an extreme outlier to this trend.
Most paleontologists take advantage of the warm weather by going out into the field, leading to fewer publications.
Summer is typically a slow time for paleontology.
0 kommentar(er)
