My old online article from BDW (1999)

   

Mesozoic Mosaic pg #2

Illustration of Sinornithosaurus - by Beri (digital), Copyright © 1999-2004 BERI Commissioned and first published in online by: abcnews.go.com/sections/science Sep 1999

Sinornithosaurus - a feathery dromaeosaurid Sinornithosaurus millenii Xu, Wang & Wu, 1999 References: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech (dead link) HWANG, S.H., M.A. NORELL, JI Q., and GAO K. 2002. New Specimens of Microraptor zhaoianus (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae) from Northeastern China. American Museum Novitates 3381: 1–44. ------------- Sinornithosaurus millenii, XING XU, XIAO-LIN WANG & XIAO-CHUN WU, 1999   Holotype. IVPP (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology) V12811 .    Locality and horizon. Sihetun, western Liaoning, China. Layer 6, lower (Chaomidianzi) Yixian Formation, Jehol Group; probably Early Cretaceous.       Didn't paleoartists (led by McLoughlyn, Baker and Paul) predicted it would be discovered that dromaeosaurs were covered with some sort of hairy proto-feathers, a deduction based upon the close anatomical resemblance of dromaeosaurs and birds?    Well, the long awaited hard evidence was finally presented in today's issue of Nature magazine (16 Sept.,1999). Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" naked, scaly "raptors" (even this term was scientifically wrong - because it refers to the extant bird of prey genus) are doomed to be tossed in the rich archives of dinosaur misinterpretations. There is little doubt now that Deinonychus, depicted in a Hollywood manner in the movie, was too "dressed" in the feathers.   Although considered to be well known by everybody, especially after dinosaur movie planetary success, dromaeosauridae were known only form a few mainly incomplete fossils (the exceptions were some fine Mongolian specimens), so a lot of things about them were not entirely clear. Chinese paleontologists have recently found and described a fine dromaeosaurid fossil in Yixian Formation of China (Locality and horizon. Sihetun, western Liaoning, China. Layer 6, lower (Chaomidianzi) Yixian Formation, Jehol Group; probably Early Cretaceous - dated to about 125 million years ago), with a filamentous integument (a downy coat). The new feathered sensation from China was coined Sinornithosaurus millenii. The genus name is derived from Sino + Ornitho + Saurus, for " a bird-like dinosaur from China;" while the species name comes from "Millennium," in reference to the specimen's discovery near the end of the twentieth century.   The animal was rather small even for a dromaeosaurid. Its skull was about 13 cm (5,1") long, which gives the derived, approximate total length (the tail in dromaeosaurs was very long) of this dinosaur of about 110cm (43,3"). The "downy coat" was made up of filaments which were up to 4 cm (1.6") long, those filamentous structures near the cranium (skull) seem to be shorter than the postcranial fibers.  Further preparation of the specimen could reveal more fibers.  The insulation looks more like the fur than the modern birds' feathers, which look kind of furry in the picture (not like well-structured wing feathers)." The skeleton is not well articulated, but the bones are a bit jumbled and the integumentary filaments have been displaced, lacking the direct relationships to bony elements." But they are certainly close enough to enable rough determination. The skull, arms, legs, scapulae, coracoids, sacrum, a manus, a pes, and the furcula are all quite reasonably represented by the holotype, however, many vertebrae and rib elements are missing.   "Sinornithosaurus millenii gen. et sp. nov. comes from Sihetun, the famous Mesozoic fish-dinosaur-bird locality in China.. It is the oldest known dromeosaur (a basal dromaeosaurid) and its fossil "strongly supports the view that Dromaeosauridae and birds (where Aves is Avialae) are more closely related to each other than either is to Troodontidae ." Authors of the article state their analysis also indicates that Protarchaeopteryx and Caudipteryx are more remote from birds than is Troodontidae. "The currently established phylogenetic relationships among derived theropods seem to support the presence of true feathers in Dromaeosauridae, but the validity of this interpretation cannot be confirmed until more direct evidence is available."   "Sinornithosaurus not only greatly increases our knowledge of Dromaeosauridae but also provides evidence for a filamentous integument in this group. It is remarkably similar to early birds postcranially" (skeleton behind the skull). "The shoulder girdle shows that terrestrial dromaeosaurids had attained the prerequisites for powered, flapping flight, supporting the idea that bird flight originated from the ground up. The discovery of Sinornithosaurus widens the distribution of integumentary filaments among non-avian theropods."   The authors of the article XING XU, XIAO-LIN WANG & XIAO-CHUN WU claimS. millenii could apparently flap its long front limbs in a bird's mode. The evidence supposedly lies in the structure of the animal's shoulder girdle. That is, the lateral position of the glenoid (shoulder socket) would have permitted elevation, rotation and adduction of the forelimbs, providing Sinornithosaurus a wide range of arm movement similar to the capabilities of the fabled early bird Archaeopteryx.  The forelimbs were unusually long (claws well preserved, even with a horny sheath - keratin; long and curved), estimated to be 80% as long as the dromaeosaur's legs. The paired, ossified sterna possess a series of (probably five) costal facets (rib attachments), implying hinged sternocostal joints.      Sinornithosaurus is the fifth kind of theropod known to possess integumentary filaments. It is possible that these filaments indicate an insulatory layer that served to maintain body heat.    Authors suggest that the fossil provides more "evidence that the first birds took off from the ground, evolving from fast-running two-legged predatory dinosaurs called theropods". Is this almost the final answer to the famous dilemma: Did the bird's flight evolve from the ground up or from the trees down?   Well, I suggest a new solution to the problem: knowing that we've got very intelligent birds today, say African Gray parrot (Psittacus erithacus) could learn the kinds of symbolic and conceptual tasks that are generally considered as pre- or co-requisites for complex cognitive and communicative skills, why don't we ask such a smart feathery critter (who can fly), what is easier to him: To fly up from the ground or down from a branch? I am sure we'll get the straight answer.      Reference: XING XU, XIAO-LIN WANG & XIAO-CHUN WU - A dromaeosaurid dinosaur with a filamentous integument from the Yixian Formation of China , Nature 401, 262 - 266 , September 16 1999 (1999) © Macmillan Publishers Ltd.    The Nature paper discusses the specimen in considerable detail:   on-line: NATURE   Published in 1999 in now extinct online magazine: DIM Extra 4/1 (VOL 2)      Publishers interested in the above illustration (high resolution image for publishing purposes), please, contact Beri.

UPDATE (Feb.2014)

In the paper published 10 years later, authors claim this dromaeosaur from China's Jehol formation had grooved fangs as a venomous delivery system. In other words, Sinraptor's killing technique was something between a venomous snake and a Heloderma lizard.

The birdlike raptor Sinornithosaurus was venomous

 Enpu Gonga, Larry D. Martinb, David A. Burnhamb and Amanda R. Falkc

 
Reference: PNAS doi:10.1073/pnas.0912360107

 Edited by David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, and approved November 16, 2009 (received for review October 26, 2009) 

Abstract

We suggest that some of the most avian dromaeosaurs, such as Sinornithosaurus, were venomous, and propose an ecological model for that taxon based on its unusual dentition and other cranial features including grooved teeth, a possible pocket for venom glands, and a groove leading from that pocket to the exposed bases of the teeth. These features are all analogous to the venomous morphology of lizards. Sinornithosaurus and related dromaeosaurs probably fed on the abundant birds of the Jehol forests during the Early Cretaceous in northeastern China.

Funny looking dinosaurs in vintage comics Part 3

Really hilarious Brontosaurus (now officially called Apatosaurus) on this old panel cartoon. The smile on his face is just precious. The Pteranodon, on the other side, looks pretty grumpy.

Besides  the two headed dragon beast, the planet Mongo's obviously supported some nasty Stegosaur-like creatures that  had some peculiar fangs in their jaws. Lucky for Flash Gordon and his pals, the animals seem to be very slow and clumsy, so the brave hero can cut them down with his sabre before they can do any harm.

 

Wonder Woman appears to be lassoing a dinosaur-looking creature... or is it a dragon? Or is it a man in a rubber suit? A stone age woman coming running to help her or the "dinosaur pet"?

Instead of having her for a lunch, the dirty old T. rex seems to be more interested in ripping off her clothes. Precision at work!

The three jungle girls (from which jungle?) armed with toothpick spears and a revolver (?) are charging the formidable  (vaguely) Triceratops looking animal, to save their companion whose foot is trapped under a dry twig (?). Another woman is jumping from the tree on the animal's back. The women have extremely long legs, while the "Triceratops" has some extra toes. In total about 8-10 on each front foot, instead of 5.


For a change, here is my Supergirl vs. Pteranodon flock drawing from 2005:

Funny looking dinosaurs in vintage comics Part 2

These dinosaur restorations done by the famous American illustrators are not so ridiculous. In fact, they are nice in their own way. However their restorations were already outdated at the time they were painted.

Frank Frazetta's T. rex (I am guessing that's what he featured in the picture above) painting for the cover of  Eerie magazine, is a bit too large; posture too upright; head too box-like; eyes are all wrong and not facing forward; the teeth in the jaws are way too numerous and placed all the way to the corners of the mouth; the hands and fingers too long; the shoulders wrong; the neck unnatural; etc....

I like Richard Corben's much more, although this one is still wrong.

In this splash page Corben used Charles Knight's outdated, but still nice, classic T.rex restoration as a reference.

Charles Knight's classic mural: Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops horridus as "duellists". It served as a reference for so many illustrators for years.

It is ironic, that in fact, until recently, paleo illustrators believed they could restore the life appearance of an adult (or a subadult) T.rex quite accurately in an image or a sculpture.

In 2012 a new species of tyrannosauroid from the Early Cretaceous of China, has been described. The giant Yutyrannus huali was apparently covered with proto feathers, or so called "dino-fuzz".  An obvious dilemma arose: Were other tyranosauroids also covered with feathers, or were the ones that were living in the warmer climate featherless? Like the extinct Woolly Mammoth who was covered with thick, long hair and the modern elephants, which are almost hairless.

My Yutyrannus huali head restoration

Get the free paper here

 

Slovenia in Ice Grip

 When the weather turns bad

It's been the fifth day of the ice grip that has crippled Slovenia. The bitter grip of ice is expected to remain until Wednesday.  In places, the ice coating is more than 5cm thick, causing trees and power lines to break.
Tens of thousands of homes across the country are still without electricity and around 75% of schools and kindergartens were closed on Monday and Tuesday due to traffic and power disruptions.
 An estimated 150,000 households and other consumers are still without electric power supply. Thousands of homes are still cut off. Many roads are closed due to ice or fallen trees.


Sleet and fallen trees are also causing trouble in railway traffic, according to the national operator Slovenske železnice.
"Zled", the dreaded ice storm comes periodically, about once in a decade, but was never so extensive and the damage to the forests so severe as this time. 
Below are few of the photographs I have taken near my home in Ljubljana. The streets have been cleared of ice and fallen branches and the ice coating has already melted a bit.

Why is larger track harder to spot?

 

It is hard to believe, but people are more likely to notice the small dinosaur tracks, than the large ones. Even many professional paleontologists fall into that group. Although, it is rather ironic. Don't you think? I mean, many dinosaurs were known for their giant size. After all they were the largest terrestrial animals that ever lived. 

A few years ago, at first doubtful of my own eyes, I managed finding very large dinosaur tracks on the Istrian beach which is very busy with tourists in the Summer months.The age is Early Cretaceous, Late Albian. Before some 100 million years ago.

In the photo is a giant iguanodontoid footprint (right foot) measuring about 85-90 cm in length. This was my first find of a gigantic ornithopod track. I have never expected that I will find a couple of even much larger iguanodontoid foot impressions, in the same area, just a year later. The red outline is my interpretation of the main shape. There are several less preserved prints of the same animal around this impression. 

These are footprints from other countries for comparison:

Note the resemblance with Caririchnium sp. from the Uhangri formation (image from the Research Report on the Haenam Dinosaur Tracksite, Korea, 1998)...

...or with this footprint of Hadrosauropodus nangxiogensis (from Xing et al. 2009).

It seems, the Istrian iguanodontoid footprints show both features of an hadrosaurian track and the iguanodontian one.

A new titanosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China

(Image credit: University of Pennsylvania)

 A fossil of a new sauropod titanosaur, Yongjinglong datangi, has been discovered in northwestern China by University of Pennsylvania paleontologists. The dinosaur lived some 100 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. The estimated length of this juvenile sauropod was about 20 meters. Adult animal of this species were probably larger.
The research was led by doctoral student Liguo Li and professor Peter Dodson.

Liguo Li: "The shoulder blade was very long, nearly 2 meters, with sides that were nearly parallel, unlike many other Titanosaurs whose scapulae bow outward." 

The dinosaur's vertebrae had large cavities in the interior. The research team believes the large cavities in dinosaur's vertebrae contained  air sacs.

Peter Dodson:
 "These spaces are unusually large in this species. It's believed that dinosaurs, like birds, had air sacs in their trunk, abdominal cavity and neck as a way of lightening the body." Image: University of Pennsylvania

 My restoration of  Yongjinglong datangi

Peter Dodson :
  "...Not only does the discovery point to the fact that Titanosaurs encompass a diverse group of dinosaurs, but it also supports the growing consensus that sauropods were a dominant group in the Early Cretaceous — a view that U.S. specimens alone could not confirm.
Based on U.S. fossils, it was once thought that sauropods dominated herbivorous dinosaur fauna during the Jurassic but became almost extinct during the Cretaceous," Dodson said. "We now realise that, in other parts of the world, particularly in South America and Asia, sauropod dinosaurs continued to flourish in the Cretaceous, so the thought that they were minor components is no longer a tenable view."
 (citation from;  http://www.science20.com/)

 BDW:
 Indeed, while researching the late Albian ichnofauna near Pula, Istria, which is roughly the same age as this Chinese titanosaur, I came to the similar conclusion. Sauropods were large and their tracks abundant in the coastal intertidal environment. They were apparently, competing for food with giant iguanodontoids and ankylosaurs.

Paper:   Li L-G, Li D-Q, You H-L, Dodson P (2014) A New Titanosaurian Sauropod from the Hekou Group (Lower Cretaceous) of the Lanzhou-Minhe Basin, Gansu Province, China. PLoS ONE 9(1): e85979.
 The whole paper is here free for download.

Funny looking dinosaurs in vintage comics Part 1

When one stumbles upon dinosaurs in old comic books it's impossible not to wonder how little did those authors know about the anatomy and life styles of prehistoric animals. It is true, that in the 40's, until the 80's little was known and published. However, still some excellent paleo artists were around, like Zdenek Burian and Charles Knight, to name just the most prominent two.

A classic comic book theme: Time travelling to go to hunt dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals

Here is how  Burne Hogarth depicts Tyrannosaurus (I presume that is what this is supposed to be).

 Burne Hogarth (December 25, 1911 – January 28, 1996) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, educator, author and theoretician... (Wiki)

The anatomy is all wrong: the neck too long; the head a tad too small; the arms too long; one finger too many on each arm; looks bloated; legs weak and plantigrade (should be digtigrade like in birds); tail too short, too thin and too flexible...

...on the other hand his elephant is not exactly correct either...

... when I look at it better, even the lion has some strange features...

 Don't get me wrong. I loved his final product: Tarzan comics.

Even in some more recent comics (from 90's) the dinosaurs are outdated. Pteranodon is not quite correct either.

Nathan Never is a black-and-white, science fiction Italian comic book, published monthly in Italy since 1991 by Sergio Bonelli Editore (Wiki)
Ankylosaur in the right lower corner is borrowed from Burian's Gorgosaurus vs. Scolosaurus painting. Pteranodon from another Burian's painting was also used as a reference. However, it is a pity, that these restorations were already outdated.