Just days ago, I wrote an article about the remains of a possibly new species of sea turtle that was found in British Columbia, Canada (the article can be read here). The unusual turtle dates back about 84 million years. And now, another extremely rare sea turtle has been found in Saskatchewan, Canada. The story. Read more »
There have been several prehistoric species that have been found recently, so let’s take a look at four of them. The remains of a 95-million-year-old dinosaur found in Eromanga, Queensland, are believed to be from an entirely new species. Robyn Mackenzie, who is a Director and Palaeontologist for the Eromanga Natural History Museum, told 9News.com.au. Read more »
Pluridens serpentis, became extinct around 66 million years ago. Scientists from the United Kingdom, France, and Morocco reconstructed this new species from “…two complete skulls and referred jaws.” Based on their reconstruction, the Pluridens serpentis was believed to have measured as long as 8 meters (26 feet). This is staggering as the majority of the species’ relatives only grew to about a few meters in length. It had “elongate and robust jaws, small teeth, and specialized tooth implantation” that would have helped it to catch small prey. Additionally, it wouldn’t have been able to see very far because it had such small eyes. According to the study, it probably “relied on nonvisual cues including touch and chemoreception during foraging, as in modern marine snakes.”
The remains of an unusual turtle were found embedded in the banks of the Puntledge River on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The discovery was made in January of this year by a fossil hunter named Russell Ball. The fossil, which is around 84 million years old, is believed to be an entirely new species. Read more »
A “talkative” dinosaur that lived about 73 million years ago has been unearthed in the Mexican state of Coahuila. Excavations revealed its tail, 80% of its skull, its crest that measured 1.32 meters (4.3 feet), and several bones including the shoulder and femur. Called Tlatolophus galorum, this large herbivore dinosaur “…had ears with the capacity of hearing low-frequency sounds, so they must have been peaceful but talkative dinosaurs,” according to a statement from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). Palaeontologists have even claimed that the new species probably “emitted strong sounds to scare away predators or for reproductive purposes.” Interestingly, the shape of the dinosaur’s crest looked similar to a “symbol used by Mesoamerican people in ancient manuscripts to represent the action of communication and knowledge itself.” A picture of what the
During the late 10th to early 11th century AD, Vikings settled on the island. The name Skokholm is Norse for “wooded island.” From the 14th to 16th centuries, it was used as a rabbit farm and many descendants of these rabbits still live on the island today. Paul Murphy’s article “ Medieval Rabbit Farming and Bannow Island ” details the importance of rabbits in medieval societies: “Rabbit fur, being soft, durable, and warm, was a desirable material for lining clothing, and their meat was elite eating, as well.” It was common for medieval societies to breed and raise rabbits on islands, as the location offered isolation and thus protection from mainland predators. Multiple islands in this region have a history of Norman rabbit farming during the medieval period .
Prehistoric Tombs Discovered in Southern Poland KRAKOW, POLAND According to a report in The First News, a megalithic cemetery has been discovered by archaeologist Jan Bulas, who first spotted the outlines of an early medieval ditch in satellite images of a cultivated field in southeastern Poland. He and colleague Marcin M. Przybyła then mapped the field with magnetometers and discovered a row of megalithic barrows dating to some 5,500 years ago. They think the site could contain traces of as many as 12 stone-lined tombs measuring between 130 and 165 feet long. These long walls are thought to have been reinforced with wooden palisades, with an entrance placed on the narrow eastern end, he added. “Unfortunately, most of the remains of the deceased and equipment were removed from these burials while the cemetery was in operation,” Przybyła said. “It was a ritual behavior that we often encounter in cemeteries from that period.” To read about clay pig figurines unearthed at a Bronze Age hillfort in southern Poland, go to Piggy Playthings.
London [UK], March 3 (ANI): New research led by scientists from the University of Bristol has revealed that the diets of early lizards and snakes, which lived alongside dinosaurs around 100 million years ago, were more varied and advanced than previously thought.
Russian Scientists Are Probing Prehistoric Viruses Emerging From Siberian Permafrost AFP 17 FEBRUARY 2021 Russian state laboratory Vektor on Tuesday announced it was launching research into prehistoric viruses by analysing the remains of animals recovered from melted permafrost. The Siberia-based lab said in a statement that the aim of the project was to identify paleoviruses and conduct advanced research into virus evolution.
The research in collaboration with the University of Yakutsk began with analysis of tissues extracted from a prehistoric horse believed to be at least 4,500 years old. Vektor said the remains were discovered in 2009 in Yakutia, a vast Siberian region where remains of Paleolithic animals including mammoths are regularly discovered.
The site on Salisbury plain where Stonehenge sits wasn't the original location and an myth about Stonehenge's origin may be more accurate than we thought.