Blogs

While real-life scientists have yet to resurrect the terrible lizards from mosquito DNA, they have recently discovered remnants of what look like red blood cells and soft tissue in the fossils of a 75-million-year-old dinosaur.

But they say it’ll be a long time before a “Jurassic Park”-style theme park is feasible. (As if anyone who’s seen any of the films would want to visit one anyway.)

Fortunately there are already plenty of museums worldwide that (safely) bring humans face to face with dinosaurs — and not always just their skeletons.

T. rex doesn't really need an introduction, but let's provide one anyway. This "tyrant lizard king" was one of the most fearsome killing machines in the history of life on earth; full-grown adults weighed in the neighborhood of seven or eight tons and were equipped with massively muscled jaws studded with numerous, sharp, shearing teeth. For all that, though, there remains some disagreement about whether T. rex actively hunted for its food, or preferred to scavenge already-dead carcasses.

Below are 9 of his most powerful theropod antagonists.

Mapusaurus

Speaking of the living avatars of fear on Earth, let’s talk about the Kronosaurus, which was likely even bigger than Liopleurodon. Kronosaurus was named after the Titan Kronos, who was such a grand, evil bastard that he ate his own children (who were already pretty giant and terrifying themselves).

Source: www.cracked.com

Sail backs were all the rage back in the Mesozoic. Some spinosaurs had them, with Spinosaurus itself bearing one of the most ornate of all, as well as the herbivorous Ouranosaurus, the shark-finned Concavenator, and the strange Deinocheirus, among others. And now, thanks to paleontologist José Miguel Gasulla and colleagues, another high-spined dinosaur has joined the club.

The Early Cretaceous herbivore, named Morelladon beltrani, didn’t have the most ornate ornament of the various sailbacks. The tall spines would have given it more of a high, narrow bump, superficially similar to the midline ridge of the carnivorous Acrocanthosaurus that was terrorizing North America around the same time.

What has continued to puzzle paleontologists, however, is why so many lineages of dinosaurs repeatedly evolved tall backs. No one knows for sure. The answer isn’t environmental, as high-spined dinosaurs lived in disparate habitats, and hot-running dinosaurs did not require sails to heat up, as early hypotheses supposed. The frontrunner right now is that they evolved for decoration, either to impress potential mates, intimidate rivals, or help members of the same species identify each other at a distance.

The latter possibility might be a good fit for Morelladon. During the Early Cretaceous, Gasulla and colleagues write, the Iberian Peninsula was home to a diverse group of dinosaurs that were variations on the theme of Iguanodon. They were so similar to each other that paleontologists have only just started to recognize how many different species and genera there were within a collection of bones that used to bear the Iguanodon title, and so it may be that the high spines of Morelladonhelped the dinosaur stick with its own kind and avoid embarrassing encounters like approaching the wrong species come mating season.

Fossil Facts

Name: Morelladon beltrani

Meaning: Morelladon means “Morella tooth” in reference to the place the dinosaur was found, and beltrani honors Victor Beltrán “for his involvement and collaboration in the localization of the different fossil sites at the Mas de la Parreta Quarry.”

Age: Around 125 million years old.

Where in the world?: Castellón, eastern Spain.

What sort of critter?: An ornithopod dinosaur related to Iguanodon.

Size: About 20 feet long, similar to its relative Mantellisaurus.

How much of the creature’s body is known?: A tooth, six nearly-complete vertebrae and additional fragments of spine, the sacrum, most of the hips, a tibia, rib fragments, and two chevrons.

Reference:

Gasulla, J., Escaso, F., Narváez, I., Ortega, F., Sanz, J. 2015. A new sail-backed styracosternan (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Morella, Spain. PLOS ONE. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144167

Source: www.nationalgeographic.com/2016

Two tourist destinations have been constructed on Isla Nubar in the Jurassic Park universe, and both locales have shared the same dinosaur resident: Rexy, everyone’s favorite Tyrannosaurus rex. Rexy was by far one of the best parts of 1993’s Jurassic Park, and she made her grand return in 2015 for Jurassic World, proving once again just how powerful she is. The Jurassic Parkfranchise is continuing next year with Jurassic World 2, and while specific plot details are still light, Colin Trevorrow was gracious enough to confirm that Rexy will be returning for the fifth movie in this series.

The Jurassic Park movies aren’t exactly kid-friendly, but that doesn’t mean that the young’uns can’t enjoy certain elements from them. In the case of fan Kevin Rodenfer II, his daughter loves her Rexy stuffed animal, prompting Rodenfer to ask Colin Trevorrow on Twitter whether or not the formidable T-Rex would return for Jurassic World 2, and sure enough, she will. It’d be wise for that little girl wait many years until seeing Rexy wreak havoc in this franchise, but no doubt she’ll be excited to learn that she has at least one more appearance to look forward to.

Daeodon (from Greek, δαίος, daios “hostile” or “dreadful”, and οδον, odon “teeth”) is a genus of entelodont artiodactyl that inhabited North America between 29 and 19 million years ago during the late Oligocene and early Miocene epochs. The type species is Daeodon shoshonensis, the last and largest of the entelodonts; known adults of this species possessed skulls about 90 cm (3 ft) in length. It had a broad distribution across the United States, but it was never abundant.

Although not specified in Cope’s original description, the name Daeodon comes from the Greek words daios, meaning “hostile” or “dreadful” and odon, meaning “teeth”.

The genus Daeodon was erected by the American anatomist and paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1878. He classified it as a perissodactyl and thought that it was closely related to “Menodus”. This classification persisted until the description of “Elotherium” calkinsi in 1905, a very similar and much more complete animal from the same rocks, which was promptly assigned as a species of Daeodon by Peterson (1909). This led to Daeodon’s reclassification as a member of the family Entelodontidae. The exact relationships between Daeodon and other entelodonts are not well understood, some authors (Lucas et al., 1998) consider the greater morphological similarity of Daeodon to Paraentelodon rather than to earlier North American entelodonts, like Archaeotherium, as evidence for Daeodon being a descendent from a Late Oligocene immigration of large Asian entelodonts to North America. However, the existence of distinct specimens of Archoetherium showing characters reminiscent of those present in both Paraentelodon and Daeodon raises the possibility of both genera actually descending from a North American common ancestor.

The type species of Daeodon is D. shohonensis, which is based on a fragment of a lower jaw from the John Day Formation of Oregon. Several other species were assigned to the genus in the subsequent decades, like D. calkinsi, D. mento and D. minor. Since 1945, it had been suggested that two other taxa were actually junior synonyms of Daeodon, but the formalization of this referral didn’t take place until the work of Lucas et al. (1998). Ammodon leidyanum, named by Cope’s rival, O. C. Marsh, and Dinohyus hollandi, a complete skeleton from the Agate Springs quarry of Nebraska, were found to be indistinguishable from each other and in turn both were indistinguishable from D. shoshonensis. With the exception of D. calkinsi, which was tentatively excluded from Daeodon, the other previously recognized species of Daeodon were also synonymized to D. shoshonensis. That same year, an obscure entelodont, Boochoerus humerosum, was also synonymized to Daeodon by Foss and Fremd (1998) and, albeit its status as a distinct species was retained, they note that the differences could still be attributed to individual or population variation or sexual dimorphism.

Daeodon shoshonensis is the largest known entelodont; known adult individuals had skulls about 90 cm (3 ft) long and were around 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall at the shoulders. It’s differentiated from other entelodonts by a suite of unique dental characters, the shape and relatively small size of the cheekbone flanges of its skull compared to those of Archaeotherium, the small size of its chin tubercle, as well as features of its carpus and tarsus and the fusion of the bones of the lower leg. Like other entelodonts, its limbs were long and slender with the bones of the foreleg fused together and with only two toes on each foot. It also had a relatively lightly constructed neck for the size of its head, whose weight was mostly supported by muscles and tendons attached to the tall spines of the thoracic vertebrae, similar to those of modern-day bison and white rhinoceros.

Alioramus (meaning ‘different branch’) is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous period of Asia. The type species, A. remotus, is known from a partial skull and three foot bones recovered from Mongolian sediments which were deposited in a humid floodplain about 70 million years ago. These remains were named and described by Soviet paleontologist Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. A second species, A. altai, known from a much more complete skeleton, was named and described by Stephen L. Brusatte and colleagues in 2009. Its relationships to other tyrannosaurid genera are unclear, with some evidence supporting a hypothesis that Alioramus is closely related to the contemporary species Tarbosaurus bataar.

Alioramus remotus was estimated at 5 to 6 metres (16 to 20 ft) in length when originally described by Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. Kurzanov, however, did not correct for lengthening of the skull by deformation during fossilization, which may indicate a shorter overall body length for this individual. If this specimen is a juvenile, then adult Alioramus would have reached greater lengths, but no confirmed adult specimens are known.

Alioramus were bipedal like all known theropods, and their sharp teeth indicate that they were carnivores. Known specimens were smaller than other tyrannosaurids like Tarbosaurus bataar and Tyrannosaurus rex, but their adult size is difficult to estimate since both Alioramus species are known only from juvenile or sub-adult remains. The recent discovery of Qianzhousaurus indicates that it belongs to a distinct branch of tyrannosaur. The genus Alioramus is characterized by a row of five bony crests along the top of the snout, a greater number of teeth than any other genus of tyrannosaurid, and a lower skull than other tyrannosaurids.

The skull of A. remotus was approximately 45 centimetres (18 in) long. In general, it is long and low, a shape typical of more basal tyrannosauroids and juveniles of larger tyrannosaurids. The premaxillary bones at the tip of the snout in Alioramus remotus have not been found, but are taller than wide in all tyrannosauroids for which they are known. The nasal bones are fused and ornamented with a row of five irregular bony crests that protrude upwards from the midline, where the nasal bones are sutured together. These crests all measure more than 1 centimetre (0.39 in) tall.

At the back of the skull there is a protrusion, called the nuchal crest, arising from the fused parietal bones, a feature shared with all tyrannosaurids. In Alioramus, the nuchal crest is greatly thickened, similarly to Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. Like the rest of the skull, the lower jaw of Alioramus was long and slender, another possible juvenile characteristic. As in Tarbosaurus, a ridge on the outer surface of the angular bone of the lower jaw articulated with the rear of the dentary bone, locking the two bones together and removing much of the flexibility seen in other tyrannosaurids. Other tyrannosaurids had four premaxillary teeth, D-shaped in cross section, on each side. Including 16 or 17 in each maxilla, and 18 in each dentary, Alioramus had 76 or 78 teeth, more than any other tyrannosaurid. The braincase of A. altai was intermediate between the basal theropod and avialan conditions.

The rest of the skeleton of Alioramus remotus is completely unknown except for three metatarsals (bones of the upper foot), but the discovery of A. altai, which is known from substantially more complete remains, has shed light on the anatomy of the genus.

Paleontologists have long classified Alioramus within the superfamily Tyrannosauroidea, but because its remains were for many years poorly known, a more precise classification had remained elusive until the discovery of A. altai. A cladistic analysis published in 2003 found Alioramus could be further classified into the family Tyrannosauridae and the subfamily Tyrannosaurinae, alongside Tyrannosaurus, Tarbosaurus and Daspletosaurus. A 2004 study supported this result but suggested it was equally probable that Alioramus belonged outside the family Tyrannosauridae entirely, with its supposed juvenile characters actually reflecting a more basal position within Tyrannosauroidea. Another study omitted Alioramusaltogether due to the only specimen’s fragmentary nature. The discovery of A. altai in 2009 confirmed the placement of the genus within the Tyrannosaurinae.

Tarbosaurus and Alioramus shared several skull features, including a locking mechanism in the lower jaw between the dentary and angular bones, and both lacked the prong of the nasal bones which connected to the lacrimal bones in all other tyrannosaurids except adult Daspletosaurus. The two genera may be closely related, representing an Asian branch of the Tyrannosauridae. Some specimens of Tarbosaurus have a row of bumps on the nasal bones like those of Alioramus, although much lower. The long and low shape of the only known Alioramus remotus skull indicated that it was immature when it died and might even have been a juvenile Tarbosaurus, which lived in the same time and place. The more prominent nasal crests and much higher tooth count of Alioramus, however, suggested it was a separate taxon, even if it is known only from juvenile remains, confirmed by the discovery of A. altai. Specimens identified as immature Tarbosaurus have the same tooth count as adults.

The holotype (PIN 3141/1) of Alioramus is a partial skull associated with three metatarsals. A joint Soviet-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert in the early 1970s found these remains at a locality known as Nogon-Tsav in the Mongolian province of Bayankhongor. Alioramus was named and described by Russian paleontologist Sergei Kurzanov in 1976. Its crests and low skull profile looked so different from other tyrannosaurids that Kurzanov believed his find was far removed from other members of the family. Accordingly, he gave it the generic name Alioramus, derived from the Latin alius (‘other’) and ramus (‘branch’), and the specific name A. remotus, which means ‘removed’ in Latin. Alioramus is known from the holotypes of A. remotus and A. altai.

Zhuchengtyrannus (meaning “Zhucheng tyrant”) is a genus of large carnivorous theropod dinosaur known from the Late Cretaceous period of Shandong Province, China. It is a tyrannosaurine tyrannosaurid, and contains a single species, Zhuchengtyrannus magnus.

Zhuchengtyrannus was first described and named by David W. E. Hone, Kebai Wang, Corwin Sullivan, Xijin Zhao, Shuqing Chen, Dunjin Li, Shuan Ji, Qiang Ji and Xing Xu in 2011 and the type species is Zhuchengtyrannus magnus. The generic name is derived from the word Zhucheng, which refers to the type locality, and tyrant in reference to its phylogenetic position as a tyrannosaurid. The specific name magnus meaning “great” in Latin refers to the relatively large size of Zhuchengtyrannus.

Zhuchengtyrannus is known solely from the holotype ZCDM V0031, a nearly complete right maxilla and associated left dentary (lower jaw, both with teeth) housed at Zhucheng Dinosaur Museum. Casts of the holotype, IVPP FV 1794, are held at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. ZCDM V0031 was collected in situ from the Wangshi Group at Zangjiazhuang quarry, Zhucheng City, dating to the Campanian stage, at least 73.5 million years ago. A second tyrannosaurid dentary (ZCDM V0030) and maxilla (ZCDM V0032) have also been collected at Zangjiazhuang quarry. Even though they were not associated with one another, both specimens are different from other tyrannosaurids, including Zhuchengtyrannus, implying the existence of at least one additional tyrannosaurid from the quarry. Apart from the tyrannosaurid material, specimens of Sinoceratops, hadrosaurids (probably Shantungosaurus) and ankylosaurs were recovered from it. Zhuchengtyrannus was found in an area that was a floodplain in the Cretaceous period and contains one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur bones in the world.

Even though production on Jurassic World 2 is currently at the halfway point, we still know very little about the sequel. Jeff Goldblum surprisingly joined the sequel this week, and the tyrannosaurus rex that injured him and chased him in a Jeep will be back again (hopefully there will be some kind of reunion played for laughs), and there is supposedly a submarine sequence. Beyond that, all we have are some vague details on what the movie will be about. But today we get a little tidbit of information about one of the new cast members.

James Cromwell joined the cast of Jurassic World 2 back in February, though details on his character weren’t revealed at the time. We guessed that since the movie has something to do with dinosaur rights that Cromwell’s character might be a dinosaur sympathizer since in real life he’s a staunch vegan and animal rights activist. Some new Jurassic World 2 character details from Cromwell indicate that we might be right, at least partially.

During an interview on Larry King Now (via CinemaBlend), the discussion briefly turned to James Cromwell’s work on the blockbuster sequel. Larry King asked the actor who he was playing in the movie and Cromwell said:

“The character Richard Attenborough played, I’m his partner, Benjamin Lockwood. We developed the technology of being able to clone the genes. And so I’m trying to deal with the blowback from what we have done.”

So James Cromwell is playing John Hammond’s partner who worked with him on the original gene experiment to clone dinosaurs. John Hammond didn’t seem like the kind of guy who needed extra money to fund this ambitious venture, so maybe Benjamin Lockwood was more of a collaborative partner on the science side of things. Or maybe he was responsible for dealing with the red tape of creating the park, which is why he’s dealing with the blowback from the cloning of dinosaurs after the events of Jurassic World.

All things considered, if Jurassic World is partially about dinosaur rights, it would make sense if James Cromwell’s character was fighting for the dinosaurs to be kept alive instead of destroyed. There would undoubtedly be blowback from the public after the park’s major incident in Jurassic World that would have people demanding the animals be killed, and maybe Cromwell’s character is doing his best to keep them safe. We’ll have to wait and see.

In addition to James Cromwell and the return of Jeff Goldblum, the cast also features Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howardback in their respective roles along with franchise newcomers Toby Jones, Rafe Spall, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Geraldine Chaplin and Ted Levine. Hopefully, we find out more about the sequel from director J.A. Bayona soon.

Jurassic World 2 will arrive next summer on June 22, 2018.

Article first appeared on www.slashfilm.com