Dinosaurs Communicated with a Variety of Vocalizations
2023-02-18
A research team from the Fukushima Museum, Hokkaido University, and others announced on the 15th that they had discovered the world's first dinosaur larynx fossil.
The larynx fossil has many similarities to those of modern birds, and they report that it is highly likely that dinosaurs, like birds, communicated with a variety of vocalizations.
The larynx fossil belongs to a Pinacosaurus, an armored dinosaur excavated in Mongolia in 2005. It is well-preserved, with many fossils of its entire body found. Detailed investigations of the bones near the trachea have been underway since 2018, and they have now concluded that it is a "larynx fossil."
Mammal Found Biting a Dinosaur
2023-07-21
A research team from China and Canada has reported on a badger-like mammal found biting a dinosaur, discovered in a stratum from about 125 million years ago.
The fossil, capturing a fight scene between the two animals, was discovered in 2012 in a volcanic ash layer from the Cretaceous period in Liaoning Province, northeastern China. The fossil clearly shows a mammal, Repenomamus robustus (47 cm in total length), pinning down a 120 cm long herbivorous dinosaur with a parrot-like beak, Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis, and sinking its teeth into its chest.
From the state of the two animals, they believe that Repenomamus was attacking Psittacosaurus, not scavenging its carcass. The Psittacosaurus lacked the bite marks often seen when mammals scavenge carcasses. Repenomamus was attacking a Psittacosaurus about 2.5 times its own size.
Japan's 11th New Dinosaur Species - Tyrannomimus fukuiensis
2023-09-09
On September 8, the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum announced that a dinosaur fossil found in a stratum from about 120 million years ago (Early Cretaceous) in Kitadani, Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, has been recognized as a new genus and species of ornithomimosaur, also known as "ostrich-like dinosaurs." It has been named "Tyrannomimus fukuiensis."
The first fingertip fossil was unearthed in 1998, with 28 additional specimens obtained in 2018, bringing the total number of fossils discovered by 2019 to 55.
Tyrannomimus was described with a partial skull skeleton as the holotype specimen. Its genus name, meaning "tyrant mimic," was given because its ilium and other parts show morphological similarities to the Tyrannosauroidea.
It is estimated to have been about 2 meters long and weighed about 20 kg.