Episode 508: Asiatyrannus, a T. rex-like Head on a Small Physique. Plus enamel from a brand new tyrannosauroid in northeastern Thailand, a brand new research on tyrannosaur chunk forces, an estimate for the most important ever T. rex, a brand new fossil digitizing software, and our penultimate Di-Know-It-All Problem.
Information:
- There’s a brand new tyrannosaur, Asiatyrannus xui, with a surprisingly deep cranium for a tyrannosaur of its measurement supply
- There’s proof of a brand new tyrannosauroid in northeastern Thailand supply
- A brand new research reveals how biting stress and pressure range in numerous sized tyrannosaurs supply
- Dinosaurs, like Tyrannosaurus rex, most likely bought loads larger than we’ve seen within the fossil report supply
- A brand new machine makes it simpler for museums to digitize their fossils and share with individuals world wide supply
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Di-Know-It-All Problem:
You possibly can win a big Spinosaurus tooth, fossilized leaf, and extra by profitable our Di-Know-It-All Problem! Every week from episode 502 to 509 we’ll learn a puzzle on the present which you’ll be able to enter to win by answering questions. This week you may enter at bit.ly/dinochallenge508 and for those who’re a patron you may reply the patron query at patreon.com/posts/110493197. All the foundations for the problem are at bit.ly/dinochallenge24
The dinosaur of the day: Kayentavenator
- Tetanuran dinosaur that lived within the Early Jurassic in what’s now the Navajo Reservation, Arizona, U.S. (Kayenta Formation)
- Tetanurans are theropods extra carefully associated to fashionable birds than to Ceratosaurus
- Form of regarded like Dilophosaurus, which is a coelophysoid
- Walked on two legs, had a protracted tail
- Paleoart depicts a crest on its head
- Form of cumbersome
- Carnivorous
- Holotype is a juvenile, based mostly on some unfused bones
- Holotype is estimated to be 1.6 ft (0.5) m tall on the hip
- However, most likely grew larger
- Briefly described in 2003
- Absolutely described in 2010
- Described in 2010 by Robert Homosexual, and title is legitimate, nevertheless it was self-published in a guide, so some controversy
- Kind species is Kayentavenator elysiae
- Genus title means “Kayenta hunter”
- Species title elysiae is in honor of Rob’s now spouse, Elysia Jennett, who helped and supported his analysis
- Holotype (and solely specimen) features a partial pelvis, thigh bones and shin bones, one other a part of the leg (proximal fibula) and 7 vertebrae
- Three coelophysoids have been discovered within the formation: Dilophosaurus, Megapnosaurus or Coelophysis kayentakatae, and an unnamed coelophysoid often called the “Shake-n-bake” dinosaur (too small and has fused bones, so most likely an grownup, and wouldn’t be Kayentavenator)
- Labeled as a tetanuran, and never a coelophysoid
- However there are many options in frequent
- Had a gap within the hip bones (pubic fenestrae), which units it aside from Dilophosaurus
- Additionally had distinctive options within the femur (higher thigh bone) and within the tail bones
- Initially assigned to Syntarsus kayentakatae (now Megapnosaurus kayentakatae, coated in ep 456)
- Fossils had been present in 1982, and Timothy Rowe referred to it as Syntarsus kayentakatae
- Timothy Rowe first named Syntarsus kayentakatae in 1989, based mostly on a cranium and partial skeleton (two different partial skeletons, or fragments of skeletons, additionally discovered)
- Species title in honor of Dr. Kathleen (“Kayenta Kay”) Smith, who discovered the fossils
- Not Syntarsus, as a result of that was the title of a beetle first. Now it’s Megapnosaurus or Coelophysis
- Appears unlikely that Kayentavenator is similar as Megapnosaurus kayentakatae, based mostly on variations within the hips and tibia (shin bone), however being named based mostly on fragments means later findings may change this
- Some dialogue on whether or not Kayentavenator was validly named, because it was self-published
- One submit I discovered stated it just about is, as a result of the one strategy to get a ruling on it’s if there’s a proper petition to maintain the title, if somebody tries to call it one thing else
- Robert Homosexual anticipated the controversy and addressed it in his guide the place he printed the title Kayentavenator, the place he stated the paper was reviewed by different paleontologists, and it was submitted to a journal initially. Nonetheless, reviewers requested for revisions and he was unable to reply in a well timed method resulting from private points, however he included these revisions within the guide (which you’ll be able to obtain without cost, or pay for a bodily copy)
- Additionally stated he wished to retain copyright of his work, another excuse to self-publish
- Mentioned that each one the necessities for naming a brand new dinosaur had been met
- Some debate over Kayentavenator’s distinctive options, and whether or not they had been described appropriately, or if a few of the particulars are resulting from particular person variation, which might have an effect on whether or not or not Kayentavenator is taken into account to be a coelophysoid, like Coelophysis or Megapnosaurus
- A tweet in 2022 by Brian Engh stated paleontologist Adam Marsh could also be engaged on a redescription of Kayentavenator
- Lived in an space with wet summers and dry winters, with a lot of streams, ponds, and lakes
- Different dinosaurs that lived across the identical time and place embody Dilophosaurus, Coelophysis, the sauropodomorph Sarahsaurus, heterodontosaurids, and the armored dinos Scelidosaurus and Scutellosaurus
- Different animals that lived across the identical time and place embody sharks, fish, frogs, turtles, lizards, pterosaurs, early mammals, crocodylomorphs, and synapsids, in addition to mussels and snails
Enjoyable Reality:
Fashionable birds deal with their infants in all kinds of how, nevertheless it all appears to have began with males being the one caregivers (which means, the ancestor of contemporary birds most likely did this model of caregiving).
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