Episode 314: A brand new sauropod that’s smaller than an elephant


Episode 314 is all about Arkansaurus, the state dinosaur of Arkansas which was most likely an ostrich-like ornithomimosaur.

We additionally interview Tony and James Pinto, the daddy and son workforce at the moment creating the characteristic size documentary Why Dinosaurs? which explores why folks like us spend a lot time on dinosaurs. Watch the prolonged video model of the interview at https://youtu.be/j6s0pXYJg74

Large due to all our patrons! Your help means a lot to us and retains us going! When you’re a dinosaur fanatic, be part of our rising group on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino.

You’ll be able to hearken to our free podcast, with all our episodes, on Apple Podcasts at:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-know-dino/id960976813?mt=2

On this episode, we talk about:

Information:

  • Two new sauropods, Punatitan & Bravasaurus, have been named from Argentina supply
  • Nationwide Geographic has an AR expertise on Instagram supply
  • The Dinosaur journey at Disney’s Animal Kingdom lately broke down so riders obtained a behind the scenes view with the lights on supply

The dinosaur of the day: Arkansaurus

  • Ornithomimosaur theropod that lived within the Early Cretaceous in what’s now Arkansas, US (Trinity Group)
  • Most likely carefully associated to Nedcolbertia (ornithomimosaur present in Utah)
  • Estimated to be between 6 and 15 ft (1.8 and 4.6 m) tall
  • Bipedal, with a protracted neck and slender, small head and will had had tooth within the entrance a part of its jaw
  • Most likely a swift hunter that went after small animals, bugs, and eggs
  • Might have additionally eaten fruit and leaves
  • Had a small cranium for its physique however had a comparatively giant mind
  • Had lengthy arms and doubtless three fingers on every hand
  • May most likely grasp with its arms
  • Want extra fossils to know for positive
  • Do know that the foot claws had robust curvature (normally flat with ornithomimosaurs)
  • Extra primitive than Asian ornithomimosaurs that lived across the similar time
  • In 1993, Jim Kirkland discovered the legs and arms of an unknown theropod that lived within the Early Cretaceous in what’s now Utah. He thought it was carefully associated to Ornithomimus however the arms have been too primitive. The ankle was practically equivalent to Ornitholestes. Then in 1995, Kirkland appeared on the foot of Arkansaurus and located they have been related, however Arkansaurus was bigger
  • If Arkansaurus is extra carefully associated to Ornitholestes, as a substitute of Ornithomimus, it might have been a carnivore with tooth
  • Lived alongside the shore
  • On the time Arkansaurus lived there was the Western Inside Seaway dividing the continent. Not a lot identified about different dinosaurs that lived in the identical space
  • Solely dinosaur identified so removed from Arkansas
  • Ornithomimosaur tracks from across the similar time Arkansaurus lived have been discovered close to Moab, Utah on the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite
  • Sort species is Arkansaurus fridayi
  • Genus identify means “Arkansas lizard”
  • Joe B. Friday, proprietor of a service station in Locksburg, Arkansas, noticed some vultures circling in August 1972. When he checked on his cows, he noticed some uncovered fossils close to the highway the place some gravel and been moved lately for reconstructing Arkansas Freeway 24
  • He excavated the fossils (foot fossils) and put them on show at his service station for months (nobody realized they have been dinosaur fossils)
  • Finally geology professor Doy Zachry Jr. took the fossils to his colleague James H. Quinn on the College of Arkansas. Quinn realized they have been dinosaur fossils and ready them
  • He took the fossils to be examined at SBP in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1972, and scientists thought they have been associated to Ornithomimus
  • Quinn offered the fossils the subsequent 12 months in 1973 on the Geological Society of America Assembly in Little Rock, Arkansas
  • James Quinn and Benjamin Clardy (from the Arkansas Geological Fee) went to the location the place the fossils have been present in March 1973, hoping to search out extra fossils. However the website was now a pit dug up for highway development so all they discovered was a toe bone. Doable the bones have been scattered both when buried or through the highway development
  • Fossils discovered embody three metatarsals, 4 phalanges, three claws (a virtually full proper foot)
  • Quinn meant to call the dinosaur Arkansaurus fridayi however in 1977 had a deadly fall when searching for fossils in Nebraska
  • The identify Arkansaurus was utilized in a pop-science guide in 1983, but it surely was a nomen nudum (not formally described)
  • Formally named in 2018 by ReBecca Hunt-Foster and James H. Quinn
  • Grew to become the official state dinosaur of Arkansas one 12 months earlier than it was formally named (invoice authorized by the governor February 17, 2017)
  • Highschool pupil Mason Oury had the concept to make Arkansaurus the official state dinosaur, partly as a result of different states like Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri had state dinosaurs. He labored on it for 3 years, and drafted the laws himself
  • Mason Oury mentioned in an Inverse article “It’s the one dinosaur that really bleeds Razorback Purple”
  • 4 casts have been made, and given to the Friday household, College of Arkansas, Arkansas Geological Fee, and Arkansas Museum of Science and Pure Historical past
  • Can see the solid in a classroom in Ozark Corridor on the College of Arkansas
  • Can see the solid and a statue of Arkansaurus on the Arkansas Museum of Science and Pure Historical past
  • Unique fossils are on the College of Arkansas Museum Collections

Enjoyable Truth:
If dinosaurs are like birds, they have been most likely monogamous. To discover a mate, the females would have ventured removed from house whereas the males stayed nearer to the place they have been born.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *