Episode 396: How T. rex was discovered and the way it modified paleontology. David Randall writer of “The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. rex and How It Shook Our World” joins us to debate T. rex, Barnum Brown, Henry Fairfield Osborn, and the way they helped form our notion of paleontology.
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Interview:
David Randall, a senior reporter at Reuters and the writer of a number of books, together with “The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. rex and How It Shook Our World”. Comply with him on twitter @dkrandall
Sponsors:
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The dinosaur of the day: Draconyx
- Styracosternan ornithopod that lived within the Late Jurassic in what’s now Portugal (Lourinhã Formation)
- Seemed form of like Iguanodon, with a cumbersome physique and quick arms and lengthy tail
- Comparatively small, in comparison with kin, bipedal, and a probably a quick runner
- Estimated to be between 9.8 to 13.1 ft (3 and 4 m)
- Herbivorous
- Had leaf-shaped denticles (serrations on the tooth)
- Had lengthy, claw-like unguals on its fingers, however didn’t have a spike thumb
- Had gracile ft
- First toe was shorter and fewer strong than different toes
- Sort species is Draconyx loureiroi
- Present in 1991, and housed within the collections of the Museu da Lourinhã
- Described in 2001 by Octávio Mateus and Miguel Telles Antunes
- Genus title means “dragon claw”, and refers back to the claw materials discovered
- Species title is in honor of João de Loureiro, a priest and pioneer in paleontology in Portugal
- Filippo Rotatori and others reevaluated Draconyx in 2022
- Described unreported forelimb materials of the holotype, and redescribed the holotype
- CT scanned the fossils
- Carlos Anunciação, who found the dinosaur had extra holotype materials in his assortment at dwelling, and not too long ago donated to the museum
- Regarded as a camptosaurid, now thought of to be a styracosternan iguanodontian (others embrace Camptosaurus, Iguanodon, Mantellisaurus, which have been a lot bigger)
- Holotype features a partial skeleton, no cranium (consists of two tooth, chevron, a part of the humerus, astragalus or ankle bone, metatarsals or foot bones, the forelimb, and extra)
- Holotype about 30 years outdated, based mostly on histology (thought of to be a senile particular person)
- Left femur later referred to Draconyx, however then referred to Ankylopollexia indet.
- Based mostly on histology from a 2017 examine by Katja Waskowa and Octavio Mateus, holotype specimen was between 27 and 31 years outdated
- One of many oldest species of Styracosterna, which can imply Styracosterna originated in Europe
- Doable that basal styracosternans have been bipedal and quick runners, then later turned larger and quadrupedal
- Different dinosaurs that lived across the identical time and place embrace the carcharodontosaur Lusovenator and the ankylosaur Dracopelta
Enjoyable Truth:
Barnum Brown was named after Phineas Taylor (P.T.) Barnum, recognized for founding the Barnum & Bailey Circus, however Barnum Brown was additionally given the nickname “Mr. Bones” as a result of he was so good at discovering fossils.
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