(Press-News.org) A team of scientists led by the Smithsonian Institution has discovered a fossilized dinosaur skull and neck vertebrae that not only reveal a new species, but also an evolutionary link between two groups of dinosaurs. The new species, Daemonosaurus chauliodus, was discovered at Ghost Ranch, N.M. The team's findings are published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Wednesday, April 13.
The oldest known dinosaurs walked or ran on their hind legs and included early predatory species such as Herrerasaurus. They existed in what are now Argentina and Brazil early in the Late Triassic Period, approximately 230 million years ago. The evolutionary position of these early predatory dinosaurs was contentious because there was a gap in the fossil record between them and later theropod dinosaurs. The team's discovery of Daemonosaurus chauliodus helps fill in this gap.
Because only the skull and neck of Daemonosaurus were found, the total length of the new species is unknown. The dinosaur's skull, however, is narrow and relatively deep, measuring 5.5 inches long from the tip of its snout to the back of the skull and has proportionately large eye sockets. The upper jaw has large, forward-slanted front teeth. It is this feature that helped the scientists name the species. The name Daemonosaurus is based on the Greek words "daimon" meaning evil spirit (because it was found at Ghost Ranch), and "sauros" meaning lizard or reptile. The species name chauliodus is derived from the Greek word for "buck-toothed" and refers to the species' big slanted front teeth.
Daemonosaurus, a basal (primitive) theropod species, was dated to the latest part of the Triassic Period approximately 205 million years ago, just before the beginning of the Jurassic Period. This altered the previous belief that all basal dinosaurs had vanished millions of years earlier. The skull and neck vertebrae of Daemonosaurus also revealed several features similar to those in neotheropods—the succeeding group of dinosaurs on the evolutionary timeline.
"Various features of the skull and neck in Daemonosaurus indicate that it was intermediate between the earliest known predatory dinosaurs from South America and more advanced theropod dinosaurs," said Hans Sues, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and lead author of the team's findings. "One such feature is the presence of cavities on some of the neck vertebrae related to the structure of the respiratory system."
This new discovery shows that there is still much to be learned about the early evolution of dinosaurs. "The continued exploration of even well-studied regions like the American Southwest will still yield remarkable new fossil finds," Sues said.
INFORMATION:
Scientists discover a new species of dinosaur, bridging a gap in the dinosaur family tree
2011-04-13
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Birds inherited sense of smell from dinosaurs ... and improved it
2011-04-13
This press release is available in French.
Pigeons may not instill the same aura of fear as a Tyrannosaurus rex, but they inherited their sense of smell from such prehistoric killers.
Birds are known more for their flying abilities and their senses of vision and balance than for their sense of smell. According to conventional wisdom, the sense of smell declined during the transition from dinosaurs to birds as the senses of vision and balance were improved for flight. But new research published today by scientists at the University of Calgary, the Royal Tyrrell Museum ...
Elder and Probate Mediation: a Vital Resource for Families, by Rosemary J. Frenza, Attorney and Mediator, Legacy Law Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan
2011-04-13
A simple dictionary search for the word mediation reveals the following definition: action in mediating between parties, as to effect an agreement or reconciliation. Legal practitioners are familiar with mediation as an alternative dispute resolution technique that utilizes a neutral party, the mediator, to assist two or more parties in coming to an out-of-court resolution to a dispute. Mediation is a common and effective technique that has long been used in general civil disputes, as well as in divorce and child custody matters. In fact, I first trained as a domestic relations ...
Chicago Personal Injury Attorney David Jasmer Recently Reached a $1 Million Out-Of-Court Settlement
2011-04-13
Firm founder David Jasmer of The Jasmer Law Firm, located in Chicago, Illinois, recently secured a $1 million out-of-court settlement for a client who was rendered an incomplete quadriplegic following a fall down a defective stairway.
Last July, while visiting a friend's home, an active 54-year-old woman fell down a steep, poorly lit stairway onto a cement basement floor. She was catastrophically injured, breaking her neck and sustaining serious injuries to her spinal cord and knee. Doctors diagnosed her as an incomplete quadriplegic, meaning that she still had some ...
Study reveals increased inequality in stroke deaths across Europe and central Asia
2011-04-13
There is growing inequality between different countries in Europe and central Asia in the proportion of people who die from stroke, according to a study published online today in the European Heart Journal [1].
In countries where the proportions of stroke deaths have been low at the end of the 20th century, the death rates are continuing to decrease sharply; these countries include most of the western European nations. But in countries where stroke deaths were moderate or high, there has been "a further unprecedented increase in this cause of death" say the authors of ...
Eco-friendly treatment for blue jeans offers alternative to controversial 'sandblasting'
2011-04-13
Blue denim jeans are one of the most popular and iconic fashion items in the world; now a study published in Biotechnology Journal reveals a cheaper, more efficient and eco-friendly method for treating dyed denim. The process of 'surface activation' used to wash-down the denim following dyeing could also offer an alternative to the dangerous, and internationally banned, sandblasting technique.
"The global production of denim is estimated at 3 billion linear meters and more than 4 billion garments per year," said Thomas Bechtold, from the Research Institute for Textile ...
Sniffing out calories: Hormone linked to nose's ability to locate food
2011-04-13
CINCINNATI—The hormone ghrelin, known to promote hunger and fat storage, has been found to enhance exploratory "sniffing" in both animals and humans.
The research, by University of Cincinnati (UC) scientists, suggests that ghrelin may be designed to boost detection of calories in our environment through smell and link those inputs with natural regulation of metabolism and body weight.
Led by Jenny Tong, MD, and Matthias Tschöp, MD, both of UC's endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism division, the study appears in the April 13, 2011, issue of The Journal of Neuroscience, ...
Pig stem cell transplants: The key to future research into retina treatment
2011-04-13
A team of American and Chinese scientists studying the role of stem cells in repairing damaged retina tissue have found that pigs represent an effective proxy species to research treatments for humans. The study, published in STEM CELLS, demonstrates how stem cells can be isolated and transplanted between pigs, overcoming a key barrier to the research.
Treatments to repair the human retina following degenerative diseases remain a challenge for medical science. Unlike species of lower vertebrates the human retina lacks a regenerative pathway meaning that research has ...
Accidental Deaths in New York: What are the Common Causes?
2011-04-13
There are thousands of ways to classify a death: city officials categorize accidental deaths in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island using approximately 6,000 codes. Given the wide array of options in defining accidental death, an exhaustive list of the top contributors is a slippery concept. But, while lists may vary, there is a general hierarchy to sources of unintended tragedy.
Unsurprisingly, motor vehicle accidents are the number one source of accidental deaths. Those 19-30 years old are most likely to be killed in traffic accidents, although ...
First galaxies were born much earlier than expected
2011-04-13
Using the amplifying power of a cosmic gravitational lens, astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy whose stars were born unexpectedly early in cosmic history. This result sheds new light on the formation of the first galaxies, as well as on the early evolution of the Universe.
Johan Richard, the lead author of a new study [1] says: "We have discovered a distant galaxy that began forming stars just 200 million years after the Big Bang. This challenges theories of how soon galaxies formed and evolved in the first years of the Universe. It could even help solve the ...
Austin Jury Intolerant of Investment Fraud, Awards Man $1.6M
2011-04-13
A Travis County jury recently awarded a Texas man $1.6 million in damages resulting from business fraud committed by businessman and broker Christopher Bounds. Bounds worked for Merrill Lynch in Austin, where he conducted several business transactions that came to be the subject matter of the District Court lawsuit.
Plaintiff David Fernea accused Bounds of committing investment fraud and theft through the sale of stock in two telemarketing businesses. In the sales agreement, Bounds was to transfer his business interests in Austrends Inc. and Bounds and Pinto Marketing ...