PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all

2010-10-06
(Press-News.org) A new species of dinosaur discovered in Arizona suggests dinosaurs did not spread throughout the world by overpowering other species, but by taking advantage of a natural catastrophe that wiped out their competitors.

The new dinosaur, named Sarahsaurus, was studied by an international team of scientists, including Robert R. Reisz, professor and chair of biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Tim Rowe, professor of paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin's Jackson School of Geosciences and Hans-Dieter Sues, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. The results of this research appear in the online edition of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Oct. 6.

"Until recently, we've viewed dinosaurs as very successful animals that outcompeted other species wherever they went," says Reisz. "But this study puts dinosaurs in a very different light—that they were more opportunistic creatures that moved into North America only when a mass extinction event made eco-space available to them."

Conventional wisdom says that soon after dinosaurs originated in what is now South America, they rapidly spread out to every corner of the world, overwhelming all the animals in their path. Sarahsaurus challenges that view.

One of the five great mass extinction events in Earth's history happened at the end of the Triassic Period—about 200 million years ago—wiping out many of the potential competitors to dinosaurs. Evidence from Sarahsaurus and two other early sauropodomorphs suggests that each migrated into North America in separate waves long after the extinction and that no such dinosaurs migrated there before the extinction.

Sarahsaurus lived in what is now the state of Arizona about 190 million years ago, during the Early Jurassic Period. The remains show that it was a 4.3-metre-long bipedal plant-eating animal with a long neck and small head, and weighed about 113 kilograms. Sarahsaurus is a sauropodomorph dinosaur, a relatively small predecessor to the giant sauropods, the largest land animals in history.

A team of researchers and students led by Rowe discovered an articulated skeleton of this creature during a field trip in Arizona in 1997. The team excavated the site over three years, exposed the skeleton in the Austin lab, but was stymied in the research because little of the skull was preserved.

Reisz and Sues had been working on a sauropodomorph skull from the same area in Arizona, and were ready to submit a paper describing and naming this new dinosaur, when they realized that the skull they were examining and the skeleton discovered by Rowe were the remains of the same species. Working together, the three scientists were able to put together their findings from different parts of the skeleton, and discover its evolutionary significance.

###Sarahsaurus is named in honor of Sarah Butler, an Austin philanthropist and long-time supporter of the arts and sciences, who raised funds for an interactive dinosaur exhibit at the Austin Nature and Science Center. Funding for the research was provided by the Jackson School of Geosciences and the National Science Foundation.

*Images available upon request.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

MAVEN mission to investigate how sun steals Martian atmosphere

MAVEN mission to investigate how sun steals Martian atmosphere
2010-10-06
The Red Planet bleeds. Not blood, but its atmosphere, slowly trickling away to space. The culprit is our sun, which is using its own breath, the solar wind, and its radiation to rob Mars of its air. The crime may have condemned the planet's surface, once apparently promising for life, to a cold and sterile existence. Features on Mars resembling dry riverbeds, and the discovery of minerals that form in the presence of water, indicate that Mars once had a thicker atmosphere and was warm enough for liquid water to flow on the surface. However, somehow that thick atmosphere ...

NASA'S Mars atmosphere mission given the green light to proceed to development

NASAS Mars atmosphere mission given the green light to proceed to development
2010-10-06
GREENBELT, Md. – NASA's mission to investigate the mystery of how Mars lost much of its atmosphere passed a critical milestone on October 4, 2010. NASA has given approval for the development and 2013 launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission. Clues on the Martian surface, such as features resembling dry riverbeds and minerals that only form in the presence of liquid water, suggest that Mars once had a denser atmosphere, which supported the presence of liquid water on the surface. As part of a dramatic climate change, most of the Martian atmosphere ...

Phillies, Rangers, Yanks, Giants to win, says NJIT math guru

2010-10-06
With the Major League Baseball Division Series set to begin, associate math professor Bruce Bukiet at NJIT is performing his analysis of the probability of each team advancing to the League Championship Series. "Going into these series, the Philadelphia Phillies have a 64 percent chance of defeating the Cincinnati Reds in their best of five game series," he said. "The Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants have slight advantages to win series over their opponents, the Tampa Bay Rays, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves respectively in the first round ...

Blood test could diagnose Alzheimer's disease, UT Southwestern researchers find

2010-10-06
DALLAS – Oct. 6, 2010 – A set of proteins found in blood serum shows promise as a sensitive and accurate way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found as part of a statewide study. An analysis of the proteins, plus a clinical exam, proved 94 percent accurate in detecting suspected Alzheimer's and 84 percent accurate in ruling it out in people without the disease, the researchers said. "This research uses a novel technology that makes it possible to analyze several biomarkers in a single blood sample in a cost-effective ...

Low testosterone linked to Alzheimer's disease

Low testosterone linked to Alzheimers disease
2010-10-06
ST. LOUIS -- Low levels of the male sex hormone, testosterone, in older men is associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to research by a team that includes a Saint Louis University scientist. "Having low testosterone may make you more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease," said John E. Morley, M.D., director of the division of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University and a study co-investigator. "The take-home message is we should pay more attention to low testosterone, particularly in people who have memory problems or other signs of cognitive impairment." The ...

Childrens Hospital LA discovers growth factor essential to epicardial cell function

Childrens Hospital LA discovers growth factor essential to epicardial cell function
2010-10-06
LOS ANGELES– In research that one day may lead to the discovery of how to regenerate tissue damaged by heart disease, investigators at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles have identified PDGF as a key factor in the proliferation and transformation of epicardial cells, one type of cell that surrounds heart muscle and contributes to vessels. The study was published online September 21 in advance of the publication of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Ching-Ling (Ellen) Lien, PhD, led a team of researchers at the Developmental ...

Study: Fish near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury

Study: Fish near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury
2010-10-06
A new study from North Carolina State University finds that fish located near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury than fish that live much further away. The surprising finding appears to be linked to high levels of another chemical, selenium, found near such facilities, which unfortunately poses problems of its own. "We found that fish in lakes located at least 30 kilometers (km) from a coal-fired power plant had mercury levels more than three times higher than fish of the same species in lakes that are within 10 km of a plant," says Dana Sackett, a Ph.D. ...

Tour d'Afrique's New 2011 Samba Tango Cycling Adventure Dances Through Music-Loving Cultures From Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires

2010-10-06
Tour d'Afrique (http://www.tourdafrique.com/), a leader in cross-continent, multi-country cycling tours, invites riders to save space on their dance cards for an Aug. 14 to Sept. 18, 2011, Samba Tango Adventure http://www.tourdafrique.com/tours/sambatango spanning 3,150 km (1,950 miles) in 36 days from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires. The Full Tour per person rate of $3,900 offers the privilege of averaging 100 km per day in the saddle with six rest and sightseeing days sprinkled in. If full payment is made on or before Feb. 20, 2011, a discount of 5% applies. Riders ...

The Culinary Studio: Metro Detroit's First Shared-Use Kitchen to Open in Southfield

2010-10-06
Calling all bakers, caterers, personal chefs and aspiring food entrepreneurs - The Culinary Studio will help local food-oriented businesses launch and grow without the burden of start-up costs. Fully equipped kitchens will be available at The Culinary Studio for hourly rental to food entrepreneurs and for special cooking events. Located in the Applegate Shopping Center on Northwestern Highway in Southfield, Michigan, The Culinary Studio will have two state of the art commercial kitchens, with areas for preparing, packaging, catering and baking along with cooking classes. ...

DPR Construction Honored by American Institute of Architects, California Council

2010-10-06
DPR Construction's (DPR) San Diego regional headquarters was recently honored with an "Award of Merit" for Interior Renovation by the American Institute of Architects California Council and Savings By Design group. The DPR office was recognized for its commitment to resource efficiency, responsibility for the environment, human productivity and quality of life. "Our San Diego headquarters is a true representation of DPR's culture," said Jay Leopold, regional manager of DPR Construction. "It is important for us to uphold sustainable practices while creating a positive ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Case Western Reserve University awarded $1.5 million to study vaginal bacterial linked to serious health risks

The next evolution of AI begins with ours

Using sunlight to recycle black plastics

ODS FeCrAl alloys endure liquid metal flow at 600 °C resembling a fusion blanket environment

A genetic key to understanding mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome

The future of edge AI: Dye-sensitized solar cell-based synaptic device

Bats’ amazing plan B for when they can’t hear

Common thyroid medicine linked to bone loss

Vaping causes immediate effects on vascular function

A new clock to structure sleep

Study reveals new way to unlock blood-brain barrier, potentially opening doors to treat brain and nerve diseases

Viking colonizers of Iceland and nearby Faroe Islands had very different origins, study finds

One in 20 people in Canada skip doses, don’t fill prescriptions because of cost

Wildlife monitoring technologies used to intimidate and spy on women, study finds

Around 450,000 children disadvantaged by lack of school support for color blindness

Reality check: making indoor smartphone-based augmented reality work

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows

Troubling spike in severe pregnancy-related complications for all ages in Illinois

Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Need a landing pad for helicopter parenting? Frame tasks as learning

New MUSC Hollings Cancer Center research shows how Golgi stress affects T-cells' tumor-fighting ability

#16to365: New resources for year-round activism to end gender-based violence and strengthen bodily autonomy for all

Earliest fish-trapping facility in Central America discovered in Maya lowlands

São Paulo to host School on Disordered Systems

New insights into sleep uncover key mechanisms related to cognitive function

USC announces strategic collaboration with Autobahn Labs to accelerate drug discovery

Detroit health professionals urge the community to act and address the dangers of antimicrobial resistance

3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts 

Ancient hot water on Mars points to habitable past: Curtin study

[Press-News.org] New fossil suggests dinosaurs not so fierce after all