Author Archives: paleololigo

Scientist (Paleontology, Geochemistry, Geology); Writer (Speculative and Science Fiction, plus technical and non-technical Science); Mom to great boy on the Autism spectrum; possessor of too many hobbies.

Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Kamehameha’s Cloak – Luto #MuseuNacional

On September 2, 2018, the National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional) was gutted by fire. 2018 was the Museu Nacional’s 200th year.

This post is one of series in which I discuss an important specimens that may have been lost to science in the blaze.

In 1824, King Kamehameha II Liholiho of Hawaii gave Brazil’s emperor Dom Pedro, a feathered cloak (‘ahu ‘ula). Such cloaks were status symbols for the highest ranks of the ruling class of Hawaii.

Feathered cloaks are made from a woven netting that is decorated with brightly colored feathers. Though there remains over 100 examples of these cloaks worldwide, this particular cloak was lost to the fire at the Museu Nacional.

Read more and see pictures here:

Royal Hawaiian Feather Cloak Feared Lost in Brazil Museum Fire

Paleocene Mammals from Brazil – #365papers – 2018 – 67

de Paula Couto, 1952, Fossil Mammals from the Beginning of the Cenozoic in Brazil, Condylarthra, Litopterna, Xenungulata, and Astrapotheres: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 99, 355-394.

What’s it about?

This paper is a listing, with descriptions, of most of the Paleocene mammals of Brazil at the time of its writing (1952). Several new species, genera, families, and even orders are named, in many cases by the author, Carlos de Paula Couto.Continue reading “Paleocene Mammals from Brazil – #365papers – 2018 – 67”

Why is Irritator so Irritating? – #365papers – 2018 – 66

Martill, Cruickshank, Frey, Small, and Clarke, 1996, A new crested maniraptoran dinosaur from the Santana Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Brazil: Journal of the Geological Society, London, v. 153, p. 5-8.

What’s it about?

This paper is the description of a new species (and Genus and Family) of dinosaur, grouped with the tetanuran theropods, a subgroup of carnivorous dinosaurs along the lineage leading to modern birds.

The type specimen was collected from the Santana Formation in Brazil, the same unit that gave us Santanaraptor.Continue reading “Why is Irritator so Irritating? – #365papers – 2018 – 66”

A Lost Titan – #365papers – 2018 – 65

Kellner and Azevedo, 1999, A new sauropod dinosaur (Titanosauria) the the Late Cretaceous of Brazil, in Tomida, Rich, and Vickers-Rich, eds., Proceedings of the Second Gondwanan Dinosaur Symposium: National Science Museum Monographs, no. 15, p. 111-142.

What’s it about?

This paper is a detailed description of Gondwanatitan foustoi, a new species of titanosaur (a sauropod) from Brazil. This new species is based upon specimen number MN 4111-V at the Museu Nacional. The material includes several vertebrae, part of a shoulder blade, parts of the hips, upper arm and lower leg bones, and some ribs.Continue reading “A Lost Titan – #365papers – 2018 – 65”

Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Gondwanatitan – Luto #MuseuNacional

On September 2, 2018, the National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional) was gutted by fire. 2018 was the Museu Nacional’s 200th year.

This post is one of series in which I discuss an important specimens that may have been lost to science in the blaze.

Alexander Kellner and Sergio de Azevedo described a new genus (and species) of sauropod dinosaur called Gonwanatitan. As sauropods go, Gondwanatitan was pretty small, only about 7 meters in length.

Size comparison between the sauropod dinosaur Gondwanatitan and a human. Gondwanatitan was 25 feet long ( about 8, 3 meter ), and small for a sauropod. CREDIT: Conty

Continue reading “Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Gondwanatitan – Luto #MuseuNacional”

The Dinosaurs of the Santana Formation, Brazil – #365papers – 2018 – 64

Naish, Martill, and Frey, 2004, Ecology, systematics and biogeographical relationships of dinosaurs, including a new theropod, from the Santana Formation (?Albian, Early Cretaceous) of Brazil: Historical Biology, v. 16, p. 1-14.

What’s it about?

The Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin of northeastern Brazil has yielded many important fossils, including some dinosaurs. Notably, Santanaraptor, described in an earlier post, is one of many dinosaurs known from the Santana Formation. It is interesting, however, that almost all the dinosaurs known from the Santana Formation are predatory dinosaurs.Continue reading “The Dinosaurs of the Santana Formation, Brazil – #365papers – 2018 – 64”

Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Santanaraptor – Luto #MuseuNacional

On September 2, 2018, the National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional) was gutted by fire. 2018 was the Museu Nacional’s 200th year.

This post is one of series in which I discuss an important specimens that may have been lost to science in the blaze.

In 1999, Alexander Kellner, a researcher at the Museu Nacional, published a paper describing the holotype for the genus Santanaraptor (“Santana Formation thief”). This holotype (MN 4802-V) consists of several bones of a juvenile individual and fragments of mineralized soft tissues (including epidermis, muscle, and possibly blood vessels).

A reconstruction of Santanaraptor at the Museu Nacional.
CREDIT: Dornike CC BY-SA 4.0

Continue reading “Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Santanaraptor – Luto #MuseuNacional”

Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Luzia – Luto #MuseuNacional

On September 2, 2018, the National Museum of Brazil (Museu Nacional) was gutted by fire. The loss has hit the paleontology community (and the larger museum community) hard. I will highlight over the next few days some of the many priceless specimens that have been lost.

This year, the Museu Nacional celebrated its 200th year. I am hopeful all is not lost.

Lapa Vermelha IV Hominid 1, informally referred to as Luzia, was discovered in 1975 in a rock shelter locality near Belo Horizonte, Brazil, by a French and Brazilian team led by Annette Laming-Emperaire. At the time, Laming-Emperaire felt that this was among the oldest human remains found in South America.

Facial reconstruction at the National Museum of Brazil. CREDIT: Dornike CC BY-SA 4.0

Continue reading “Lost with the National Museum of Brazil – Luzia – Luto #MuseuNacional”

On Fossil Eggshells – #365papers – 2018 – 63

Montanari, 2018, Cracking the egg: the use of modern and fossil eggs for ecological, environmental and biological interpretation: Royal Society Open Science, v. 5, 180006.

What’s it about?

Most people think of bones or shells as the most important mineralized remains of fossil animals. Vertebrates, particularly land-dwelling vertebrates, produce a third important (though often overlooked) mineralized remnant: Egg shells.Continue reading “On Fossil Eggshells – #365papers – 2018 – 63”