Category Archives: Science

Keratin Ain’t Gonna Make It – #365papers – 2017 – 132

#365papers for May 12, 2017

Saitta, Rogers, Brooker, Abbott, Kumar, O’Reilly, Donohoe, Dutta, Summons, and Vinther, 2017, Low fossilization potential for keratin protein revealed by experimental taphonomy: Palaeontology, p. 1-10.

What’s it about?

Keratin is a major protein making up hair and nails. The authors conduct experiments on modern keratin to emulate fossilization to test whether or not keratin is likely to fossilize. Based on these experiments, keratin should not survive the process of fossilization, though calcium phosphate and pigments might.Continue reading “Keratin Ain’t Gonna Make It – #365papers – 2017 – 132”

There is No Ankylosaur. There is Only Zuul – #365papers – 2017 – 131

#365papers for May 11, 2017

Arbour and Evans, 2017, A new ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana, USA, based on an exceptional skeleton with soft tissue preservation: Royal Society Open Science, v. 4, 161086.

What’s it about?

Here is a new species of armored dinosaur named after the demon Zuul the Gatekeeper of Gozer from the 1984 movie Ghostbusters. This fossil includes magnificent preservation of skin and dermal skeleton of the head and back and also of the tail club.Continue reading “There is No Ankylosaur. There is Only Zuul – #365papers – 2017 – 131”

Using Giant Snails to Understand Past Atmospheric Carbon – #365papers – 2017 – 130

#365papers for May 10, 2017

Macario, Alves, Carvalho, Oliveira, Ramsey, Chivall, Souza, Simone and Cavallari, 2016, The use of the terrestrial snails of the genera Megalobulimus and Thaumastus as representatives of the atmospheric carbon reservoir: Nature Scientific Reports, v. 6, 27395.

What’s it about?

Snails. It turns out that snails record evidence of their environment in their shells. The authors here show how shells from these two giant snails can be used to examine the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Continue reading “Using Giant Snails to Understand Past Atmospheric Carbon – #365papers – 2017 – 130”

The Diversification of Homo and the importance of H. naledi – #363papers – 2017 – 129

#365 papers for May 9, 2017

Berger, Hawks, Dirks, Elliott, and Roberts, 2017, Homo naledi and Pleistocene hominin evolution in subequatorial Africa: eLife 2017;6:e24234

What’s it about?

H. naledi is a small member of the genus Homo recently discovered and described from the Rising Star Cave in Africa. Here, the fossils are dated and found to be much younger than expected showing that several species of the genus Homo were living at the same time.Continue reading “The Diversification of Homo and the importance of H. naledi – #363papers – 2017 – 129”

Reconstructing Crumbly Elephants – #365papers – 2017 – 128

#365papers for May 8, 2017

Rabinovich and Lister 2016 The earliest elephants out of Africa: Taxonomy and taphonomy of proboscidean remains from Bethelehem: Quaternary International.

What’s it about?

Ancient relatives of elephants have been studied from a quarry near Bethlehem since the 1930’s. The preservation is poor, however. This paper reports on new specimens described using new methods (including CT scans) to better understand the identity and relationships of the fossils found.Continue reading “Reconstructing Crumbly Elephants – #365papers – 2017 – 128”

A New Feathered Troodontid Dinosaur with Asymmetrical Feathers – #365papers – 2017 – 127

#365papers for May 7, 2017

Xu, Currie, Pittman, Xing, Meng, Lu, Hu, and Yu, 2017, Mosaic evolution in an asymmetrically feathered troodontid dinosaur with transitional features: Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms14972

What’s it about?

This paper is a description of a new species of dinosaur, Jianianhualong tengi, from the famous Jehol Group of China. This new species shows a mixture of traits, some that are characteristic of non-flying dinosaurs and others characteristic of flying dinosaurs like Archaeopteryx. This includes asymmetrical feathers, stiff feathers that are thicker on one side of the central vein than on the other, which are a necessary adaptation for flight.Continue reading “A New Feathered Troodontid Dinosaur with Asymmetrical Feathers – #365papers – 2017 – 127”

How Necks Become Backs in Diplodocid Dinosaurs – #365papers – 2017 – 126

#365papers for May 6, 2017

Tschopp and Mateus, 2017, Osteology of Galeamopus pabsti sp. nov. (Sauropoda: Diplodocidae), with implications for the neurocentral closure timing, and the cervico-dorsal transition in diplodocids: PeerJ, doi:10.7717/peerj.3179

What’s it about?

Most of this paper is a description of a new species of dinosaur, Galeamopus pabsti. This individual is quite well preserved and allowd the authors to examine two important aspects of diplodocid growth and development: the fusion of certain parts of the vertebrae (‘neurocentral closure’) previously associated with adulthood, and the transition from neck vertebrate to back vertebrae (which bear ribs).Continue reading “How Necks Become Backs in Diplodocid Dinosaurs – #365papers – 2017 – 126”

Rock Weathering and its Influence on Climate – #365papers – 2017 – 125

#365papers for May 5, 2017

Godderis, Donnadieu, Carretier, Aretz, Dera, Macouin, and Regard, 2017 Onset and ending of the late Palaeozoic ice age triggered by tehtonically paced rock weathering: Nature Geoscience, doi:10.1038/ngeo2931

What’s it about?

Many hypotheses have been put forward to explain global glaciation that happened toward the end of the Paleozoic (started around 340-330 million years ago and ended around 290 million years ago). This paper explores the hypothesis that uplift and subsequent erosion of the ancient Hercynian orogeny (mountain belt) which once straddled the equator may have played an important role.Continue reading “Rock Weathering and its Influence on Climate – #365papers – 2017 – 125”

What Happens to Make Fish Muscle Turn to Pyrite? – #365papers – 2017 – 124

#365papers for May 4, 2017

Oses, Petri, Boltani, Prado, Galante, Tizzutto, Rudnitzki, da Silva, Rodrigues, Rangel, Sucerquia, and Pacheco, 2017, Deciphering pyritization-kerogenization gradient for fish soft-tissue preservation: Nature Scientific Reports, v. 7, doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01563-0

What’s it about?

Fish fossils from the Santana Formation in northeastern Brazil are often exquisitely preserved, with soft-tissues (muscles, eyes, etc) often evident and available for study. The authors here are less concerned with what specifically was preserved, but how it was preserved. In some cases, the fossils were altered to pyrite; in others to kerogen. The path for alteration and preservation depended on minute details of the rocks and the geochemical environment in which the dead organisms were deposited.Continue reading “What Happens to Make Fish Muscle Turn to Pyrite? – #365papers – 2017 – 124”

Whence Come Mandibulate Arthropods? – #365papers – 2017 – 123

#365papers for May 3, 2017

Aria and Caron, 2017, Burgess Shale fossils illustrate the origin of the mandibulate body plan: Nature, doi:10.1038/nature22080

What’s it about?

The authors describe a fossil from the Burgess Shale that is likely a primitive member of the ‘mandibulate’ arthropods, those exoskeleton-bearing organisms that possess mouth structures called mandibles. Using this new description, they are able to better understand the relationship between mandibulates and other important arthropod groups.Continue reading “Whence Come Mandibulate Arthropods? – #365papers – 2017 – 123”