This Mesozoic Month: April 2018

Blasting into your feed reader, it’s another roundup to close out this month. Over the first four months into 2018, we’ve been treated to a glut of Mesozoic insights. You never know what’s coming next on this veritable feast of knowledge! Dine away, my friends… feast on this prehistoric enlightenment.

In the News

• The Ichthyosaurus specimen with a belly full ‘o babies has been published. Read more at the BBC and Phys Org.
• Well, look at that: some caenagnathid eggs have been found in North America. Read more from NC State University, including a video from paleontologist Lindsay Zanno.
• Even more dinosaur tracks have been discovered on the Isle of Skye, dating back to the middle Jurassic. Read more from the Guardian and BBC.
• East coasters, rejoice! A saurornitholestine tooth has been discovered in North Carolina’s Tar Heel Formation, the first definite record of an Appalachian dromaeosaurid. Read Chase Brownstein’s paper here.
• New research studies feeding traces on a juvenile Tyrannosaurus metatarsal, finding yet more evidence for cannibalism. Read the paper in Palaios.
• Oh, yes. Even more theropod feedin goodness. A global team including our own Victoria Arbour studied teeth from a handful of theropods to figure out how they were eating, finding they used a “puncture and pull” method of obtaining those nom noms. Read more from Everything Dinosaur and the Washington Post.

Around the Dinoblogosphere

• Naturalist, paleontologist, and educator Ashley Hall speaks to Tony Martin at the Paleontological Society blog about her career. In another interview for the blog, Tara Lepore talks to ReBecca Hunt-Foster about her recently published description of Arkansaurus fridayi and her background in paleontology.
• Scoot on over to Tetrapod Zoology, where Darren Naish reviewed God’s Word or Human Reason?, the terrific counter-argument to Young Earth Creationism. Darren also shares the evidence for a more pronounced, downturned beak in hadrosaurs at TetZoo. It focuses on an Edmontosaurus specimen described in 1970 by Wlliam Morris. Andy Farke also beats this drum regularly on social media, and Darren also points to Brian Switek’s article on the subject from 2012.
• Educator, paleontologist, artist: Chris DiPiazza writes about his trip up to the Great White North to visit the Canadian Museum of Nature. Check out his excellent post on Archaeopteryx and accompanying illustration, as well.
• Nifty! James Cameron said that he would have put aliens in Jurassic Park had he gotten the gig. 😬 Though he admits Spielberg was a better fit because after all, “Dinosaurs are for 8-year-olds. We can all enjoy it, too, but kids get dinosaurs and they should not have been excluded for that.”
• See what Don Lessem has to say about bad dinosaurs.
• Enchanting reader, did you see the #CamptosaurusChallenge? Read my two-part post about it (part one and part two) and check out the hashtag on Twitter. Zach Miller also shares his contributions at Waxing Paleontological. I’m really glad that the challenge inspired you so much, Zach!
• Majungasaurus is the subject of an excellent new figurine by the Chinese company Vitae; read the review at the Dinosaur Toy Blog.
• Your trusty thyreophoran expert Victoria Arbour visited Disney World, and writes about DinoLand USA, part of Animal Kingdom.
• At the NHM blog, check out the museum’s look back at the iconic work of Neave Parker, revealing how much our paleontological knowledge has changed in the last half-century.
• Sometimes even the promise of dinosaur action doesn’t get a movie greenlit. David Prus takes us on a tour of Hollywood’s might-have-been dinosaur movies.
• Slide on over to Letters from Gondwana, where Fernanda Castano discusses the wonderfully named Triassic climate event called the “Wet Intermezzo”.

Dispatches from Himmapaanland

That’s right, a new section, because LITC team member Natee shares so much wonderful work on social media and it makes perfect sense to me to share some of it here! I’ll be tossing a few into this roundups each month for your immense enjoyment.

“Velociraptor Awareness Day” happened on April 18, and Natee shared their adorably fierce illustration of Velociraptor with a serpentine snack.

I missed #VelociraptorAwarenessDay yesterday. Oh, well. pic.twitter.com/KC1OYmKXZn

— Natee: beneath your notice (@Himmapaan) April 19, 2018

There were hadrosaurids. Were there ever. Here are a dandy pair, but click over to Natee’s Twitter or Instagram to see a few more.

Another doodle on the same sleeve as the Olorotitan. The paper is so slippery, but I was trying not to be precious. pic.twitter.com/UpwSoB50uH

— Natee: beneath your notice (@Himmapaan) April 21, 2018

I repeat: You all don't love hadrosaurs enough, for shame. Especially you theropod fanciers. >:}

And yes, I probably love Olorotitan altogether too much. Someone has to make up for it.

Doodle on the reverse of a sketchbook sleeve. Very slippery, coated paper. pic.twitter.com/Ps1B1ikdEo

— Natee: beneath your notice (@Himmapaan) April 20, 2018

The LITC AV Club

An oldy but a goodie from the BBC: Beautiful slow motion footage of a Golden Eagle.

The PBS Eons crew paid a visit to the collections at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, MT.

The Brain Scoop with Emily Graslie did a great piece on the paleoartists of the Field Museum, and it’s more than just Charles Knight.

Crowdfunding Spotlight

Scott Elyard and Raven Amos are planning their next art show, and have started a GoFundMe to help cover the costs. Only this time, it’s two shows. Gallimaufric Science is slated to take place for the May First Friday at Cafe D’Arte in Anchorage, and All Hallow’s Eve will open during the October First Friday at Modern Dweller’s Chocolate Lounge in Anchorage. And of course, be sure to follow Scott and Raven on Twitter and visit their website.

The Empty Wallets Club

• Kory Bing has created a set of awesome paleo-themed bandanas. Pick them up in her shop!
• I bought this awesome skeletal Ichthyosaurus pin from Mary Sanche’s Etsy shop recently, and here it is displayed proudly on my jacket pocket. It’s also available in a non-skeletal version.

Your Moment of Paleoart Zen

My thinkin’ was, “I want a sauropod this month. I don’t feature sauropods often enough.” But then I have a hard time finding one I really love and I get distracted by a shiny marine reptile. This breaching Tylosaurus by Isabelle Forsman begged to be chosen and I couldn’t resist. Hot damn.

Crackin’ good job, Isabelle! Follow along with her art at her DeviantArt profile.