Recent advances on study of hadrosaurid dinosaurs in Heilongjiang(Amur) River area between China and Russia

Four main dinosaur-bearing sites have been investigated in latest Cretaceous deposits from the Amur/Heilongjiang Region ： Jiayin and Wulaga in China （ Yuliangze Formation）, Blagoveschensk and Kundur in Russia （Udurchukan Formation）. More than 90% of the bones discovered in these localities belong to hollow-crested lambeosaurine hadrosaurids： Charonosaurus fiayinensis at Jiayin, Amurosaurus riabinini at Blagoveschensk, Olorotitan arharensis at Kundur, and Sahaliyania elunchunorum at Wulaga. Flat-headed hadrosaurine hadrosaurids are much less numerous, but appear well diversified as well： Kerberosaurus manakini at Blagoveschensk, Wulagasaurus dongi at Wulaga, and a new genus at Kundur. Theropods are represented by shed teeth and isolated bones; isolated scutes and teeth discovered at Kundur are tentatively attributed to nodosaurids. Palynological studies suggest that these sites are probably synchronous with the Lancian＇ vertebrate localities of western North America, which represent the youngest dinosaur faunas in this area. However, the latest Cretaceous dinosaur assemblages are completely different in the Amur/Heilongjiang region （lambeosaurines abundant, ceratopsids absent） and in western North America （ceratopsids abundant, lainbeosaurines extremely rare or absent）. This probably reflects some kind of geographical barrier between both areas by Maastrichtian time rather than strong differences in palaeoecological conditions.

On paleoecology of carnivorous dinosaurs(Tyrannosauridae,Dromaeosauridae) from Late Cretaceous fossil deposits of Amur region,Russian Far East

Present article is on Russian Far East carnivorous dinosaur paleoecology.Described summary is based on detailed study and comparison of isolated shed teeth morphology.

New Evidence of Sauropod Dinosaurs from the Early Jurassic Period of Thailand

The oldest dinosaur assemblages of Thailand deposit in continental sedimentary rocks of the Nam Phong Formation. Not only Isanosaurus attavipatchi was discovered but at least two more species of basal sauropods were found. A partial skeleton from Phu Hin Tan locality refers to sauropod taxon A. It is different from Isanosaurus and shares some characteristics with basal sauropods in the Early Jurassic. The sauropod taxon B was found in Non Sra Ard locality. Base on postcranial skeleton, sauropod taxon B shares some characteristics of the family Vnlcanodontidae. Moreover, several fragments of the sauropods specimen are also found in Pha Khok Wang Yang and Phu Noi localities. All of the evidences above indicate that there are a highly diversity of sauropods in the Nam Phong Formation. At least three sauropod species （including Isanosaurus） were found in the Nam Phong formation. The issue about the age of the Nam Phong has been debated for a long time between the Triassic and Jurassic age. All of sauropodomorphs, in this study, are more likely the Early Jurassic period dinosaurs than the Triassic period dinosaurs. And they have deposited in the upper part of Nam Phong Formation.

Distribution and Collection of China's Dinosaurs

It is estimated that the world has discovered more than1000 species and 800 genera of dinosaurs.Chinese scientists have named more than 170 species of dinosaurs,with 17 genera and 44 species of dinosaur egg fossils,35genera and 39 species of dinosaur footprints,since their first discovery in China in 1902.

Dinosaurs,birds and pterosaurs of Korea and geological heritage protection

Republic of Korea(South Korea)is one of the richest and most exciting regions on earth for the study of vertebrate ichnology.Very unique vertebrate fossils include dinosaurs,bird tracks,pterosaurs were discovered from more important sites.New finds of dinosaur skeletal remains have increased the number and diversity of known Korean dinosaur taxa.Other fossils including dinosaur tooth and skin impressions,pterosaur bonesand tooth,turtle bones and eggs,crocodile skull and tooth,lizard bone,wood fossils,and trace fossils.Many sites reveal the highest density of bird and dinosaur track levels anywhere in the world.In South Korea there is a comprehensive system of national and provincial parks as well as nearly 500 sites identified under national legislation as‘naturalmonuments',in which the Cretaceous sites are the most abundant,and the Mudeungsan National Geopark newly established was certificated as the UNESCO Global Geopark.

Dinosaurs Were More Like Bird Than Crocodiles

Warm or gigantically cold?Most modern depictions of dinosaurs(such as those seen in theJurassic Park franchise)are huge scaly animals,often ferociouspredators or benign plant eaters.During the 20th century theview of dinosaurschangedfromgenerallysluggish,crocodile-like reptiles to more active ones.

Evolution of Dentary Diastema in Iguanodontian Dinosaurs

The dentary diastema of iguanodontians has been considered to be related to its unique jaw mechanism for herbivorous adaptation. The dentary and diastema lengths of iguanodontians were measured and compared to elucidate the evolution of iguanodontian diastema. A gap in ratios between most non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians and hadrosaurids was observed, suggesting that all non- hadrosaurid iguanodontians, expect for Ouranosaurus nigeriensis and Protohadros byrdi, lack a diastema or have a short diastema, although some other taxa have been considered to have a long diastema in previous studies. In non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians, some large-sized forms, such as Iguanodon bernissartensis, Shuangmiaosaurus gilmorei, and possibly Eolambia caroljonesa, had a short diastema through ontogeny, whereas Ouranosaurus nigeriensis and Protohadros byrdi developed a long diastema convergently. The development of a long diastema of hadrosaurine hadrosaurids may be different from that of lambeosaurine hadrosaurids. Some hadrosaurines （Edmontosaurus annectens, Edmontosaurus regalis, and Saurolophus angustirostris） may have developed a long diastema in the subadult stage and showed little elongation of dentary diastema through ontogeny. Lambeosaurines （Corythosaurus casuarius and Lambeosaurus lambei） tend to have a short diastema in the embryonic and subadult stages, and an elongated diastema from the subadult to adult stages.

On Dinosaur Reconstruction: An Introduction to Important Topics of Paleontology and Dinosaurs

Many people may be interested in Paleontology since the subject allows for large amounts of imagination and freedom in the creation of scenes. Dinosaurs draw the biggest interest because of their diversity in peculiar forms and often unusually large size of many species. There are people like artists who help the field paleontologists to describe, interpret and reconstruct fossils, and others that create drawings, restorations, sculptures and, most recently, computer animations for science, art and joy. To this end, a successful professional should have specific knowledge that will allow them to produce high-quality work. The current paper aims at: 1) providing knowledge on various topics of Paleontology, in order to understand the time scale of life on earth, its evolution and diversity;2) generating appreciation for the evolution of climatic conditions, continental plates and movement and the Mesozoic environment in which dinosaurs evolved;3) offering an understanding of scientific nomenclature used in Paleontology, and interpretation of drawings and meanings;4) helping one to realize how scientists extract information from bones, tracks, eggs, embryos and other remains;5) examining the physiology of dinosaurs, their metabolism, behaviors, growth rates estimated lifetime and diet;and 6) leading to the understanding of the relations between different dinosaur species and how Paleontologists complete missing parts from uncomplete skeletons. Examining the evolution of life, we observe that life began about 3.8 billion years ago in the deep sea. The first simple animals such as worms and jellyfish appeared in the oceans around 600 mya. The crust of the earth continuously moves to produce changes in the land masses and changes in the climatic conditions that affect the evolution of life. The life of the earth is divided into geological eras. At the end of each geological era, a major event of extinction occurred, which every time obliterated important groups of life. Dinosauria was one of the most successful clades of animals that lived on terrestrial ecosystems for over 160 million years, but was extinct at one of the major extinction events 66 mya. The remains of animals allow scientists and artists to recreate their forms usually in great detail and extract a lot of information about their lives. The paper describes in detail how and where to find information and explains how to interpret them in order to understand the meanings. The paper presents all the above in a simplified way giving the required knowledge without using difficult scientific terms and provides the essential knowledge to the interested person to appreciate the science of Paleontology.

On Dinosaur Reconstruction: Posture of Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs due to their diverse species and peculiar forms have drawn the interest of both artists and scientists. One way to unlock the unknown life of dinosaurs is to reconstruct dinosaurs through drawings, computer animations or sculptures. Following the Introduction on “Dinosaur Reconstruction” by the present authors, where important Paleontological knowledge was presented, the next step is to examine some specific information along with necessary details for dinosaur reconstruction. The first and basic step to be taken for a reconstruction is the posture of the animal;this is the theme of the current paper. Dinosaurs would move either bipedally or quadrupedally depending on their kind and body construction. Based on the available literature, various issues in relation to the posture of an animal at different instances are examined. These are: postures of bipedal dinosaurs during walking, observation of living bipedal animals, postures of quadruped dinosaurs during walking, feeding styles, and dinosaur tails. Theropods had a locomotor behavior like modern birds, with the step width increasing when the animals decreased speed. The general posture and movement of quadrupeds and especially sauropods, remains a subject of great and much controversy. Some scientists believe that sauropod necks were generally held in a neutral or undeflected state during most of the time, while others believe that sauropod necks behaved like all present-day amniote with the mid-cervical region held nearly vertical. Also, there are indications that dinosaurs usually held their tails above ground. For all dinosaurs, the long tail was acting as a counterbalance to the head and body. As a validating example, the case of Amargasaurus is investigated with the help of a model, where the various positions of the animal are examined. A certain posture was chosen for a full-size steel and concrete reconstruction based on the features of the animal.

Environmental adaptations and constraints on latest Cretaceous Arctic dinosaurs

The Arct ic hosts an extraordinary wealth of terrestrial fossil biotas of Late Cretaceous age representing a diverse and highly productive near-polar ecosystem that has no modern analogue. Compared to the rest of the Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian plant diversity was at its lowest and the temperature regime the coolest, yet the semi-open forests supported a rich dinosaur fauna made up of a wide range of body sizes and feeding strategies. The combination of mild winter temperatures and continuous darkness lasting several months imposed severe constraints on primary productivity. Plant survival strategies involved almost universal winter loss of foliage, which in turn limited food supply for non-migratory overwintering herbivorous animals. A combination of leaf form and tree ring studies has been used to quantify year round variations in temperature and determine the tim-ing of spring bud-break and autumnal leaf fall. While Maastrichtian winter temperatures were cold enough （down to - 10°C for brief intervals） for frequent frosts and snowfall, summer temperatures were cool but highly variable and at -830N along the north Alaskan coast frequently fel l below ＋ 10°C . Theropod egg shell frag-ments at - 76° N in the Maastrichtian of Northeastern Russia may indicate that dinosaur reproduction took place in the Arctic ecosystem, as distinct from taking place at lower latitude breeding grounds reached by migration. This raises the question of nest management and specifically the maintenance of incubation temperatures, and the duration of incubation. Of critical importance to year-round residency is the timing of hatching and juvenile care before winter darkness set in, temperatures fell to near freezing and food resources became limited.

New Data on Coal, Gypsum, Iron and Silica Sand Deposits and Geochemical Exploration (Pakistan): Revision of 25 Years History of Dinosaur Discoveries from Pakistan

Discoveries of many coal seams at depths by drilling carried by Geological Survey of Pakistan in Sor Range and Harnai Gochina, extended the coal seams at depth which is challenge for mine owners to exploit feasibly. Bed to bed gypsum samplings (and their chemical analyses) of huge gypsum deposits from Sulaiman foldbelt is a base for industrialist and also planers to develop cement and gypsum industries to increase export and foreign exchange for the development of area and Pakistan. Low and high grade sedimentary iron deposits, silica sand and uranium host rocks and their extensions in Sulaiman and Kirthar foldbelts are presented. Anomalies of a few base metals arise as a result of geochemical exploration carried at part of Loralai District of Balochistan. Theropod dinosaurs were frequent in India, while Poripuchian titanosaurs (Sauropoda, Dinosauria) were frequent in Pakistan. Besides some ichnotaxa, many bone taxa such as 1 titanosauriform, 14 titanosaurian sauropod (including one new titanosaur), and 3 theropod dinosaurs are established from Pakistan. Among these 12 titanosaur species and 3 theropod species are named in about 10 km2 area of Vitakri dome and 2 titanosaur species are named in about a few hundred square meter area of Mari Bohri (Kachi Bohri) which is about 10 km westward from Vitakri dome. Pakistan is a unique country which discoverd 14 diversified titanosaurs in a short area and also in a short period (67 - 66 million years ago/Ma). About 400 bones found from a few meter thick upper part of upper shale horizon of latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation which is base for titanosaur taxa. Cranial material is in low fraction (but include significant diverse snouts), caudal vertebrae are prominent, the cervicals, dorsals and sacrals have significant numbers, forelimb and hind limb bones have balanced fraction. Humeri, femora and tibiae are most common. To know the position of Pakistani titanosaurs among titanosaurs and sauropods, there is a need to extend list of characters for phylogenetic analyses. This broad feature list should include main characters of titanosaurs from Pakistan and also from global world.

A Speculation: Avian Migration and the K-T Extinction

One caveat to the dinosaur’s extinction is the conclusion that avian dinosaurs survived and became ancestors of birds. Their mobility enabled them to migrate great distances and find the nutrients needed to survive. Given this scenario, could the current observable migration of birds (the “dinosaurian offspring”) now be related? Migration is the regular seasonal movement undertaken by many species of birds, with the most common pattern, flying north in the Northern spring to breed in the temperate or Arctic summer and returning in the Northern autumn to wintering grounds in warmer regions of the south. The primary motivation for migration appears to be food. None of the major North-South migratory pathways fly over the Caribbean but three main fly ways, past to the west of the theorized K-T impact centre. Due to their ability to fly, the “avian Dinosaurs” adapted and survived very quickly in response to the disaster that marked the K-T boundary. It is an interesting speculation that the avian migration that we witness today is rooted in an event that occurred 66 million years ago! But it does explain why the migratory birds mostly fly from Polar summer to polar summer when they could just be as easily fly from Polar zone to the warmer equatorial region and back. In the recent article in Nature by Melanie During about identifying the late spring timing of the “Astro disaster”, it can be cited as consistent with my speculation. A late April early May Impact as suggested by During would have seen these migrations completely. The western migratory routes would have been found to be “luxurious” in vegetation in that first northern autumn after the “Astro-impact” while all eastern routes would have still been barren.

Feathered dinosaurs from China and the evolution of major avian characters

Recent discoveries of feathered dinosaurs from Early Cretaceous deposits in Liaoning,China,have not only lent strongest support for the dinosaurian hypothesis of bird origins,but have also provided much-needed information about the origins of feathers and avian flight.Preliminary analysis of character evolution suggests that the major avian osteological characters were acquired during the early evolution of maniraptoran dinosaurs.The available evidence also suggests that the first feathers with a filamentous morphology probably evolved in basal coelurosaurs and pennaceous feathers(including those with aerodynamic features)were developed in non-avian maniraptorans,indicating that feathers evolved before the origin of birds and their flight.An evolutionary model is proposed here to describe the major stages of feather evolution,a process characterized by a combination of both transformational and innovative modifications.This model is different from some recent developmental models,which suggest that feathers are evolutionary novelties without a homologous relationship to reptilian scales.Although non-avian theropods are traditionally regarded as distinctly cursorial animals,recent discoveries suggest that the closest relatives of birds might be arboreal theropods.Many bird features,such as the furcula and pennaceous feathers,evolved in a terrestrial context,whereas others,such as some pedal modifications,may have evolved in an arboreal context.Consequently,arboreality may have also contributed to the origin of avian flight.

Were sauropod dinosaurs responsible for the warm Mesozoic climate?

It was recently postulated that methane production by the giant Mesozoic sauropod dinosaurs was larger than the present-day release of this greenhouse gas by nature and man-induced activities jointly, thus contributing to the warm Mesozoic climate. This conclusion was reached by correct calculations, but these calculations were based on unrealistic assumptions:the researchers who postulated this dinosaur-induced warm climate did take into account neither the biomass production required for the sauropods’ food, nor the constraints for the habitats in which the dinosaurs lived, thus neglecting the palaeogeographic conditions. This underlines the importance of palaeogeography for a good understanding of the Earth’s geological history.

Dinosaurs’ True Colors

Scientists decode the full-body color patterns of a small-sized dinosaur on March 10, the Beijing Museum of Natural History (BMNH)

Extinction event that wiped out dinosaurs cleared way for modern frogs

Subject Code:C04With the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,a collaborative study by Chinese and American biologists led by Prof.Zhang Peng(张鹏)from Sun Yat-Sen University shows that nearly nine out of 10species of frog today have descended from just three lineages that survived the

Large Mammals Once Dined on Dinosaurs

中生代哺乳动物吃恐龙?这在化石发现前是无法想象的事情。但确凿的化石证据大大改变了以往人们对中生代哺乳动物委屈地生活在恐龙阴影下的印象,原来它们之中也有个体比小型恐龙还大,甚至可能是行走于光天化日之下,能够吞噬小恐龙的肉食类哺乳动物。

Dinosaurs of a Feather

中国、加拿大和美国的古生物学家们最近宣布,他们已经从化石中发现了两种十分清晰地长有羽毛的恐龙物种。据称这是本世纪最激动人心的发现之一。这一发现为“鸟类直接从恐龙类进化而来”提供了有力的证据。当然科学界对此尚存争议。

Origin of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in dinosaurs

The sauropodomorph Thecodontosaurus caducus and theropod Coelophysis bauri are the earliest known dinosaurs with postcranial skeletal pneumaticity.In both taxa,postcranial pneumatic features are confined to the cervical vertebrae.This distribution of pneumaticity in the skeleton is most consistent with pneumatization by diverticula of cervical air sacs similar to those of birds.Other hypotheses,including pneumatization by diverticula of the lungs,larynx and trachea,or cranial air spaces,are less well-supported.