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The 10 Best Robotic Dinosaur Toys of 2020

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

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Either you are trying to find the right present for a child in your life or simply trying to embrace your personal internal youngster, you could be serious about a robotic dinosaur toy. These interactive fashions can stroll round and plenty of produce other options, like additional actions and sound results. Followers of Jurassic Park are positive to understand this entertaining mix of historical creatures and new expertise

 

1. Liberty Imports Brachiosaurus

Along with a distant management that makes it stroll, the Liberty Imports Brachiosaurus (round $24) has a hidden button on its abdomen that activates roaring sound results and makes its LED eyes gentle up shiny inexperienced. This enjoyable herbivore is certain to provide your children hours of leisure.

  • Textured physique with detailed options

  • Batteries for dino included

  • Distant would not at all times work

 

2. Advanced Play Multifunction

The Superior Play Multifunction (about $39) is loaded with cool options. Not solely can it stroll ahead, it will possibly additionally dance to music, play sounds, and shake its head. All of this may be managed utilizing a pocket-sized distant that matches the Jurassic aesthetic.

  • Releases steam from its mouth

  • Want aa batts for distant and mannequin

  • Music can get annoying

 

3. Sharper Image Mini

With easy, intuitive controls, the Sharper Picture Mini (round $15) is simple to know and use, even for children who’ve by no means performed with RC toys earlier than. Utilizing its built-in wheels and infrared sensors, it will possibly transfer ahead and spin round.

  • Sufficiently small to tackle the go

  • Weighs lower than one pound

  • Strikes very slowly

 

4. Temi Tyrannosaurus

The Temi Tyrannosaurus (appx. $53) comes with a distant that appears just like a online game controller and has a number of buttons for transferring this T. rex ahead and backward, turning its head, and extra. It may rotate 360 levels, so your infant can ship it scurrying everywhere.

  • One-push demo mode

  • Contains usb charging cable

  • Does not work on carpet

 

5. Dino Planet Spinosaurus

Nicely-sculpted and designed to have a practical, skin-like really feel, the Dino Planet Spinosaurus (round $36) appears prefer it walked proper out of the Jurassic interval. Add a little bit of water and a cloud of cool mist will come out of its mouth, giving the looks of respiratory smoke.

  • Fourteen inches tall

  • Purple eyes gentle up

  • Not particularly sturdy

 

6. Robotime DIY

A peculiar mix of previous and new, the Robotime DIY (about $24) is a three-dimensional picket puzzle with digital parts. As soon as your engineer/paleontologist-in-training is completed placing it collectively, the little mannequin can stroll and roar, reacting to the sound of clapping palms.

  • No glue or instruments required

  • A number of species obtainable

  • Step-by-step directions included

 

7. Meccano Meccasaur

In the event you’re purchasing for a grasp builder who loves building toys, think about the Meccano Meccasaur (about $60). It is well-suited to older children who’re keen to spend a while placing it collectively. As soon as assembled, the programmable T. rex can discuss, roar, and react to being pet.

  • Solutions yes-or-no questions

  • Three ft lengthy

  • Helps stem schooling

 

8. Sharper Image Robotosaur

With a glossy, high-tech look, the Sharper Picture Robotosaur (round $64) appears like a drive to be reckoned with. It additionally has loads of persona, with color-changing LED eyes that assist it to convey feelings starting from glad to drained to livid.

  • Constructed-in movement detection

  • Good-sized distant for small palms

  • Goes into sleep mode when not in use

 

9. Liberty Imports Triceratops

A easy, realistic-looking choice, the Liberty Imports Triceratops (about $27) ought to pique the curiosity of any youngster. The distant management appears like a fossil, and has two massive buttons on the cranium and legs, which management head motion and strolling respectively.

  • Fabricated from unhazardous abs plastic

  • Secure for teenagers as younger as three

  • Stomping sound results

 

10. WowWee Miposaur

There are three other ways to work together with the WowWee Miposaur (appx. $80). You’ll be able to both study the hand gestures it responds to, use the included trackball, or obtain the free app and use your smartphone to feed it, play with it, and management its motion.

  • Dances to your music

  • A number of built-in video games

  • Good battery life

Source: https://bestgamingpro.com/

Fossil of 43-Million-Year-Old Penguin Skin Ffound in Antarctic

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

THIS HANDOUT PICTURE RELEASED BY THE ARGENTINE ANTARCTIC INSTITUTE SHOWS A JOINTED WING OF A 43 MILLION-YEAR-OLD PENGUIN FOUND AT THE MARAMBIO ISLAND, ANTARCTICA. | AFP/ARGENTINE ANTARTIC INSTITUTE

Researchers have announced the discovery of fossilised skin on the remains of the wing of a 43-million-year-old penguin on Marambio Island in the Antarctic.

Argentine researchers have announced the discovery of fossilised skin on the remains of the wing of a 43-million-year-old penguin on Marambio Island in the Antarctic.

The fossil was actually discovered during a research mission in 2014.

The fossil was then studied at the La Plata Museum by Argentine paleontologist Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, the agency for scientific disclosure at La Matanza National University said on Friday.

The fossilised skin belongs to the Palaeeudyptes gunnari, one of the many extinct types of penguins that lived in Antarctica during the Eocene Epoch, which lasted from around 56 to 34 million years ago.

At that time, Antarctica was covered in woodland and boasted a diverse fauna.

"The fossilisation of the skin of this wing is unique because it's the first conserved example in the world of a penguin with skin," said Acosta Hospitaleche.

"The skin was conserved as a fossil on both surfaces of its wing, enveloping the bones that have remained articulated in their original position," she added.

Source: AFP / www.batimes.com.ar/

The 5: Dinosaurs that Once Roamed the British Isles

Monday, March 16, 2020

 A stegosaurus dinosaur drinking water in the desert. Photograph: Stocktrek Images/Alamy

Last week scientists discovered the first Stegosaurus footprints in Scotland. Which other prehistoric reptiles lived on these shores?

Stegosaurus

Stegosaurus stenops by cheungchungtat

Last week, palaeontologists from the University of Edinburgh announced they have discovered grapefruit-sized footprints on the Isle of Skye that are believed to have been left by a Stegosaurus. The depressions were found in rocks that were formed from mudflats around 170m years old during the Middle Jurassic, the period when the stegosaurs group of dinosaurs were beginning to evolve and spread out.

Iguanodon

 An Iguanodon with babies. Photograph: blickwinkel/Alamy

Iguanodons were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived in the Early Cretaceous period. Weighing four-and-a-half tons and growing to 10 metres long, it was one of the first dinosaurs to be named. One of the most common dinosaurs found on the Isle of Wight, an Iguanodon tail was discovered as recently as January.

Baryonyx

 A Baryonyx fishing while a Pelecanimimus observes. Photograph: Stocktrek Images/Alamy

A relative of Spinosaurus, the star of Jurassic Park III, Baryonyx also lived in the Early Cretaceous and prayed on Iguanodon. It hunted fish, too, wading into shallow water and using its 31cm-long claw to hook them, similar to a bear, according to scientists at the Natural History Museum. First discovered in 1983 in a Surrey clay pit, it had a crocodilian-like snout.

Ichthyosaur

 Ichthyosaur, a marine carnivorous reptile. Photograph: Corey Ford/Alamy

This aquatic reptile, which first swam in the seas around the British Isles from the Late Triassic, is not technically a dinosaur (its name means “fish lizard”). The discovery of an Ichthyosaur jaw bone in Somerset in 2016 led scientists at Manchester University and New York’s SUNY to declare it one of the largest animals ever, while a fossilised Ichthyosaur was found on a Somerset beach by dogs just before Christmas.

Thecodontosaurus

 Thecodontosaurus, Late Triassic. Photograph: Universal Images Group North America LLC/DeAgostini/Alamy

This sauropod lived in the Late Triassic and was one of the first plant-eating dinosaurs, according to Professor Mike Benton of Bristol university. The species, whose name means “socket-toothed lizard”, enjoyed a climate closer to that of Florida than today’s south-west England, and was discovered by quarry workers in Bristol who found bones embedded in limestone.

Source: www.theguardian.com/

We’re Not Running Out of Dinosaurs’: Why is There a Boom in Fossils?

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Sue, the T. rex

The dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago; still, they are the major attraction of any paleontologist. For those who don’t know the scientists who study dinosaur bones (or fossils) are called paleontologists. Yes, Ross Geller’s occupation in sitcom Friends.

When the first part of Jurassic Park came way back in 1993, it rekindled the paleontology occupation. J. Horner, a paleontologist the brain behind the first installment of Jurrasic Park himself, witnessed a surge in his classes after the release of the movie. Its been 27 years, but as the title suggests, Dinosaurs have never really run out of business. According to a report in SMH,

Today close to one new dinosaur species is discovered every week. This year the big find to hit the headlines is a new species, and likely a new genus of tyrannosaur exhumed from the dust of Alberta, Canada.

Just as their theories, the paleontologists have evolved over time too. They are the ones who study life and making them. They now know dinosaurs as nature’s great success stories. The largest creatures reigned for over 165 million years on Earth, weathering tremendous upheaval.

Continents broke apart, volcanoes rained lava, temperatures and toxic gases climbed, monster wildfires scarred the land. Still, dinosaurs spread to all its corners, growing to the size of passenger planes or emerging in strange new shapes, including, eventually, as birds. Even after so many years, Centuries, traces of them still get attention and are constantly worked on.

“Out in the field, the tools are still mostly what they were when he started. Dinosaur bones eventually become rock (and in some places, such as Australia, gemstone), which makes them nearly impossible to pick out from the landscape with scanners. Yet, back in the lab, X-rays, 3D printing, even molecular particle accelerators now come into play. “And we can send drones out for us now to take pictures,” Horner says.

Source: https://gizmoposts24.com/

Jurassic World: Dominion, Other Universal Movies Halt Production Due to Coronavirus

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Universal has shut down manufacturing on its upcoming live-action characteristic movies amid fears concerning the unfold of the brand new coronavirus and COVID-19. That is the newest in a string of shutdowns by main studios, together with Disney, Netflix, Sony, and others. That is on prime of delays to the discharge of completed motion pictures from completely different studios, together with A Quiet Place Half II and The New Mutants. The largest movie affected is Jurassic World: Dominion, the tip of a trilogy of movies that revived Universal’s Jurassic Park franchise. The movie started taking pictures in London in February. Other Universal productions ramping down embody boxing drama Flint Robust and an untitled Billy Eichner movie.

Jurassic World: Dominion is the follow-up to Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The movie sees Bryce Dallas-Howard and Chris Pratt each returning to star within the movie. They’re joined by the returning stars of the unique Jurassic Park: Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. There’s cause to consider that the core three aren’t the one Jurassic Park stars coming again in Jurassic World: Dominion. Pratt has stated he expects “everybody” to return.

“Man, I am unable to inform you something, however I can inform you it is going to blow your thoughts,” Pratt stated. “It is going to be the largest and greatest but. They spared no expense and so they’re bringing all people again… Sure, I had to hold it secret a very long time. I am an expert secret keeper in these motion pictures.”

Pratt has even gone so far as to examine Jurassic World: Dominion to Avengers: Endgame. “This looks like [the end]. It is acquired all people,” Pratt stated throughout an look on The Ellen Present. “It is acquired just about all people in it, perhaps I simply blew it however I do not care. I do know that like all of the solid from the unique Jurassic Park is coming again and so it is going to really feel very very like how [Avengers:] Endgame introduced every thing collectively at Marvel.”

Jurassic World: Dominion director Colin Trevorrow just lately broke down why they lastly made the choice to deliver again the unique Jurassic Park stars, and why it did not occur sooner.

“We’d have had to give you a cause why Ellie, Malcolm and Grant all went to the theme park on the very same day it broke down – once more,” Trevorrow stated concerning their absence within the first movie. “The subsequent movie permits the legacy characters to be part of the story in an natural means. Emily Carmichael and I name it Jurassic Park VI as a result of it’s.”

“You begin asking essentially the most fundamental questions: who’re these folks now?” Trevorrow stated. “What do they make of the brand new world they’re residing in, and the way do they really feel about being a part of its historical past? In the end it is going to be in collaboration with the actors. They know and love these characters. We’ll do it collectively.”

Jurassic World 3 is scheduled to hits theaters on June 11th, 2021.

Source: https://checkersaga.com/

Jurassic World 3: What The Dominion Title Means For The Movie

Sunday, March 1, 2020

The last chapter in Jurassic World Trilogy was confirmed granted a new power, Jurassic World: Dominion. The report was made by director Colin Trevoris, who is recovering to the Dinosaur franchise for the first season since taking Jurassic World in 2015 and writing the script for its sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

The forthcoming Jurassic World film is authoritatively titled Jurassic World: Dominion. Here’s something “dominance” could anticipate for the sequel’s progress. The latest trilogy revived the Jurassic Park film series, which first debuted in 1993. Here’s what the title means and what it may indicate in the final chapter of the franchise.

If dinosaurs could be brought back into the world as a source of entertainment, Jurassic World took it to another level. Recent films brought back the idea of a theme park and what might happen if dinosaurs and their genetic makeup fall into the hands of the wrong people. By the end of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Jurassic World 3 was announced before the release of the Fallen Kingdom in June 2018. Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are reprising their roles and will join original Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. The upcoming film will focus on the broader results of the dinosaurs released from the previous installment.

He was opposed to bringing back the idea of dinosaurs as DRS. Ian Malcolm has a case that has raised concerns that the fate of the world will be harmful. The franchise has made it clear that humans are not capable of controlling dinosaurs, especially in captivity.

Jurassic World can also be derived from the Biblical understanding of the word Dominion. The term exists in the Bible when it was said that God gave people dominion over animals. In the upcoming film, it can be shown how a man tries to take his planet back under control due to his mistakes.

Source: https://honknews.com/

10 Incredible Pieces Of Jurassic World Concept Art

Saturday, March 14, 2020

If you're a fan of the Jurassic World movies or the Jurassic Park franchise as a whole, you have to check out these amazing pieces of concept art!

The Jurassic World franchise has been raking in all the dough, but certainly hasn't been a unanimous hit among fans and critics. Many cite the lack of attention given to story and characterization in favor of CGI spectacle and hollow nostalgia.

But, one thing that fans can agree on is the hard work by the team of designers and artists who work behind the scenes. One of the best examples of this is the plethora of concept art made for the films. Here are some fantastic examples of ideas that either made it or were inspired by the Dino-filled sequel.

10 - Jurassic Park Or Universal City Walk?

via: Craig Shoji

One of the more fun aspects of these sequels was the full realization of Jurassic World and Jurassic Park as theme parks. The design elements that went into the full look of the parks was obviously designed and inspired by real-world theme parks.

This piece looks like something made for a Universal or Disney Theme park as opposed to a film. The look and feel of this digital painting looks like a tourist getaway or Jurassic park's version of Universal City Walk. What kind of exclusive flavors could that Ben & Jerry's have to offer?

9 - Amber Influence

via: John Bell

One of the more iconic props from the original film was the amber headpiece to the cane owned by John Hammond. Encased in the amber stone was a mosquito with the blood of dinosaurs, the genesis of the DNA source for the parks.

This piece embodies that spirit, using the form of the Amber as a centerpiece in the middle of a hotel plaza. The design of the hotel is perfectly retro, looking like something straight out of Disney's EPCOT. The strands of DNA and the orbital transportation units give this the feeling of a far-flung future.

8 - Merry-Go-Ceratops

via: Jamie Rama

If, in-universe, the original Jurassic Park was anything, it certainly wasn't kid-friendly. Both of Hammond's grandkids almost died during their first visit, and that couldn't be assuaged by any amount of Jello or plush velociraptors.

So to see a concept piece like this is pretty funny. It just goes to show how sanitized they wanted the new version of the park to feel. As shown, the above is similar to many pony rides at amusement parks or county fairs. Unlike those rides, this one involves kids riding on the backs of small triceratops.

7 - Jungle Cruise?

via: Dean Sherriff

The version of the park as we saw it in the original films was far more automized, with ride vehicles on automated tracks and such. Like most theme parks, this one would want to make safety a priority. Unlike most theme parks though, it has a few more cautions to consider.

So this piece of concept art is both fun and completely ridiculous. Here we see visitors kayaking on their own alongside gigantic dinosaurs. While these herbivores wouldn't eat guests, what's stopping them from stampeding or charging? Health and safety would not approve.

6 - Hybrid Designs

via: Bodin Sterba

The idea of genetic manipulation had been an embedded part of the Jurassic Park films for years. But Jurassic World introduced the idea of genetically breeding hybrids of different dinosaurs together, creating a new monster villain for the films.

Obviously, the above design is a far cry from Indominous Rex, but it is a super fun idea of what could have been. Here we see a Triceratops combined with a Stegosaurus. This incredibly armored beast could have been used in a similar fashion to the other military-trained animals, due to its natural shielding.

5 - The Beginnings Of Indominous Rex

via: Ian Joyner

The Indominous Rex predator Idea was actually one of the best parts of these new films. Creating an unnaturally bred monster in the face of more traditional cloning plays heavily into the ideas and moral quandaries of the first film.

The design above is a far more colorful iteration than the final look. It is kind of a fun idea though to use such bright colors. Like real-life poison dart frogs, the coloring could have warned prey against the deadly nature of the beast. Perhaps it could've also carried a natural venom?

4 - An Alternative Look

via: Ian Joyner

This is far more similar in colorization to the final look of Indominous Rex, but it's physical attributes are completely different. The Indominous Rex looked a bit more like a scary white T-Rex, while this version is a combination of many other looks.

The hammerhead skull is reminiscent of pachycephalosaurus with the body of an iguanodon. But, the sharper claws and spikes, along with other predator features mirror that of the Spinosaurus from Jurassic Park III.

3 - Raptor Cam

via: Fabian Lacey

The idea of battle bred Raptors for the army is a ridiculous idea on paper. It turns out its also kind of ridiculous in execution as well. But, you can't deny that it is also kind of cool to see, at least to our inner twelve-year-old brains.

This concept art displays design concepts for the camera harness that would have been attached to these warrior raptors. You can see the real-world inspiration of seatbelts and helmets in the top right-hand corner.

2 - Rex Presides Over Their Kingdom

via: Dean Sherriff

Everyone had their favorite dinosaur as a kid. But, it might be safe to guess that a majority of us loved T-Rex the most. There are few dinosaur silhouettes that are more iconic than that of this kind of beasts.

So the T-Rex from the original film had to make a return. Rex did near the end of the film, facing off against Indominous Rex at the heart of the park. This concept art shows Rex returning to the ruined skeleton of Jurassic World, and it captures the mood perfectly.

1 - A Different Kind Of Hybrid

via: Carlos Huante

The concept art of what might have been the plot of the first Jurassic World film hit the internet a few years back, and it hasn't stopped haunting us since. In it, the idea of a human dinosaur hybrid army was discussed, so much so that there was art for it.

It is so fun to look at this art, mostly because it is such a bad and bonkers idea that we are glad something exists of it. In no way could this have worked on the big screen, but that's what makes this art so cool. Concept art gives fans a glimpse into the full breadth of the creative process, both good and bad.

Source: https://screenrant.com/

Paleontologists Find New Dinosaur Tracks on Scotland’s Isle of Skye

Saturday, March 14, 2020

Fossil tracks left by a stegosaur on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Image credit: Steve Brusatte.

The footprints of stegosaurs, carnivorous theropods and huge herbivorous ornithopod dinosaurs that date back to 170 million years ago (Middle Jurassic period) have been discovered on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

Skye is one of the few places in the world were fossils from the Middle Jurassic period can be found.

Discoveries on the island have provided paleontologists with vital clues about the early evolution of major dinosaur groups, including huge, long-necked sauropods and fierce, meat-eating cousins of Tyrannosaurus rex.

In a new paper published in the journal PLoS ONE, a team of researchers from the UK and Brazil reports 50 new dinosaur tracks from two tracksites at Rubha nam Brathairean (Brothers’ Point).

They include the first record on the Isle of Skye of a track type called Deltapodus, most likely created by a stegosaurian dinosaur.

These are the oldest Deltapodus tracks known, and the first strong evidence that stegosaurian dinosaurs were part of the island’s Middle Jurassic fauna.

Additionally, three-toed footprints represent multiple sizes of early carnivorous theropods and a series of other large tracks are tentatively identified as some of the oldest evidence of large-bodied herbivorous ornithopod dinosaurs.

A snapshot of what the dynamic coastal environment of Skye may have looked like during the Middle Jurassic which bipedal ornithopods, theropods of various sizes, and stegosaurs in the foreground and middle on subaerially-exposed mudflats; in the distance, large sauropods wade in shallow lagoons. Image credit: Jon Hoad.

“These new tracksites help us get a better sense of the variety of dinosaurs that lived near the coast of Skye during the Middle Jurassic than what we can glean from the island’s body fossil record,” said lead author Paige dePolo, a Ph.D. student at the University of Edinburgh.

“In particular, Deltapodus tracks give good evidence that stegosaurs lived on Skye at this time.”

“Our findings give us a much clearer picture of the dinosaurs that lived in Scotland 170 million years ago,” said University of Edinburgh’s Dr. Steve Brusatte, co-author and leader of the field team.

“We knew there were giant long-necked sauropods and jeep-sized carnivores, but we can now add plate-backed stegosaurs to that roster, and maybe even primitive cousins of the duck-billed dinosaurs too.”

“These discoveries are making Skye one of the best places in the world for understanding dinosaur evolution in the Middle Jurassic.”

_____

P.E. dePolo et al. 2020. Novel track morphotypes from new tracksites indicate increased Middle Jurassic dinosaur diversity on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. PLoS ONE 15 (3): e0229640; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229640

Source: /www.sci-news.com/

Julianne Moore & Vince Vaughn Return in Jurassic World 3?

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion with feature Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard along with Jurassic Park stars Laura Dern as Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Alan Grant, and Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm returning as well.

Awesome. Good to know.

But what I’m wondering today is, why is no one asking if The Lost World: Jurassic Park stars Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn will return? And, if not, why not? Let the speculation begin.

For the record, The Lost World: Jurassic Park featured Julianne Moore as Dr. Sarah Harding, a behavioral paleontologist, and Vince Vaughn as Nick Van Owen, an experienced “documentarian,” photojournalist and environmentalist.

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi terror and violence, The Lost World: Jurassic Park sports a 54% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes with a Critics Consensus that reads: The Lost World demonstrates how far CG effects have come in the four years since Jurassic Park; unfortunately, it also proves how difficult it can be to put together a truly compelling sequel.

The third entry will be directed once again by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) from a script written by Emily Carmichael and Trevorrow and based on a story by Trevorrow and Derek Connolly. Steven Spielberg and Trevorrow will executive produce, with producers Frank Marshall and Pat Crowley. Jurassic World 3 will roam freely into theaters on June 11, 2021.

Would you be excited to see Julianne Moore and/or Vince Vaughn return in Jurassic World: Dominion? Let us know in the comments on Facebook or Instagram!

Source: www.dreadcentral.com/

99-Million-Year-Old Amber Preserves Skull of Hummingbird-Sized Dinosaur

Friday, March 13, 2020

Oculudentavis khaungraaea. Image credit: Han Zhixin.

Paleontologists have found an exceptionally well-preserved and diminutive skull of a previously unknown bird-like dinosaur species in a piece of Cretaceous-period amber from northern Myanmar.

The newly-identified species, named Oculudentavis khaungraae, could represent the smallest known Mesozoic dinosaur in the fossil record.

Its size is on par with that of the bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), the smallest living bird.

The stunning discovery adds to the remarkable collection of Cretaceous-period fossils recovered from the amber deposits in northern Myanmar's Hukawng Valley

“Amber preservation of vertebrates is rare, and this provides us a window into the world of dinosaurs at the lowest end of the body-size spectrum,” said Dr. Lars Schmitz, a researcher in the W. M. Keck Science Department at Claremont McKenna, Scripps and Pitzer Colleges.

“Its unique anatomical features point to one of the smallest and most ancient birds ever found.”

The specimen frozen in amber is three time smaller than that of a penny

The piece of amber, just 31 x 20 x 8.5 mm, containing the skull of Oculudentavis khaungraae came from the Angbamo site near Tanai in the Hukawng valley of Myanmar’s Kachin province.

Dr. Schmitz and colleagues studied the specimen’s distinct features with high-resolution synchrotron scans to determine how the skull differs from those of other bird-like dinosaur specimens.

They found that the shape and size of the eye bones suggested a diurnal lifestyle, but also revealed surprising similarities to the eyes of modern lizards.

The skull also shows a unique pattern of fusion between different bone elements, as well as the presence of teeth.

Photograph, computed tomography scans and interpretive drawings of the Oculudentavis khaungraaea specimen: (a) photograph of the amber piece with skull ventrolaterally exposed; scan (b) and drawing (c), left lateral view; scan (d) and drawing (e), rostral view; scan (f) and drawing (g), occipital view; scan (h) and drawing (i), dorsal view. Abbreviations: de – dentary, fr – frontal, hy – hyoid bone (or bones), jg – jugal, la – lacrimal, mx – maxilla, pa – parietal, pm – premaxilla, po – postorbital, qd – quadrate, sc – scleral ossicle, so – supraoccipital, sq – squamosal, th – teeth. Scale bars – 5 mm; longer scale bar below (b) applies to (b-i). Image credit: Xing et al, doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2068-4.

“The specimen’s tiny size and unusual form suggests a never-before-seen combination of features,” the scientists said.

“The discovery represents a specimen previously missing from the fossil record and provides new implications for understanding the evolution of birds, demonstrating the extreme miniaturization of avian body sizes early in the evolutionary process.”

The specimen’s preservation also highlights amber deposits’ potential to reveal the lowest limits of vertebrate body size.

'It's a little smaller than a bee hummingbird - the smallest bird alive today,' said Professor O'Connor. 'The jaws are filled with 100 teeth. It had these weird eyes staring out looking to the sides. There's nothing like this alive today.' Pictured, an artist's impression of Oculudentavis.

“No other group of living birds features species with similarly small crania in adults,” Dr. Schmitz said.

“This discovery shows us that we have only a small glimpse of what tiny vertebrates looked like in the age of the dinosaurs.”

The findings are published in the journal Nature.

_____

L. Xing et al. 2020. Hummingbird-sized dinosaur from the Cretaceous period of Myanmar. Nature 579, 245-249; doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2068-4

Source: www.sci-news.com/

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