#Dinosaur Park Formation

[makairodonx]

Dinovember 2024 Day 11: The Ancient Herds

A scene inspired by the bonebed finds of the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada - As the dry season hits hard, a herd of Centrosaurus apertus daringly cross a river in order to reach a pasture of green ferns on the other side, and only a lucky few of these ornately-horned ceratopsians will succeed in completing this arduous task.

[saritapaleo]

Archovember 2024 Day 3 - Gorgosaurus libratus

The apex predator of Western North America during the Late Cretaceous was Gorgosaurus libratus. Found so far in Alberta, Canada and Montana, USA, it lived several million years before Tyrannosaurus rex would appear. While it was a tyrannosaurid, it was more closely related to Albertosaurus, so much so that some scientists consider it to be another species of Albertosaurus. Gorgosaurus is the most numerous tyrannosaurid in the fossil record, known from dozens of specimens. This abundance of fossils has allowed paleontologists to investigate Gorgosaurus’ ontogeny, life history and many other aspects of its biology. For example, in 2023, a 5-7 year old juvenile Gorgosaurus was discovered with stomach contents consisting of two intact Citipes juveniles about a year old. This showed that younger Gorgosaurus’ were mostly eating prey much smaller than them, and were probably not hunting in packs, as the meal would not have been large enough to share. That being said, only the remains of the hindlimbs and caudal vertebrae of the juvenile Citipes were present, suggesting that this Gorgosaurus may have had a preference for the muscular hindlimbs. Many Gorgosaurus specimens also preserve evidence of facial scars, a result of intraspecies facebiting.

Gorgosaurus would have lived on the coastal plain along the western edge of the Western Interior Seaway, an inland sea which divided North America in half during the Late Cretaceous. The area was subtropical with periods of drought. Conifers would have dominated the forests, while the underbrush consisted of ferns, tree ferns and angiosperms. Gorgosaurus is best known from the Dinosaur Park Formation. Here, it would have lived alongside another apex predator: Daspletosaurus wilsoni. While these tyrannosaurids were roughly the same size, they may have preferred different types of prey, allowing them to coexist without too much competition. And there was a wide diversity of prey here, from many of the most famous ornithopods like Parasaurolophus walkeri, Corythosaurus casuarius, Gryposaurus notabilis, and Lambeosaurus lambei, to beloved ceratopsians like Styracosaurus albertensis, Centrosaurus apertus, Chasmosaurus belli, Spinops sternbergorum, and Vagaceratops irvinensis. There were also ankylosaurs like Anodontosaurus inceptus, Dyoplosaurus acutosquameus, Edmontonia rugosidens, Euoplocephalus tutus, Panoplosaurus mirus, Platypelta coombsi, and Scolosaurus. Pachycephalosaurids included Foraminacephale and Stegoceras validum. Gorgosaurus also shared space with other, smaller theropods, like the ornithomimids Ornithomimus and Rativates, caenagnathids like Caenagnathus, Chirostenotes, and Citipes, dromaeosaurids like Dromaeosaurus and Saurornitholestes, and troodontids like Latenivenatrix and Stenonychosaurus. Dinosaurs were not the only animals here, and Gorgosaurus would have also had to share space with the giant azhdarchid pterosaur Cryodrakon, as well as alligatoroids like Albertochampsa and Leidyosuchus, and choristoderes like Champsosaurus. Gorgosaurus is also known from the Two Medicine Formation and Judith River Formation.

This art may be used for educational purposes, with credit, but please contact me first for permission before using my art. I would like to know where and how it is being used. If you don’t have something to add that was not already addressed in this caption, please do not repost this art. Thank you!

[radstarsaur]

Styracosaurus ("Spiked Lizard") is the best ceratopsian on account of the beautiful horned frill it had. Discovered in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, it's believed to have been a herd animal, and lived in expansive wetland environments. While there is evidence of some ceratopsians having quill-like structures, I don't believe there's any evidence one way or the other for Styracosaurus. I think quill-like feathers are cool, so here you go.

[drowzydeer]

The Beast has been defeated...

After a nearly month-long battle, I have bested this drawing! I rather enjoyed working on it even if I was concerned I wasn't going to finish in time.

38 characters and much fewer owners lol. All the character owners are listed here!

[phenomenalgems]

🦖 #7 on our top 10 favorite finds of the year: this fossilized tooth from a Hell Creek tyrannosaur!!! Yours truly lucked out seeing this tooth sticking out root-first from a hillside in Hell Creek formation, South Dakota. Our dino dig in July was a fabulous and informative experience, and digging fossils from the last dinosaurs to walk the earth during the Late Cretaceous period was so cool. With research throughout the year, we’ve settled on this tooth most likely being from a Nanotyrannus, a smaller species of tyrannosaur with some marked differences from its bigger cousin Rex. (Debate rages in the scientific community about whether this distinct species of tyrannosaur is valid, or if it’s all juvenile T.Rex fossils; contemporary dino diggers lean toward the validity of the separate species.)

Long before I knew about minerals, I dreamt about being a paleontologist (Jurassic Park kid!), so this was a lifelong dream coming true for me. We can’t wait to return to Hell Creek formation! 🦖 #toptenfindsof2024 #dinosaurs #nanotyrannus #nanotyrannustooth #dinosaurtooth #jurassicparkkid #jurassicpark #dinosaurfossils #cretaceousdinosaurs #hellcreek #hellcreekformation #southdakota #phenomenalgems

[huitzilinf-art]

Triceratops prorsus Sub-adult Portrait

My first big piece of 2019!

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

Fossil Friday: Utahraptor!

Remember this chimera? So, it may not be a real Velociraptor but there was a real dromaeosaur this size. It's called Utahraptor and it lived in, well, Utah during the early Cretaceous Period 135-130 million years ago.

It was found in the Cedar Mountain Formation near Moab in 1975 but it didn't get much recognition until 1991. There is currently a "Utahraptor block" that is in the process of being prepped out and has yielded remains of baby to adult Utahraptors (along with two iguanodontids).

Utahraptor is the state dinosaur of Utah and Utahraptor State Park was officially created in 2021 where the block was discovered.

[jenjennifer2014]

Hell Creek is Real-World Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park features 7 very different dinosaurs throughout the film, Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, Velociraptor, Brachiosaurus, Dilophosaurus, Gallimimus, and Parasaurolophus. Each animal being significantly different from the other.

What most of the animals have in common is having themselves or standin relatives (or generally standins) living in Hell Creek. For some, it's very obvious, for some, I have to take some very speculative leaps.

Homo sapiens -

No Homo sapiens in Hell Creek! I'm the reference here so, yeah. No humans. It would've been funny to include Purgatorius here but humans weren't cloned for Jurassic Park. Carry on.

Tyrannosaurus -

Tyrannosaurus rex is known from all across western North America, ranging from the south to north. It's range is especially large, and its most well known locality is Hell Creek.

The Tyrannosaurus specimen used was AMNH 5027, the same specimen Jurassic Park used for both its Tyrannosaurus design and its logo. With the in-film size being roughly around 4 meters tall and fairly large, it only somewhat outsizes the actual AMNH 5027 specimen, where the individual is rather 3.6 meters tall and 11.5 meters long.

Triceratops -

Triceratops is a very well known ceratopsian and is prominent across North America, but especially within Hell Creek. The species T. prorsus was intentionally chosen to have an emphasis on the nasal horn. The actual species basis of the film is not stated, but some can assume T. horridus was used only because of it being the type species.

Velociraptor (as Dakotaraptor) -

Dakotaraptor is a large dromaeosaur known from Hell Creek. A lot of its anatomy is highly controversial with it being a potential chimera (beyond the obvious confirmed for the mixed-in turtle material). Because of it, many things cannot be reliably inferred for how it looked and behaved. Some speculation of taking the leg and arm material seriously leads it to be a fairly tall and cursorial-built theropod, adapted for high speeds. The validity of this though is up in the air until more specimens are gathered.

Dakotaraptor was chosen as the standin for Velociraptor mongoliensis due to Jurassic Parks' interpretation of it being a human-height sprinter-type animal found within North America, similar to what potentially Dakotaraptor would've looked somewhat like and behaved.

Brachiosaurus (as Alamosaurus) -

Alamosaurus is a titanosaur that roamed across the North American Ojo Alamo Formation and some nearby locales. Its position in being a Hell Creek sauropod is disputed, with there being a megafaunal barrier between North-South, preventing sauropods like Alamosaurus venturing any further north into Hell Creek. Although some speculation of it venturing in occasionally at some point in history is somewhat likely.

Alamosaurus was chosen as the Brachiosaurus standin only due to it being the nearest North American sauropod to being a Hell Creek sauropod. Brachiosaurids died off in the middle Cretaceous as sauropods generally leaned to extremes of small or large.

Dilophosaurus (as Anzu) -

The biggest reach of this post is Dilophosaurus, since Dilophosaurus and its closest relatives died off in the early-middle Jurassic due to them being an intermediate tetanuran, rather than being part of a surviving lineage.

Anzu fills in the role of a fairly nimble yet taller-than-Dakotaraptor theropod, with a prominent facial crest and potentially predatory diet. Ironically, Anzu is known from smaller specimens and is often undersized, with there being larger specimens out there implying a near 3-metre height.

Gallimimus (as Struthiomimus) -

Struthiomimus is an orninthomimid that lived across North America, often alongside other species of itself and Orninthomimus. It is the largest of the two known orninthomimids in Hell Creek.

Like Gallimimus, Struthiomimus is a highly speedy and sizeable theropod that is a very close relative.

Parasaurolophus (as Lambeosaurinae indet.) -

While Hell Creek has Edmontosaurus annectens, potential unnamed and unpublished material exists that may likely be a Lambeosaurine, adding to the roster of Hell Creek ornithopods. Parasaurolophus itself is a Lambeosaurine and lived in other nearby formations, although earlier in time. The possibility of Parasaurolophus living to end-Maastrichtian in Hell Creek is fairly low but not impossible. Though compared to Alamosaurus, it seems less likely to happen. A safer estimate (and something that would help publicize the idea) would be using the Lambeosaurine indet. as reference.

The Lambeosaurine itself is referenced from Hypacrosaurus and Magnapaulia, two nearby lambeosaurines from very similar timeperiods too. Some adjusted anatomy was used to make it stand out more, as we do not have much of this specimen.

Thank you for reading this very nerdy paleo-blog that helps somewhat justify my chart. Science will change, so the possibilities of this blog changing too (and the artwork) is likely, or just a republished rewritten version. We'll see!!!

Thank you, - Jennifer

[ultrabean]

Smite from above

I didn’t have access to my tablet this time which means no digital art atm but I did manage to crank one out on paper this time =>

This is an idea I’ve had for quite some time but I’ve had no success actually putting it on paper before but I think I did it this time! Quite proud of it if I do say so myself~

[blorbologist]

*raises hand* i have no idea what Hell Creak is. tell me more

Hell Creek is a fossil-heavy rock formation located in Montana and North Dakota! It's one of the most complete fossil sites we have of the Mezosoic (along with other standouts like the Morrison and Kem-Kem). Hell Creek gets a few extra cool points for a handful of reasons:

It has a whole host of big name dinosaurs: T.rex, Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, Edmontosaurus, and even a large raptor that's a real-life Jurassic Park 'Raptors' (the book and film used oversized Deinonychus, but Dakotaraptor is actually of comparable size. Potentially. I love the species and what it'd mean for the ecosystem, but I don't trust DePalma as far as I can throw him. He accidentally included turtle remains in the holotype, which... come on, man). Another cool big name potentially associated with the formation, but not a dinosaur, is a large Mosasaur species (think a giant marine monitor lizard) that was recently found to exist off the coast, as well as the (potentially) largest creature to ever fly, Quetzalcoatlus (I have no way to describe this, search it up, it's terrifying and weird).

Actually? No. You deserve to see what a Quetz would look like.

(Photo and model credit @bluerhinostudio. Seriously, they're so lifelike.)

Hell Creek's fossils were deposited at the very tail end of the reign of dinosaurs, so you get a look at their last glory days + a good handful of million years prior. Actually, the boundary layer - the actual moment the apocalypse became real and quartz was shocked by the Chixclub impact - is present! There's another site that seems to contain the actual aftermath, with molten glass raining into the mud and debris of animals caught in tsunamis thrown together (though some elements of the site are debated, because DePalma is sketchy as hell and reported different findings to the media vs his publications).

(Credit conveniently included in the image, nice.)

We have SO much information about it! Remains of everything from megafauna and their interactions - herbivores that have healed bitemarks from T.rex, facial bitemarks between T.rexes - to the minute. Pollen and seeds from a host of plants; insects trapped in amber; tiny amphibians, and sharks. The list of species on the Wikipedia articles are absolutely insane - it's so complex and detailed.

There's also a video game in slow, slow development depicting this formation, Saurian - last I heard it's grinded to almost a standstill, and IIRC there is ~tea~ in the paleo community about it, but it was fun following the development for a few years. The concept art is also gorgeous, and you really get a feel for just how much material they have to work with to make this as accurate as possible!

TLDR, Hell Creek is fascinating - though there are plenty of other cool formations worth poking at, too! The Kem Kem Group, Dinosaur Park, Candeleros, Morrison, Jiufotang and Nemegt Formations are all favorites <3

[timmurleyart]

Fading into dust. 🦖🌋

[makairodonx]

Mother and Son’s Day Out, Dinosaur Park Edition

[spencerranch]

All hail dilophosaurus!

I can't stop saying it now

[rabbitcruiser]

National Fossil Day

Fossils aren’t just interesting and fun to look at — they’re also proof of the existence of once-living things (like dinosaurs, animals, plants and even DNA remnants). Through these fossils we’re able to learn a lot about life from billions of years ago. We can even take a look at animals and life-forms that are no longer on the planet! These fossils (and the education around them) deserve to be preserved and explored. That’s why we celebrate National Fossil Day annually on the Wednesday of the second full week in October, with this year’s celebration being held on October 16. Show some appreciation for these incredible “time capsules” and the paleontologists who excavate them.

​National Fossil Day timeline

​1840s - 1850s​​​ Researchers discovered the Neanderthal

​Ancient human fossils were unearthed for the first time, proving the existence of the Neanderthal.

​1902 Proof of T-Rex ​

Researchers uncovered the first Tyrannosaurus Rex remains.

​1974​ Lucy was born

​​Scientists found fossils of a 3.5 million-year-old female hominin (an extinct human species) and named her “Lucy.”

How to Observe ​National Fossil Day

Hug a paleontologist

Check out local events

Visit Your Nearest National Park

Paleontologists are pretty incredible people. They go through lots of schooling and training to be able to study the fossils of all kinds of organisms. It’s because of them that we know a lot about the last few billion years of our planet’s history. Show your appreciation by giving them a hug, and asking them to tell you more!

Every year, the National Park Service partners with various organizations, universities, museums and more to celebrate National Fossil Day. Through field trips, classroom instruction and outdoor activities, they’re spreading awareness about this important holiday.

Many national parks are passionate about introducing future generations to the science behind fossils and paleontology. These may include anything from scavenger hunts, to multi-day ranger-led activities. Visit your nearest national park and discover all there is to know about this fascinating science!

4 Fun Fossil Facts

​They’re insanely valuable

​They can be enormous

​Anything can be fossilized

They’re ridiculously old​

​The highest amount ever paid for a dinosaur fossil was $8.3 million (they named it “Sue”).

The largest intact fossil ever discovered was a whopping 4 square miles! ​

​The smallest fossil on record was just 2/10 of a millimeter (it was of a 50-million-year-old parasite).

​Next time you're feeling old, just remember some fossils date back to 4.1 billion years.

Why ​National Fossil Day is Important

We can learn about our planet

We can understand the progression of time

We can look toward the future

A fossil is evidence of past life that’s been preserved in rock. This helps us discover all kinds of shells, plants, animals, and more that existed long before our time. This information helps us understand what was happening during each part of our planet’s history.

By looking at fossils, researchers have been able to understand how and when organisms appeared and disappeared throughout the passage of time. This is how they’ve been able to divide up the events in our planet’s history into different periods.

Each fossil tells a story of the organism it encapsulates, and the details of when it was on the earth. By examining fossils, we can use these stories to help inform us about the future, and how environmental factors (as well as man-made ones) will help influence our planet for future generations.

Source

[twelvebooksstuff]

Why does this sound like what Ian Malcolm says when he first sees the stegosaurus in the Jurassic Park novel LOLOLOL

(it’s the scene with the triceratops in the movie, for context)

He says something like “I have to admit, that’s a funny looking animal” but seems to mean it in a slightly more positive way than this article.

In all fairness, I love the stegosaurus and think it’s got a pretty bizarre look (I think that’s part of its ✨charm✨). Apparently Edwardian news would disagree lol

The Washington Post, June 23, 1912

[mutant-distraction]

Rob Little

Petrified Forest National Park is an American national park located in Navajo and Apache counties in northeastern Arizona. Named for its large deposits of petrified wood, the park covers about 346 square miles (900 km2), and includes semi-desert shrub-steppe as well as highly eroded and colorful badlands. The park's headquarters is located about 26 miles (42 km) east of Holbrook along Interstate 40 (I-40), which parallels the South Transcon Line. The site, the northern portion of which extends into the Painted Desert, was declared a national monument in 1906 and a national park in 1962. The park has an average elevation of about 5,400 feet (1,600 m), and has a dry, windy climate with temperatures ranging from In the summer it is about 100°F (38°C) to winter lows well below freezing. The park has more than 400 species of plants, dominated by grasses such as punchweed, blue grama, and sacaton. Animals include larger animals such as pronghorn, coyotes, and lynx; many small animals, such as deer, mice, snakes, lizards and seven species of amphibians; And more than 200 species of birds, some of which are permanent residents and many of which are migratory. About one-third of the park is designated wilderness—50,260 acres (79 sq mi; 203 km2)—

The Petrified Forest is famous for its fossils, especially deciduous trees that lived in the Late Triassic, about 225 million years ago. The deposits containing the fossil trunks are part of the colorful and widespread Chinle Formation, from which the Painted Desert gets its name. Beginning about 60 million years ago, the Colorado Plateau, of which the park is a part, was pushed upward by tectonic forces and subjected to further erosion. All of the park's rock layers above the Chinle River, except for younger geological strata in parts of the park, have been removed by wind and water. In addition to fossilized tree trunks, fossils found in the park included Late Triassic ferns, cycads, ginkgos, and many other plants as well as animals including giant reptiles called phytosaurs, large amphibians, and early dinosaurs. Paleontologists have discovered and studied the park's fossils since the early 1900s.