#david paleo

[cocobeanzies]

Mononykus

Absolutely in love with the Mononykus design from Prehistoric Planet, so I had to draw it being a silly little goober. This is my first time drawing a Dinosaur, it was really fun and I absolutely want to do more and practise getting better with it! :3

[vegan-nom-noms]

Easy Homemade Hanukkah Gelt (Vegan + Paleo)

[herpsandbirds]

Could I see Jackson's Chameleon, please? It's one of my favorite animals

Also, out of curiosity, what's your stance on posting pictures of fossils of extinct creatures?

Yes, absolutely. I love them as well!

Well, my mission here is to teach people the biodiversity of extant animals, with a concentration on herps and birds. I love prehistoric animals, but I don't have an academic or professional background with them. I may start a paleo blog sometime later this year though. I'll let you all know.

Jackson’s Chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii), males pictured, family Chamaeleonidae, found in the mountain forests of Kenya and Tanzania

Photographs: Underground Reptiles, David Northcott, & Galapagos Pets

[blueiscoool]

‘Extremely Rare’ Ancient Stone Seal Discovered in Jerusalem

An "extremely rare and unusual" ancient stone artifact-thought to be around 2,700 years old-has been discovered in Jerusalem.

The artifact in question, a seal made of black stone, was uncovered during an excavation conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the City of David organization near the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount (also known as Al-Aqsa)-a site in Jerusalem's Old City that is considered holy by Jewish people, Muslims and Christians.

The stone seal bears a name inscribed in the paleo-Hebrew script, as well as an image of a winged figure. It is thought to have been used both as an amulet and as a stamp to seal documents, Filip Vukosavović, a senior field archaeologist with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), told Newsweek.

"The seal is one of the most beautiful ever discovered in excavations in ancient Jerusalem, and is executed at the highest artistic level," Yuval Baruch and Navot Rom, excavation directors on behalf of the IAA, said in a press release.

The seal has a hole drilled through it lengthwise so that it could be strung onto a chain and hung around the neck. In the center, a figure with wings is depicted in profile, wearing a long, striped shirt and striding toward the right. The figure has a mane of long curls covering the nape of the neck, and on its head sits a hat or a crown.

The figure is raising one arm upward with an open palm, perhaps indicating that it is holding some kind of object.

Depictions of winged figures such as these are known in neo-Assyrian art of the 9th-7th centuries B.C. and were considered a kind of protective magical figure, according to Vukosavović. The artifact, thus, demonstrates the influence of the Assyrian Empire-a major civilization of the ancient Near East that had conquered the Israelite Kingdom of Judah, including its capital Jerusalem.

"This is an extremely rare and unusual discovery. This is the first time that a winged 'genie'– a protective magical figure-has been found in Israeli and regional archaeology," Vukosavović said in an IAA press release.

On both sides of the figure, an inscription is engraved in paleo-Hebrew script. In English script, this inscription translates as: "Le Yehoʼezer ben Hoshʼayahu."

"[Yehoʼezer] was a common name," Ronny Reich, a researcher from the University of Haifa said.

The researchers believe that the stone object was originally worn as an amulet around the neck of a man called Hoshʼayahu, who held a senior position in the administration of the Kingdom of Judah. He may have worn the object as a symbol of his authority. "It seems that the object was made by a local craftsman-a Judahite, who produced the amulet at the owner's request. It was prepared at a very high artistic level," Vukosavović said in the press release.

The working hypothesis of the experts is that upon Hoshʼayahu's death, his son, Yehoʼezer, inherited the seal, and then added both of their names on either side of the figure. The names were added in negative, or mirror, script-so that the impression would appear in positive and be legible-according to Reich.

"The combination of figure and script, and particularly a neo-Assyrian figure is uncommon in Judah," Reich said.

By ARISTOS GEORGIOU.

[scolop98]

show: The Dinosauria Series by Dead Sound/David James Armsby (episode: A More Ancient Spring)

song: Creatures in Heaven by Glass Animals

theme: ships with animal characters

programs: iMovie, Kapwing

Check out Dead Sound's Dinosauria series on youtube! Probably one of my top 3 Paleo-oriented media of all time, alongside the Walking With series and Prehistoric Planet.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

do you have any dino/paleo books that you recommend? im a new volunteer at a museum and trying to go beyond wikipedia articles and do some reading that isnt too tough for someone who didnt study paleontology in school. thank you!!

Dinopedia by Darren Naish, Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World by Michael Benton, Dinosaurs: 10 Things You Should Know by Dean Lomax, The Future of Dinosaurs by David Hone, Dinosaur World by Evan Johnson-Ransom, and Naish's new book about Ancient Sea Reptiles are all great starting points

[hallucigeniahive]

Paleo Appreciation Post #2

this is Longisquama, a very odd lizard-like reptile from the mid-late triassic. this is one of the very few fossils we have of it (triassic fossils are already rare so this is nothing out of the ordinary), so information about it is scarce. known specimens are about 9cm long (3.5 inches) from snout to tail. all the known fossils of Longisquama were found in the madygen formation, located in kyrgyzstan.

now, to address the elephant in the room. Longisquama's main claim to fame are the feather-like structures seen on its back (or other places if you make stuff up like david peters). the true purpose of these are not fully known, though there are a couple theories.

one of the main interpretations came around the time Longisquama was first described: the idea that the structures functioned like a pair of wings (which is funny-looking but probably not the case), as pictured above. another, more recent interpretation, claims the structures were used as a display feature, not unlike many modern day birds. there are even some who claim Longisquama never had the appendages to begin with, rather being misinterpreted plant fronds that were preserved alongside them (though this particular theory is heavily contested).

still, no matter the actual purpose of the structures, Longisquama was a very unique lil guy and serves as an important piece in the evolution of feathers.

i hope you appreciate the dude™ as much as me.

[missanthropicprinciple]

miss anthro’s film recs: May 2021

Jurassic Park 1993: Watched this for the third time in a month today to celebrate it's release 28 years ago. Like most excellent films, it was created by a lucky intersection of talent. The remarkable premise was crafted into a brilliant script by David Koepp and author Michael Crichton; it was tight, clean, fast-paced - no plot holes and unnecessary scenes. Steven Spielberg really did a fantastic job of making a cohesive production and giving it a kind of emotional continuity. The cast is outstanding. I could write an essay about each one. Richard Attenborough brings pathos to John Hammond, the delusional tycoon. Sam Neill is perfect as Alan Grant, a jaded paleontologist who finds deeper compassion. Laura Dern gives a raw performance as the resolute and charming paleo-botanist Ellie Sattler. Jeff Goldblum stars as Ian Malcolm, chaotician and prototype "rock-star scientist." Bob Peck is wonderful as the sensible game warden Robert Muldoon. Samuel L. Jackson works his magic as sardonic chief engineer Ray Arnold. And of course, excellent performances from Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards. The special and physical effects are remarkable and most of them remain so nearly three decades later, including the life-sized animatronic Tyrannosaurus rex and just the right amount of CGI. Cinematography by Dean Cundey features god-tier-level use of scale framing. Not to mention great use of color, blocking, sound, costume, John Williams' beautiful score - you name it, this film really has everything going for it. Is this a perfect film? No, but it gets bloody close. Unmissable science-fiction that examines the horror unleashed by the arrogance of mankind. 

The Birdcage 1996: This 25* year old film is a real gem. While the modern viewer (myself included) could find fault with some stereotypes, etc., the classic comedy has aged quite well. There’s a lot of slapstick and hysterically funny and clever dialogue. Williams and Lane are outstanding. There’s a very touching scene between the two of them which is very romantic and sweet. And of course the whole cast is perfect. I’m always impressed by this film when I haven’t seen it in a while.

The Moon-Spinners 1964: You don’t need to be a Disney fan to love this incredible classic. Hayley Mills is well loved but I don’t think she’s given enough credit for being not only a brilliant child actor but also a great actor as she aged. Her performance is stellar. The whole movie is fun and tense, bringing Mary Stewart’s novel to life in the great and beautiful country of Greece. It’s a fun adventure from start to finish with humor and romance.

Fairytale: A True Story 1997: Want to cry your eyes out about the Cottingley fairy hoax of 1917? You may not trust me but I recommend this experience. Honestly, this movie is life-changing. This is a depiction of a real life story involving historical figures. Usually no one gets that quite right but this movie kinda does. Peter O’Toole looks nothing like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but Harvey Keitel looks remarkably like Harry Houdini. Something about the music and what they do with this story gets into your bloodstream. I couldn’t possibly spoil for anyone who knows nothing about it, but I can say that there is some incredible CGI and a scene where someone faces retribution from an unexpected and shocking source.

edit 2023:

*now 27

I found this in my drafts. Clearly, life got in the way and I didn’t continue my recommendation posts (I have the templates drafted in text form.) Also, while drafting this edit I was attacked by a small beetle. I remain unharmed and have released the beetle into its natural environment.

[sinosauropteryx--prima]

Life in the Middle Triassic

(first row: Euparkeria, Tanystropheus; second row: Nothosaurus, Nyasasaurus; third row: Thalattosaurus (top), Mastodonsaurus (bottom), Cynognathus, Longisquama; fourth row: Shringasaurus, Sharovipteryx, Placodus)

Art by:

Tanystropheus, Nyasasaurus - Mark Witton

Thalattosaurus - Nobu Tamura

Nothosaurus - Johnson Mortimer

Mastodonsaurus - Vladislav Egorov

Sharovipteryx, Longisquama - Julio Lacerda

Shringasaurus - Ntvtiko

Cynognathus - Gabriel Ugueto

Euparkeria - Taenadoman

Placodus - Sergey Krasovsky

The Triassic is a fantastic time if you’re interested in weird creatures and it’s a shame that it often gets overlooked in favor of the more dinosaur-rich Jurassic and Cretaceous. The main reason for the abundance of Triassic weirdos is that the time period was bookended on both sides by mass extinctions: The end Permian mass extinction had just left the planet empty, with lots of opportunities for evolution to go crazy as the the few survivors refilled niches. At the end of the Triassic however (Spoiler alert), another mass extinction wiped out most of the newly established forms, which is why they look so foreign and strange to us - bizarre anomalies that only existed for a brief period of time and didn‘t leave any successors to help us understand them better.

One of those weirdos is leg-winged Sharovipteryx. Because yes, while every other vertebrate on the planet decided that arms are pretty good for flying, Sharovipteryx wanted to not be like other girls and used its legs instead. While it wasn‘t capable of powered flight (only birds, bats and pterosaurs ever accomplished that), it was probably a decent glider (Dyke, 2006).

From the same fossil beds as Sharovipteryx comes another unusual critter: Longisquama. At first glance it might look like your typical little lizard - if it wasn‘t for its back being covered with those long …scales? Feathers? Maybe just plant leaves that somehow fossilzed next to the animal? We really are not sure what exactly is going on with the back of this little guy. Although it seems like the most recent idea is, that those appendages are not feathers in the sense that birds have them, but that both feathers and Longisquama‘s structures might be homologous, meaning that they come from the same origin (Buchwitz, 2012). As for what were they doing with the structures? Probably sexual display, which is the paleontology version of saying “we‘re not sure, but unless you‘ve got a better idea, we‘re sticking with this one“.

(Oh, and btw both Longisquama and Sharovipteryx are prime topics for David Peters, self-proclaimed paleontologist that apparently loves to spread misinformation and seems to have beef with the entire paleo-community - so be cautious when you see something written by him. Man, I really don‘t wanna be involved with paleo drama. I wasn‘t even aware there was paleo drama)

The placement of both Sharovipteryx as well as Longuisquama on the family tree is pretty uncertain, but most likely they fall somewhere around the base of the Archosaur lineage, a group that you will hear a lot about in the future, as it includes the flying pterosaurs, everything related to crocodiles, and of course the dinosaurs. The earliest of those you might see around this time in the form of medium-sized average-looking bipeds like Nyasasaurus.

Also settled around the base of the archosaur line is long necked Tanystropheus (although some of its fossils were believed to be flying pterosaurs for a long time because its neck vertebrae were mistaken for wing finger bones). With a length of around 5 m it was pretty big for the time. It most likely lived a semi-aquatic lifestyle, staying on the shores while it used it oversized neck to catch fish from the water.

During the Triassic we see quite a few reptile groups going for more aquatic lifestyle. While some, like the Thalattosaurs were relatively short-lived, others dominated for most of the age of reptiles. One of the most prominent groups are the Sauropterygia. The name (which translates to “lizard flippers“) might not sound too familiar, but this is the group that will later contain the Loch-Ness-monster looking plesiosaurs and their shorter-necked cousins, the pliosaurs. In the early days of this group the animals weren‘t quite as well adapted for the waters yet, but you can already see were the journey is going. Nothosaurus for examples, lived probably similar to seals, while Placodus was more terrestrial and only spent time in the water to forage for food.

Most of this was all very reptile-focused. That is because by now the synapsids, those early cousins of our own lineage, that roamed the world as giant beasts during the permian, had lost their positions at the top of the food chain. For the most part, they were now constrained to small burrows and dark nights, to the shadows of much larger creatures. Their story does of course not end here, but for the next 170 million years our planet truely was a planet of reptiles.

[wychelm]

Tag nine (9) people you'd like to know better!

thank ya for the tag @ireallyamabear and @shoesallinaline

Last song: if I ever get to saginaw again by the monkees

Currently reading: the word for world is forest by le guin and meridian by alice walker. not really in a reading mood atm honestly because it's been too rainy... I can pretty much only read outside for some reason

Currently watching: I still have a single episode of the monkees to watch, which I am now saving for a rainy day. not much else honestly. I gave up watching iwtv because I didn't like it. also been watching/rewatching some old starkid musicals. other youtubers I watch a lot are sketching scottie, srp asmr, tony bomboni asmr, simon roper, and chroma moma

Current obsession: still pretty far up david 8's non-existent orifices. still besotted with the monkees too. both of these things are entertaining me plenty. making art, bird-watching, walking, and replaying tlou 2 are happily taking up space in my brain and time in my day. very into paleontology and paleo art rn also... there needs to be more paleontologist reacts videos I live for them

no pressure tags: @theknifeofdunwall @mistergoddess @bluebellheath @amber-zeppeli @varietysky @wisteriander @chewablepebbles @sciencefiction-doublefeature @hegodamask

[mineralsrocksandfossiltalks]

MONDAY MUSINGS: CLEVELAND-LLOYD QUARRY

Today, I am going to tell you a story. A story about a couple of paleo undergrad students in their taphonomy class talking about a famous quarry in Utah. But first, a little background.

First, the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry is a large dinosaur quarry in the San Rafael Swell of Utah near the town of Price. It is in Jurassic National Monument and it is the resting place of at least 50 individual Allosaurus. That is a lot of predators found in one spot. Other predators have been found here as well including Ceratosaurus (1), Torvosaurus (1), Marshosaurus (2), Stokesosaurus (2), and Tanycolagreus (1). There are also a high number of Stegosaurus (4) and Camptosaurus (5) and a handful of sauropods (3 Camarasaurus and one Barosaurus, one Diplodocus and one Apatosaurus).

Due to the high concentration of predators in the area, the quarry has been interpreted as a predator trap. Unfortunately, so far, there isn't a ton of concrete evidence aside from the numbers to back that claim up.

A big thing to note with the Allosaurus: nearly all of them were sub-adults or juveniles.

Now, back to the story. I was in my third year? Maybe fourth, I don't know, it was so long ago now. Anyway, I was in college, taking a course called taphonomy (the study of what happens to organisms after they die, through burial until we recover them). We were looking at a map of the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry and our professor, Dr. David Varricchio was having us go around the table in pairs or small groups to give explanations of why so many Allosaurus sub-adults in one area.

It started out pretty normal: youngsters might have stuck together and hunted in packs.

They were following a Stegosaurus herd trying to sus out the weakest link.

The environment was a flood pond, clay nested in a topographic low between levees and that clay was smectitic (filled with ash) making it sticky not unlike tar.

This type of clay will add 10lbs to the bottom of your shoes (it's why we don't start digging until summer. The spring makes this clay impossible to walk through. I mean, look at my poor boots). Imagine weighing as much as an Allosaurus and stepping into swelling clays. No bueno.

Well, eventually, we had gone around maybe two or three times and we were running out of typical reasons so my best friend and I, we came up with something...inventive.

Once upon a time, there was an Allosaurus civil war...

No, this is really good, I promise. You see, you always send the younger generation out to fight your wars right? That's why they're all sub-adults. The herbivores were their food stashes. The reason they also don't seem to have a lot of injuries? They were using their laser vision to kill each other which leaves no marks on the bones!

Thank you Animedino1 for having art haha.

Anyway, there was this pregnant pause after we had finished our explanation in which our classmates weren't sure how to respond and Dave looked like an error message was playing in front of his eyes. He replied saying "Well, I can't falsify it so I guess it could be true." So there you have it. A very well-known paleontologist said it could be possible so until further notice, I will believe in Allosaurus civil wars.

[romigodon]

🦈 After about a year of work, I am proud to say that Sharks! : The Meg, The Monsters, and the Myths has finally opened to the public @hmns . 🦈

Us in the paleo-lab have worked so hard on everything from Megalodon teeth to pathological baleen whale jaws to Edestus teeth whorls. One of things I’m most proud of is the Xenacanthid shark dorsal spines from the early Permian of Texas (287-283 MYA) that I, and my colleague Colin Diggins, identified, excavated, and prepared over the last few months. These spines, as well as some teeth, are now on display for everyone to see (so come see them 👀).

What an fantastic way to ring in the summer and I’m proud to have been part of something as cool as this is. My most special thanks to all of my awesome lab volunteers (we couldn’t do it without y’all!) and, of course, Colin, David Temple, and @chuckleah7 . We set up a great team and got some great stuff accomplished. I can’t wait to see what else we’ll do coming up!

[mrultra100]

Ultra’s Ramblings; Let’s Make Prehistoric Planet Season 2!

(Recommended listening)

As many of you know, I’m a huge (and when I say huge, I mean HUGE) fan of Prehistoric Planet. This series, which came out back last year, has become a titanosaur-sized success for Apple TV+, so much so that it was one of the most popular shows watched on any streaming service in 2022 (and even for months too!). Its use of up-to-date science, along with excellent narration by the legendary Sir David Attenborough, top-notch music, portrayal of its subjects as actual animals with complex and speculative behaviors, use of CGI in real environments, etc, has caused people to consider it the best piece of paleomedia in the last 20 years, along with it winning plenty of awards lately (just like with any banger BBC nature documentary worth their salt). With all of that said, it’s obvious to say that the fans want a second season of this show, myself included. Darren Naish, the series’ scientific consultant, has gone on record and said that he would be on board for making another season. Obviously, given how much time and effort went into making the first season, it might take a few years before we might get another season. I never would’ve expected to be excited for a show that has the same guy who directed the much-mangled 2019 remake of The Lion King, but if your show manages to wow thousands of people across the world, you know you’ve got yourself a hit on your hands.

Now, with all of that said, I feel like I should do something with my personal idea for what a hypothetical second season of PHP could be like, and there are some ground rules to lay out before we dive into the 5 episodes that I worked on. For starters, similar to how Season 1 was set entirely within the Maastrichtian (The very last part of the Cretaceous that lasted from 72 to 66 million years), this second season is set during the previous age before the Masstrichtian; the Campanian. Lasting from 83 to 72 million years, the Campanian has plenty of the same megafauna that its successor had; clades of dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and marine reptiles like tyrannosaurs, ceratopsians, azhdarchids, hadrosaurs, mosasaurs, etc, along with various other groups of animals. The second rule that I wanna bring up is the theme of each episode. Season 1’s episodes were all based around a respective biome (Coasts, Deserts, Freshwater, Ice Worlds, and Forests), while Season 2 is gonna be based each of its own 5 episodes off of respective CONTINENTS. 

Yeah, I’m going with these two important rules to differentiate this season from its official counterpart. And that’s not all. All 5 episodes would also be accompanied with their own Uncovered segments, just like the 5 official ones that go along with their respective episodes. The goal of these behind-the-scenes extras is to explain the science behind the stories, comparing the dinosaurs and their kin to modern animals for how the showrunners came up with the ideas that they added in. Two more things that I wanna bring up before we begin is that many of the segments are gonna be based around non-dinosaurian animals. While there were dinosaurs in the PREHISTORIC Planet, a common complaint from fans is that there weren’t enough of the non-saurian fauna in the show. I plan to fix that by adding in creatures from many other groups of animals; Crocodilians, sharks, ammonites, mammals, a species of giant, ground-dwelling bird, turtles, etc. That way, the ecosystem can feel more diverse. The last thing before we start is how I want to give a huge shout-out to the fine folks at the Paleo Media Central Discord server. I asked them if they could bring in additional input, and they certainly delivered.. With all of that outta the way, we can now begin our hypothetical safari into the Campanian wilderness to see what a second season to Prehistoric Planet could look like!

North America

The episode (And by extension, the entire season) starts off with a segment about a Sauronitholestes courting a mate during the warmer months of his Arctic home. Taking some notes from many different species of birds of paradise (The appropriate comparison here would be the black sicklebill). Similar to the Carnotaurus from Season 1, the music would really pop, showing how expressing and vibrant these creatures are. The female, however, wouldn’t be interested at first, so the male has to keep pestering her more and more, until she finally gets interested.

We then cut to an Edmontonia going through a swamp to look for new plant growth. As the armored giant goes about his day, the segment focuses on other residents of the swamp. Creatures like Didelphodon, Champsosaurus, and Basilemys all make appearances as they go about their day. The Edmontonia would be like a hippo; a large, heavily-armed herbivore that eats water plants.

After that, the episode then shows a segment about flocks of male Geosternbergia having to fly to sea in order to get food for their chicks, while needing to avoid the jaws of predatory sharks like Cretoxyrhina. Not only is this segment based off of male emperor penguins having to do the same thing, all while avoiding leopard seals, there has been fossil evidence of Cretoxyrhina feeding on pterosaurs, with a fossilized vertebrae of a Pteranodon being found with a tooth belonging to one of these prehistoric sharks. Another point to bring up is that this segment is also based on cut content  for the Alcione segment from Season 1, with whole flocks of pterosaurs diving down into the ocean to catch fish. Just thought it would be cool to use scrapped ideas for this whole thing.

With the previous scene done, we then focus on a Diabloceratops partaking in a dirt bath to rid himself of any parasites that would hinder his chances of attracting a mate. Many modern animals, including bison and turkeys, do this same behavior, so it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say that non-avian dinosaurs, especially large ceratopsians, would do the same. As I was writing this part, I’ve recently found out that such a behavior was almost added into the show proper, with a Pachyrhinosaurus rolling around in an ash bath. That was in an early draft of the burnt forest segment from “Forests”, so it’s interesting to see one of my own ideas be almost perfectly similar to one that was ultimately cut from the original show.

We then cut across the WIS to Appalachia, where a mother Appalachiosaurus teaches her young how to hunt for themselves, with the family targeting a stray Hypsibema. However, she gets more than she bargained for, as the hadrosaur she and her young are hunting turns out to be a powerhouse in his own right. The tyranosaurs, having failed to take the Hypsibema down, decide to look for food elsewhere.

The episode then cuts to a female Deinosuchus bringing her hatchlings into the world - except there are also Bothremys in it, as one laid her own eggs in the nest, similar to what certain turtles and birds do to get protection they otherwise would never have. (credit goes to NATY on the Paleo Media Central Discord server for suggesting Deinosuchus)

The episode then ends on Appalachia’s southern coast, with a Tylosaurus feeding on the corpse of a dead hadrosaur that has been swept out to sea at sunset. As he feeds on a chunk of the dead dinosaur, the mosasaur is accompanied by smaller animals that want to either gain protection or scraps of food from the predator as he swims away with his prize, displaying an example of large marine animals being accompanied by smaller species. Schools of Pachyrhizodus surround the giant, easily drifting on the currents that his massive body makes by simply swimming, while a few Hesperornis hunt some of the Enchodus that swarm over to the giant lizard. Similar to the Mosasaurus from the first season, the Tylosaurus is presented as a peaceful gentle giant that’s minding his business. Schools of ammonites, very similar to the Scaphitids from Season 1, make background appearances,  along with an Archelon just cruising below the mosasaur.

North America- Uncovered; The nature of Tylosaurus swimming with other animals is discussed, showing such interactions between species in real life, with examples like whale sharks, green sea turtles, dugongs, and manta rays being used. The nature and history of the Western Interior Seaway is also discussed in full detail, along with fossils of dead dinosaurs that have drifted far out to sea, only to be picked on by scavengers.

Eurasia

Similar to the Diabloceratops and Geosternbergia segments from the previous episode, this next one starts with another idea that was originally planned for the show, but was ultimately cut; Raptors hunting pachycephalosaurs. The focus of this segment is an old Goyocephale, who, after going away from his group, has to run from and eventually try to defend himself against a group of Velociraptors (A returning face from Season 1). The whole feel of this chase is akin to the visual image of a cheetah chasing a gazelle. While the lone bull is an experienced fighter, his old age, along with the raptors making clever use of the jagged cliffs and canyons of their desert home with their feathers, ultimately leads to him tiring out and facing his attackers in one last, losing battle.

The episode then cuts to France, where we focus on a male Arcovenator, looking to build a nest to court a female. Similar to male satin bowerbirds, the male looks for objects of the same color that he could use to attract a mate (In this case, yellow). Things like leaves, rocks, berries, slime mold-covered logs, etc. All of these yellow items are gathered by the Arcovenator to make the perfect nest…only for him to deal with the threat of a rival male stealing some of his nest material. This leads to a territorial display, where both males whip out their flashy displays to scare each other off (Think something like a red-winged blackbird), tiny arms included. It would essentially be a more tense version of the Carnotaurus segment from Season 1, only this time, the lead male succeeds in scarring off his rival.

A scene about Shantungosaurus and Sinoceratops then plays, highlighting a massive migration of these two massive plant-eaters as a major part. The herd is depicted as an unstoppable tank, making their way through anything that dares to step into their migration route, from trees to other animals. Even predators like Zhuchengtyrannus would think twice before taking on a herd of the largest hadrosaur species known to science. The only time where these predators would ever stand a chance against even one of these behemoths would be attacking the young, old, or ill, with a sick male Shantungosaurus struggling to keep up. After weeks of travel, no thanks to his sickness kicking in for the worst, the sick male Shantungosaurus would fall behind, with the pack of Zhunchengtyrannus’ patience finally paying off, and the rest of the herd leaving the male behind.

We then cut to the waters of what will become Sweden, where the focus of this next segment is about Eonatator, a small species of mosasaur. Given how small these creatures are, especially when compared to their much larger relatives living in the open ocean, they’re depicted living in coastal waters, feeding on schools of fish, even chasing whole swarms onto the beach like how certain pods of bottlenose dolphins intentionally beach themselves to trap their prey onto land. This is further helped by how likely mosasaurs are to have the same levels of intelligence as monitor lizards, as the latter are considered to be some of the smartest reptiles on the planet today.

We then return to the swampy badlands of Mongolia, where male Pinacosaurus pelt each other with their tail clubs over mates and territory. The practice of ankylosaurs using their clubbed tails for such fights has been suggested by paleontologists for a good while now, as it’s similar to how deer use their antlers for the same purposes. For an added kick of speculation, the male Pinacosaurus could have brightly-colored tail clubs, an adaptation used for attracting mates and scarring off rivals. They even come equipped with inflatable nose-sacks for display, similar to what male frigatebirds do with their brightly red throatsacks. Other animals like Protoceratops, Citipati, and Halszkaraptor make background appearances, all watching the battle between the male Pinacosaurus.

The segment that follows then cuts to night, where a male Shuvuuia digs at massive termite mounds at night. While this is similar to what happened with the Mononykus from the first season, the main focus is how certain animals hunt at night, with the Shuvuuia using his large eyes to see through the dark, coming across a colony of termites hiding inside a large, dead tree.

The final segment of the episode focuses on not only a primitive, ground-dwelling bird of all things, but also the LARGEST bird of the Mesozoic in its entirety; Gargantuavis. This massive ostrich lookalike is depicted as a caring mother, looking after her eggs. For a bit of comedic effect, the Gargantuavis is shown to be a fierce mother, getting aggressive wherever anything gets as close as a few feet from her nest. Ranging from average-sized animals like Rhabodon and Allodaposuchus, to even giants like a wandering Garrigatitan, getting near the mother’s nest by accident while looking for new plant growth. The Gargantuavis even risks having her own nest get flattened by the titanosaur, causing her to get aggressive and drive the giant off, just in time for her clutch to hatch. The Gargantuavis’ nesting behavior is shown to be similar to emus, even down to the sheer aggression when defending their nests.

Eurasia- Uncovered; The science of ankylosaurs, like Pinacosaurus, using their tail clubs is discussed. While they’re normally used to defend off attacks from predators (Think T. rex vs Ankylosaurus), it could be possible that these lumbering tanks had another use for their main weapon; Territorial display for the females. After all, modern animals do something similar with their own biological weapons (Deer with their antlers, rams with their horns, ring-tailed lemurs with their musk-covered tails, etc), so it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that ankylosaurs did something similar.

Africa

The episode kicks off with a scene about 2 male Rukwatitan fighting over territory during a light rainstorm. Despite being titanosaurian sauropods like the Dreadnoughtus from Season 1, these two males are alot smaller. Therefore, they’re not in as much danger from the square-cube law as their much larger, South American relatives. However, even with how smaller they both are, the male Rukwatitans still pull up quite the fight, with them slamming their necks between each other, just like giraffes.  Eventually, one is driven out after falling down to the mud with a great big splash. The rainstorm even clears up, revealing a rainbow over the winning male.

We then cut to the waters of a brackish swamp, where a female Globidens arrives from the ocean in search of food. The segment closely teases which kind of food the mosasaur is looking for, with a hint being her rounded, globe-shape teeth. As the scene tenses up, implying that the Globidens is about to snack upon a hapless turtle…only for her to dive into the sand, having a large bivalve in her jaws as she sticks her head out of the sand. It’s then where it’s revealed that the Globidens feeds on hard-shelled prey, like clams. Satisfied with her hard-earned prey, the mosasaur then swims back out to the sea.

After that, the episode then cuts to a male Araripesuchus in Madagascar looking for a good place to set up his territory. Despite belonging to a family of reptiles who are commonly seen in the water, the Araripesuchus is shown to be thriving on land. While looking for a new home, he even takes time to hunt for food, with him grabbing a large grub out of a rotten log. Before long, the male Araripesuchus finds an abandoned hole in the face of a small river. Whoever lived in it previously must’ve been forced to escape due to a recent storm. After a long day of searching, the lone male then gets to work on digging more of the hole to his own liking, ending the segment.

The episode then cuts to a mass spawning of Vulcanobatrachus at night. Similar to the Grey foam-nest tree frogs of today, this species is seen gathering in the hundreds to mate on top of a tree that towers over a lake. To protect the developing eggs from predators and the elements, the adults secrete a special kind of foam that covers the eggs, giving them protection. Vulcanobatrachus may be from the Masstrichtian, but it was dated as coming from 71 million years ago, close enough to be here. 

The episode then starts a scene about Onchopristis hunting for prey at the bottom of a brackish lagoon. The coloration and behavior that it has and does makes it very comparable to the modern day largetooth sawfish. The scene will then mention that Onchopristis populations have been increasing due to the extinction of a certain predator. It’s never directly stated, but the mere mention of that particular comment implies that the scene is talking about Spinosaurus, now long-gone by the time that this scene is taking place in-universe.

Next up in the episode is a segment focusing on a species of pterosaur known as Epapatelo. This particular relative of Barbaridactylus is shown flying over stormy oceans in search of fish, similar to the Geosternbergia from “North America”. However, Epapatelo is more like the wandering albatross, flying over huge distances from its original home. Despite everything the storm throws at him, the pterosaur musters every bit of energy that he can to catch enough prey to keep him moving. While Eapapatelo is from the Maastrichtian, like with a few other animals featured in this season, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to add them all in, as the formations they all hail from being set within the Campanian.

The episode then ends with one more segment, this one being about female Mansourasaurus laying their eggs, with the young having to survive on their own after hatching. Along the way, they deal with the threat of being eaten by lurking Wahasuchus. The hatching that do survive eventually find shelter in the form of a large forest, where they can grow and eat in peace before they grow big enough to join the adults. Yeah, this episode only has two segments dedicated to dinosaurs, but given how people have stated that the first season had little in terms of non-dinosaur life (That WEREN’T pterosaurs or marine reptiles), along with how few known dinosaur species were in Africa during the Campanian, this was what I had to work with.

Africa- Uncovered; The focus of this segment is about diving into the Rukwatitan fight, comparing sauropods to animals like giraffes, elephants, and the like, comparing how they deal with territorial disputes. Footage of the Dreadnoughtus from Season 1 even pops in, as it and Rukwatitan are both titanosaurs.

South America

The episode begins with a scene dedicated to a lone Austroraptor, the largest dromaeosaur species found in the Southern Hemisphere. This particular male is seen looking for fish in a slow-moving river, an adaptation that makes him very different from his more hawk-like relatives, which is helped by how he’s very similar to a blue heron. Due to how young he is, the Austroraptor has a hard time getting used to catching prey, made even harder by being constantly interrupted by a nearby herd of Dreadnoughtus (Another returning face from Season 1) feeding on leaves, with the broken branches falling into the river and scaring off the fish. And they’re not afraid to throw their bulk around, as they constantly ram into trees to get to more leaves, causing more branches to fall down to the river and scare the fish off. The Austroraptor calls out to the herd…only to get spooked off by one of the titanosaurs glaring at him.

The scene that plays next shows a group of strange creatures in particular; crocodilians. The whole segment is one big love-letter to many of the weird crocodilians that were around at this particular time and place, showing off the various lifestyles that they have, and comparing them to how they differ from their modern relatives. Armadillosuchus being a hardy little burrower, Sphagesaurus playing the role of a small plant-eater, Stratiotosuchus acting as the main predator (With one in particular feeding on the corpse of a dead Gondwanatitan, etc. Unlike many of the other segments, this one is based on a certain group of animals that were together in the same place. While a few segments from previous episodes respectively had crocodilians, it’s here that the croc-meter ramps up to eleven.

We then cut to a herd of Aeolosaurus looking for materials to build their nests with. Meanwhile, a lone female Bonapartenkyus is also setting up her nest. Unfortunately for her, she gets disrupted from her nest-building by the Aeolosaurus herd, who don’t even notice her most of the time. This scene is mainly played for laughs, and it definitely continues the thread of a herd of sauropods unintentionally screwing over some hapless theropod while they mind their own business.

The focus of this next segment revolves around Stegouros. This small ankylosaur is seen feasting on ferns and other plants, with a small enantiornithine bird serving as an added pair of eyes. Similar to the relationship between birds and plenty of large animals alive today, the Stegouros and the enantiornithine bird are in a symbiotic relationship; The former protects the latter, and the latter picks off any parasites that might be feeding on the former’s blood. The exact kind of symbiosis is mutualism; Both parties get something out of their relationship, helping each other in the process.

A pair of Abelisaurus take the mantle of being the focus for the next segment, just sleeping near the carcass of a dead Barrosasaurus that they happen to come across. Having eaten their fill for the time being, the couple rest for the time being. A flock of birds, attracted by the prospect of food, comes over to the two theropods in order to pick food off of their teeth, also displaying a symbiotic relationship similar to the Stegouros from the previous scene.

The next scene that plays after is about Keresdrakon, a type of pterosaur. It’s mating season, and many male Keresdrakon are courting females, except for one. The main male struggles to find a mate before the mating season ends, having to deal with rival males. Once he does find a suitable mate, the male Keresdrakon has to fight one more rival before he could court her. Similar to how many species of birds pair up for life, the male Keresdrakon and his mate stay together long after the mating season ends.

The last scene of the episode revolves around a pair of Groebertherium coming out of their burrow to forage for food at night. After making a narrow escape from a young (and hungry) Aerotitan, the pair crawl up a tree, only to look up and see the stars. Not much happens in this last segment, but what it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in sheer spectacle. 

South America- Uncovered; The animal that gets discussed in this Uncovered segment is Austroraptor, along with how diverse the raptor dinosaurs could be. Given how this species appears to be a piscivore (An animal that mainly feeds on fish), Austroraptor is used as an example of the various lifestyles and niches that dromaeosaurus had, especially when they’re closely related to birds.

Poles- (Maybe the most varied episode of the lot, using fauna from both the North and South Poles)

The last episode of the season begins with Diplomoceras, the fabled “paper-clip” ammonite. It’s spawning season in the Southern Ocean, and many Diplomoceras rise from the depths to spawn. While this is happening, a few Taniwhasaurus are seen swimming around the mass spawning. While they take time to look on in curiosity, the Diplomoceras carry on with their spawning. And before anyone asks; Yes, the Diplomoceras have bioluminescence that they use for their mating displays, just like the Scaphitids from Season 1.

The episode then cuts to an area between Alaska and the North Pole, where the main animal of the segment is another familiar species from the previous season; Pachyrhinosaurus. It’s winter, and food is scarce. A herd of Pachyrhinosaurus, in an attempt to find more food, go and ram into trees. The leaves and berries that fall out due to the constant headbutting are what the herd’s looking for. This is a skill that’s become an adaptation for the herd over countless generations, with the scene showing it in action.

The next scene shown cuts to Trinisaura. While coelurosaurian theropods are the main example to turn to whenever someone thinks about feathered dinosaurs, it’s possible that many small ornithopod dinosaurs (including Kulindadromeus), had a fuzzy coat to regulate their body temperature. The Trinisaurua are shown to have fuzzy coats that they use to keep themselves warm while roaming their chilly home. They also display camouflage when hiding from a wandering Imperobator. However, the group’s camouflage is put to the test when the Imperobator is able to track one down with his powerful sense of smell. This leads into an explosive chase, with the predator being left in the dust after the individual he was chasing manages to get away, showing how most hunts fail more than they succeed.

The scene that plays afterwards is about a Cryodrakon flying north for the winter in search of food. Similar to the Phosphatodraco from Season 1, the Cryodrakon is shown to be an active predator on the ground, making her a threat to the small animals within the snowy forest that she eventually lands in, with some hapless thescelosaur being her target.

We then cut to a scene featuring a male Gorgosaurus, shown looking for a female to court during the mating season in the spring. Just like the T. rex from “Freshwater”, the main male uses a dot on his throat, along with his low-frequency calls, to court a female. All of this takes place in a field of wildflowers, which were beginning to evolve during the Cretaceous, with pollinators such as primitive bees flying around.

The next scene then shows herds of Edmontosaurus (The last of the creatures from Season 1 to make a return) making their migration towards warmer regions, while dealing with a harsh blizzard. One of the youngsters gets separated during the winter storm, and has to wander in search of his family. During this segment, the segment goes into detail about the month of darkness that the animals in this part of the world experience every year. While the young Edmontosaurus looks for his herd, he’s stalked by a pack of Latenivenatrix. Just as hope seems lost, the youngster eventually finds his herd passing by. The predators quickly get scared off by this, the segment ends with the youngster and his mother, now both reunited.

The finale of not only the episode, but also the season in general, is set in an upper part of the Western Interior Seaway (Think somewhere in what will become Canada), where multiple Tylosaurus hunt for squid in the deep ocean, similar to sperm whales. The focus centers around a young male, hunting for prey in deep water, where he comes across a rather large Enchotethis. This leads into an impressive battle between the two sea monsters, not unlike battles between sperm whales and giant squid. After winning and devouring his prize, the young male comes back to the surface, where the Northern Lights dances across the night sky, creating a true spectacle to behold. And just like the Hatzegopteryx from Season 1, the music really explodes into a grand, triumphant melody to end the season off (Think of it as a more epic version of the Mosasaur Battle track from the previous season), not only using a bookend in the form of a species that appeared in the first episode, but also showing how expressive, diverse, and incredible life is on our “Prehistoric Planet”.

Poles- Uncovered; The science of feathers on ornithopod dinosaurs is discussed. While it’s clear that people are used to the idea of feathers on theropod dinosaurs, the same idea applying to ornithopods, like Trinisaura, isn't talked about as much.  Kulindadromeus is a species that gets talked about as an example, showing how these small, plant-eating dinosaurs could have feathers in the same way as their theropod counterparts. The chase sequence between the Trinisaura and Imperobator even gets brought up to further prove the point, along with how Imperobator is part of a vast group of feathery theropods called paraves. And how this group also contains modern birds as well.

And with that, this was how I’d do a second season of PHP. Not only would I set it in a similar time to the first, a greater attention to other animals would be added in, along with a major shake-up to the themes of each episode. This project took me a good long while to come together, and even with how shaky some of the science is, I did my best to be as up-to-date on it as I can. Who knows? Maybe the official PHP season 2 we could get in the future turns out to be different from what I presented here? I dunno At the end of the day, I’m just happy that we even got this show to begin with. Funny swimming T. rexes will always been a sight for me to behold. Wanna give the folks over at the Paleo Media Central Discord server a huge shout-out. The input that they gave for the rough draft of this project was a huge help!

[dannyhellman]

David Paleo is one of 74 contributors to JACKED TRACTS, a spirited satire of those notorious Christian comic tracts that thrilled & traumatized us as kids. Sign up now at the pre-campaign page so you won't miss our launch, coming soon at @WeAreZoop!

[chimera-gui]

I’m reminded of a YouTube video Jack from Subjectively did on the three major categories of paleo art which I made a post linking to a while back

On a related note; if you’re looking for something dinosaur related, I’d recommend Sauria: a film series made by David Armsby that shows how the scientific and fantasy categories of paleo art can compliment each other rather than conflict with each other:

So many dinosaur specials were like "grrr dinosaurs were NOT big stupid tail dragging sad lizards like they showed in old bad terrible wrong media!!" and I get they're countering misinformation yes but frankly if they were like that it'd rule anyway.

[inspirehealthandspirit]

Grains. The Top Ingredient Keto, Paleo, Whole 30 Agree You Should Avoid

What Is the Ingredient? Grains Yup, grains. You may have guessed it, also known as wheat, corn, rice, rye, barley, bulgur, sorghum, triticale, millet, oats, and teff. Or more commonly known as bread, pasta, processed foods, fast foods, baked goods, etc. It wasn't until recently that I realized all the "diets" like Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, and Wheat Belly lifestyles all agree on eliminating grains and of course sugar. But don't we already know that? I've noticed brain fog clears, energy levels go up, and mental wellness improves when removing grains. Recently, I fell back into poor eating habits. It happens to us all. You go out to eat once or twice and eat bread, fried food, etc., and it happens just like that, and you're back into your old routine. And just like that, you're feeling poorly again. But is it really the fried food or the grains? If you suffer from seasonal allergies, it may not be pollen but food allergies or sensitivities that are the real culprit. You may have gluten or corn sensitivity. You can try food allergy/sensitivity tests at home to determine if you have sensitivities. You can read more about that discovery in the 5 Day Cleanse -AHA moment. Below is the comparison of Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, Wheat Belly, and AIP lifestyles. It is easy to notice that all lifestyles agree that you should avoid grains and sugar. Of course, we all know at this point that sugar should be avoided. What are Paleo, Keto, Whole 30, Wheat Belly, and AIP? LifestyleMeatsDairyFruitVeggiesLegumesNuts/FatsAvoidAvoid Why avoid Grains? Grains can cause inflammation, digestion issues, gluten sensitivity, joint pain, and more. But let's focus on the many benefits of going grain-free. Benefits of Going Grain Free Improve your mood Reduce anxiety Clear brain fog Prevention of dementia - read Grain Brain for more on this and Alzheimers Relief from acid reflux Reduced joint pain Relief from allergies Improved skin Reduce inflammation Relief from digestion issues Recommended Reading - No Time To Read, Try Audible for on-the-go listening I am now proposing that we yank that big chunk out of our diets. This is because, by eliminating grains, you eliminate the appetite-stimulating effects that encourage consumption of junk carbohydrates. William Davis, MD, Wheat Belly Total Health The origin of brain disease is in many cases predominatly dietary. Although several factors play into the genesis and progression of brain disorders, to a large extent numerous neurological afflictions often reflect the mistake of consuming too many carbs and too few healthy fats. David Perlmutter, MD, Grain Brain Gluten has been linked to coronary disease, arthritic conditions, cancer, diabetes, and thyroid disease. You name the symptoms, gluten is likely the cause. Jack Wolfson, The Paleo Cardiologist Take Away The takeaway from these comparisons is that avoiding grains and sugar is beneficial, and most seem to agree. As I've said before, over and over, no two people are the same; therefore, no two people will have the same results or outcomes. Try an elimination diet to see how you feel after eliminating certain foods. Everyone will have an opinion on whether or not to eat meat or not. Eat grains or not. Be vegan/plant-based or be an omnivore. Both sides make claims about what you should or should not do. But none of them can say what will work for you. It's just a general theory on what they've seen. Not everyone is the same, so you must find what works for you by trying different eating habits and documenting how you feel. Take Your Time and Find What Works For You For instance, I know now that eating grains have caused me allergic reactions. Secondly, I know that I cannot eat a lot of red meat as it causes my triglycerides to rise and that I must take a high dose of fish oil to maintain healthy triglyceride levels. Knowing these things about your body will take effort, time, and focused energy to find what works for you. I encourage you to stick with it. Be your own advocate and detective in finding what is suitable for you. The efforts of my blog are to share my knowledge and experiences with you to see if something will work for you and not to tell you what you should or shouldn't do with your own body and health, but to be proactive in your wellness. Remember that other factors such as endocrine disruptors can also impact your health. You have to thoroughly assess contributing factors, including a food sensitivity test that can jump-start you in the right direction. Check out my course Health and Wellness Explained to start decoding what works for you and only you. I wish you peace and guidance on your journey. Take care and be well. Read the full article