Archaeopteryx, the ‘first bird’, has fascinated people since the first mostly complete specimen was dug out of a quarry in Bavaria in 1861. Along with a number of other dinosaurs and early birds, researchers have now been able to look at the microstructural features of fossilised feathers of the animal, and determine that its … [Read more…]
Happy birthday to Mary Anning (21 May 1799 – 9 March 1847) – one of the most important women to influence the history of science. I’m excited to see that Mary Anning – pioneering British female fossil hunter and palaeontologist – is rocking the Google doodle today, on what would have been her 215th birthday. Anning made … [Read more…]
Flying Dinosaurs: A night at the museum Join us at the Australian Museum for an evening of fascinating new dinosaur revelations! When: Thursday 29 May 2014 Where: Australian Museum, Sydney, enter via William St entrance Time: 6:15pm (for 6:30pm start) – 8:30pm Cost: $20 BOOK TICKETS We have learnt more about dinosaurs in the two … [Read more…]
Epidexipteryx hui China, Mid- to Late Jurassic (152–168 million years ago), described 2008 This odd pigeon-sized dinosaur found in China’s Inner Mongolia Province had a downy covering of fuzz for insulation and four long, ribbon-like feathers that emerged from its tail and were probably used for display. Weirder still were Epidexipteryx’s incredibly long fingers – … [Read more…]
Gigantoraptor erlianensis Mongolia, Late Cretaceous (80–95 million years ago), described 2007 This species was discovered accidentally by Xu Xing while he was shooting a TV show in Inner Mongolia in 2005. Filming had to stop because he was so excited. The largest member of the parrot-beaked oviraptorosaur group – at 8 metres long and 4 … [Read more…]
Microraptor gui China, Early Cretaceous (110–120 million years ago), described 2003 Hundreds of specimens of several similar species of this four-winged flier have been found in Liaoning. Studies revealed these animals had feathers that were blue-black with an iridescent sheen, similar to a crow, and serrations in their teeth suggest that fish were part of … [Read more…]
Sinornithosaurus millenii China, Early Cretaceous (120–125 million years ago), described 1999 Around 1 metre long when fully grown, Sinornithosaurus was a small predatory dromaeosaur related to Deinonychus and Velociraptor. The first specimen was discovered by a team including Xu Xing in 1999 and became the fifth feathered species of dinosaur found in western Liaoning. The … [Read more…]
Columbia University Press have purchased the rights to publish Flying Dinosaurs: How fearsome reptiles became birds in the US and Canada! This is exciting as the book will reach a bigger audience across North America than if the Australian version had been distributed there alone. The book will be published at the same time as … [Read more…]
THE GOBI DESERT is a vast and remote area covering nearly 1,300sq.km of Mongolia and the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia. It stretches from Siberian wilderness in the north to the Tibetan Plateau in the South. Starkly beautiful and mysterious, it has become one of the world’s most important locations for new dinosaur fossils – … [Read more…]