Episode 507: Three New Troodontids from Mongolia, China, and Japan. Harenadraco, the sand dragon; Hypnovenator the sleep hunter; and Urbacodon norelli, Norell’s URBA-tooth are all lately named troodontids. Plus some new good child’s books and our sixth Di-Know-It-All Problem.
Information:
- The “sand dragon” from Mongolia, Harenadraco prima [sic], is the primary troodontid from the Baruungoyot Formation supply
- There’s a brand new troodontid dinosaur, Hypnovenator matsubaraetoheorum, present in a sleeping place in Japan supply
- There’s a brand new troodontid species, Urbacodon norelli, recognized for its giant distinctive tooth supply
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Di-Know-It-All Problem:
You possibly can win a big Spinosaurus tooth, fossilized leaf, and extra by successful our Di-Know-It-All Problem! Every week from episode 502 to 509 we’ll learn a puzzle on the present which you’ll enter to win by answering questions. This week you’ll be able to enter at bit.ly/dinochallenge507 and if you happen to’re a patron you’ll be able to reply the patron query at patreon.com/posts/110070921. All the principles for the problem are at bit.ly/dinochallenge24
The dinosaur of the day: Tianyuraptor
- Dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived within the Early Cretaceous in what’s now Liaoning, China (Yixian Formation)
- Lived about 122 million years in the past
- Appeared considerably like Velociraptor, however had a lot shorter arms
- In all probability coated in feathers
- No feathers discovered with Tianyuraptor
- Had a protracted tail, lengthy legs
- Tail was lengthy, at about 38 in (about 96 cm)
- Had sickle claws on the second toes
- Had a proportionally giant cranium, which was longer than the femur (thigh bone)
- Had stout tooth
- Medium-sized
- Estimated to be about 2 m lengthy (about 6.5 ft)
- Just like different raptors present in Liaoning, however extra basal
- Labeled as a basal microraptorine, although it’s a lot bigger than different recognized microraptorines (and never for sure it’s a microraptorine, as a result of it has some options but in addition some options of unenlagiines)
- Kind specimen had options that have been seen in dinosaurs that lived in Gondwana (Southern Hemisphere) and never Laurasia (Northern Hemisphere)
- Sixth dromaeosaur described from the Jehol Group (after two species of Sinornithosaurus, two species of Microraptor, and Graciliraptor)
- Had lengthy decrease legs, like different microraptorines (totally different from different dromaeosaurids, which have comparatively quick decrease legs)
- Had a small wishbone (furcula) and quick arms
- Arms have been solely 53% the size of the legs, which is totally different from different raptors (most have lengthy arms which are over 70% the size of the legs)
- In all probability couldn’t fly or glide, primarily based on the quick arms, small wishbone, and vast shoulder bones
- In all probability used its arms in several methods from different raptors (not for flying or catching prey)
- Possibly had feathers for show
- Had a number of distinctive options, such because the size of the center tail vertebrae have been greater than twice so long as the again vertebrae
- Helps present extra variety with dromaeosaurids (Microraptor, for instance had lengthy arms)
- One other dromaeosaurid that’s giant with proportionally quick arms present in Liaoning is Zhenyuanlong (although they’re not intently associated)
- Kind species is Tianyuraptor ostromi
- Named in 2009 by Xiaoting Zheng and others
- Genus title refers back to the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, the place the fossils are saved
- Genus title means “Tianyu’s robber”
- Species title ostromi is in honor of John Ostrom, for his contributions to the research of raptors
- Holotype is sort of full and totally articulated (solely lacking the top of the tail)
- Holotype might be a sub-adult, primarily based on having some elements of the skeleton unfused
- No gentle tissues preserved (many dinosaurs discovered from that space have gentle tissues preserved)
- 25 tail bones are preserved, they usually’re articulated (solely three at most considered lacking)
- Lived in a moist, humid local weather that additionally had dry seasons
- Had chilly winters
- Different dinosaurs that lived across the identical time and place embrace the ankylosaur Liaoningosaurus, the hadrosaur Jinzhousaurus, the compsognathid Sinosauropteryx, dromaeosaurs like Sinornithosaurus, troodontids like Jianianhualong, and plenty of birds
- Different animals that lived across the identical time and place embrace pterosaurs, reptiles, lizards, mammals, and fish
Enjoyable Truth:
Completely different theropods advanced totally different air sac techniques.
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