Tag

Cretaceous

All articles tagged with #cretaceous

science13 hours ago•8 min saved

Denman Island Fossil Tail Confirms Pacific Coast Ornithomimosaurs Roamed Western North America

Paleontologists on Denman Island, off British Columbia, recovered a tail vertebra from an 80–75 million-year-old ornithomimosaur, the second dinosaur skeletal material found in the Nanaimo Group and the first from Canadian outcrops. The fossil suggests bird-like, ostrich‑like dinosaurs inhabited the ancient Pacific coastline and may have reached Denman Island via coastal currents, shoreline transport, or drifting carcasses. Dating to the Campanian, the find informs on the latitudinal distribution of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs along western North America and raises questions about coastal biogeography; the study was published in FACETS by Evans and colleagues.

via Sci.News|

#british-columbia #cretaceous #denman-island

science3 days ago•6 min saved

New Apex Predator Unearthed: Mosasaur Reclassified as Tylosaurus rex

A Perot Museum mosasaur specimen, previously identified as Tylosaurus proriger, has been reclassified as a new species, Tylosaurus rex, making it a 13.2-meter-long apex predator with a powerful jaw and serrated teeth; researchers also reassigned 12 other large mosasaurs to T. rex, prompting a rethink of mosasaur evolution and the diversity of Late Cretaceous oceans.

via ScienceAlert|

#cretaceous #fossilreclassification #mosasaur

science4 days ago•90 min saved

New Sea Tyrant: Meet Tylosaurus rex, a 43-foot Mosasaur

Scientists describe a new mosasaur species, Tylosaurus rex, from 80-million-year-old Texas fossils that could reach about 43 feet in length, possessed finely serrated teeth and powerful jaws, and likely dominated ancient seas; several specimens previously labeled as Tylosaurus proriger have been reclassified as this new species, highlighting ongoing revisions in mosasaur evolution and the Western Interior Seaway ecosystem.

via Live Science|

#cretaceous #mosasaur #paleontology

science4 days ago•2 min saved

Ancient insect with crablike claws named after Stray Kids

A 100‑million‑year‑old insect preserved in Myanmar amber has been named Carcinonepa libererrantes in homage to the K-pop group Stray Kids, notable for its rare crablike front claws likely used for grasping prey; CT scans helped place it among true bugs, highlighting convergent evolution with crustaceans.

via DOGO News|

#amber #cretaceous #insects

science11 days ago•4 min saved

Thailand Uncovers Southeast Asia’s Biggest Sauropod

In northeastern Thailand, researchers uncovered skeletal remains of Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, a massive sauropod about 90 feet long and weighing roughly 25–28 tons, dating to ~113 million years ago. The find highlights Southeast Asia’s sauropod diversity and paints a picture of a subtropical, riverine ecosystem with predators and other dinosaurs, expanding understanding of how these giant herbivores lived and why they grew so large.

via NBC News|

#cretaceous #nagatitan-chaiyaphumensis #paleontology

science13 days ago•6 min saved

Ancient Glow: 99-Million-Year-Old Firefly Illuminates Early Bioluminescence

A 99-million-year-old firefly fossil trapped in Burmese amber—the oldest confirmed Luciolinae—preserves bioluminescent organs, showing that modern fireflies evolved light production and diversified during the mid-Cretaceous, alongside dinosaurs.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amber #bioluminescence #cretaceous

science20 days ago•8 min saved

Cretaceous Colossi: Octopuses as Oceanic Apex Predators

New fossil analysis of Late Cretaceous octopus jaws, aided by high-resolution tomography and AI, shows early octopuses reached up to 20 meters in length and were apex predators that crushed hard prey, pushing back octopus origins to about 100 million years ago and suggesting complex, early cognitive behaviors.

via SciTechDaily|

#apex-predator #cretaceous #jaws

science27 days ago•35 min saved

Ancient Kraken: 62-Foot Giant Octopuses Roamed the Cretaceous Seas

Fossilized beaks from two giant Cretaceous octopuses suggest they grew up to 62 feet long and hunted in oceans about 100 million years ago, potentially rivalling apex predators like mosasaurs and plesiosaurs. Jaws show wear indicating they could dismantle hard-shelled prey, and signs of lateralized behavior imply brainier hunting patterns similar to modern octopuses, marking them as prehistoric top predators, though size estimates carry uncertainties.

via Yahoo|

#apex-predators #cephalopods #cretaceous

science28 days ago•41 min saved

Ancient Kraken Revealed: 60-Foot Octopus Dominated the Cretaceous Seas

Using high‑resolution tomography and AI on Cretaceous rocks from Japan and Vancouver Island, researchers reconstruct Nanaimoteuthis haggarti as a colossal 60‑foot octopus that ground shells and bones with a massive beak, likely making it an apex predator in its ecosystem and possibly among the oldest finned octopuses; the study also suggests brain lateralization, though that claim will need more evidence.

via Good News Network|

#cephalopods #cretaceous #fossils

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Antarctic Amber Reveals Ancient Forests at the South Pole

A fragment of amber found in West Antarctica, dating to 92–83 million years ago (mid-Cretaceous), indicates resin-producing trees once grew near the South Pole, suggesting ancient forested landscapes and a warmer climate; it is the first confirmed amber discovery in Antarctica and provides a direct glimpse into past ecosystems.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#amber #antarctica #cretaceous

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Cretaceous Kraken: 62-Foot Octopus Rewrites Ocean Predator Rules

Fossil jaws from two extinct Nanaimoteuthis species suggest octopuses could reach about 62 feet, making them possibly the largest invertebrates and top predators in the Cretaceous seas, capable of hunting hard-shelled prey and reshaping the marine food web alongside mosasaurs.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#cretaceous #giant-octopus #invertebrates

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Giant ancient octopuses hunted with dinosaurs, jaw fossils reveal

Researchers from Hokkaido University analyzed Late Cretaceous finned octopus jaws found in Japan and Vancouver Island using high‑resolution tomography and AI. They estimate these ancient cephalopods reached up to ~20 meters and were top predators alongside dinosaurs, with jaw wear indicating repeated, forceful predation on hard prey. This challenges the view that invertebrates were minor players in the Late Cretaceous marine ecosystems and suggests giant, apex invertebrate predators existed in that era.

via Fox News|

#cretaceous #dinosaurs #fossils

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Tiny Knysna footprints rewrite Southern Africa's dinosaur timeline

Scientists have uncovered dozens of 132-million-year-old dinosaur tracks in a small Brenton Formation outcrop near Knysna, South Africa, making them the youngest known footprints in southern Africa and evidence that dinosaurs persisted in the region after earlier lava flows; the tiny site suggests diverse trackmakers (theropods, possibly ornithopods, and maybe sauropods) and hints that more Cretaceous traces await discovery along the Western Cape coast.

via Science Daily|

#cretaceous #dinosaurs #fossils

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Ruling the Reefs: 19-Meter Cretaceous Kraken Unearthed

A Science study using Digital Fossil Mining reveals Nanaimoteuthis haggarti giant octopuses, potentially up to 19 meters, as apex predators in the Late Cretaceous, with beaks found in rocks and wear patterns on jaws suggesting hard-shell/bone crushing and possibly advanced cognition, indicating invertebrates shared top-predator status with mosasaurs and other marine reptiles.

via Ars Technica|

#cretaceous #digital-fossil-mining #giant-octopus

science1 month ago•3 min saved

Ancient 19-meter octopuses crushed bones in Cretaceous seas, study finds

Fossil beak analysis reveals giant Cretaceous octopuses up to about 19 m long that crushed bones and shells with powerful jaws, possibly rivaling mosasaurs in the oceans. Nanaimoteuthis haggarti may be the largest known invertebrate, with wear patterns and lateralization indicating sophisticated predation. Researchers reclassified several beaks and uncovered additional specimens (12 more beaks from 72–100 million-year-old rocks) using digital imaging, reshaping views of the Cretaceous marine ecosystem. Findings published in Science.

via The Guardian|

#beaks #cretaceous #octopus