Monthly Archives: August 2021

The distinction between mastodons and mammoths has been a matter of discussion for a long time. Mastodons are often confused with being directly related to mammoths. However, they are quite different from the latter species.

The distinction between mastodons and mammoths has been a matter of discussion for a long time. Mastodons are often confused with being directly related to mammoths. However, they are quite different from the latter species.

If you were asked to name types of whales, what would spring to your mind? Chances are you would think of the blue whale or the humpback whale. And why not? They are some of the most popular whales in existence. The blue whale is the largest animal to ever live. A recent fossil discovery of an ancient blue whale, named Leviathan or Livyatan, has proven that these behemoths have been roaming the waters for quite a while.

Have you ever wondered why cave bears have ‘cave’ in their names? The reason is quite simple: most of their fossils have been found in caves. Brown bears of today also use caves but they use them only for hibernation purposes. Cave bears, on the other, spent a great amount of their time in caves, as per experts.

Bone processing and jewelry making have been there since time immemorial. It all started with humans’ quest of making their loved ones happy by gifting them something handmade. They started creating bone jewelry that was loved by all and the same practice has been continued since then.

Dinosaurs are one of the – if not the – most amazing creatures to ever roam the earth. Ranging from the size of tiny birds to that of large buildings, these prehistoric animals once battled for dominance over the planet, but due to causes that aren’t completely clear, they went extinct around 66 million years ago. But that hasn’t stopped people – scientists and the common man, alike – from being fascinated by them, trying to study them and learning their secrets. Fossils play an important role in that.

Deinonychus, a 7-foot-long dinosaur belonging to a genus of dinosaurs known as maniraptors, or "hand-robbers." It has sharp claws on its hands and feet for capturing and holding prey and was known as the red terrible claw dinosaur. The hollow bones and long legs of the dinosaur indicate quick and agile mobility.

The Deinonychus exhibit is the world's sole genuine fossil example of its kind on display. The skeletons of Deinonychus and early birds are comparable, indicating that current birds are descended from small dinosaurs. Deinonychus could cling to its prey with its lethal front claws. Each foot swiveled one huge claw, ready to rip prey apart with a kick. When not in use, the claw was kept sharp by being stored out of the way. Deinonychus might have pursued Tenontosaurus. It's been speculated that Deinonychus lived and hunted in packs, based on the discovery of several hundred Deinonychus bones in a single quarry by paleontologists John Ostrom and Grant E. Meyer in southern Montana in 1964. Deinonychus remains are frequently found with skeletons of the ornithopod dinosaur Tenontosaurus, implying that it ate and possibly hunted them. The discovery of Deinonychus, a visibly active, nimble predator identified and described by John Ostrom, changed the scientific (and public) understanding of dinosaurs and opened the door to the hypothesis that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded.

After noticing parallels between Deinonychus' 'hand' and those of birds several years later, Ostrom resurrected the theory that birds are descended from dinosaurs. This concept is almost universally acknowledged thirty years later. In fact, Deinonychus and other dromaeosaurids seem so much like birds that it's been questioned if they're actual birds. This red terrible claw dinosaur may have carried feathers,

540 million years ago, there were trilobites, one of the biggest marine population with the most species back then that kept dotting the ocean floors for the next 270 million years before their existence came to an end. These 270 million were their era of glory when they survived, thrived, and eventually turned into rare trilobite fossils that continue to excite fossil enthusiasts.

Trilobites get their name from the Latin language where tri-lob-ite means three part body that are cephalon, thorax, and pygidium. In case you’re someone who loves knowing about fossils and their deep secrets, trilobites can be a great choice. They offer everything a fossil enthusiast looks for.

Here are 5 interesting facts about these rare trilobites that will leave you surprised:

1. There are more than 20,000 recorded species

   
   This one thing is enough to understand the scale at which trilobites survived and thrived the ocean waters. The extent of their existence was so huge that their fossils can be found in all parts of this globe, including the seven continents. They were one of the most successful marine creatures at that time.

2. They were all about diversity

   
   The number says it ll. To further elaborate it, trilobites were present in diversity, with a variety of features in terms of size, shape, and built. While some were 28-inch long, others were about just a millimetre. Some had larger eyes while others didn’t have it at all. The variety can also be observed in the form of defensive spines and smooth shells.

3. They witnessed the dawn of the Cambrian period

   
   The organisms that themselves are now extinct, came into existence at the time when the Cambrian period was at its decline. This period was a transforming chapter in our pla

Are you one of those people who think Pterosaurs are dinosaurs? If you are, then you are mistaken. These flying reptiles can be called a distant dinosaur cousin, but they aren’t dinosaurs. There are a lot of misconceptions about these extinct group of winged reptiles. In this blog, our aim is to clear up all those misconceptions by sharing with you some key facts about Pterosaurs. Let’s get started.

Pterosaurs Are Not Dinosaurs

It has been found that the only link between dinosaurs and Pterosaurs is a common ancestor, which is believed to have lived around 230 millions years ago. Beyond this, there are no connections between the two as both of them evolved along different pathways. A unique fact about Pterosaurs is that they dwelled on every continent on Earth. Yes, they inhabited even the Antartica as Antartica was a lot warmer all those millions years ago. They walked on Earth for about 150 million years and then went extinct.

Pterosaurs Were Not Birds Either

We all know that the birds we see in our skies today evolved from dinosaurs. But this evolution occurred a long time after dinosaurs and Pterosaurs had separated and gone in different directions. Again, it is true that birds and Pterosaurs are related, but their connection is as distant as the connection between dinosaurs and Pterosaurs. Pterosaurs, birds, bats, etc., all reached the stage of flying independently, but it was Pterosaurs who flew first in the evolution scale. It was the first vertebrate to achieve this feat.

They Were of Different Sizes

As many as 150 species of Pterosaurs have been identified by paleontologists. Some species had massive head crests while others featured pointy bills that were perfect for bre

It is no surprise that there is a widespread and pretty lucrative market for fossils. But did you know that it was a Tyrannosaurus fossil that was excavated in 1990 and auctioned for a whopping $7.6 million that set off this fossil frenzy? It has been often referred to as the “modern gold rush.” Expensive fossils began to be treated as status symbols, which inevitably drew in both rich buyers and unethical sellers looking to make a quick buck. And that also led to the emergence of fake and forged fossils. Even today, this is an issue that plagues both fossil collectors and paleontologists. The market is flooded with enhanced fossils, composite fossils, reconstructed fossils, fossil casts, and fossils that are outright fake. Some of these are easy to identify, but some counterfeits can be quite hard to spot. While professionals use a number of techniques including CT scan and synchrotron, if you are a novice, here are some of the ways in which you can differentiate between fake and authentic fossils:

1. Price

   
   If you ever see a rare dinosaur fossil being sold for a just a few thousand dollars, chances are it is a fake. When it comes to fossils, you should be wary of unbelievably cheap prices because that usually indicates that either the fossil is a forgery or it has a low commercial value. If you are on a bidding site, it is best to steer clear of items that no one else seems to be bidding on.

2. Place of origin

   
   If you think you will come across fossils while mowing your lawn, you are wrong. Real fossils are only ever found in certain rock formations, which can be identified through geological maps. In the US, places like Colorado and Utah have some of the most fossil-rich sites, while countries like China and Mongolia account for a large percentage of fossils discovered abroad. When buying fossils, you should always ask for detailed information about pla