Dinosaurs Lived In the Arctic, Research Suggests (theguardian.com) 47
An array of tiny fossils suggests dinosaurs not only roamed the Arctic, but hatched and raised their young there too. The Guardian reports: While dinosaur fossils have previously been found in the Arctic, it was unclear whether they lived there year-round or were seasonal visitors. Now experts say hundreds of fossils from very young dinosaurs recovered from northern Alaska indicates the creatures reproduced in the region, suggesting it was their permanent home. Prof Gregory Erickson, a palaeobiologist at Florida State University and a co-author of the research, said the discovery was akin to a prehistoric maternity ward, adding it was very rare to find remains of such young dinosaurs because they are so small and delicate.
Writing in the journal Current Biology, Erickson and colleagues reported how they analysed fossils recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Prince Creek Formation in a series of expeditions spanning a decade and involved the use of fine mesh screens to sift sediments. Though remains from dinosaurs have previously been found in the formation, none showed evidence of reproduction. But the new research has revealed the discovery of tiny teeth and bones from young dinosaurs, including those who were just about to hatch or had recently done so. The fossils, dating to around 70m years ago, came from large and small-bodied dinosaurs covering at least seven different types -- including duck-billed and horned dinosaurs. Teeth were also found from a young tyrannosaur, said Erickson, possibly just six months old.
While the findings rule out the idea that dinosaurs only moved north after reproduction, Erickson added that young hatched in the Arctic would have been too small to travel south for the winter. "Given long incubation periods, small hatching sizes, and the short Arctic summer, it is very unlikely the dinosaurs were migrating," he said. The team said the conclusion that the dinosaurs likely lived in the Arctic year-round is backed up by other evidence, including that many of the species have not been found in rocks of a similar age at lower latitudes. At the time that dinosaurs roamed the Arctic, the region would have lacked big polar ice caps and had conifer forests, but the researchers say the creatures still faced harsh conditions, with up to 120 days of continuous darkness in the winter and an average annual temperature of just above 6C.
Writing in the journal Current Biology, Erickson and colleagues reported how they analysed fossils recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Prince Creek Formation in a series of expeditions spanning a decade and involved the use of fine mesh screens to sift sediments. Though remains from dinosaurs have previously been found in the formation, none showed evidence of reproduction. But the new research has revealed the discovery of tiny teeth and bones from young dinosaurs, including those who were just about to hatch or had recently done so. The fossils, dating to around 70m years ago, came from large and small-bodied dinosaurs covering at least seven different types -- including duck-billed and horned dinosaurs. Teeth were also found from a young tyrannosaur, said Erickson, possibly just six months old.
While the findings rule out the idea that dinosaurs only moved north after reproduction, Erickson added that young hatched in the Arctic would have been too small to travel south for the winter. "Given long incubation periods, small hatching sizes, and the short Arctic summer, it is very unlikely the dinosaurs were migrating," he said. The team said the conclusion that the dinosaurs likely lived in the Arctic year-round is backed up by other evidence, including that many of the species have not been found in rocks of a similar age at lower latitudes. At the time that dinosaurs roamed the Arctic, the region would have lacked big polar ice caps and had conifer forests, but the researchers say the creatures still faced harsh conditions, with up to 120 days of continuous darkness in the winter and an average annual temperature of just above 6C.
Current Biology? (Score:1)
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>> "Dinosaurs: Did their farts cause climate change"
> Dinosaurs were prehistoric birds.
Birds still pass gas.
https://www.dailydot.com/parse... [dailydot.com]
Weisbrod goes on to describe how birds eat similar diets to many mammals who definitely flatulate but explains that he could not find any other accounts of bird flatulence at that time. (And apparently no scientist has stepped up to the plate to follow up on Weisbrod’s observation.)
But Laura Eriksen, a birder, educator, and blogger at the Cornell Lab of
Was today's Arctic the same for dinosaurs? (Score:4, Insightful)
My biggest question on RTFA is what about Earth Axis shifts? https://www.nationalgeographic... [nationalgeographic.com]
I would be interested to see what evidence the palaeobiologists have that the region the dinosaurs lived in had the same arctic weather we have today.
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> dinosaurs lived in had the same arctic weather we have today.
Dinosaurs were cold blooded. The couldn't have lived in the artic while it had "arctic weather".
Cold blooded? Then the arctic was perfect. (Score:2)
> dinosaurs lived in had the same arctic weather we have today.
Dinosaurs were cold blooded. The couldn't have lived in the artic while it had "arctic weather".
Hey, it's funny...
But what's not so funny is that I'm sure that more than 50% of "educated" adults wouldn't understand why a cold blooded animal would have a hard time living in the frigid arctic.
Re:Cold blooded? Then the arctic was perfect. (Score:5, Insightful)
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And how many of those birds live off the biomass from on land? So in arctic conditions, where plants don't really thrive, these massive dinosaurs would have survive on fish. We've already deviated from the mental picture of 99% of people who picture large land based dinosaurs and have entered the realm of pedantics. So in essence... welcome to slashdot.
Re:Was today's Arctic the same for dinosaurs? (Score:4, Informative)
> dinosaurs lived in had the same arctic weather we have today.
Dinosaurs were cold blooded. The couldn't have lived in the artic while it had "arctic weather".
Not only was the climate different - and much warmer than today [sciencedaily.com] - but there's also an ongoing debate about whether dinosaurs were warmblooded or cold blooded [livescience.com], or even mesothermic (something in-between). Current day dinosaurs - birds - are warm blooded, so one possibility is that at least some parts of the dinosaur family tree that the birds originate from were warm blooded.
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That's not about the arctic not having existed, that's about the tilt changing moisture distribution.
And the tilt has been oscillating between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees since shortly after the Theia Impact created the moon.
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My biggest question on RTFA is what about Earth Axis shifts? https://www.nationalgeographic... [nationalgeographic.com]
I would be interested to see what evidence the palaeobiologists have that the region the dinosaurs lived in had the same arctic weather we have today.
The climate was warmer [sciencedaily.com] - at least during the Cretaceous. According to the article, there was no permanent ice - and the ocean temperatures were up to 35 C.
Here's a very nice article from BBC about dinosaurs roaming Antarctica. [bbcearth.com]
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Antarctica was not in its present location.
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Sea surface temps (Score:1)
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I don't know anyone who thinks that published scientists are infallible. I also don't know any adults who aren't familiar with the idea of plate tectonics. Conversely, I have observed many, many people on Slashdot suggesting that a study--which they have not skimmed--is worthless because it probably fails to account for something that everyone learned in the 8th grade.
If you're inclined to provide something more useful that your "pro-tip," please find the XKCD that is most on-point. TIA.
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I have to admit I do this too. It flatters me to think that maybe my worldview--unencumbered by advanced scientific knowledge--allows me to advance FTL travel by suggesting that we put a really fast racecar on a train that is already going the speed of light. https://xkcd.com/675/ [xkcd.com]
But before posting, I try to guess the odds that my ignorance is more useful than the collective knowledge of an entire field of study. As a result, I only post about half of these notions.
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No, climate much closer to planetary median than current one. Most people forget that we live in an exceptionally cold period in planet's history, coming out of an Ice Age.
Dinosaurs lived during age of much higher energy state of the planetary surface. It's how they could grow as big as they did and keep themselves fed. Plant life was far more energy dense as well.
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Median, not average.
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Tell me, what do you think "median" does to edge case outliers?
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So much for "Chinese are really good at math" stereotype, eh?
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It's honestly funny how I think that you can't possibly be more stupid than I think you are after every major interaction we have.
And then you always prove me wrong.
I will wait for our next major interaction, where I hope you will again top the level of stupidity you're currently espousing. Don't make me wait too long!
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It's infinitely hilarious to me how you still clearly don't know what median is.
Look, I found a (Score:2)
Rexsicle
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Dinosaurs are still living in the arctic (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Dinosaurs are still living in the arctic (Score:4, Informative)
Millions of penguins in the arctic certainly would be news. They mostly live in the antarctic.
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"Penguins are found in ANTarctica, and elsewhere mostly in the southern hemisphere, and as far north as the Galapagos islands, but no farther north ;-)"
I saw some penguins in New Jersey a few years ago, but they were not in their natural environment, they were in an aquarium. I think these were originally Australian penguins, but they are also native to New Zealand. In 1975 we surprised a pair that had a nest under one of the huts our high school class was staying in on Snake Point in the Marlborough Sound
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Tinker science (Score:2)
Fine mesh screen? (Score:2)
All those dinosaurs, fighting for their planet.
Men, you're lucky men. Soon, you'll all be fighting for your planet. many of you will be dying for your planet. A few of you will be put through a fine mesh screen for your planet. They will be the luckiest of all.