Macrocollum itaquii: Uncovering Clues to Early Dinosaur Evolution

On the 21st of November 2018 research was published in the Journal of The Royal Society about the discovery of a new species of dinosaur named Macrocollum itaquii. In this article I examine this dinosaur discovery and what it means for understanding early dinosaur evolution during the Triassic era.

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Rare Juvenile Diplodocid Skull Found in Montana: Implications for Sauropod Growth and Development

On the 11th of October 2018 research was published in the Journal of Scientific Reports about a relatively rare find of a juvenile diplodocid skull. This article will examine this fossil discovery and what it means for understanding young sauropod ontogeny (development).

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Caelestiventus Hanseni: New Triassic Pterosaur Fossil Discovery

On the 13th of August 2018 a new palaeontological discovery was announced in the Journal of Nature Ecology & Evolution. This discovery was of a new species of pterosaur called Caelestiventus hanseni its name meaning “heavenly wind”, it lived during the Triassic 210 million years ago, predating known pterosaur relatives by 65 million years. This article will discuss this incredible fossil discovery. Examining where it was found, the analysis that took place and what this fossil means for understanding pterosaur evolution.

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New Chinese Sauropod Lingwulong shenqi shocks Palaeontologists

On the 24th of July 2018 new research was published by palaeontologists in the Journal of Nature Communications about the amazing discovery of a new sauropod from China a Diplodocoid called Lingwulong shenqi its name meaning “amazing dragon of Lingwu.”

This article will examine this fossil discovery, the research that has taken place and what it means for palaeontological understanding of the evolution of sauropods.

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Rare Middle Jurassic Dinosaur Footprints Discovered at Brothers’ Point, Isle of Skye

On the 2nd of April 2018 research was published by Palaeontologists from the University of Edinburgh, Staffin Museum and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Scottish Journal of Geology.

This research focused on the discovery and analysis of sauropod and theropod Dinosaur fossil footprints from the Mid Jurassic found in the Lealt Shale Formation at Rubha nam Brathairean (Brothers’ Point) on the Isle of Skye. This article will examine this discovery, the research that took place and what was found.

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Enantiornithes Fossil Analysis: Revolutionary Avian Development Insights

On the 5th of March 2018 avian fossil research led by Dr Fabien Knoll from the University of Manchester’s Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life (ICAL) was published in the journal of Nature Communications.

This research focused on the fossil discovery of a very young Enantiornithes, a prehistoric group of bird from the Early Cretaceous. This article will explain more about this discovery and its importance for understanding ancient avian development.

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Pliosaurus! Exhibition: Unraveling the Fossil and Volunteering Experience

On the 9th December 2017 I started volunteering at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery for their Pliosaurus! Exhibition which ran from June 2017 until the 18th of February 2018. This interactive museum exhibition focused on the 8 metre long fossil of the marine reptile Pliosaurus carpenteri, the only known specimen of its species and a rare example of a relatively complete Pliosaur. In this article I explain more about the fossil, my volunteer role, what I enjoyed about the exhibition and what I think the impact of it has been.

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Dinosaur Locomotion: Insights From Ground Dwelling Birds

On the 21st of February research was published in the Journal of PLOS One about a new study on the influence of ground dwelling Birds speed and size on locomotion (walking & running) to help gain an understanding as to how Theropod Dinosaurs might have moved. 12 species of bird were recorded on specially built running tracks by researchers in Australia with computer models extrapolating the data. This article will examine this research and what it could mean for the future of palaeontology.

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Chicxulub Impact: Linking Meteorite to Global Volcanism

On the 8th of February research was published in the Journal of Science Advances about the K-T event (Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction event which killed the dinosaurs). The research presented evidence for the global magmatism (activation of Magma around the world) as a result of the Chicxulub Meteorite impact. This article will examine this study and what it means for paleontology.

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Mansourasaurus Shahinae: A New Titanosaur Discovery in Egyptian Sahara

On the 29th of January a new species of sauropod Mansourasaurus shahinae was announced to have been discovered by palaeontologists in the Egyptian Desert. A surprising fossil find as North Africa is not well known for major dinosaur discoveries, this article will examine this fascinating dinosaur discovery and what the implications of this fossil find are for palaeontologists in the North of Africa.

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