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Obscure Dinosaur of the Week - Bagaraatan ostromi

28/4/2012

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Name: Bagaraatan ostromi
Etymology: From Mongolian baga meaning "small", and araatan meaning "predator", and in honour of Dr. John H. Ostrom.
Distribution: Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian, 83.5 - 65.5 Ma) of Ömnögovi, Mongolia
Type Specimen: Caudal vertebrae, fragmentary left mandible, pelvis, tibia, fibula, pedal phalanges and femur.
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Interesting fact - Bagaraatan ostromi was not a tail-wagger
The caudal (tail) vertebrae of B. ostromi are strongly fused, restricting horizontal and vertical movement, thereby making the tail very rigid. As the tail was also relatively muscular, it is likely that it acted not solely as a counter balance, but was the result of modification for increased running speed. Relative to its overall body size, and when compared to other similar sized therapods, the skull and hindlimb of B. ostromi are quite slender. All the above evidence suggests that B. ostromi was a long legged, agile, fast moving predator.
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The slender mandible (lower jaw) of B. ostromi. From Osmólska, 1996.
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B. ostromi is classified as a tyrannosauroid, within theropoda.

References
    Osmólska, H. 1996. An unusual theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 41(1):1-38.
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Productive procrastination = producstination!

28/4/2012

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Apart from the fun of creating pretty slides, working on my confirmation presentation all week has actually given me some insight into how I should structure my confirmation document. Because that was totally the reason I was doing it, not to procrastinate at all, no no...
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Introducing... Obscure Dinosaur of the Week!

21/4/2012

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Welcome to the first entry of Obscure Dinosaur of the Week! Each week, I will write about a dinosaur that is not in popular media, but I think still deserves mention, starting from A through to Z. It's truly astonishing to see just how many dinosaurs have been discovered and described but aren't widely known by the general public. The point of these entries is to remind everyone of the diversity of dinosaurs, beyond Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops!

Each entry will detail the genus and species name, meaning behind the name (etymology), how old it is, where it was found, and the fossils first ascribed to it. I'll also include a few interesting facts, and a timeline to indicate exactly how old it is relative to other periods. So, I hope you enjoy Obscure Dino of the Week! To begin, let me introduce... Alwalkeria!
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Name: Alwalkeria maleriensis
Etymology: In reference to British palaeontologist Alick D. Walker, and the Maleri Formation in which the holotype was found. This genus was originally named Walkeria, but was changed to Alwalkeria due to a previously described bryozoan (Walkeria Fleming, 1823) occupying the same name.
Distribution: Late Triassic (Carnian, 235-230 Ma) of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Type Specimen:  ISI R.306 - Partial skull, several vertebrae, hindlimb elements.
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Reconstruction of A. maleriensis, but is it accurate? Image sourced from dinoweb
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Carnian, Late Triassic: 235-230 Ma
Interesting fact - Is Alwalkeria a chimera?
The first described fossil material of A. maleriensis included a partial skull, several vertebrae, and hindlimb elements. It was thought to belong to coelophysoidae; relatively small, bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs. However, it is now thought to be a chimera; the original fossil actually consisting of multiple animal remains (including an ornithosuchid and prolacertiformes (both ancient reptiles), and a saurischian (a "lizard hipped" dinosaur)). If part of the fossil (specifically, an ankle bone) is indeed saurischian, then this may one of the oldest basal saurischians known and should be correctly classified.
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The possible basal saurischian ankle bone (astragalus), described as A. maleriensis.
Image from Chatterjee, 1987.

References
    Chatterjee, S. 1987. A new theropod dinosaur from India with remarks on the Gondwana-        Laurasia connection in the Late Cretaceous. In: McKenzie, G.D. (Ed.). Gondwana Six: Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Paleontology. Geophysical Monograph 41. Washington, D.C.: American Geophysical Union. Pp. 183–189.
    Chatterjee, S. & Creisler, B.S. 1994. Alwalkeria (Theropoda) and Murturneria (Plesiosauria), new names for preoccupied Walkeria Chatterjee, 1987, and Turneria Chatterjee and Small, 1989. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 14(1): 142.
    Remes, K. and Rauhut, O. W. M. 2005. The oldest Indian dinosaur Alwalkeria maleriensis Chatterjee revised: a chimera including remains of a basal saurischian; p. 218 in Kellner, A. W . A., Henriques, D .D. R. and Rodrigues, T. (eds.), II Congresso Latino-Americano de Paleontologie de Vertebrados. Boletim de Resumos. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro.
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I am the 3D master!

11/4/2012

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Or so I like to think! I am really just getting to grips with Maya, but I'm already seeing really good results.
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C'mon Maya, try a little harder, I don't think you have nearly enough toolbars...
I've finished the photogrammetry side of things using Photoscan, and now the models are in Maya! Here's a photo of the real thing, compared with the model in Maya:
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I've said it before and I'll say it again, 3D modelling makes everything better! Not only do I now have an excellent image database for future reference, I also have something I can add into presentations. Now to learn how to animate...
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Annoyingly true!

10/4/2012

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Rock sawing update

1/4/2012

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Last week my supervisors and I successfully sawed off a fossil vertebrae-bearing portion of a large concretion. Because we were concerned about the stability of the vertebra undergoing further rock sawing, we've sunk the bone rich end of the concretion into resin. Today's the big day: will the vertebra survive the rock saw? Will we see significant changes in cement composition in the vertebra versus the surrounding rock? And will a long dead ornithopod come back to haunt me for hacking its spine in two? Find out in Part 2: Jeez I hope this works!
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    About the author

    Dr Caitlin Syme is a palaeontologist studying the taphonomy (preservation state) of fossil non-avian dinosaurs, crocodiles and fish from the Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia. Think forensic science or CSI for fossils, and you're on the right track!

    Posts on this blog focus mainly on vertebrate palaeontology and taphonomy, as well early career researcher (ERC) productivity tips and insights.


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