08/12/2020Interview by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Lauren Malin and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original interview click here.This week, we got in touch with the man behind the biomechanics. Palaeobiologist Doctor Stephan Lautenschlager talks about his unusual path into palaeontology, his favourite dinosaurs, and the differences between German and British universities. Stephan in the Lapworth Museum of Geology, under Roary … Continue reading Talking with… Stephan Lautenschlager →

01/12/2020Interview by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Lauren Malin and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original interview click here.This week, our virtual interview was with Emma Hanson, a third year PhD student studying micropalaeontology. We got to find out all about her current studies, how scientists are connecting with young people globally, and how palaeontology can lead to worldwide friendships. … Continue reading Talking with… Emma Hanson →

24/11/2020Interview by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Lauren Malin and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original interview click here.For the first entry in our virtual interview series, we got in touch with Welsh palaeontologist Professor Philip Donoghue for a chat about his extensive career, how he pioneered new research methods, how what happens in Swaledale may not stay there, and … Continue reading Talking with… Philip Donoghue →

03/12/2021Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Adam Manning and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here.Recently we were lucky enough to tag along to the Isle of Wight field course. In our first piece we explored Hanover Point, and in our second piece on this adventure, we explore what happened to a number of unfortunate dinosaurs. A group … Continue reading Sleeping Dinosaurs: The Hypsilophodon Bed of the Isle of Wight →

26/03/2021Article by: J. D. DixonConsultation: Kirsty Edgar and Richard ButlerEdited by: Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here.“The temperature was over a hundred degrees (…) beneath the great blue bowl of sky, blunted hills, exposed outcroppings of crumbling limestone, stretched for miles in every direction. There was not a tree, or a bush. Nothing but … Continue reading Virtual Field and Museum Skills: Part 1 →

12/03/2021Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Adam Manning and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here. A group of Istiodactylus escaping from a Baryonyx trying to catch them while scavenging on an iguanodontid carcass. Early Cretaceous of England. Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto. Name: Istiodactylus latidensName Meaning: Sail finger (Greek) wide tooth (Latin)Age: Early CretaceousDiet: CarnivoreLocation: Southern BritainIstiodactylus is a genus of large pterosaur known from two species across the globe. Of these species, Istiodactylus latidens was … Continue reading Istiodactylus latidens: The Confusing Carrion-Consumer →

15/01/2021Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Jack Wood, Lewis Haller, Adam Manning, and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here.Name: Crocuta crocuta spelaeaName Meaning: Cave HyaenaAge: PleistoceneDiet: CarnivoreWeight: Over 100 kgLocation: EuropeCrocuta crocuta spelaea is an extinct species of hyaena that is genetically related to Crocuta crocuta crocuta, the modern East-African spotted hyaena. However, this Pleistocene predator is estimated to have weighed near double … Continue reading Crocuta crocuta spelaea: Laughing in the Face of Extinction →

04/12/2020Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Adam Manning and Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here.Placoderms (Class Placodermi) are a group of prehistoric armoured fish known from global sediments. They are some of the earliest recognised gnathostomes (jawed vertebrates), and occupy a temporal range of at least 70 million years. While they first occurred in the Early Silurian of China, the … Continue reading Placoderms: Knights of the Aquatic Table →

06/11/2020Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Harry T. JonesRepublished. For the original article click here.The Jurassic Period started 201.3 ± 0.2 million years ago (Ma) and ended ~ 145.0 Ma. The period is named after the Jura Mountains, which are made up of limestone deposited during this time interval. The Jurassic is the second period of the Mesozoic … Continue reading The Jurassic Period →

09/10/2020Article by: J. D. DixonEdited by: Harry T. Jones and Jack WoodRepublished. For the original article click here. A reconstruction of Amargasaurus cazaui. Artwork by Scott Reid. Name: Amargasaurus cazauiName Meaning: The Lizard of La AmargaAge: Early CretaceousDiet: HerbivoreSize:  9.1 metres in length approx.Weight: 2,500 kg approx.Location: Neuquén Basin, ArgentinaAmargasaurus cazaui was a moderately sized species of sauropod, a group of long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs that first flourished … Continue reading Amargasaurus cazaui: The Spiny Sauropod →