A new species of South American fossil terror bird called Llallawavis scagliai (“Scaglia’s Magnificent Bird”) is shedding light on the diversity of the group and how these giant extinct predators interacted with their environment. The new species, described in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, is the most complete terror bird ever […]
Posts Tagged ‘Russel T Sajeev’
WFS: Ariyalur Fossils : INOCERAMUS
April 10th, 2015 
Riffin Some species of clams (bivalves) grew to giant size in the late Cretaceous, attaining diameters of four feet or more. In cross section, these shells are composed of prismatic (calcitic) crystals. The inner, nacreous (Mother of Pearl) layer of the shell (composed of aragonite) was usually dissolved during fossilization and the outer portion is usually […]
Ancient seashell coloration patterns revealed using ultraviolet light
April 8th, 2015 Riffin Nearly 30 ancient seashell species coloration patterns were revealed using ultraviolet (UV) light, according to a study published April 1, 2015 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Jonathan Hendricks from San Jose State University, CA. Unlike their modern relatives, the 4.8-6.6 million-year-old fossil cone shells often appear white and without a pattern when viewed […]
WFS : Ariyalur Cretaceous fossils : Arctostrea
April 5th, 2015 Riffin This is a Cretaceous aged fossil oyster of the species Rastellum carinatum from Dalmiapuram. It has wide, angled ribs that have led to it being called the ‘denture clam’. The zig-zag join between the two shells stopped coarse dirt and debris entering the shell and damaging its soft body. Like modern oysters it lived in […]
Paralycoptera: first dinosaur-era fish from HongKong
April 3rd, 2015 Riffin A ~147 million-year-old Jurassic-aged osteoglossoid osteoglossomorph fish Paralycoptera from outcrops at Lai Chi Chong has been described. This fossil represents the first dinosaur-era fish — as well as vertebrate — from Hong Kong to be identified. The fossil was rediscovered in the collections of the Stephen Hui Geological Museum by Mr. Edison Tse Tze-kei, graduate […]
Saurichthys rieppeli, a new species of bony fish from the Middle Triassic
April 1st, 2015 Riffin Working with an international team, paleontologists at the University of Zurich have discovered two new species of Saurichthys. The ~242 million year old predatory fishes were found in the fossil Lagerstätte Monte San Giorgio, in Ticino. They are distinct from previously known Saurichthys species in the shape of the head and body, suggesting different habitats […]
Metoposaurus algarvensis was top predator ?
March 25th, 2015 Riffin A previously undiscovered species of crocodile-like amphibian that lived during the rise of dinosaurs was among Earth’s top predators more than 200 million years ago, a study shows. Palaeontologists identified the prehistoric species — which looked like giant salamanders — after excavating bones buried on the site of an ancient lake in southern Portugal.The species […]
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Tags: Metoposaurus algarvensis, predator, Riffin T Sajeev, Russel T Sajeev, WFS, world fossil society 
No Comments »A stiff new layer in Earth’s mantle
March 24th, 2015 Riffin By crushing minerals between diamonds, a University of Utah study suggests the existence of an unknown layer inside Earth: part of the lower mantle where the rock gets three times stiffer. The discovery may explain a mystery: why slabs of Earth’s sinking tectonic plates sometimes stall and thicken 930 miles underground. The findings — published […]
Carnufex carolinensis : predator roles before dinosaurs
March 23rd, 2015 Riffin A newly discovered crocodilian ancestor may have filled one of North America’s top predator roles before dinosaurs arrived on the continent. Carnufex carolinensis, or the “Carolina Butcher,” was a 9-foot long, land-dwelling crocodylomorph that walked on its hind legs and likely preyed upon smaller inhabitants of North Carolina ecosystems such as armored reptiles and early […]
Beetles beat out extinction ?
March 21st, 2015 Riffin Today’s rich variety of beetles may be due to an historically low extinction rate rather than a high rate of new species emerging, according to a new study. These findings were revealed by combing through the fossil record. “Much of the work to understand why beetles are diverse has really focused on what promotes speciation,” […]
Posted in Featured Post Tags: Beetles, extinction, Riffin T Sajeev, Russel T Sajeev, WFS, world fossil society No Comments »
