Discovery Gateway Children's Museum’s Post

What nice teeth you have! Despite being profoundly different in size, these two partial lower jaws (shown at the same scale) come from closely related animals that lived at approximately the same time. The tooth in the upper panel is identified as Protolabis whereas the jaw in the lower panel is Australocamelus, both of which are fossil camels. The dramatic differences between these two specimens highlights how animals living within the same ecosystem can evolve into drastically different morphologies in order to fill different niches and avoid competition. These fossils, along with many others, were discovered in ~15-million-year-old sediments by the Bargas paleontology team during surveys of BLM lands near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Note: Protolabis and Australocamelus should be italicized, but LinkedIn and Instagram are anti-typography. 🤳: Joseph (Joe) El Adli #TeamBargas #Paleontology #Camels #Fossils #FossilFriday

I've been invited as a guest speaker for the upcoming Queensland Teachers' dinner function, where we'll explore the topic of "Sustainability: A Deep Time Perspective." I'll touch on recent extinctions: here is Steller's Sea Cow, a relative of today's Dugong, which vanished from our oceans just over 250 years ago (based on the specimen from the Natural History Museum Vienna, NHMW-Zoo-MAMM 614). Of course, I can't help myself by applying my novel method to estimate weight and Theoretical Maximum Speed (TMS). This visual comparison with with modern-day Dugong and my brother. #Paleontology #Sustainability #ScienceCommunication #DeepTime #ExtinctionAwareness #Blender3D #STEM

Dive deep into the discovery of Africa's last dinosaurs and their prehistoric world. #dinosaurs #paleontology #ancientworld 👉 👉Subscribe to our tech newsletter, The Blueprint, which is your daily source of tech, science, and engineering innovation. Here you go: https://ie.social/V0ymX

The ongoing excavation of the fossilized crocodile, Borealosuchus wilsoni, within the green river formation has been truly captivating. Over the past three thousand hours of meticulous uncovering, a remarkable narrative has unfolded before our eyes. Evidence of predation marks scattered across the head and body of the crocodile paints a vivid picture of a fierce attack. However, the story doesn't end there. In a surprising turn, we stumbled upon acid-etched bone fragments nestled within its abdomen, unmistakably belonging to a Trionyx Freshwater turtle. It appears that prior to its demise, this specimen spent some time reclining on a beach, as indicated by the discovery of sand and foliage within its belly. The unveiling of such unprecedented findings within the ecosystem of the green river formation fills us with anticipation for the scientific insights yet to come. With completion merely months away, we toast to the exciting new discoveries awaiting us in the realm of paleontology. This is the essence of our passion for what we do. #lizard #crocodile #crocodilian #crocodiles #crocodilehunter #paleontology #paleontological #moretocome #wy #greenriverformation ##naturalhistory #evolution #geologist #fossil #formation #focus #fossilpreparation #reptile ##mindblown #mega

I'm excited to share a glimpse into the process of preparing smear slides for calcareous nannofossils. These microscopic fossils, composed of calcium carbonate, provide invaluable insights into ancient marine environments and climate conditions. The preparation process involves: 1. Spreading a thin layer of the sample onto a glass slide. 2. Drying the sample at 50°C—this controlled drying method ensures that the delicate structures of the nannofossils are preserved for clear observation under the microscope. 3. Optional staining to highlight key features. Accurate sample preparation is critical in paleontology, where every detail helps unlock the history stored in these fossils. If you're working with microscopic fossils, perfecting your smear slide technique is a must! #Micropaleontology #CalcareousNannofossils #SmearSlide #SamplePreparation #LabSkills #Paleoclimate #Research

He told me he is a paleontologist. This branch was perfect for uncovering Woolly Mammoths and other dinosaurs. Trust children's knowledge and capabilities. Trust children. They have more knowledge than we often understand. . #languageskills #communicationskills #playmatters #play #science #inquirybasedlearning #childledplay #curiosity #earlychildhoodeducation #earlychildhoodeducator #childdevelopment #trustchildren #getoutside #naturebasedlearning 

In the latest #CASChronicles, we join the #USFBulls in Dr. Ryan Carney's Digital Dinosaurs course that uses present-day technology to bring the past to life, allowing them to engage in hands-on training of the cutting-edge digital tools used in paleontology. 🦕🦴 Learn more about the students' experiences and discover how this course can apply to multiple disciplines on our news site, CAS Chronicles ➡️https://ow.ly/5RLk50SgWR3

#Paleontology | 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 | A team led by Dr. Marcelo R. Sanchez-Villagra from the University of Zurich, has made a pivotal discovery in the field of paleontology. They unearthed a partial skeleton of a sea cow from the Early to Middle Miocene Agua Clara Formation near Coro, Venezuela, providing rare insight into the complex predator-prey relationships of that era. Discovered by a local farmer, the fossils were found in an unusual location and in excellent preservation. The excavation, which required several visits due to the skeleton's size and substantial sediment, revealed clear signs of predation. This discovery offers one of the few records of multiple predators feeding on the same prey, allowing scientists to glean valuable insights into ancient marine ecosystems and predator-prey dynamics. This research marks a significant advancement in our understanding of ancient marine behavior and interactions. 👉 Learn more >> https://lnkd.in/grvTSpwp 👉 Original publication >> https://lnkd.in/gsVcpm4u 🇨🇭 Follow #ScienceSwitzerland for the latest news and emerging trends on Swiss science, technology, education, and innovation >> swissinnovation.org Follow us >> Science-Switzerland #Science | #Education | #Research | #Innovation

Here's a the new illustration I worked on for the upcoming edition of Vertebrate Paleontology by Mike Benton. This is Helicoprion davisii using its tooth whorl to remove a nautiloid from its shell. The image is an updated version of a figure in my 2015 pub in The Journal of Morphology (https://lnkd.in/ezfn2eKy), without the force vectors!