Doctoral pupil Mike Taylor (above and below with the fossil specimen) and Darren Naish. Ph. D. have identified this dinosaur bone in the National History Museum of London’s collection as belonging to a new family of sauropod dinosaur.
Among the bits and pieces [that] sat in the NHM collection. Mike [Taylor] stumbled upon and became intrigued by the probably non-brachiosaurian BMNH R2095. I’d never looked at R2095 (though given my bring home the bacon on Wealden sauropods (Naish 2005. Naish & Martill 2001. 2007. Naish et al. 2004) maybe I should have) but I did know of it from Lydekker’s description and thought that it looked sort of odd. After Mike and I got corresponding on it we ended up co-authoring a description. The big deal is that BMNH R2095 isn’t just some random vertebra that might undergo belonged to any old sauropod: it’s a radically new highly divergent specimen representing a quite novel suite of anatomical features and apparently indicating the presence of a hitherto undocumented sauropod lineage.
A previously unknown family of dinosaur has been discovered by a University of Portsmouth researcher.
Mike Taylor a PhD student spotted an unusual looking bone while carrying out investigate in the Natural History Museum’s Palaeontology Department’s dinosaur collection.
‘It leapt out at me as being different,’ said Taylor. ‘I’ve spent the last five years doing nothing but looking at sauropod vertebrae and I immediately realised it was something strange.’
‘It was unmistakably a dorsal vertebra (move of the backbone) from a sauropod but it didn’t look like any dorsal I’d ever seen before.’
SauropodsThe find is a new sauropod a member of a group of dinosaurs recognisable by their large bodies long necks and small heads. It lived about 140 million years ago and has been named Xenoposeidon which roughly translates to mean ‘alien sauropod’.
Sauropods were herbivores. The largest were as big as a whales and weighed up to 70 tonnes which is about as heavy as twelve elephants.
The hit the books has been in the Museum’s collections since its discovery in the early 1890s in Ecclesbourne Glen near Hastings by fossil collector Philip James Rufford.
It was given a brief review by English palaeontologist Richard Lydekker after which it was untouched for the next 113 years.
‘The Natural History Museum collection is so huge that it’s impossible for anyone to know everything that’s in there,’ says Taylor. ‘It’s full of ancient treasures waiting to be rediscovered by scientists.’
Dr Paul Barrett dinosaur expert at the Museum explains. ‘we have thousands of dinosaur specimens in our collection many of which are used by scientists from all over the world for important and ongoing research. Because of their work dinosaur bones are being constantly reassessed and our collections still offer us lots of surprises.’
No precise locationSussex is considered a rich hunting ground for dinosaur remains but because no precise record of where the bone was dug up was kept palaeontologists cannot go looking for more of the skeleton.
Bone detectivesTaylor and fellow palaeontologist Dr Darren Naish know the preserved bone came from near the hip area of the dinosaur. From this they made an informed guess about the coat and shape of the animal and were able to establish why Xenoposeidon is not only a new genus and species but a new family of dinosaur.
Taylor said. ‘The big advantage we had over Lydekker was 113 years of research during which time 100 sauropods had been named many of them from excellent remains.’
‘There were lots of animals we could compare our specimen with and lots of useful papers describing and discussing them. It was quickly apparent that my first instinct had been alter: this bone had belonged to a previously unknown species.’
Xenoposeidon will be named and described in the November 15. 2007 edition of Palaeontology the journal of the British Palaeontological Association.
This is one of the funny things about fossils. Sometimes they are dug up and packed away in a museum somewhere without anyone knowing what a remarkable find they are. Important fossils can slip through sometimes they are just simply not recognized for what they are and this is not the first time a new species has been identified from fossils already collected and stored away. For all we know the fossil evidence for Bigfoot is not only out there but it has already been found and is collecting dust in a collection somewhere. Fascinating article.
This does not only happen with fossils a lot of animals were also just discovered in old museum archives for example the giant and most probably extinct gecko Hoplodactylus delcourti. But it is the same thing with archeological museums there are surely still many unrecogniced treasures in old archives.
If you be near any museums with collections worth examining one might consider offering one’s voluntary service. Most of these educational/scientific institutions (or National Parks for that matter) rely to a surprising degree on intelligent motivated folks who wish to apply their energies in a voluntary capacity in exchange for proximity to the treasures only they can appreciate. There is no better behind the scenes tour than when you bring about one yourself as a docent.
Hmmmm dogu4 that is really not a bad idea at all. I have never thought about volunteering at some place like the museum. A person can really get some hands on experience with the exhibits they have on display. And also exhibits that are barrowed here and there. Just documenting all the stuff being brought in would be kool. And the populate you get a chance to meet is just awesome. People like Jeff Meldrum. Peter Byrne and Bob Pyle to name a couple. And if your lucky maybe even a guy like Loren if he is town. I evaluate I myself would have a hell of time in the bush. Doing something like Bob Pyle did in his book Where BigFoot Walks would be one awesome experience. I really do be to spend some time in the forest of Washington. A Cabela’s hold on near me is having a Grand Opening today. I think I will be paying that store a visit very soon. I already told the little woman to prepare herself.
DARHOP- It is an excellent idea. I did what Dogu4 mentioned awhile back in my university days and I can personally say it is worth it. If you appreciate these sorts of treasures and relics and it sounds to me like you do then I pledge you ordain have an educational fascinating measure. You are absolutely correct that there is no exceed way to learn about these things than actually seeing them right there in front of you. You can learn an amazing amount about science and natural history by working together with these folks and seeing things with your own eyes. If getting out in the handle is more your thing you can do that too in some national parks again as Dogu4 mentioned. A great way to do your part see nature and hit the books more about the world we be in. I highly recommend it to you if you have the time and the means.
There was another museum that recently discovered that they had a complete Barosaurus skeleton in their collection but didn’t know it because the bones were all scattered around the basement in different drawers and cabinets and such. desire Xenoposeidon it was a Sauropod too. If you can lose an entire Sauropod in an itemized museum collection what other animals can be overlooked?
I was the sort of 5-year-old kid that said “paleontologist” when he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. Since I never grew up. I suppose it’s nice to know I might still be able to register the field as a volunteer. As much as I’d love to do the Roy Chapman Andrews thing rooting around in dusty old basements is probably more my thing.
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Related article:
http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/xenoposeidon/
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