An artist's reconstruction of how Spinosaurus could have looked. Image via Wikimedia.
Today we wanted to look at a fun project from London’s Natural History Museum which we wanted to recommend you look at and tune in for during periods of lockdown.
The ‘Dinosaur Diaries’ are an exciting new project which the team from the NHM’s Dino Lab are working on – providing accessible and engaging looks at dino papers which have come out recently. The current lockdown has seen an increase in the amount of palaeontology papers which are releasing – with interesting discoveries like those relating to the Spinosaurus releasing – so it seems like the perfect time to dive into the real science behind the ancient animals which we all love.
The excavation site of the holotype of Spinophorosaurus, from the Middle Jurassic of Agadez, Niger. Image: UNED Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia, CC-BY-2.0.
Their first diary breaks down the recent Spinosaurus discoveries, but also looks at Stellasaurus – a brand-new horned dinosaur which has been discovered in western North America. The Stellasaurus was discovered thanks to preserved skull parts – which give an idea of a distinctive animal. Early theories suggest that this dinosaur may have been a transitional animal – showing the evolutionary transition as the Styracosaurus eventually evolved into the Pachyrhinosaurus. We always find discoveries like this fascinating as they further help to remind us that these animals grew and evolved at different stages – just like the species we have on the planet today.
If you would like to read the first edition of Dinosaur Diaries, you can do so here: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2020/may/dinosaur-diaries-spinosaurus-sauropod-necks-starry-lizard.html?utm_source=tw-link-post-20200508-kp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=news
We’re eagerly awaiting the next instalments in the series, and are excited to use them as a medium to learn even more about the science behind dinosaurs. Big thanks to the NHM Dino Lab team for putting together such a fantastic new piece of content for us all to enjoy!
We want to hear from you! What else should we be highlighting for people to check out and enjoy during the current lockdown? You can let us know by visiting our Stay Safe Stay Jurassic Announcement Page, where you can link us to additional resources which you think Dinosaur fans will enjoy!
Written by:
Tom Fishenden