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The Big Dinosaur Podcast

The Big Dinosaur Podcast

A site about dinosaurs

Episode 266: Best of 2019

Episode 266 is all about Futalognkosaurus, one of the most complete titanosaurs ever found.

Big thanks to all our patrons! Your support means so much to us and keeps us going! If you’re a dinosaur enthusiast, join our growing community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino.

You can listen to our free podcast, with all our episodes, on Apple Podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-know-dino/id960976813?mt=2

In this episode, we discuss:

Best of 2019:

  • Best New Site (228): Tanis Site source
  • Best New Tyrannosaur (233): Suskityrannus source
  • Gnarliest Pathologies (244): Tenontosaurus source
  • Best New Sauropod (220): Bajadasaurus source
  • Best Early Dinosaur Discovery (261): Gnathovorax source
  • Honorable Mention – Best Early Dinosaur (242): Notatesseraeraptor source
  • Best Gut Contents (245): Microraptor source
  • Best Amber Find (247): Elektornis source
  • Best Biomechanics Study: (251) How Raptors Used Their Claws source
  • Best Hadrosaur (252): Kamuysaurus source
  • Best Paleoart: (252) Brian Engh’s Dinosaur Thermoregulation in Infra-Red source
  • Best Video Short (219): Sharp Teeth source
  • Best Video (221): My Pet Dinosaur on BBC source
  • Honorable Mention – Best Video (253): Jurassic World: Battle at Big Rock source
  • Best Dinosaur Thought (252): Sauropods Squishing Turtles source
  • Our Favorite Episode (250): Sabrina Ricci’s Hardcore Bone Wars source

The dinosaur of the day: Futalognkosaurus

  • Titanosaur sauropod that lived in the Late Cretaceous in what is now Argentina (Neuquén province, Portezuelo Formation)
  • Originally estimated to be 105-112 ft (32-34 m) long, but in 2008 estimated to be 85 ft (26 m) long; Gregory Paul estimated it was at most 98 ft (30 m) long (though hard to say, since most of the tail wasn’t found)
  • Estimated length with tail based on proportions of other titanosaurs, though paleontologists need more fossils to get a better idea of its actual length
  • Comparable in size to Puertasaurus and Argentinosaurus (one paper says it was about 15 to 25 percent smaller)
  • Estimated to weigh between 38 and 50 tons
  • Had a strong, large neck, which shows more diversity in titanosaurs
  • Neck had 14 vertebrae, and had tall neural spines with a “shark-fin” shape
  • Had large, bulky hips that were almost 10 ft (3 m) wide
  • Type species: Futalognkosaurus dukei
  • Genus name means “giant chief lizard”
  • Genus name comes from Mapuche language (futa means giant and lognko means chief)
  • Species name is in honor of the Duke Energey Argentina Company, which sponsored the dig in 2002-2003
  • Fossils found in 2000, collected between 2002 and 2005, and described in 2007 by Jorge Calvo and others
  • Futalognkosaurus was named based on three specimens (skeleton was about 70% complete), and was described at the time by the team as “the most complete giant dinosaur known so far”
  • Holotype included a complete neck, dorsal vertebrae, ribs, pelvis, and one caudal vertebra (tail)
  • Fossils are housed at the CePaLB-Universidad del Comahue, Neuquén, Argentina
  • Herbivorous
  • Probably lived in a warm tropical climate, based on fossilized fish and leaves found near the dinosaur bones
  • Also found more angiosperms than gymnosperms in the area, which may mean Futalognkosaurus ate lots of angiosperms
  • Other animals found in the same time and place include pterosaurs, fish, crocodylomorphs, sauropods, theropods, ornithopods, (many of the dinosaurs not yet formally described), as well as more specifically, Megaraptor and Unenlagia

Fun Fact: There were about 47 new dinosaurs published this year, nearly one for every week.

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I Know Dino Podcast Show Notes: Shuvuuia (Episode 237)

Episode 237 is all about Shuvuuia, a Mongolian alvarezsaurid that was probably covered in dino fuzz.

We also interview David Armsby, the creator of the YouTube channel Dead Sound. You may have seen his excellent short animated movie Sharp Teeth. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth a look. You can also see the video version of our interview on YouTube.

Big thanks to all our patrons! Get our latest book by joining our Tyrannosaurus level at: https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino.

You can listen to our free podcast, with all our episodes, on Apple Podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-know-dino/id960976813?mt=2

In this episode, we discuss:

News:

  • A new study found that the Triassic sauropodomorph Mussaurus crawled on all fours as a hatchling source
  • A high school senior from the Webb Schools published on a young Edmontosaurus femur—supporting a life-long quadrupedal stance source
  • The Royal Gorge Dinosaur Experience has life-size skeletons and a Dinosaur Walk source
  • The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History has a new animatronic T. rex and baby Ankylosaurus source
  • Granger, Washington, residents helped build a Sauropelta for their Dino-N-A-Day event source
  • Tammy and the T. rex is getting a re-release on Monday, June 17 at the Chicago Cinepocalypse film festival source
  • Netflix is making a Jurassic World animated TV show called Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous source
  • Jurassic World Evolution is getting new DLC featuring Claire Dearing saving dinosaurs source
  • the Science Museum of Minnesota is holding a dinosaur event on July 13 source
  • The North American Paleontological Convention is coming up on June 23–27 at the University of California, Riverside source

The dinosaur of the day: Shuvuuia

  • Alvarezsaurid theropod that lived in the Late Cretaceous in what is now Mongolia
  • Alvarezsaurids have short, powerful forelimbs that are good for digging
  • Type species is Shuvuuia deserti
  • Name means “desert bird” (Mongolian word shuvuu means “bird”)
  • Small and light, about 2 ft (60 cm) long
  • Had a beaked snout
  • Had slender jaws and small teeth
  • Jaw could perform prokinensis (upper jaw mobility, where the snout can bend or flex upward independent of the skull); Shuvuuia had special hinges near the eye sockets
  • Had long, slender hindlimbs and short toes
  • Had three toes on each foot
  • May have been a fast runner
  • Forelimbs were short and muscular, with three digits on each (including one large thumb claw)
  • May have used forelimbs to rip open insect nests (could use its jaws to go after the insects, and open its mouth very wide)
  • Named in 1998 by Chiappe and others
  • Fossils found in the Djadochta Formation
  • Several specimens have been found, including some well preserved skulls
  • One specimen was found among hollow tube-like structures made of keratin. Scientists found the structures contained the protein beta-keratin, and no alpha-keratin. Beta-keratin is found in skin and feather cells of reptiles and birds. But only bird feathers have no alpha-keratin, which showed that Shuvuuia was probably covered in proto feathers
  • Paul Sereno hypothesized in 1999 that alvaresaurids were modified members of ornithomimidae (ostrich mimics)
  • A study in 2002 of a partial skeleton of an immature Shuvuuia found there was not enough information to support the hypothesis that ornithomimids and alvarezsaurids are closely related
  • Can see Shuvuuia in the Jurassic World Dinosaur Field Guide

Fun Fact: A freshly hatched Mussaurus only weighed about 60g (2oz). An adult weighed over a ton. That’s over a 16,000 times increase in size.

This Week in Dinosaur News: A new sauropod from Tanzania and more

The new sauropod Wamweracaudia by cisiopurple from https://www.deviantart.com/cisiopurple/art/Wamweracaudia-783165649

Here’s what came out this week in dinosaur news:

  • A new sauropod from Tanzania, Wamweracaudia, emerges from an analysis of 100+ sauropods source
  • Dave Hone has a survey up to get feedback on his research impact source
  • Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha Nebraska has a new indoor exhibit called Dinosaur UpRoar source
  • There’s a new T. rex Science Center in the works in Charleston, West Virginia source
  • Polish graphic designer Jans Bajtlik made a tie featuring a map of Warsaw and dinosaurs source
  • Dead Sound released a short animated dinosaur story called Sharp Teeth source

Check out these stories, our fun fact, interview with Denver Fowler & Liz Freedman Fowler, and dinosaur of the day Nedoceratops in episode 219 of the I Know Dino Podcast!

I Know Dino Podcast Show Notes: Nedoceratops (Episode 219)

Episode 219 is all about Nedoceratops, the lesser known ceratopsian in the Triceratops vs Torosaurus debate.

We also interview Denver Fowler & Liz Freedman Fowler, paleontologists who work at the Badlands Dinosaur Museum. Denver is the curator. Liz is an Associate Professor of Biology at Dickinson State University. They have worked on a nodosaur, tyrannosaur, ceratopsians, hadrosaurs, and other dinosaurs all over the world. Follow Denver on twitter and check out their upcoming conference.

Big thanks to all our patrons! Your support means so much to us and keeps us going! If you’re a dinosaur enthusiast, join our growing community on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/iknowdino.

You can listen to our free podcast, with all our episodes, on Apple Podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-know-dino/id960976813?mt=2

In this episode, we discuss:

News:

  • A new sauropod from Tanzania, Wamweracaudia, emerges from an analysis of 100+ sauropods source
  • Dave Hone has a survey up to get feedback on his research impact source
  • Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha Nebraska has a new indoor exhibit called Dinosaur UpRoar source
  • There’s a new T. rex Science Center in the works in Charleston, West Virginia source
  • Polish graphic designer Jans Bajtlik made a tie featuring a map of Warsaw and dinosaurs source
  • Dead Sound released a short animated dinosaur story called Sharp Teeth source

The dinosaur of the day: Nedoceratops

  • Ceratopsid that lived in the Late Cretaceous in what is now Wyoming, North America (Lance Formation)
  • Part of the Triceratops / Torosaurus debate (discussed in episode Ultrasaurus – Episode 21)
  • Controversial genus, some think it’s a valid genus and others think it is part of the Triceratops growth series
  • Known from one skull
  • Skull was 2.6 ft (1.8 m) long
  • Skull was found in 1891 near Lightning Creek
  • Skull has a rounded stump instead of a nasal horn and the brow horns are almost vertical. Otherwise, it’s similar to a Triceratops skull, but larger, and with a short face. Also, has large holes in the frill (different sizes), unlike Triceratops (could be a pathology or genetic)
  • Lull thought the holes in the frill were from “accidental gorings” from another dinosaur, but it’s not clear if that’s true
  • Type species is Nedoceratops hatcheri
  • Name means “insufficient horned face” (for lack of a nasal horn)
  • Nedoceratops has a couple other names: Diceratops and Diceratus
  • Marsh started describing Nedoceratops in the 1800s, as part of his Ceratopsidae monograph. However, he died of pneumonia in 1899 before finishing, and John Bell Hatcher finished the Triceratops section (but he died in 1904 of typhoid fever before finishing), so Richard Swann Lull finished the monograph in 1905, and published Hatcher’s description of the skull separately and named it Diceratops hatcheri (means “two horned face”
  • Lull didn’t actually believe it was a separate genus (thought it was a pathology), and in 1933 renamed it as Triceratops hatcheri
  • In 2007, Andrey Sergeevich Ukrainsky renamed Diceratops / Triceratops as Nedoceratops (the name Diceratops was used for an insect)
  • However, Octávio Mateus didn’t realize Ukrainsky had renamed the dinosaur, and renamed it Diceratus in 2008. Diceratus is now considered to be a junior synonym (since the name Nedoceratops came first)
  • Debate about it being part of the Triceratops growth series (in between Triceratops and Torosaurus), and Scannella and Horner proposed Nedoceratops lost its nasal horn while alive or during fossilization. However, Farke said the shape of the horns and the texture of the bone suggest Nedoceratops was an “old adult” In 2013 Leonardo Maiorino and others found Triceratops and Torosaurus to be distinct genera
  • Farke suggested the holes in the frill weren’t from gorings but from “the result of bone resorption in an area of the frill that was already thin to begin with.”
  • Maiorino found that Nedoceratops “has a variable position relative to Triceratops and Torosaurus,” depending on what you’re looking at, and that the size of the skull could support the hypothesis of it being an intermediate between the two, but the shape of the skull is very different
  • Some scientists think Nedoceratops could be a direct ancestor to Triceratops, or its nearest relative
  • Need more fossils to know for sure about Nedoceratops, and to examine the bone microstructure

Fun Fact: Dinosaurs dominated the land on Earth for longer than any other group of animals.

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This episode is brought to you in part by Indiana University Press. Their Life of the Past series is lavishly illustrated and meticulously documented to showcase the latest findings and most compelling interpretations in the ever-changing field of paleontology. Find their books at iupress.indiana.edu

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