Eotyrannus and the History of Tyrant Dinosaurs
Tyrannosauroids â tyrant dinosaurs â are among the most iconic of dinosaurs. In recent years, a number of new species discovered across the continents have shed light on tyrannosauroid origins and early history. Eotyrannus lengi from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation â discovered on the Isle of Wight, England, in 2001 â is among these. Though initially posited as one of the most archaic members of this theropod group, it now appears deeply nested within the tyrannosauroid radiation, not at its âbaseâ. Furthermore, recent study has shown that Eotyrannus is unusual and atypical in some respects, and its biology and predatory behaviour may have differed from that present in many of its relatives. Many questions remain as goes its anatomy and specialisations.
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2030 Liz Martin-Silverstone (@gimpasaura), University of Bristol
Colin Palmer
Pterosaurs - hollow bones and lightweight?
Extinct flying reptiles (pterosaurs) were the first vertebrates and largest animals ever to fly. This is thought to have been possible through hollow bones and lightness, but is this correct? Through x-rays and 3D modelling, I have shown that they were the most pneumatised (air-filled) animals ever, yet were not as light as some previous estimates.
Keywords: fossils, palaeontology, flight, pterosaurs
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