Dinosaur Footprints in the Karoo 

A correspondent sent me THIS LINK some time ago. It got lost in my inbox but thankfully it came to light today.

Dinosaur study in the Karoo of Southern Africa (Late Triassic-Early Jurassic) is hampered by the paucity of body fossils. But there are lots of trace fossils. In this study these are mainly footprints.

Over 200 footprints covering a time span of 35 million years were measured and the conclusion reached was that theropod dinosaurs increased in size by 40% over the period. 

Also there were three different types of theropod footprint, therefore three different species. But body fossils are found for only two species. 

So, in Southern Africa, fotprints tell you more about dinosaurs than body fossils. The study continues.

Natural casts of theropod tracks preserved on a cave ceiling, Tsikoane (Lesotho). Insets of dinosaur tracks from Tsikoane (top) and Roma (bottom). Figure by author/Outlines of Meganosaurus (top) and Dracovenator (bottom) are adapted from Ornitholestes (2018) and Martz (2012), respectively.

Invitation to Exhibition and Panel Discussion 

I received this invite and was asked to pass it on.

Alyson Hallett has recently completed a six month assignment; as EarthArt Fellow with Bristol university Earth science department looking at how Art and geology interact. She has a free exhibition and panel discussion on 30th September at 6pm. 

I'm delighted to invite you to my exhibition and panel discussion event at the EarthArt Gallery, University of Bristol.

It's on the 30th September, doors opening at 6, and it would be great if you could book a free ticket via the Eventbrite link below.

This follows on from my 6 month residency in the Earth Sciences Department where I've been working with scientists, rocks, volcanoes, meteorites and ideas that have rocketed me to the stars and back.

If you know of anyone else who might be interested then please pass this email and link onwards.

Very best wishes and hope to see you soon,

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/impact-tickets-420153820387

Alyson

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Dr Alyson Hallett

Poet, mentor, teacher, mystic, editor

EarthArt Fellow - University of Bristol

www.alysonhallett.com

www.thestonelibrary.com

Latest Publication: Covid/Corvid (Broken Sleep Books) co-authored with Penelope Shuttle

Tilted Ground: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7x6FBb4jJI

6 Days In Iceland: https://vimeo.com/51911068: 

Study of Fossil Teeth Gives Extraordinary Details 

THIS ARTICLE shows the amount of detail which modern techniques allow. It is based on the study of a juvenile Pantolamda bathmodon, a bear-like species which became extinct in the Eocene with no living descendents. It lived about 62 million years ago, in what is now New Mexico.

An artist’s impression of the Pantolambda bathmodon. H Sharpe, Author provided.

Most of the work on this fossil was done on its teeth. The author was able to distinguish daily growth rings and to analyse the composition of each ring. He concludes that the creature was a placental animal, like us. This allows bigger babies to be born and thus larger sizes in adulthood. 

It is things like this which allowed mammals to become the dominant type of animal in the modern world.

Fossil Frogs Died from Too Much Sex 

A correspondent brought THIS ARTICLE to my attention. You might find it of some interest. Or, perhaps, not.

The existence of large numbers of frog fossils at Geisltal has been known for decades. But what was once a lignite mine and accessible, is now a huge lake and inaccessible. The fossils are now at the Martin Luther University and, recently, became available for study.

The frogs are actually toads, which have a land based life style, returning to water for reproductive activities. For modern day toads reproduction is a risky activity, especially for the females, and this is believed to be the cause of death for these fossil amphibians.

The Geisaltal lignite mine, now the Geiseltalsee