Introducing Dineobellator notohesperus

Life reconstruction of Dineobellator notohesperus. Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy

 

The iconic Velociraptor mongoliensis, described by Osborn in 1924, belongs to the Dromaeosauridae, a family of highly derived small to mid-sized theropod dinosaurs closely related to birds. Their fossils have been found in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, South America and Antarctica. They first appeared in the mid-Jurassic Period, but their fossil record in North America is very poor near the time of their extinction prior to the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The group is characterized by the presence of long, three-fingered forelimbs that ended in sharp, trenchant claws and a tail stiffened by the elongated prezygapophyses.

The description of Dineobellator notohesperus, a new specimen discovered in 2008 in New Mexico, offers a glimpse into the biodiversity of Dromaeosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous. The generic name is derived from the Navajo word Diné, in reference to the people of the Navajo Nation, and the Latin suffix bellator, meaning warrior. The specific name is derived from the Greek word noto, meaning southern, or south; and the Greek word hesper, meaning western.

 

Skeletal reconstruction of Dineobellator notohesperus. From Jasinski et al., 2020

 

The holotype (SMP VP-2430), similar in size to Velociraptor and Saurornitholestes, includes elements of the skull, axial, and appendicular skeleton. The nearly complete right humerus measures 185.78 mm, with an estimated total length of 215 mm. The presence of quill knobs in Dineobellator provides further evidence for feathers throughout Dromaeosauridae. This new specimen co-existed with numerous other theropods, including caenagnathids, ornithomimids, troodontids, and tyrannosaurids.

Dineobellator exhibits some features in the forelimbs that suggest greater strength capabilities in flexion, in conjunction with a relatively tighter grip strength in the manual claws, while the possession of opisthocoelous proximal caudal vertebrae may have increased the agility of Dineobellator and thus may have implications for its predatory behavior, particularly with respect to the pursuit of prey.

 

References:

Jasinski, S.E., Sullivan, R.M. & Dodson, P. New Dromaeosaurid Dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from New Mexico and Biodiversity of Dromaeosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous. Sci Rep 10, 5105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61480-7

Senter, P., Kirkland, J. I., DeBlieux, D. D., Madsen, S. & Toth, N. New dromaeosaurids (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah, and the evolution of the dromaeosaurid tail. PLoS One 7, e36790 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036790

Osborn, Henry F. (1924a). “Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia”. American Museum Novitates. 144: 1–12. http://hdl.handle.net/2246/3223

 

Introducing Asteriornis maastrichtensis

 

Three-dimensional image of the skull of Asteriornis maastrichtensis.
Image credit: Daniel J. Field, University of Cambridge

The earliest diversification of extant birds (Neornithes) occurred during the Cretaceous period. After the mass extinction event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary, the Neoaves, the most diverse avian clade, suffered a rapid global expansion and radiation. A genome-scale molecular phylogeny indicates that nearly all modern ordinal lineages were formed within 15 million years after the extinction, suggesting a particularly rapid period of both genetic evolution and the formation of new species. Today, with more than 10500 living species, birds are the most species-rich class of tetrapod vertebrates. The description of a new neornithine from the Late Cretaceous of Belgium shed new light on the evolution of birds.

Asteriornis maastrichtensis is a small member of the clade Pangalloanserae, the group that includes Galliformes and Anseriformes, with an estimated body weight of about 400 grams. The holotype (NHMM, 2013 008) includes a nearly complete, articulated skull with mandibles, and associated postcranial remains preserved in four blocks. The new specimen, dated between 66.8 and 66.7 million years ago, was collected in 2000 by Maarten van Dinther. The generic name is derived from the name of the Asteria, the Greek goddess of falling stars, and the Greek word ornis for bird. The specific name maastrichtensis honors the provenance of the holotype, the Maastricht Formation (the type locality of the Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian stage).

Artist’s reconstruction of Asteriornis maastrichtensis.
Illustration: Phillip Krzeminski

Asteriornis exhibits caudally pointed nasals that overlie the frontals and meet at the midline of the skull, and a slightly rounded, unhooked tip of the premaxilla. The new specimen reveals a previously undocumented combination of ‘galliform’ and ‘anseriform’ features that emphasizes the modular nature of the skull and bill of crown birds. The narrow and elongate hindlimbs and provenance from nearshore marine sediments suggest that Asteriornis might have had a shorebird-like ecology.

 

References:

Field, D.J., Benito, J., Chen, A. et al. Late Cretaceous neornithine from Europe illuminates the origins of crown birds. Nature 579, 397–401 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2096-0

A Short History of the Early Female Geoscientists from Argentina

Mathilde Dolgopol de Saez. Image credit: Asociación Paleontológica Argentina (A.P.A.)

Women have played various and extensive roles in the history of geology. Unfortunately, their contribution has not been widely recognised by the public or academic researchers. In the 18th and 19th centuries women’s access to science was limited, and science was usually a ‘hobby’ for intelligent wealthy women. Early female scientists were often born into influential families, like Grace Milne, the eldest child of Louis Falconer and sister of the eminent botanist and palaeontologist, Hugh Falconer; or Mary Lyell, the daughter of the geologist Leonard Horner. They collected fossils and mineral specimens, and were allowed to attend scientific lectures, but they were barred from membership in scientific societies. Thanks to the pioneer work of these women, the 20th century saw the slow but firm advance of women from the periphery of science towards the center of it.

Edelmira Inés Mórtola (1894-1973)

In Argentina, during the 1870s, public schools were organized and expanded for the training of teachers in different cities of the country. North American teachers were hired, some of whom promoted among their students the interest in pursuing university studies. Cecilia Grierson (1859-1934) was the first woman to earn a PhD in Medicine and Surgery in 1889. She was an important reference for other women, collaborating in the women’s movement in the early twentieth century.

The first papers in natural sciences signed by women were published around 1910. Edelmira Inés Mórtola was the first woman to earn her Ph. D in geology in Argentina, in 1921. She was also the first woman to work for the Dirección General de Minas, Geología, e Hidrología (DGMGH) in 1919. She focus on teaching and was an inspiring figure for young women. In 1924, she was appointed Professor at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). The Museum of Mineralogy “Dr. E. Mórtola “, that she helped to organize, honors her extraordinary career. She died on May 28, 1973.

Noemí Violeta Cattoi. Image credit: Asociación Paleontológica Argentina (A.P.A.)

Mathilde Dolgopol de Saez was born on March 6, 1901. She was one of the first female paleontologist from Argentina (graduated in 1927), along with Ana Cortelezzi (1928?), Dolores López Aranguren (1930), Andreína Bocchino de Ringuelet (1930?) y Enriqueta Vinacci Thul (1930). Unfortunately, only her thesis and the one of López Aranguren were formally published. The mayor part of her research was focused on fossil fish and birds. She died on June 27, 1957.

Noemí Violeta Cattoi was born in Buenos Aires on December 23, 1911. She received her PhD degree in Natural Science at the University of Buenos Aires, but before her graduation she was trained at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. She was head of Paleozoology at the Museum, and adjunt professor at the Museo de la Plata. Her research was mainly focused on extinct birds and mammals from South America. She was also one of the founding member of the Asociación Paleontológica Argentina (A.P.A), along with María Bonetti de Stipanicic, Andreína B. de Ringuelet, Elsa F. de Alvarez and Hildebranda A. Castellaro. Noemí Cattoi died on January 29, 1965.

Reference:.

Rafael Herbst, Luisa M. Anzótegui, Las mujeres en la paleontología argentina, Revista del Museo de La Plata (2016) Volumen 1, Número Especial: 130-13 DOI:https://doi.org/10.24215/25456377e024

GARCIA, Susana V.. Ni solas ni resignadas: la participación femenina en las actividades científico-académicas de la Argentina en los inicios del siglo XX. Cad. Pagu [online]. 2006, n.27, pp.133-172 https://doi.org/10.1590/S0104-83332006000200007.

Link: https://www.apaleontologica.org.ar/