PaleoQuest

Crossroads..........

2011-07-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

Looking over my blog (paying attention to the number of new followers that pretty much subscribed to a stagnant, or, shall we say, dead blog :P) and doing a little websurfing (especially in the area of Biology), I notice that it's time for a new start, or, at least, a new direction. Now, don't freak out and begin complaining about me or to me thinking that I am going to delete this blog because I assure you that won't happen.

Of course, seeing as I did start this my sophomore year of High School (I'm now an adult at the age of 19 and going to college in the Fall.) I realize what I hadn't noticed before; it's horrible. For one, I have no focus and I have been absent for really no legitimate reason. Also, my "Fossil facts" (which became huge hits for some reason(s) I can't fathom) are totally ignorant. I'm not qualified nor am I knowledgeable in the field of Paleontology to even be doing such things. (I can recommend better sites and people whom I've established valuable connections with throughout my years on the blogosphere. I will list them with brief, minute descriptions of the topics covered at the end of the post.) For that, one could state that I have been committing an act of fraud. And, I'm sincerely sorry.

So, where does this leave me and my blog? Well, as the title says, I'm at a crossroads (not just with the blog but with life); lost, is likely the best word to describe it. I've certainly enjoyed it here and I've developed memorable "friendships" (since I've never met over 80-90% of my reader base, it's not fair nor is it accurate to call them "friends" in the traditional sense of the word.) on the blogosphere. The most memorable are: Dinorider d'Andoandor, Traumador the Tyrannosaur and Jason Westby, since they are some of my first fan base and close "friends" on the blogosphere. I'm grateful to them all; their contributions and support have been astounding and I couldn't appreciate them anymore than I do right now. Thank you, guys, so much!

Where is my mind headed at the moment I'm writing this? I could continue to post about the basics, and simple introductory concepts in the fields of Biology, Geology, and Paleontology with an occasional article or paper from magazines such as Discover, Scientific American, Science Illustrated, Nature, Plos One, National Geographic, etc. (It's likely that I'll be able to include more literature when I get to college, as many University libraries carry such materials.). The other possibility that I had considered was start a whole new blog (keeping this one) solely about Biology, more or less for reference and I'll be compiling information regarding science's ever greater understanding about the natural world (the biological aspect at least). For that blog as well, I'll try to keep to the basics for non-technical audiences, interspersing technical jargon every now and then so they get used to seeing it and not feel so lost or dumb (remember, the tradition of using Latin or Greek mechanics was, and is, to allow global communication with those of a foreign language, as each language has different common names for the same thing. For example, the typical house feline is known scientifically as Felis cattus derivative of Latin, while in English, it's "Cat", in Japanese, it's "Neko", Spanish, "el Gato", and so on., but more on that some other time.) Of course, I've yet to decide on anything. So, for now, I'm stuck at the crossroads, attempting to get my bearings and move into, what will hopefully be a fulfilling and pleasing direction.

Better Qualified Bloggers:

Traumador the Tyrannosaur of the Tyrannosaur Chronicles- Known for his peanut sized brain and large heart, Traumador is a kind-hearted, extremely knowledgeable "vivus" (the term used for living non-avian dinosaurs on his blog) T. rex whose adventures (or, should I say, mis-adventures) and hilarious antics make him a great read and one of the most, if not THE most successful blog ever!! Check him out and his Palaeo Facts. (He was raised in the Royal Tyrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, after all.)
Andrew Farke- Paleontologist from out west, whose work, I think, concerns Ceratopsians (but don't quote me on this. :P). Plus, he apparently makes a mean beer! lol! (Before you say anything, I don't drink, I assure you.) Check him out on The Open Source Paleontologist and his Brewing Blog.
ReBecca Foster, of the Dinochick Blogs, is a paleontologist from Colorado, USA, whose blog often contains entertaining musings on life and anything Paleo.
Dr. Jeff W. Martz, the "erratic" Paleontologist, is a self-proclaimed "underpaid" vertebrate Paleontologist who specializes in a group of Late Triassic reptiles that are closely related to the common ancestor of the Dinosaurs. His musings are often entertaining and insightful, often expanding beyond paleo to life in general. Highly recommended.
"Dinosaur George" Blasing- Great friend of mine, actor, public speaker/lecturer, and writer. He is best known for his show on the History channel Jurassic Fight Club (or, as it's known outside the U.S., Dinosaur Secrets). He is curator of the Witte Museum of Natural History in San Antonio, TX which he lives and works as head Dinosaur George, Inc. He has been touring, speaking at libraries and schools since 1998 when he left a "lucrative real estate career" to make a living (though not paid as much as his real estate job) sharing his passion for Paleontology and Natural History with audiences of all ages.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science Main Branch's blog, called Beyond Bones, is a terrific resource that covers everything from Biological Anthropology, Dinosaur Paleontology and Geochemistry to Physics and Astronomy with notable contributors like Robert T. Bakker (author of The Dinosaur Heresies and Raptor Red and was a student of the legendary John Ostrom. He and John R. Horner of the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, also the modern day civilized counterparts of Cope and Marsh except for the part that Horner and Bakker are good friends, pioneered Dinosaur endothermy during the Dinosaur Renaissance.) Check it out!
Craig Dylke, the CGi artist for Prehistoric Insanity and Primary teacher is extremely knowledgeable and, if you can manage to reach him (he is a VERY busy guy as they all are, considering he just got married, for those who did not know!!! Again, Congratulations to him and the now, Mrs. Rhonwyn (not sure how to spell it, sorry. :P) Dylke!!) who, living and working in New Zealand has had the great experience of working with the only Vertebrate Paleontologist in New Zealand, Dr. Ewan Fordyce. Craig also worked as a Camp Counselor for the Summer camp for the Royal Tyrrell Museum, which he has been visiting since he was very young back when the museum first opened in the 1980s, instructing and entertaining. Again, great guy, highly recommended and highly knowledgeable and qualified to answer any and all questions you may have. Check him out, but don't get upset when he doesn't respond right away (I sent him a question a few weeks ago via e-mail and I still haven't heard back from him. Of course, who am I to demand a response and become impatient and irritable? He has a life and it is a privelege and an honour to have him take the time to answer a question of mine.)
Albertonykus ("Alberta Claw") is a Dinosaur enthusiast from, you guessed it, Alberta, and dons the persona of a maniraptoran (the clade of carnivorous dinosaurs that include the "raptor" families and birds) and avid Animaniacs fan. His posts are insightful and entertaining; definitely worth a visit for all your Maniraptoran needs!! Plus, there's the bonus of his delightful sense of humour! :)

If there's any I've forgotten for whatever reason, just let me know who and, perhaps, the URL for their site and I will add them to the list. I want to give credit where credit is due.

Artwork of the Day #15

2011-06-19T19:45:00.001-04:00

Utahraptor ostrommaysorum by your's truly as you can see by my signature. I figured it was about to time I posted some of my own artwork, even if they ARE rubbish.

Just a Recap of My Life....A Quick One At That

2011-06-19T15:12:00.000-04:00

Broken promises, unexcused absences and just all around unreliability can describe my life the past few months. I've gotten nothing done and I can't even finish a bloody post about the fact of Evolution and the Darwinian Principles that explain it; a subject that is crucial for many reasons and especially crucial for society. That was supposed to be finished Months ago and all I have to show for it are late nights on social networking websites, darwinian sexual selection kicking in ( a crush that finally reached its end a couple of months ago), and no post. My heart is throbbing because I let down my friends, fans and loyal readers. I want to convey my sincere and deepest apologies for my behaviour. I young and that still is no excuse.

On 3 June 2011, I had finally graduated from High School. I am now with my mother, seeing my 1 yr. old niece ( my step-sister's kid), beautiful, funny and bright, Acadia Jennifer Abare-Hoyt who has melted my heart and brought our family nothing but joy. In August, I begin Western Kentucky University as a Freshman (going there with my best friend) working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. From there, I don't know. Anyway, I have four years to be looking for Graduate Schools. There are only 8 Universities in the United States with a Doctoral program in Paleontology, the closest one to me (I'll still be in Kentucky, remember?) is the University of Ohio, I think. So, I'll try to keep you all posted on that as well. Anyway, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. TTFN- Ta Ta For Now. lol! The Raptor is out!

The End Is Nigh....At least, For This Part of my PaleoQuest

2010-12-31T20:59:00.002-05:00

It is the eve of the New Year and multitudes of people from across the planet await with an unfathomable anxiety and excitement for the upcoming year. For many, the new year marks a new beginning, for others it marks another lap in this track called life. This is also a time to reflect and to make commitments, even ones that very likely won't be kept. So, as 2010 comes to a close, and 2011 draws nigh, I await the end of Part I of my PaleoQuest, that is, the graduation from High School and the move into College where my Quest can really begin.

I began my odyssey in the Fall of 2008, my Sophomore year in High School, with a goal in mind: Vertebrate Palaeontologist. I knew this odyssey would not be easy, and I have come to rely on several people to assist me and support me through the plethora of roadblocks that were extremely difficult to maneuver past. There have been times where I just wanted to give up, to question my abilities, my own intelligence, and even whether my heart and my soul are even commited. I owe these people an unfathomable amount and, I would like to give credit where credit is due:

Mark Lewis, my Father, who has raised me since birth and brought me up to become the man I am today, and the kind of man I aspire to become.
Candace Partridge, my Mother, of Mi Chiamo Candace, has been there for me much like my dad has, even after their devorce when I was 5 years old.
David Partridge, my step-father, has been there for me for spiritual guidance, for excellent music (he plays a mean acoustic) and love and support. I am truly grateful for the love and support of two fathers.
My grandfather, now deceased, was, and continues to be a huge influence on my life and without him, I might be lost, or, at least, lacking in inspiration.
Robin Lewis, my step-mother, has taught me the skills and tried to give me the courage to be my own person. Strict, and a bit impulsive and sensitive, I love her dearly and she loves me, though I can not lie and say we get along all the time.
The author Michael Crichton, has been my hero for the last 4-5 years and continues to be a huge influence on me as a scientist, a thinker and a human being. Honestly, there are times where his influence rivals my father and my grandfather in influence on my life.
Robert T. Bakker is a big inspiration to the kind of paleontologist I would want to become.
John R. "Jack" Horner, professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, is an iconoclastic paleontologist and another equally influencing force for me as a paleontologist.
James Richardson, one of my best friends and a childhood friend, continues to be a huge help in the social aspects of my life. His humour is wry, but it keeps me going.
Austin Wilkerson, childhood friend and David Gilmour nut, is much life Richardson in how he helps me in my life.
Kyle Wilkerson, childhood friend and younger brother of Austin Wilkerson, has a childish air about him, but his intelligence is staggering. He is also very philosophical and loves video games as well as art, like his brother.
Aimee Evans, childhood friend, loyal and funny. I doubt I could've made it through Middle School without her.
Traumador the Tyrannosaur, "friend" and all around fun coelurosaur, is what got me into blogging if you recall. *laughs* If you read The Tyrannosaur Chronicles, you'll be able to follow the zany adventures of this pint-sized Tyrannosaurus rex, and watch how this unlikely hero fares against the dreaded Pack of the Primordial Feather.
Jason "Naveed" Westby, zany, intelligent and certainly paranormal himself, is a close friend on the Blogosphere and loyal fan from the start, as I am on his blog. Join him as he blogs about the Paranormal and other cool bizarre topics of interest.
Thomas R. Holtz, jr., American Vertebrate Paleontologist and professor of Geology at the University of Maryland, is now a friend of mine through Facebook and occasional e-mails. I find getting to know him is the best way to get inspired and to keep me going. Plus, I am indebted to him because of his willingness to assist in my teaching.
"Dinosaur George" Blasing, creator of Jurassic Fight Club, Public Speaker, and curator of the Witte Museum in San Antonio, Texas, has been friends with me for the last couple of years or so. He is certainly very Witte (sorry, horrible pun *laughs*). I am indebted to him for his willingness and enthusiasm for Paleontology. He has an uncanny background of amateur research and is a gifted teacher. Without him, this blog probably wouldn't be very successful.

As 2011 draws nigh, I will admit that one of my largest regrets is not being nearly addicted to Facebook. *laughs* and not being on here, teaching as much as I'd like. However, most of my time has been spent going through school, moving, and occasionally family drama. I hope I can say I'm back, but I can't guarantee that. *laughs* Although, I will certainly say I will be on here more in the future and less on Facebook.. *laughs*

Now, before I wrap up here, I would like to share that I was accepted to Western Kentucky University, College of Science and Engineering for the Fall 2011 term! ^_^ I am extremely excited!! And, also, for the New Year Celebration and Newport, New Hampshire, USA's 250th Anniversary as a town, I will be ringing the church bells at Midnight!! Well, that's all for now, I suppose. Take Care and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyrannosaurus rex- Apex Predator or Lowly Scavenger?

2010-11-13T00:54:00.000-05:00

I know this is my first post in months, and I promise I will explain more in due time, readers. However, I keep seeing the controversy over T. rex's ecological trophic level. So, I thought that this "Exhibition Fact," as I'd like to call it, would be a perfect way to add my input on the controversy and bring the questions to a close.

Tyrannosaurus rex is probably the most infamous species in the fossil record. Growing to a length of about 40 feet, 20 feet in height, in addition to an estimated whopping 6-7 tons, T. rex is a monster. It's little wonder why it's embedded itself in our imagination. He has been depicted as a killing machine for well over a century. First described by Barnum Brown around 1902-1903 in the badlands of Montana, Tyrannosaurus rex has both thrilled and frightened us in movies, television shows and literature. However, the old, inaccurate stereotype that embedded itself on the reputation of the Dinosauria had gotten the so-called "King of the Dinosaurs." The first specimen was mounted in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City at the commision of Henry Fairfield Osborn, the curator at the time. The great animal was mounted with it's tail lying on the ground, it's head rising menacingly over 20 feet above the visitor's heads.

But, was T. rex really so terrible? Was the the Apex Predator that we loved to hate or was he a lowly scavenger who's lifestyle was Nature's garbage Disposal? Or, was he both: a scavenger AND a and Apex Predator? Well, that's what I intend to find out, and I invite you, readers to come along on this journey into the life of the most infamous and most loved beast to have ever evolved.

From Cold-Blooded Monster to Warm-Blooded Menacing 6-ton Chicken that would Have eaten Col. Sanders

Ironically, the first view of Dinosaurs had been the correct one. In the late 18th to early 19th centuries, fossil bones began showing up regularly in European towns. No one could explain these bones and many people thought that they must be giant remnants of extant animals, since God created the Earth in the biblical 7 days and everything that was tever created was thought to be alive and God would NEVER allow any of His creations to go extinct, right? The view of the world at the time was a static, unchanging world; extinction was impossible as individual animals might die, but whole species did not.

Enter the Baron Georges Cuvier, the leading Anatomist of his day at the intellectual center of the world: Paris, France. He concluded that the bones were of taxa no longer alive and that animals might become extinct. Cuvier reluctantly accepted extinction but never accepted evolution (however, that's another topic for another time).

In 1841, Sir Richard Owen first recognized the Dinosauria as a distinct vertebrate group; a very hot-blooded, active group, to be more specific. He described the genus, Iguanodon, with the conclusion that the teeth resembled an iguana's (hence the name). His view of Dinosaurs had been accepted for the next several decades until.......larger specimens were being excavated; large sauropodomorphs, Hadrosaurs, and Ceratopsians altered that view. It was the Sauropods that convinced the public that, because they are extinct, they must have been unsuccessful, dumb, clumsy creatures. (One has to keep in mind that this view originated in the Victorian era, where progress was on everyone's mind and those mistakes from the past mattered little. Hence, why Dinosaurs obtained such an unfortunate stereotype).

However, it wasn't until the 1960s did Paleontologists start going back to Sir Richard Owen's depiction of active, intelligent, hot-blooded, socially sophisticated animals on the order of Birds. This became known as the Dinosaur Renaissance (Renaissance means "re-birth") and many Paleontologists, including Robert T. Bakker, John "Jack" R. Horner, led by John Ostrom of Yale University. This change in thinking was soon adopted, rather reluctantly, by most researchers and the public at large and induced a lot of re-positioning of all museum mounts from tail draggers to being balanced by their tails, in addition to more active, life-like positions.

From Consensus to Division- Disputes among Friends about Tyrannosaur Behavior/Trophic Level

Colleagues and friends, Robert T. Bakker and Jack Horner have been among the earliest proponenets of the Dino-Bird Theory and Dinosaur endothermy (commonly known as "warm-bloodedness," these animals are so-called because of their bodies to maintain homeostasis without influences from the environment as in reptiles, fish, amphibians, and athropods.) yet, found a wedge split them apart when it came to T. rex's trophic level/environmental niche. Horner saw the large theropod as a scavenger and pointed to several things:

Well-developed Olfactory Bulb provided an incredible sense of smell over long distances which helped him to locate carcasses.
"Poorly" developed Optic nerve, inhibits effective hunting.
Small, nearly vestigial fore-limbs would have prevented him from catching himself if he tripped and fell.
huge bulk made him too sluggish to catch prey.

All of which are absurd as I'll explain in a minute. Robert Bakker, as well as many Paleontologists such as Dr. Philip J. Currie of the Tyrell in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, Dr. Lawrence Witmer of Columbus Ohio, Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. of the University of Maryland Geological Dept., Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago, Gregory S. Paul, Dr. Xu Xing, Dr. Mark Norell of the American Museum of Natural History, Dr. Pete Larson of the Black Hills Geological Institute, among others agree, as well as I do, on the following:

CT Scans of Tyrannosaurid brain cases show the Optic Nerve was Well Developed and, T. rex had it's eyes facing forward, giving him binocular vision, and great depth perception.
The Olfactory lobe was well developed allowing scent distinction, allowing the animal to distinguish the smell of prey, another predator, or family members.
Recurved teeth are designed for hanging on to prey, and the jaw is designed to saw through thick hide. Why is this needed if he was just scavenging dead carcasses?
Bite Force has been estimated to be several tons per square inch, enabling bones to be crushed with ease. Again, not necessary to be a scavenger.
Then, there's the issue with metabolism. The large the muscle mass, the more energy you burn. This animal could not hope to wander aimlessly looking for a fresh carcass to steal for itself.
It's a social animal, with possible complex social structure for a being of it's immense size. Being a scavenger, you really need to be solitary; family is not needed.

Finally, I am in favor of the Opportunistic Hypothesis which means, in a nutshell, predator first, then scavenge if it came across something and it failed to catch a meal (which is a lot more frequent in the animal kingdom than you might think). Often, in nature, the prey gets away, leaving the he predator, hungry and/or injured......or dead. And, when the predator does make a successful kill, it will hesitate and be alert, checking for competition from another of it's own species. Tyrannosaurus rex, apex predator or lowly scavenger? I say, both! What about you?

"So Much To Do.....So Little Time" -Napoleon Bonaparte Yet, When it Comes to a Museum, There is Plenty of Time!!

2010-07-16T00:48:00.001-04:00

It is this quote that fits the typical human being, and I am no exception. And, though I have little respect for emperors and warlords like Mr. Bonaparte, I do admit he "hit the nail on the head" with this statement, if you will. We all have societal obligations as well as familial ones. However, no matter how busy one's life becomes, one should always find time to indulge in his/her own individuality. If this does not happen, then we may very well lose our sanity (....or....what's left of it......if we had any to begin with.....lol ;)) and life will undoubtedly become unbearable. Thankfully, the aforementioned outcome is highly unlikely as each of us finds time in one form or another.

Now, this post is to notify you, readers, that I am down in Houston, Texas, for the Weekend visiting my grandparents. Tomorrow, my mom, Candace, my step-dad, Dave, and I are taking the day to visit the many Museums in the area, including the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the new exhibit on the famous Jurassic Age Solnhofen Limestone Quarry where the first specimen of Archaeopteryx lithographica was first discovered and described in 1860, the Houston Museum of Art, the Holocaust Muesum, etc.

As such, I will be completing a blog post about the trip, prior to Fossil Fact #14 tomorrow. Alas, it is getting late and I'm suffering from jetlag. So, I bid you adeiu and good night, readers.

Artwork of the Day #14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-10T22:07:00.000-04:00

This depiction was obtained from the site: http://permian.wordpress.com/ of the Cambrian Agnatha Haikouichthys. A Facebook friend suggested I discuss this really ancient group of Chordates that still exist today in the form of Lamprey and Hagfish in Fossil Fact #14. Unfortunately, I feel I need to do a lot of research prior to even starting this post as I am unfamiliar with this group. All I can say is keep watching Facebook and Twitter, as well as Blogger's Post Notifications, for news of the post! I am unsure of the artist otherwise I would gladly cite him/her and Definitely link to him/her.

Fossil Fact #13!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-07-04T19:34:00.001-04:00

I have officially returned, readers and I just want to first apologize for my two-month absence. It was rude and insulting to leave such loyal readers "hanging," like that for two months (the activities during those said months will be explained in greater detail in future posts.). For that, I am truly sorry and I hope you all can find it in your hearts to forgive me.

Now, that this is all said and done, I want to do this Fossil Fact as a reward for your patience (and, in some cases, impatience) for the first post in two months of school and growing up. The topic for today, at the suggestion for my new friend, Ian Garofalo, is the so-called "Dino-Bird Theory" here in "pop culture" of Paleontology. ;) The theory describes the relationships between our flying neighbors the birds, and theropods. So, let's get right into it! :)

Dinosaurs Alive? A Look at the Relationship between Birds and Dinosaurs:

What's that up in the sky? It's a plane! No, it's a Bird! No, it's a......Dinosaur?! That's what the latest research on theropod dinosaurs seem to tell us. Now, I assume that you all look a bit incredulous, and, believe me, that is truly understandable. The relationship between birds and Dinosaurs is clear in the genetics, molecular biology and anatomy of many coelurosaurs. The implications indicate that a change in taxonomy is needed, or is it? That depends on how you could classify a bird and a dinosaur.

What is a Dinosaur?
Now, recall that a Dinosaur is a unique type of Archosauria ("ruling reptile") with the ability to walk either upright, bipedally or quadropedally, thanks to their hip design (The Saurischians have their pubis pointed backwards, with it, the illium and the ischium creating a ball-and-socket joint with the femur, while the Ornithischians have a much similar design yet, the pubis and the ischium pointing forward, still creating that ball-and-socket joint with the femur, much like the Saurischians, or Theropods and Sauropods.). The Dinosaurs are also unique in many respects, depending on the stage of their diversity and evolution.

For examply, the Triassic saw many early carnivores like Eoraptor, Herrarasaurus, Coelophysis and Liliensternus, share many of the same features as the archosaurs they co-existed with, yet, some of the primitive features of a "true" theropod; the ankle joints weren't as pronounced as in later taxa. They had features such as fore-arms with the primitive five-digits of their predecessors, the brain wasn't as developed, et cetera.

The Fossil record indicates that as many families progressed in their evolution, many limbs were merely shadows of their former selves, meaning they're vestigial. (Vestigial simply means that limbs or body parts that once had a use in our bodies, no longer carry on that function. i.e. the human appendix.) Specifically digits in the most of the larger theropod species going from five, to four, to three, and in the case of the Tyrannosauridae, two. (Actually, later Tyrannosaurs in the Cretaceous, such as Tyrannosaurus rex, Tarbosaurus bataar, Albertosaurus sarcophagus, Daspletosaurus, et cetera actually have three digits; one is merely small and vestigial, giving the appearance of two, though that's not necessarily incorrect either.)

What is a Bird?
Birds, or Aves, is a class of endotherms (animals that have to consume other organisms, in order to generate and maintain a constant body temperature, commonly referred to as "warm-blooded") that lay hard-shelled amniotic eggs (Thus, making them one of a myriad of other animals classified as "Amniotes.") that evolved during the mid to Late Jurassic period.

There are approximately 9000 species globally. The fact that they are the descendants of the Dinosauria is well-established among the majority of Paleontologists. However, they have evolved specializations for flight and a "unique 'one way' breathing system." The bones are light, yet strong. They have powerful flight muscles, and a skeleton in which many bones are fused or lost. And, the most defining feature--Feathers!

Now, granted, there are many bird species that are unable to fly, meaning that flight shouldn't be the defining characteristic of this clade to differentiate between birds and theropods. Early fossil birds, such as Archaeopteryx, lack the sternal keel where the flight muscles attach, that is also missing in the group of flight-less birds known as the ratites (the group that includes ostriches, emus, and rhea).

The Dinosaur-Bird Connection

Previously, I listed some of the characteristics of the two groups, but nothing truly defining of each group. This is the problem with the current taxonomic system (although, recent changes in the system have labeled Birds as a specialized sub-group of theropod dinosaurs).

Now, why the change? As you have been reading this post, I can only assume you have noticed that the line between the two clade has blurred significantly. The criteria for this change will be discussed in this section, in addition to the theory on Avian Origins, or, more popularly, known as the "Dino-Bird Theory."

Take the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus), for example. The domestic chicken is hardly built for high-performance flight. Yet, the skeleton for Gallus gallus domesticus are clearly present. The sternum bears the aforementioned prominent sternal keel where the flight
muscles attached.

The furcula, a fused clavicle (collar bone), serves as a brace during the flight stroke; in the chicken it's appearance is a Y-shaped bone in front of the sternum (breast bone). The same clavicle in non-avian Dromaeosaurids, which provided a brace for the shoulder girdle while holding prey.

In order to reduce their weight, birds have highly shortened tails compared to extinct taxa like Archaeopteryx, whose tail contained at least 15 vertebrae in it's tail. Living birds lack teeth in the bill unlike their Mesozoic relatives.

Finally, there's the "most obvious anatomical feature" of all birds- Feathers! Of course, recent exquisite specimens from China revealed that certain genera had feathers or primitive "proto-feathers." Feathers are simply highly modified scales which are important for several reasons:

Soft Down Feathers trap still air close to the surface of the body thermally insulating the animal.
Contour Feathers establish the smooth contours of the animal's body.
"Flight Feathers" form the aerodynamic surfaces of the wings and tail.

Finally, feathers are important for display to females saying "hey, sexy, Check me out!" and say to rival males "I'm an adult and I'm ready to fight." Behaviors like this enable Paleontologists to hypothesize theropod behavior, since "behavior doesn't necessarily fossilize." For more information, I encourage anyone interested in the connections between Birds and Theropods, check out the sites in the Works Cited section of the post and check out some of the journals on the subject.

Works Cited

Waggoner , Ben. "UCMP Web Lift To Taxa". University of California at Berkeley. 7/4/2010 .

"Bird". Wikipedia. 7/4/2010 .

Artwork of the Day #13!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-03-02T22:02:00.000-05:00

Artist Reconstruction of the amazing Toodontid, Jenfengopteryx elegans. This is a preview for the 13th Fossil Fact where I will be discussing the "Dino-Bird Theory" in Paleontology. Stay Tuned as this will be my first post in a good while! :) Did you miss me? The Raptor Is Back!!

A New Decade!!!! Here's to 2010!! Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-01T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well....we've reached the end of 2009 and it has been another eventful, and historic year for everyone! I hope you, readers, have had a terrific year and decade!! I know I have!! Anywho, I just wanted to wish you all a safe, and happy new year!!!

2010 marks the beginning of a new decade!! It's odd as, to me, it seems like yesterday we were celebrating the end of the 1990s, the new millenium! So, I just hope and pray from the bottom of my heart that you, your families and your friends have a safe and happy 2010!!!

All right, now this post is getting repetitive. lol! So, let me wrap this up readers with one more final wish and Farewell until I return!!! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fossil Fact #12!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-30T23:52:00.001-05:00

Readers,

Before I begin the long-awaited and promised Fact, I would like to apologize for my absence. Many of you who follow me on Facebook and Twitter are probably aware of my busy schedule these past few days, or rather, weeks. I am truly sorry for my absence, but I hope you had a GREAT Christmas and I hope you have a Fantastic New Year!! :)

Now, this Fact is the result of inspiration by the Great Craig Dylke, the Weapon of Mass Imagination who, if you have been following him closely, has definitely improved in his artwork, as can be seen on his blog, and Art Evolved!! The topic of my choosing is a bit adventurous for me, guys, so please bear with me if the quality isn't as good as my previous ones concerning Extinction and The Tyrannosauridae. The topic: The Mosasaurs, more specifically, the genus: Tylosaurus. Now, though my knowledge may not lie in the Mosasauridae, but the Coelurosaurs, I'm confident that my research will suffice. And, yes, I will offer links to sources at the end of the post.

Kings of the Cretaceous Seas- The Mosasaurs

What are the Mosasaurs?

The Mosasaurs were a group of Cretaceous marine reptilian predators that belong to the group that includes Snakes and monitor lizards known as Squamates. In fact, one could describe their appearance as being monitor lizards with flippers. Mosasaurs evolved during the Cretaceous period and inhabited the Western Interior Seaway of North America preying on large reptiles like large seaturtle genera like Archelon and Protostega, other Mosasaurs, and Ammonites.

Environment-

Fossil remains have been uncovered in Cretaceous strata in states such as Kansas, Oklahoma, etc. since the mid 19th Century. According the finds, they lived in a purely aquatic environment that covered the middle of North America thanks to rising sea levels, dividing the continent into thirds becoming the Western Interior Seaway.

A Few Known Genera-

Mosasaurus- the extinct genus for which this group is named and based; lived in the Maastrichian age (Late Cretaceous) of the Cretaceous period.

Tylosaurus- a Mosasaur of the Late Cretaceous, and, probably one of the better known genera of this family. Though, it has many species, a few are actually considered taxonomically valid: T. progirer (Cope, 1869) (Type), T. nepaeolicus (Cope, 1874), T. haumuriensis (Hector, 1874), and T. kansanensis (Everhart, 2005). Like most animals in this family, they were powerful swimmers, gargantuan, fast, and heavily built. It possibly preyed on sharks, other mosasaurs, juveniles of it's species (not the individual's own offspring of course, but, possibly the offspring of another Tylosaurus.), and a few species of fish.

This animal was portrayed in National Geographic's IMAX documentary, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure living alongside Ammonites, Plesiosaurs, Dolichorynchops, being depicted as the top predator of the Seaway, 82 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period.

The whole phylogenetic cladogram of this family can be found here.

Morphology-

Mosasaurs can be identified by their similar design to modern day terrestrial monitor lizards. They have a large, flexible head, strong neck muscles, and powerful muscles attachments to the radii and ulna in the flippers. I imagine that, unlike some animals, they had open sutures in the bones, allowing room for more growth, after reaching adult size. It's also clear that they were possibly endothermic, as they required extensive meat to keep up their tremendous size and energy. They possibly had a great sense of smell allowing hunting to be much easier.

I have a hard time believing that they are exothermic, as, though I have not had the opportunity to personally examine a mosasaur, each morning and night, they would have to pull themselves up on the beach at night, and, at dawn, would have to stay up on the shore line warming up. There were predators that would have been willing to attack a defenseless Mosasaur, despite it's size. So, they would need to get back into the water as soon as it can, and could not waste time sun-bathing. Although it is a good idea to avoid predators and allow oneself to breathe fresh air, it is still dangerous as there were predators at all times of the day and night who could be prowling the beach. At least, that's my hypothesis for a group, I know almost nothing about.

Another thing, Mosasaurs were most likely VERY active and quick. It's true that sharks and other marine predators are quick and exothermic, but the ability to create an animal that size and sustain that size requires massive amounts of food. Other predators, can go awhile without eating.

Evolution-

This group possibly evolved during the Jurassic period, but, at the time, were dwarfed by the pliosaurs like Liopleurodon. It could be that they were still terrestrial animals, and had not yet filled those niches in the sea until the Pliosaurs began to die out.

Reference(s)-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mosasaurs

Artwork of the Day #12!!!!!!!

2009-12-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

Tylosaurus preying upon the Giant Sea Turtle, Archelon in the North American Western Interior Seaway during the Late Cretaceous. Artist- Unknown. I found this on-line and saved it to my computer, thought I did not find the name of the artist. Anywho, this is sort of a preview for the 12th Fossil Fact Coming Soon! Stay Tuned!!

Raptor and the GSP Part 2- The Final Stretch....

2009-11-29T20:57:00.001-05:00

As I approach the completion of such an application, I would like to convey my gratitude to you, readers, who stood by me while I try to take another step towards Professional Vertebrate Paleontology. Hence the name of the blog, my goal was to blog about this odyssey of mine and educate the public along the way. Now, as I have about finished the essay (more still has be done, though it's thankfully not much), I want to let say what the next posts are going to be (NOT in order, however):

Fossil Fact #12- Tylosaurs/Mosasaurs- The Deadly Cretaceous Seas (Thanks to Craig Dylke, The Weapon Of Mass Imagination, of Prehistoric Insanity for this bit of inspiration!)
A sample of the GSP essay.
Thoughts on Darwin and Natural Selection
Christian Evolutionist-Finding the Middle Ground With God and Darwin.
What is "Jane?" Identifying this Mysterious Tyrannosaur

As for the GSP application, I'll try to keep you all posted. lol! (Pun intended! ;P)

Raptor and the GSP Part 1- The GSP essay, in progress....

2009-11-29T01:44:00.000-05:00

Okay, readers, if you recall that the last time I posted, I covered what the GSP was and what I have to do to apply to this program. I have been working on the most crucial part of the application and that is the 300 essay. And, I must say, I am making excellent progress on it. I have just completed the rough draft, in getting my thoughts on paper and completed a second revised draft based on input from my family. Now, I'm simply waiting on input from my dad and see what he says. If I don't have to add anything, then the second draft becomes the final, though if I need to change anything, I must do a THIRD copy. Honestly, readers, I'm prepared for this application to be over and done with and I can focus on other things. This is my chance to make my blog even more personal, by allowing you guys to really read about my PaleoQuest! Sorry, for being tardy with this post, but family heeded my call, though I doubt that constiutes as an excuse for my absence, THAT and I simply forgot. lol! ;P School offered me a better excuse. lol! ;P Anyway, it's almost complete and I will be sure to keep you posted. lol! (pun intended! ;P)

A New Opportunity and New Blog series (Raptor and the GSP-Part 0)

2009-11-25T15:42:00.001-05:00

Happy (American) Thanksgiving to all!! I am so excited about my first break in a long while and, so I am down in Louisiana visiting my relatives (a small handful at least)! However, an important factor has officially "burst my own bubble." In other words, this is vital to my PaleoQuest and, sadly I am prohibited from enjoying my break to the fullest. :P What is it, you ask? My dear readers, this is what is known as the Kentucky Governor's Scholar's Program (KY GSP). This cool program allows for a summer jump-start on College and University life. So, it's a must to apply and, hopefully, get accepted. The GSP is a program that you, if on the list based on un-weighted GPA (Grade-Point Average), apply to and, when accepted, go to stay on a randomly chosen University or College campus in the state. I would have to stay on the campus for the whole five weeks and attend classes in the particular subject area. Unlike the actual experience, however, one has more free time to get know the school, socialize, go on field trips, and so forth. It's a University Summer Camp, if you will. Although, you, readers, get the idea, that is not the point of this post.

This post is to allow me organize my thoughts on this Program and fill out the tedious, but thankfully somewhat easy, application process which encompass the following:

The Traditional Application- What I mean by that is this part of the application process is in the format one would probably normally think of for an application.
Records of Accomplishments- The application includes several pages of these.
The Essay- This is the crucial part of the application! I will be live-blogging the completion of the essay much like one would for Art Evolved pieces in a new series on PaleoQuest in the next week. (That reminds me...the new gallery has been decided- Paleo Environments- this gallery has no specifications other than unique environments. NO Blank Backgrounds, UNLESS you have two animals accurately interacting in the space. Due: January, 2010!) Anywho, here is what I am supposed to do, for the essay- "250-350 words; Write about a specific leadership project you've participated in, or would like to in the near future. Keep in mind that this is limited to the constraints of my imagination and may evolve over time."

My Project- The Promotion of Asperger's Students to pursue careers of their interest; mainly the sciences. I wll also add some anecdotes as well to add a unique touch to the paper, which is also what they're looking for. These anecdotes are of my experiences with A.S. and how I came to be where I am in my life today. I may post some soon at the encouragement of many of my friends on the Paleo-Blogosphere and these may end up in the paper. So, stay tuned and keep reading, and you'll witness a HUGE step in my PaleoQuest! :)

Coming up......Blogging through the process of the GSP essay; Followed by Fossil Fact #12- The Mosasaurs and the Tylosaurs (Thanks, Craig, The Weapon of Mass Imagination! ;))

Contemplating the Functional Morphology In Vertebrates and the Latest Research

2009-11-07T19:31:00.001-05:00

While off-line and continuing my "Paleo Quest" in between tweets and posts, I continued my research, when I could, through browsing the internet and watching some entertaining and enlightening documentaries which cover the latest research in Paleontology. Doing so, I managed to see two documentaries on NatGeo and one on PBS (KET here in Kentucky.). The two documentaries on NatGeo are entitled "Bizarre Dinosaurs," which is a documentary based off the National Geographic article of the same name, and "Dinosaurs Decoded," which explains Horner and his colleague from Berkeley, Mark Goodwin's theories that, if they hold true, then approximately 1/3 of all Dinosaur taxa would be wiped out! In other words, 1/3 of these species do not exist!! This is a case of Mistaken Identitiy, they claim. I'll get to these in a second. The PBS program was the first of a three-part miniseries of episodes on their successful show Nova, entitled "Becoming Human," which includes the latest fossil finds and knowledge about Human evolution, as well as Chimpanzee and Human divergence. However, this post is about functional Morphology in Vertebrates (in other words, body plan/ Anatomy) , more specifically the Dinosauria. In this case, this would include the two National Geographic documentaries I mentioned.

The nice thing about these two documentaries is their extensive coverage of the group, including the odds and ends, as well their use of Diagrams and Models in addition to interviews with key experts, like Dr. Horner, Dr. Sereno, Dr. Bakker, Dr. Holtz, Dr. Witmer, among others. Now, lets go throught the oddities of the documentaries one by one.

"Bizarre Dinosaurs"

The name says it all and it nicely covers the some of the odd ones of the Dinosaur World. The following list are of the Animals covered in the documentary and what they said about them:

Amargasaurus- this sauropod is truly bizarre with it being the only sauropod/titanosaur genus to have a double row of elongated "spines" on it's back, large enough to have supported a skin sail, similar to the Spinosaurus aegyptiacus.
S. aegyptiacus- I found this part to be the most interesting as not only did the show talk about the basics of this animal, but commented on it's truly bizarre morphology, the crocidilian snout and the large single row of spines jutting from the middle vertebrae of the spinal column, which most likely supported a sail as well. Oddly enough, Horner admitted to the true diet of this theropod, when they referrenced it's appearance in the failure, Jurassic Park III. His reasoning for selecting the Spino and not, say...Giganotosaurus carolinii or T. rex, yet again, was, one, it was the largest theropod known, and second was he was tired of T. rex "hogging the glory." They, then, commented on it's bizarre "sail." Covered were the ideas of thermal regulation while fishing, and/or display.
Nigersaurus- "The Jurassic Lawn Mower/ Vaccuum cleaner" as I'd like to call him. This sauropods most bizarre feature is it's head! Clearly this looks like it's the offspring of a Diplodocus and a vaccuum cleaner, making me infer it's a diplodocid. The teeth and the jaws of this animal or in such a bizarre layout that it possibly combed the low growing vegetation.
Dracorex hogwartsia- or "juvenile Pachy." This pachycephalosaurid is so named because it looks like something out of a fantasy film, specifically a dragon. The odd skull doesn't seem to be real! Well it is, but what exactly is it? "Hogwarts' Dragon King" is one of those taxa that Horner and Goodwin believe to be a stage in the life of a related pachy. So, is it's own species/genus or is it the growth stage of another animal. (Will cover this soon....)
Deinocheirus- Bizarre as it only known from a gargantuan pair of menacing arms and that is it!! Ornithomimid? Herbiverous? Carniverous? Omniverous? We don't know! This theropod is about as mysterious it gets!
Epidendrosaurus- Tiny, cute, but bizarre! This little theropod, and I Do Mean Little, is bizarre as it apparently had large eyes, making it nocturnal, and an elongated index finger, possibly to fish for insects in the barks of trees.
Masiakasaurus- This small theropod is bizarre, though sadly not in the documentary, but the article, was bizarre in that it had it's four front dagger-shaped teeth curved out of it's mouth and looked like hooks at the end of it's jaws.
Carnotaurus sastrei- This large Cretaceous theropod is bizarre for it's bull-like face, from which it gets it's name. The function of the horns was purely social and used for display and identification between members of the family. It was portrayed in Michael Crichton's The Lost World as possessing the ability to blend into it's environment like a chameleon.

As you can see, they're all pretty bizarre. The next documentary I'll mention in this lengthy post is "Dinosaurs Decoded." This documentary covered the research published in the journal PLos One. And, as stated above, according to these findings on Dinosaur growth patterns and how their morphology changed as they grew and matured. Fragmentary bone, once thought to belong to a pachycephalosaur was identified by Mark Goodwin of Berkeley and collegue of Horner as a infant Triceratops. The main reasons behind a lot of these claims between the Tyrannosaurs, the Certopsians and Pachys covered in the documentary was not of whether bones in the skeleton were fused or not, as many bones in the skull of some adult species aren't fused, allowing a kinetic skull when eating (i.e. T. rex had many bones in it's skull that had not fused so that to handle struggling prey, could twist and turn and not break off it's teeth. These gaps were filled with either cartilage or muscles to the skull could "flex" when the animal was eating.), but instead, microscopic sutures that had not closed in some specimens and taxa as they would be in an adult animal. Personally, I find it quite an interesting hypothesis. This leads me back to Dracorex hogwartsia, as well as Stygimoloch, and Pachycephalosaurus. Observing tiny slices of bone in each species has led to the finding of open sutures in Dracorex and Stygimoloch, indicating these animals were not full grown adults,but, according to Horner and Goodwin, they are merely stages of development in Pachycephalosaurus. How? What are the significance of sutures? Open sutures in the bone allow more room for the animal to grow. This has led Horner and Goodwin to apply these ideas and methods on Tyrannosaurus rex, Nanotyrannus lancensis, and other tyrannosaurs. Horner believes that the Nano may be a teenage T. rex. Is he right? Well.....there's not way for sure. However, there is a chance that the Nano may merely be a growth stage of T. rex or another tyrannosaur species.

However, there's more to growth than that. It's true that fused bones in an animal don't necessarily mean the animal is full grown. Sutures are a good way to tell, however, that doesn't necessarily mean anything either. Now, I know I'm no Ph.D, yet, but think about it. There may be some taxa that reach adulthood but continue growing through out their entire life. Therefore, they would still have open sutures. To truly tell an age and when they stopped growing when they matured is to count the growth rings as well as look for sutures under a microscope.

In my personal opinion, I agree that dinosaur juveniles and their adult counterparts were not Mesozoic "Dr Evils and Mini-Me's" of each other here. More research definitely still needs to be done.

On another note, I would like to comment on the habitual nature of Paleontologists, Biologists and Zoologists that think "black & white," if you wil about the functions of some animals with strange morphologies and appendages. A prime example are the plates of Stegosaurus. My hypothesis is that they were for sexual display, family member/sex identification and thermal regulation, along with other taxa with bizarre appandages like Spinosaurus aegyptiacus' sail and Amargasaurus. There's also the old question about the functionality of the front limbs of the tyrannosaurs. Sure, there obviously was the trade off with the larger head and more muscular neck, along with powerful jaws, and the shrinking of the seemingly vestigial fore-limbs. However, when paleontologists discuss function, they say it's "either this OR that" which is just NOT a good way to think in this field! I believe they were used in number of different ways from courtship, mating, and consuming prey. They might have even helped the animal get up in the morning or something. The arms may have been used to pick itself up if it tripped on the hunt. And, if injujured and can't hunt, the family would have taken care of the injured member. The limbs could have been used for grooming as well, as proposed by Dr. Robert T. Bakker.

My point is that the majority of paleontologists are too "black and white," if you will in their thinking, instead of "grey." In other words, they need to stop thinking that something is "either/or." The thinking is too extreme left and right wing with no middle ground. At least, that's what all this research and thinking has taught me. Hopefully, I will learn more about this when I continue my "Paleo Quest" and my own personal research in my spare time between posts and tweets.

Fossil Fact #11!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-30T19:40:00.001-04:00

Hopefully, this Fact will make up for my hasty tenth Fact as I am covering a complicated topic, with my OWN personal Hypotheses based on what I've read, despite if you deem me credible or not. This time I feel as I have a bit more time on my hands and I can rest easy, but I still would like to get started. However, since this is one of the most complicated topics in Biology, I ask that you pay close attention and NO scanning. If you scan, then you will leave bewildered, so, please take your time. Let us Begin:

Extinctions- Out with the Old/ In with the New-

Please pay attention, readers, and read this Fact verbatum! For a good several centuries, Early Biologists, thought that all organisms that had ever lived on this Earth was still alive, and no one would have thought that God would be one to let his most precious creations die off. Yet, in the late 18th Century, French Anatomist Baron Georges Cuvier (1769-1823), known by many as the Father of Modern Paleontology, proposed the idea of Extinction.

EXTINCTION?! Why in the history of the World would God kill off His own creations? The answer is known by many today as not the hand of God but Natural Selection, with the great Father taking a backseat to the Universe and intervening as He sees fit. This leads into my next topic of Discussion: "What is it?" and "How does it apply to us today?"

What IS Extinction?!

Extinction, by working scientific definition, is the absence/disappearance of all individuals of one taxa or several populations of several taxa in an ecosystem. That's extinction, in a nutshell, however, this is still a complicated topic to instruct, so please keep reading.

What CAUSES Extinctions?

Now that we know WHAT Extinction is by working definition, we need to understand what it's role in Evolution actually is...more specifically the "Causes." Unfortunately, many scholars know WHAT it is and it's implications, but WHAT truly causes these mysterious disappearances of populations of organisms remains unknown. That's what this Fact is truly about and I've had an ambition to discuss this recently.

However, we do know that Extinctions are multi-factorial and that not ONE factor can cause extinctions as it's like a Dominoe effect, where one change affects the other factors until the group is wiped out, or at least, that's what is believed to happen, yet when it comes to large extinctions like the extinction of the Dinosaurs, the Permian extinction, and the Pleistocene extinction (A few of which I will cover briefly in a little while, if you'll bear with me.) the factors aren't as forgiving as they are with modern extinctions, thanks to the gap in the Fossil Record.

Extinctions On A Large Scale-

Many extinctions continue to occur today and everyday, despite human (H. sapiens) interaction, but the one's that make the headline news are the global "Mass" Extinctions like the ones Humans are causing or are we? (I'll get to that soon enough.) and the infamous K-T Event.

Here are a Few of the Infamous Mass Extinctions, their Time Periods, Evidence and Possible Factors:

The K-T Boundary- 65 million Years Ago- a.k.a. the Extinction of the Dinosaurs- This is marked by a higher concentrated layer of Irridium (rare on Earth, but abundant in meteors) at the boundary of the Cretaceous ("K") and Tertiary ("T") periods. The "K" for Cretaceous is used as a notation to prevent confusion with the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods. Approximately 68% of all life on Earth was wiped out in this event. The Irridium indicates a definite meteor strike, but was that the finger that fired the loaded gun of Evolution? Possibly, but I have another idea. If one were to go into the Badlands of Alberta, Canada, Outside of Drumheller, you would see some of the best evidence of the end of the Cretaceous. As the Fossil Record shows, the Dinosaurian speciation was down to 12 individual speies of each group around the end of the Cretaceous, yet the the fossils seem to end a few feet below the irridium line, indicating that the meteor strike had not done them in, something else. However, that's not to say that it did NOT wipe them out, but rather, as fossils are extremely rare, some may not have fossilized, so there's really NO way to tell. We KNOW it was an environmental change but the exact combination of the factors is nearly impossible to tell.

The Permian-250 million years ago-The LARGEST Extinction of them all yet NOT the most famous, ironically! In this Extinction, 98% of ALL life on Earth was Obliterated and just vanished. The case is the same for the K-T Boundary, as well as ALL the extinctions in Earth's history.

As you all can see, Extinction is a VERY complicated topic and I am already exhausted from typing it honestly. lol! ;P The most important thing to remember is when you hear about Extinction theories and hypotheses, keep in mind that it takes MORE than ONE factor to cause extinctions!!! In fact, ALL extinctions share the same basic trait in common with one another is that they share the same factors for the most part, the ENVIRONMENT, yet the combinations of those factors differ with each one! I hope you enjoyed and I encourage you to get in touch with experts and ANY of the Open Access Journals, such as PLos One and continue to read up on it if you have ANY further questions! Take Care, Readers! Talk to you Tomorrow!! :)

Fossil Fact #10!!!!!!!

2009-10-30T18:51:00.000-04:00

Due to the load of so much on my plate, I'm afraid I'm going to have to speed right through this Fact, if I want to meet my personal deadlines, so let's begin!!!

The Ceratopsians- Horned Champions of the Cretaceous

Possibly the most famous of all the armored herbiverous dinosaurs on Earth, the Ceratopsians were, indeed, some of the most successful and lasting on our childhoods hearts. However, I'm going to cover as best I can and as hastily as I can if I am going to squeeze in two Facts today, with some of the latest research.

What is a Ceratopsian?

As simple as this may sound to most of my "older" readers (by "older," I mean those who have been with me since I started this blog.), there are still a number of folks who may know what they are but, simultaneously not know what they are, if you follow me. Everyone's familiar with them, if they are not familiar with term, like Triceratops, Torosaurus, Styracosaurus, etc. The term "Ceratopsian" is a variation of the scientific family name "Ceratopsida," which means, ironically, "Horned Face." This group has been an obvious success so I doubt I will cover into too much depth into their evolution, as, honestly, I'm completely clear on.

The Ceratopsians were known for their unusually thick and gragantuan "frills" that provided protection for the major arteries in the neck, and held an impressive armory of weapons on the some of the well-known, larger Cretaceous taxa, Triceratops horridus, Torosaurus, and their kin. Though not all had the impressive assortment of weaponry, some had frills whose sheer glance would make any intelligent theropod re-think it's position or just high-tail it out of there!

Ceratopsian Behavior:

Thankfully I need not repeat myself when I discuss behavior from the Fossil Record. This is more of an abstract concept and requires more imagination as, well, people have conflicting views when they literrally look at the same thing. Prior to Paleontologists like Dr. Robert T. Bakker, and Dr. John "Jack" R. Horner, the view of the Dinosauria were big, dumb, lizards. Yet, universally, we see them as living animals with as much an ability to survive as any animal today, if not better. The Ceratopsians were, in my opinion, pretty docile, and would only attack when threatened, as any other animal. Other than that, very little canbe gained from their remains, no matter how complete, which leads into the next section of this Fact: Anatomy.

A Quick Over-View Of Ceratopsian Anatomy:

Other than being Ornithischians ("bird-hipped," Pronounced, ORN-ITH-SCK-IANS), these herbivores are known for their massive frills. Sadly, new research shows that structurally, these frills' primary function was display, and then defense. I'm not saying that defense wouldn't have been an option, I mean, if display were the primary and ONLY function, then evolution wouldn't have needed a large head crest to show off as other animals do. The ONLY ceratopsian species whose frill is solid bone, was the infamous Triceratops horridus. As stated, if the frills were used for defense only, then evolution would have standardized the design, unless, it was as equipped as necessary to handle the perils and predators of it's particular ecosystem (i.e. The sheep-sized Protoceratops of Cretaceous Mongolia doesn't need to be as well-equipped as the North American Triceratops or Torosaurus.

New research by Dr. Horner of Montana and his colleague, whose name escapes me for the moment, was published in the article in PLos One on the growth of Triceratops horridus and Pachycephalosaurus. According to them, the different taxa for these families were actually growth stages of well-known taxa (i.e. Dracorex hogwartsia, and Stygimoloch were actually growth stages of Pachycephalosaurus, respectively.). As farfetched as this may seem, it seems an even larger changed when it came to the Triceratops. However, no information on the differences in the sexes has been found, even with the detailed studies.

That about wraps up this quick Fact, and I'm sorry if the quality wasn't as expected, but if I wanted to fulfill my ambitions, some sacrifices had to be made. :( Again, sorry, readers.

What does this Weekend Hold for PaleoQuest?

2009-10-30T08:44:00.000-04:00

I'm aware of the fact that I personally said that the next post was going to be the tenth Fact, yet I wanted to lay out, more for my benefit, than for yours, how this weekend is going to go for PaleoQuest. First of all, tonight, I will do an unprecedented (well...unprecedented for me, anyway.) two posts sequentially in one day. These two posts are the last two topics on the poll before I delete it. I will still cover the Ceraptopsians and Extinctions, in that exact order, so in a way, it's a paleo bargain. That is this afternoon due to the fact, I want to move on from this little series I'm in for you guys, the readers. Following the tenth and eleventh Facts, I'm going to Live Blog my piece for Art Evolved, which is due November 1st!! Despite the setbacks I have with posting pictures, I will attempt to do my very best with this as this will be my FIRST live-blogging effort ever on this blog. Again, please bear with me. Other than that, there is nothing else beyond that, except for me just posting freely like everyone else on the blogosphere. Anywho, Stay tuned and expect those SOON!!!

Blogging For A Year And Still Going Strong.....

2009-10-19T18:02:00.002-04:00

I honestly find it hard to believe that I have been blogging for a year! Today is the 1st Birthday of PaleoQuest and my first anniversary as a blogger on the Paleo Blogosphere! Despite the known setbacks due to school, I realized I wanted to share my passion with the world and teach, and I did so, making some great friends on here along the way. Before I share anything about my past year, I want to sincerely apologize for my absence as of late. School, which has been my excuse before and nuissance, proceeds to do just that. Fortunately, I am away for a good cause, which is to fufill my dream of being a Vertebrate Paleontologist, hence the name of this blog. My success is due to the assistance and support of these particular bloggers as I joined their ranks as a young paleo enthusisast and self-proclaimed Amateur Paleontologist. Here is how I got here:

September 2008: Genesis
I decided to join the blogosphere after stumbling onto Traumador's blog through a random search on Google Images on Tyrannosaur infants, which, in turn led me, even more specifically on Traumador's Excellent Jurassic Park film reviews from 2007. My first brief visit fed my curiousity and decided to explore more of the site. And, lo! It wasn't long before I realized I liked his blog and began communicating with him through his comments page and e-mail. Honestly, this little T. rex has been THE best "virtual friend" on the blogosphere a guy could ask for! I owe him a lot!!

September 2008: PaleoQuest-Version 1.0 (Original)
Shortly afterward, I decided to start PaleoQuest. Only this is the version Traumador SHOULD remember. As a fresh blogger, I was merely experimenting with the features of Blogger with simple posts, gadgets, etc. Sadly, I was "booted" out of my first Google address, from a simple, yet ludicrous reason. Since, I could not log back in to my blog, I decided to move on and create this one. Because I could not log back in with my original account, I could not delete it. So, it must be on the blogosphere still: http://raptor-paleoquest.blogspot.com/. If any of you readers find it or not let me know.

October 2008: PaleoQuest-Version 2.0 (Current):
In October of 2008, I started the one you know today and the one I still use. I have been blogging for approximately ONE year today. I am extremely proud of myself especially considering the fact that school has me on such a short leash. That's basically all there is to this one, except, I met several of my closest "virtual friends" through this version. Here are some of the first ones:

Jason "Naveed" Westby-Naveed's Realm- One of my first friends on the blogosphere, Naveed welcomed me onto the blogosphere and began subscribing very early on shortly after Traumador. Shortly after he left a comment on my first Fossil Fact, I clicked his name to learn more about him on his profile. Afterward, I proceeded to his blog and found it pretty cool! His interests are in Cryptozoology, the Paranormal, Science Fiction, and, most importantly Chthulu (spelling?), in addition to Paleontology.
Traumador the Tyrannosaur-The Tyrannosaur Chronicles- My first follower and friend on the blogosphere. Like Naveed, he showed me the ropes of Paleontology and blogging. Trust me, he does justice for the Coelurosaurs. He probably doesn't need much introduction, but, still, a little more can't hurt. ;) Affilliated with the Amateur Multimedia Theatre Troupe from Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, Prehistoric Insanity Productions, his blog is a sight and read to behold if one hasn't already.
OilIsMastery-Oil Is Mastery- My third friend and follower on the Blogosphere. His blog is more of a multitude of different scientific fields, which the author's main goal is to get his readers to think. Ranging from Physics, to Paleontology, and Geology, even Anthropology, his blog is a good one to visit to get your mind going.

Those are among a few of my influences on the blogosphere, though I can assure you that there are many more as I continued to meet each of them as time went on. Readers, you can look for more of my influences on my blogroll. Anywho, thanks for sticking with me readers and I hope you will continue to stick with me as I strive to reach my goal and complete my PaleoQuest!!

Next: The Horned Champions of the Cretaceous-The Ceratopsians!!

Fossil Fact #9!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-27T22:47:00.002-04:00

Like the previous post, I am short on time for posting, so let's go ahead and get started. This one is a continuation of covering the topics voted on in the poll on the right-hand side of the blog. The Ninth Fact is covering the Tyrannosauridae. This group should need no introduction and this post will be in the same format as the last one and the others for that matter, obviously. So, let's begin!

The Tyrannosaurs- From Man-sized Jackals to Gargantuan Apex Predators

What makes a theropod a Tyrannosaur:

The Tyrannosaurs are characterized mainly by the shape of their teeth, and the powerful jaws, as well as gracile to heavy stature. The D-shaped teeth are serrated on both sides and usually curve backwards, indicating the ability to rip apart a carcass with ease. This design first started in the earliest known ones like Guanlong wucaii and Dilong paradoxus and then continued in the large, powerful Late Cretaceous members, like T. rex.

Tyrannosaurs, however, are not really known for their gracility (Slenderness) and are more characterized as large, well-muscled, powerful brutes. This heavy stature wasn't evident in the earlier members, but were well defined in the later members like Daspletosaurus, Tyrannosaurus rex, and Tyrannosaurus bataar ( Tarbosaurus). There are a few members that increased in size, yet kept their gacile stature, like Albertosaurus.

What they are known for are their bite force, which is exactly what their jaw is designed for. The majority of the bite force is correlated with the increase in weight and bulk in later Tyrannosaurs.

This group is also known for the small, dual clawed, fore-limbs, whose function is still under controversy. However, the early Tyrannosaurs did not have the dual clawed, small forelimbs, but had the long three-digit, fore claws.

The Early Tyrannosaurs- The Tyrannosaur Dark Ages and "T. rex's Granddaddy"(Jurassic Period-208 million years ago-145 million years ago)

What I mean by "Dark Ages" is that this is the part of their evolution that we are, seriously, in the dark about. It wasn't until Guanlong that we even knew (Or, at least, I knew) the lineage extended that far back and reclassified T. rex from being a Carnosaur as a Coelurosaur. We really don't know much about this time in their evolution, except a large mass grave found by James C. Clark in China with Xu Xing, containing layer upon layer of doomed theropod dinosaurs. That's our only clear indication of the lineage of the Tyrannosaurs.

Let me tell you a little bit about Guanlong, the "T. rex granddaddy," as it is popularly referred to by the public. Guanlong is most noted for that odd crest on top of it's head, similar to Cassowary of Australia. Unlike later Tyrannosaurus is it's notable gracile stature, lengthened fore limbs, that happen to have three digits like most other theropod groups.

The behavior of this animal has been related to the jackles of the African savannah (however, the jackles are the active predators most of the time and not the lions.) in that they were scavengers. I believe that they were active predators with the possibility of pack hunting or family groups.

Other than this limited information, there is not much to say on this part of their evolution, other than check out Wikipedia.

The Reign of the Tyrannosaurs- The Tyrannosaurs At their Prime (Cretaceous- 144 million years ago-65 million years ago)

The Cretaceous points out the success of the Tyrannosaurs as we see them diverge through genetic drift and migration filling in almost every predatory niche in the ecosystem and we see a lot of diversity in the other fauna as well.

Despite the gaps in the fossil record of this period on their evolution, we have a much better idea and a much clearer picture of their evolution than we did of the Jurassic period. Some of the Tyrannosaurs grew larger in size and retained their gracile stature, like Albertosaurus sarcophagus and those that have not grown any larger than Dilong paradoxus and have retained that gracile stature like Nanotyrannus lancensis and the newly discovered, Raptorex kreigsteini. These animals filled in the second level predator status of the ecosystem and, some like Raptorex, are on the direct line to Tyrannosaurus rex.

Others sacrificed their gracility for power and a larger head and, a larger, more developed brain, than other theropod groups, (though not as much as the Dromaeosauridae, or the "raptors."), like Daspletosaurus, Tyrannosaurus bataar and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Another notable fact about this family is that every one is rare. VERY few articulate, complete remains have been found and that is why classification and studying their evolution is so frustrating and difficult.

For those of you who did not mind my, indifferent tone, I hope you enjoyed it! And, those who did not, please let me know of how I could have improved it. ;) I also would like some feedback on accuracy and writing ability! Thanks! :D

Anywho, here are a list of sites to visit for more information on this family:

NEXT: The Ceratopsians-Champions of Defense and of the Cretaceous!!

Artwork of the Day #11!!!!!!

2009-09-21T16:32:00.002-04:00

Skull of the Cretaceous Predatory fish Xiphactinus audax at the St Louis Science Center. I took this on one of the trips there, this summer. (Note: You can find this on my Deviant Art page. ;))

Fossil Fact #8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-20T11:51:00.007-04:00

Now that I actually have the time to post, it's time to finally cover the topics that you, readers, voted on in the poll, in a series of Fossil Facts. Considering the amount of time that has past since the last Fact, I felt this was overdue and I did promise these lessons when I had the chance. Interestingly enough, it was the idea and support from my "friends" over at Dinosaur Home, to, not only do a special Fact over on their blog, but make this Fact a reality. And, even more exciting, is the updated Post edit/Creation page, as I like to call it.

Anywho, as I don't have much time for this one, I should tell you this one is a brief overview of the Evolution of Theropods according to the Fossil Record. So, Lets get started!!

What is a Theropod?

Because of the possibility that there are new readers, and those who are not familiar with the technical vocabulary, allow me to explain what "Theropod" means, simply. Simply, and briefly, the term "theropod," literally "beast-feet" is the term referencing to the dinosaurian bi-pedal carnivores that, literally dominated the landscape of the Mesozoic. Theropods, as will be covered shortly, according to the Fossi Record (despite the obvious gaps) branched off into a number of different groups based on certain aspects of their skeletal anatomy.

Theropods Emerge- Late Triassic (~208 million years ago):

Despite the evidence of carniverous dinosaurs somewhat earlier, (i.e. Eoraptor, and Herrarasaurus), "true" theropods, like Coelophysis bauri, didn't evolve until later. Coelophysis is considered the earliest known theropod, because of some pretty crucial reasons, namely his body plan. If one were to actually examine a C. bauri skeleton, then one would think he/she was, perhaps, looking at a bird, which, because of it's hollow bones, is it's namesake. This animal had a long flexible vertebrae in the S-shaped neck and tail. The joints of the limbs to the torso allow for fluid movement, and, though, primitive, Coelophysis forelimbs were essential for the manipulation of prey. Though, not heavy and powerful as some of it's predecessors or the reptiles of the time, C. bauri is built for speed and his upright posture gave him the advantage over it's archosaurian neighbors.

Syntarsus, and Dilophosaurus to Ceratosaurus and Allosaurus- Theropods Diverge (Jurassic period, 208 million years ago-145 million years ago):

The Jurassic was not only the reign of the Theropods, but other groups as well. Of course, this post is covering the Theropods. At the beginning of the Jurassic, change was in the air as the Dinosaurs have control of the land. Although, one may not realize it, but many groups that appeared in the Triassic were beginning to branch away from each other, as animals began to migrate and the continents shifted during this period. Pangaea was now breaking up, though the modern continents still haven't arrived.

During the start, we have little predators similar in size and design as Coelophysis, Syntarsus. These animals still have the build: not for power, but for speed. Syntarsus, despite being the same build and no longer has to compete with the primitive archosaurs of the Triassic, is not the terror on the block. Even at the beginning major animal groups were branching off, with some becoming larger, and heavier, while others are remaining gracile. One of the stars of the book and film Jurassic Park, is around, without the frill and the poison glands, and about 2-3 times larger, yet still slender and gracile, Dilophosaurus. Still primitive, because of the five fingered fore-claws, indicating that he just became a biped from a quadroped. He looked like he just started walking upright. Also, his build is like the smaller Syntarsus and the Triassic Coelophysis. His most unusual feature are the two, thin, blood-vessel, filled crests at the top of it's head, possibly for display, hence the name. This theropods jaws were very unusual, as they're pretty slender and the teeth are long and blade like. (The bone crushing teeth of the Tyrannosaurs, do appear during this period, though they won't appear until the mid to late Jurassic.) This jaw design suggests to me that Dilophosaurus wasn't built for hunting the large prosauropods like Anchisaurus. Since behavior doesn't fossilize, I can only go on what I have read, heard and seen in the documentaries and books on the subject (For example, most of this information, is based off of the Discovery Channel documentary When Dinosaurs Roamed America, which covers MOST of the Mesozoic and goes into it more deeply than Walking with Dinosaurs and shows us the fossil evidence of each scene of the show.). So, readers, bare with me, I haven't been around enough specimens to really get my own opinion, thanks to KY.

Anywho, as the animals continue to branch off, we have the carniverous Ceratosaurus of North America, and the tyrannosaurid Guanlong wucaii, of Asia. In the Late Jurassic, we have large, more robust animals like Allosaurus and the Torvosaurus. In the mid to late Jurassic, we see the transitional form of Archaeopteryx. The Jurassic founds an evolutionary boom, similar in size to the Cambrian, only this boom continues into the Cretaceous.

Tyrannosaurs, Birds, Mammals, Raptors, and Flowers- The Peak of their Reign and, Sadly, their Tragic End (Cretaceous period, 145 million years ago to 65 million years ago):

The Cretaceous is one of the most famous periods of the Mesozoic and Prehistory with the public, yet the most commonly misunderstood, as it is second only to the Jurassic period, in terms of popularity. This is where the world starts to look more modern and less alien.

Here is a quick overview of the Cretacous Predators:

Tyrannosauridae- This family emerged in the Jurassic period as medium sized, gracile, feathered animals. One of the most unique feature of this family are the design of their teeth. The D-shaped, serrated, banana-sized teeth bagan in Guanlong and Dilong, and taken into extremes in Tyranosaurus rex. This family belongs to the same group as the "Raptors" (The Dromaeosauridae and the Troodontidae), the Coelurosauria (the most bird-like group of theropods.) As such, they are some of, if not, the most advanced animals of the time.
(i.e. Guanlong wucaii, Dilong paradoxus, Raptorex kreigsteini, Daspletosaurus torosus, Albertosaurus sarcophagus, Gorgosaurus libratus, Alioramus altai, Nanotyrannus lancensis, Tyrannosaurus bataar (Tarbosaurus) and, of course, Tyrannosaurus rex.)

The "Raptors"- Called such because of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, this group includes more than just the Dromaeosaurs. These also include the Troodonts. These families share a similar body plan, such as the retractable "Killing claw" and large complez brains and bird like features. Some even have feathers. (Fauna include: Velociraptor mongoliensis, Deinonychus anhtirropus, Utahraptor, Troodon, Jinfengopteryx, Microraptor gui, Dromaeosaurus, among others.)

The Spinosauridae- The odd crocidilian-snouted theropods. Not much to say other than this group is poorly understood, as there is not much fossil evidence for these guys. (Fauna: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, Suchomimus tenerensis, Baryonyx walkeri, and the others, who are still controversial, that I won't mention to have this post be as accurate as it can be.)

The Allosauroids and the Carcharodontisaurs- There is a long standing debate about how the Carcharodontisaurs emerged. Some say they emerged from the Allosaurids of the Jurassic period. Others say they have a separate lineage. Other than that, I can't say much about them other than they include the largest carnivores that have ever walked the Earth!

Birds-This is obviously, still controversial, but I'll stil mention them anyway.

Those are some of the major groups that inhabitated and terrorized the Cretaceous landscape. Hope you enjoyed and learned something today. ;)

NEXT: THE FAMILY TREE OF "SUE" AND TRAUMADOR!!!!! STAY TUNED!!!!

Some Thoughts About The Blog

2009-09-14T21:21:00.003-04:00

As the title says, this post is just some self-evaluation about this blog. For those who have been here since I started back in October of '08, you all know about the quality, you all know the changes that have happened on this blog within ONE year of it's genesis. Those who have JUST came across this blog, I say "Welcome!" My point? There's none, really, other than just reflection as this blog is approaching it's First Birthday! I find it hard to believe I have been on the Paleo Blogosphere for nearly a year, and, already, I have managed to obtain 11 followers, a feat which takes some bloggers some time to get started. Now, I am not trying to gloat, but I am impressed with myself. Aside from that, the people I've "met" and the things I've learned, are nothing short of spectacular. This has been a fantastic opportunity, and one not easy to do. I feel fortunate to have such fantastic guidance on this site, despite my shortcomings (Those who know me, know what I'm referring to all too well, lol.).

Next, I want to talk about the main curiousity of you readers, the Future. So, I answer "What's next?" for the blog. Well, I'm not sure. I find it difficult to be making commitments and then School snatching me from the web. I know I said I'll be covering the topics, you all voted on in the Poll, and I will. I also wanted to tell you of a commitment I told Dr. Andrew Farke, the Open Source Paleontologist. He had the idea of a collaborative effort to write a paper on the Evolution of Ornithischian posture....or something to that extent. :P Those who participate in the research will be listed as the authors of this paper going up for Plos One. It's excellent, though I am still vague as to how I will participate. (Hopefully, I will cover it in the next post. Sorry. :P) I know it has something to do with posting some research here. Hmm....Sorry readers, I'll be sure and ask him, and then I'll let you know, next post.

Other than that, that's what will happen in the next few posts. Although, if you follow me on Twitter, then you'll know I will be still announcing when posts are up and the subject of the next one, but not the date, so I don't break any promises. In fact, just like tomorrow, it's up in the air. So, until next time, take care and see you Next Post!!

Artwork of the Day #10!!!!!!!

2009-09-13T11:46:00.002-04:00

The classic Charles R. Knight painting of the Tyrannosaurid, Dryptosaurus (a.k.a. Laelaps, as this taxa was known by at the time of this painting.) Thanks, Brian Switek, of the Science Blog, "Laelaps," for having the original site for "Laelaps," still on the blogosphere (In truth, I stumbled upon this, thanks to Google Images.)

A Day of Epic Proportions....(Memorial for 9/11)

2009-09-11T15:56:00.008-04:00

It was on this day, September 11, eight years ago that the United States had suffered one of it's greatest tragedies. The Terrorist hijackings led by the Murderous Osama Bin Laden,in representation of Al Quaeda (Spelling?), destroyed, not only the World Trade Center in New York City, and a fraction of the Pentagon, but we suffered the greatest losses of all....the lives of hundreds of people, including the brave fire fighters who stepped up to the challenge and sacrificed themselves for us. This post is meant to remind us as a nation to set aside our petty differences just this once and have a moment of silence and remember those whose lives were lost. I encourage all of you stop what you're doing for one minute out of your day, and remember. Please take a moment of silence.............

..........................................................

Okay, if you HAVE taken this moment of silence, you may leave and proceed with your day. I feel this day needs to be treated with more respect than I saw today. Sadly, no one at school even gave a care about it, which just upsets me and ticks me off. Days like this should NOT be ignored and taken into consideration at how fragile life is and what it means to be a Nation....and more importantly what it means to be HUMAN!!!

God Bless America!!!

Artwork Of The Day #9!!!!!!!

2009-09-10T16:32:00.004-04:00

Apatosaurus/ Brontosaurus by: Joe Tucciarone. This large Jurassic Herbivore was, probably, THE most famous Sauropod in the eyes of the public. Why the name difference? Back in the mid 1800's during the Great Dinosaur Rush with Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, E.D. Cope discovered incomplete, disarticulate remains of a large sauropod and named it Apatosaurus. Years later, O.C. Marsh, found the remains of a MORE complete Sauropod and named it Brontosaurus. Since the public knew what this Sauropod looked like, it gained the fame. However, it wasn't until years later when Paleontologists realized they were the same animal and, in according to something I like to call Nomenclature Hiearchy, since Apatosaurus was published first, the name changed and Brontosaurus became an obsolete genus. There you go! A fact few, "Non-paleo," people knew about. For those who did NOT know this, Cool Fact, huh? ;)

School Has It's Grip On Me Again- Final Post For Awhile (Hopefully Until This Weekend)

2009-09-09T16:26:00.006-04:00

Unfortunately, school finally has it's grip on me this week! Ugh...I was wondering when it was going to be and, sadly, right when I got back my blogging streak from January! I'm pretty annoyed as homework has me by the throat and I will not be able to blog until probably this weekend, which sucks! Sorry, readers!! This is my crucial year and I can't just slip on by and blog more than do homework! :P This is the MAIN year that colleges will look at!! So, since Paleontology IS my dream, this is part of it as the first step in my Paleo Quest. I thank you all for reading and your patience! Don't worry, you all can still find out what's going on with me in between posts...or have you forgotten my Twitter account which you can follow here or read them on the right-hand side of my blog under "The Tweets Of A Raptor." That's it and I'll talk to you again on Friday!!! :) So, until then, Take Care!!

Congrats To Art Evolved!!!!

2009-09-08T20:55:00.004-04:00

For those who do not know what Art Evolved is, let me elaborate on what it is first. Being the first time I have truly and officially mentioned it, I feel you, readers, deserve to know! Art Evolved is, in addition to being one of the newest Paleontology themed blogs on the Science blogosphere, a blog created for the sole purpose of Paleo Art. Every month or so, Art Evolved hosts a gallery as a "Time Capsule" with a particular focus in mind (i.e. The Sauropod Gallery, that I am about to finish drawing for and finally submit it, that closes on November 1st, so those who are interested after this post, you have until then to submit them to artevolved@gmail.com for posting.). Art Evolved was founded by two Key members of the Canadian Theatre Troup: Prehistoric Insanity Productions, Craig Dylke and Peter Bond, and is contributed by a host of some the World's BEST Amateur and Professional Artists alike including: The Flying Trilobite: Glendon Mellow, Sean Craven, Raven Amos, Traumador the Tyrannosaur (Yes, even him....on occasion), University, Trilobite Mad, Marek Eby (The author of Burgess Shale themed comic strip "Walcott's Quarry," which I must say is hilarious and very witty as well as his blog, www.etrilobite.com/), British Taxonomy student Mo Hassan of the Disillusioned Taxonomist, as well as insane Paleo nerd and Science Teacher, Zachary Miller of Anchorage, Alaska (When I mean, insane, I mean he is truly a wild, young, and VERY enthused Paleo enthusiast much like myself...or very UNlike myself....hmm...I'm not sure which, lol! Sorry, couldn't resist a little joke.) and Japanese-British Paleontologist Manabu Sakamoto of the popular blog "Raptor's Nest," as well as Rachael Revelle, Nima Sassani, and Angie Rodrigues, among others, that, I'm sure will appear after this bit of publicity, which I will get to in a moment. As probably inferred, the Galleries are OPEN to anyone interested in submitting by the Deadline (Again, E-mail ALL entries to be submitted to the next gallery, must submit their work to artevolved@gmail.com by November 1st, 2009!!!)

Now that you guys know what it is, let me tell you all WHY this post was written. Geological themed Magazine "Earth" just gave this new blog, their FIRST MAJOR Publicity in PRINT!!!! Featuring Interviews with Craig Dylke and Peter Bond and sample pieces from ALL the artists mentioned!! :D

Again, Congrats to them and ALL of their Hard Work as they earned it!! Since I KNOW it's ALMOST impossible to find in bookstores, they have a website here WITH the Exact Article! Now, you don't have to take MY word for it!! Click on the link and see for yourself!!! :D

The Arch-Revisited And The Lewis Exodus (St. Louis Post: Day 4, FINALE)

2009-09-06T23:03:00.010-04:00

The St. Louis Posts FINALLY come to a close! Hallelujah!! I don't know about you, readers, but I am glad to finally be finished with this series. No more Broken Promises and I can finally give myself more leash and post when I say I'm going to. How's that? I, truly, am satisfied with this being the final post in the series and I can proceed with my life! However, before we begin, I feel I must sincerely apologize for the lack of quality of that last post. That post, thanks to Life, was not completed until around midnight or so. As odd as this might be, let me explain that my mind was exhausted and I could have been out at any moment. Thus, I had to complete it at any cost, so I can keep my word. Anywho, this post won't nearly be as long as the other one because of the few pictures that are about to be uploaded. (Yes, that was also a reason for the late completion of that previous post.) Let's get started!

The night before me and my father had to leave, I talked him into going into the Arch once more before it closed. Skeptical, as I thought it would close much earlier than I read on-line, my dad and I hesitated for a second and took this picture of me and the accompanying co-worker:

I don't know if you can see that clearly but you can kind of get a glimpse of me on the right with my good friend "Dinosaur George" Blasing's Official T-shirt that I purchased on-line months ago and the co-worker, who is obviously a dwarf compared to me, thanks to height gene I got from my grandfather. With a character like her, the trip was never boring (And if she IS reading this post, I meant that in a good way.).

After that little photo shoot, we attempted to head into the museum, thanks to the kind gesture from a guy who told us the Arch was STILL open! Talk about Luck!! I had assumed it would be closed but I think I have proven God exists as EVERYTHING that I have done has gone right, even when I read otherwise that WOULD have been otherwise.

Anywho, the entrance to the Museum was much like going through Airport security only much more lenient. The procedures were basically the same without the awkward checks and undressing as they make you do at the Airport security. Once inside, we attempted to purchase our tickets and head into the Arch....if the line wasn't SO long! The expression on my faced can only be described with the acronym "WTF?!" and with my trademark "Holy Cretaceous!!" Get the picture? Instead, in addition to exploring the museum , we saw an old mid 1960s documentary on the construction of the Arch, which they play everyday of the year since the opening of the museum. It was either that or the IMAX. The Documentary wasn't boring, but it wasn't the most fun thing to do at the time, and it WAS fascinating and it helped time pass, though the effect we wanted with the lines, was a miniscule change. We, then proceeded to get in line, which took hours and we got to learn more about the Arch as we waited.

However, before we stepped into the agonizingly long line we took a picture in a replica of the car you ride in on your way up. I want to show you these pictures so you get an idea of what you ride in on your way up to the top:

Puts things in perspective, doesn't it. Here is the view of THIS (My SECOND) visit to the Top of the Arch:

As you can see, it was worth the wait. This can also be seen on my Deviant Art page. This Gorgeous picture is quite breathtaking and I hope that those who have NEVER been to the Arch and/or up to the top, I highly reccomend you do so. It is worth seeing and a memory you'll probably never forget! I know I NEVER will Forget! Neither will you!

That's it for these posts! I hope you enjoyed and my next posts will be on the results of the Poll that you all have voted for, so I thank you again, readers, for taking the time to do so! This blog is really for you rather than for me. Again, thank you very much. And, if you are wondering about the next part of the title, I am, simply, referring to the fact I left St. Louis the Next Day and my second visit to the St. Louis Science Center before I left for home. Again, I hope you enjoyed, and the next time I speak to you again, readers, will be on my next lesson!

Next: A Lesson Equivalent to the K-T Extinction or....maybe....Permian!!

Stay Tuned!!!

The Day I Met "Sue-"(St. Louis Posts Day: 3)

2009-08-29T23:04:00.012-04:00

As promised, readers, here is the Third St. Louis post! After I started exploring and coming to the that little National Park in front of the Capitol, I went out to dinner that night and happened to learn the Metro, which killed two mammalia with one stone (I would have said "Birds," but I wouldn't want to upset a certain Tyrannosaur...lol.). So, the next morning, I was off to my Primary Destination...the St. Louis Science Center! Why? That happens to be the place where the greatest theropod (And...for those who are both New and Know ALMOST nothing about the vocabulary of Paleontology...The term "Theropod" literally means "Beast Feet" and simply refers to the Carniverous Dinosaurs of the Late Triassic through the Late Cretaceous periods) of all time resides...well..."her" cast anyway...."Sue" the World's Largest and Most Complete Tyrannosaurus rex known. Yep! "She" was there for a Special Exhibition for the week and I happen to be in town for that! Talk about Fortunate! Clearly, there is a God! This post covers the TWO trips there! Yep! TWO! Let's Begin!

To understand how my day went, readers, I feel you must see how I look in the morning when I wake up with my dad so I can see him before he heads off to work. Here it is, and I'm not afraid to show it:

Shocking isn't it? lol! My Dad took this picture of me right when I woke up as a joke and I happened to use his camera for the trip. So, yes, this is your pal "Raptor" Lewis in the early morning. My first thought? "Uhh....coffee..." lol

Anywho, now the trip Really begins! Now, on the first trip to the Center, was an adventure in itself, as I was battling really warm temperatures with a bottle of Coca-cola and two Nature Valley Granola Bars in my bag as a snack since getting there was going to be a while. :/

I had gotten lost, ironically as my "map" was more like garbage and I couldn't find my way as easily as I thought....either that or I'm terrible at Orienteering...though I'm pretty sure it was the first reason and not the latter. Thankfully, I met a nice man along the way who not only told me the direction to go in, but actually led me to the intersection where I could just follow the signs. He was a nice African American man, who seemed to be Middle-Aged and a Post-man or something. I was fortunate enough to have met him and, before I met him, I managed to take this picture of the Center from on top of a bridge that led into a suburb with a Religious....possibly Catholicism or something, I can't remember....if I can find it. For some reason I couldn't locate it. Perhaps, I will find it the next time I look. Fortunately, readers that will be for this post. :)

Anywho, back to the post. However let me note that the pictures in this post are from my first and second visit to the Center. Anywho, I followed the signs down the street where I came across certain signs advertising the exhibit I was hoping to see:

Yes! I thought, giddy with excitement! I was almost there and it wasn't long before I would get to meet "her." The "Lizard Queen" was right inside the Center and I was only a few minutes away!

Not long afterwards I made it!

This place is Gargantuan and just one picture doesn't do it justice, and neither does two. I had finally made it, hot, perspiring and down right exhausted, yet I had made it. My first glance at the building was somewhat shocking! This center was gargantuan and I Still hold my mouth agape to this day, just looking at a picture of it. These two images are of only two-thirds of the whole building and the interior does the size justice and gives one the feeling of insignificance and inferiority, yet "Sue" was inside and I wasn't about to stop there in front. I came too far to stop then, so I ran inside, and my mouth was still agape and I stared stupidly in disbelief at the lobby.

Like Sci-Port, of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA, the Center had this HUGE contraption in the lobby like the Sci-Port contraption on steroids. And over to the left of the Admissions booth (Fortunately, the regular exhibits were FREE, and the "Sue" exhibit was only $8.00!!) was the most amazing model of a Tyrannosaurus rex fleshed out head I'd seen in a long time:

In case you can't read the sign, it basically says this was made in 1999 for National Geographic and it is a one-third scale model of "Sue's" skull, fleshed out with the EXACT proportions. Quite amazing!!

This museum has decent exhibits that is definitely worth checking out and worth telling, but I must get to the MAIN reason I was there! The Paleontology exhibits.

First, the "Sue" exhibit! Here are a few of the pictures of the exhibition here:

A few pictures of "Sue," the "Star" of this show! As you can see, "she" and I have met and I think "she" is gorgeous!!!!!! ;) That's enough for now, I'll be posting them periodically here as Artwork of the Day posts and they will be on my Deviant Art page, though honestly, I am getting tired of this series and I must wrap this up. The St. Louis Science Center IS, however, a cool place to visit and the the last day of my trip, I returned with a shorter time to get there, and saw a Planetarium show. Other than that, nothing else.

NEXT: THE ARCH AND MY EXODUS, THE ST. LOUIS SERIES FINALE STAY TUNED!!!!

My Journey Truly Begins...With a Quick History Lesson (St. Louis Posts Day: 2)

2009-08-26T20:34:00.009-04:00

As promised, though a little late, I will now tell about the Second Day of my trip to St. Louis where I formally began my exploration By MYSELF around St. Louis!!! Though downtown, I could not leave because, to see the rest of the city, I had to take the Metro-Link (which for those who do not know, is a simple straightforward of the Subway in larger cities like Boston and Washington D.C.). "So? What's that go to do with anything?" I hear you say. Well, it has to do with a lot of things as it is the first large city I've explored on my own and until I knew how the metro operated, my dad reccomended I not ride it as.....well you can possibly imagine the reason. So, until then, I stuck close to the hotel, and thought I'd go to the Arch (Which I'll give a qucik bio and Historical Significance in a minute.). Though, forgetting the ONLY safe way to get to the park was go behind the Hampton Inn down the street where we ate the night before, I, instead, went right down that street and eventually made it here:

The sign was at the entrance to this important garden for the Gate-Way Arch, commemorating the Lewis And Clark expedition across the Louisiana Purchase.

This was taken on the VERY top step in the entrance in front of the Capitol. It's quite a sight and it really fits that it was built this way. It's a good place to think and appreciate the efforts of two amazing men! :) One of whom, I'm related to....can you guess which one? You get points for accuracy not random stupid comments. ;) Come on...don't be shy.

A Brief History of the Memorial:

This Arch was one of the most amazing engineering feats ever constructed. It was chosen as the simplest shape to represent our (being the United States) expansion west, hence the name of the Park. The Arch was first constructed in the early '60s and remains one of the world's tallest monuments.

At the end of the day....

I sat in one of the benches for a few hours, then decided to head back to the hotel, instead of explore more of Downtown and attempt to make my way around. It was a decent temperature, yet one that would not take long before it becomes excruciating. So I headed back and sat in the hotel room for the rest of the afternoon, reading my Summer Reading book: The Things They Carried by: Tim O'Brien, which is a Fantastic novel by the way, and watching a little TV.

Sorry, there wasn't much to this post, but after the Second Day, things got more interesting and....shall we say "Blog-worthy."

Stay Tuned, Readers!!! There's More to Come!!!

Southwest Airlines, Louisville And The Trip There! (St. Louis Trip Day 1)

2009-08-22T22:00:00.003-04:00

The posts have FINALLY begun! First of all, readers, I feel I must apologize for the constant delays and if you follow me on Twitter, then you know what I'm talking about. The first reason was Internet problems. We had just switched over to Windstream, and before they could put our order through all the way, QX, our original provider cut us off, so NO Internet connection for about a week or two. Then, our 2nd floor Air Conditioning unit (We have two, and we replaced the Downstairs unit about a year ago.) died!! It was old and was here before I moved to Kentucky in the year 2000. What made it worse was the Harsh and unbearable Summer heat. So, even if I wanted to, I couldn't even start these promised posts due to the heat! I was also exhausted because I couldn't sleep. It was awful, humid and the sheets would stick to my skin like an adhesive. Yuck!! *shudders* Thankfully (??) I had something to do like my Summer Reading to prevent me from being bored and my Paleontology DVDs, as well as my friend's house who was fortunate enough to not have that problem. So, now you know, readers, part of the reason. Then, I could not get the photos uploaded until now because I had to rely on my dad because my PC does not, for some odd reason, lacks a slot for the Camera's Memory Card. Thus, I had to rely on my dad and every time I DID ask, he'd say "Okay!", then forget! I just NOW got them on CD TODAY! Anywho, on with the post!

For those who don't know WHY I went on this trip, I went, though it was a Business trip for my Dad, to spend Father and Son time together like he did with his dad. He has such fond memories of doing this with his father, that he wanted to share it with me. In fact, it was a good idea especially since I graduate from High School in June of 2011. Not much time left, I know.

We flew from Louisville by Southwest Airlines straight shot. One thing about the Louisville airport, is that it's not your average airport. Talk about at least two stories filled with art of all kinds lining the walls and ceiling!

We landed in the St. Louis airport in about an hour's time and we quickly obtained our luggage and headed for the bus terminal to the rental car shop and, no, it was not Enterprise. After the hasty, yet limited, choice of vehicles (They were all Mini-Vans and SUV's, so really there was almost nothing to choose from readers.), I managed to pick a bright red mini-van and we were on our way to the Hotel. A Hampton Inn, to be more specific as my father had points there. It was a nice, 6 or so story, Hotel with a nice furnished lobby that was really spacious and the feeling of an expensive inn, somewhat like the Radisson or Marriott. The Hampton Inn was right across the City Park from the GateWay Arch with a nice casual Irish pub attached to it called Tigin's. The service was perfect and the people were extremely friendly everywhere I went. I must have a charm or something. Believe me, readers, I was, and still am, in disbelief as you are. The lobby was divided into two separate floors: The Lower Lobby where the Continental Breakfast was served and the main Lobby where you check in. There was also an office where one can check e-mail and catch up on any projects if one were on business. That is where I sent the majority of my e-mails. Hey! I wanted to stay in touch with a few of you guys...and to plan where I would be going in St. Louis while my Dad was working. After work, he and I with a co-worker who happened to come along would hang out and go to Dinner. While he would work, I would explore St. Louis and ride the Metro to the two main attractions I have pictures for, though that's another post. Each post will be about a certain day of the trip on each day this week. So, please, look for them! That's pretty much what happened other than checking in and eating out.

NEXT TIME: My Exploration and Oddyssey Begins....TOMORROW

Heading Home...Just Later Than Supposed To....

2009-07-31T19:15:00.004-04:00

This post will be brief, readers, and, hopefully, a paragraph. This post is the same message as one of my tweets at the right-hand side of the blog, in case you haven't checked it out already. I'm sorry to say that my posts will be delayed yet again, as well as my flight home, which also unfortunately happens to be the cause. :( Normally, I don't use emoticons in posts; however, this is a time where it is the only way to express how I'm feeling at the moment....and the fact that this is a short post. Please do not misunderstand me. I don't want to misconstrue any information regarding the situation. I am not aware of any weather problems at home right now, but I DO, in fact, understand there is a valid reason, and I hope that you guys can understand me right now. How am I delayed, you ask? Well, my, or rather, our (meaning my dad, me, and the co-worker that is accompanying us because, this was a business trip.) flight was supposed to be around 7:30, but now we are delayed ONE hour, meaning (in case some of you don't feel like doing any BASIC math.) our flight leaves at 8:30 instead. It's disappointing as we are flying into Louisville, KY around 9:30, then we have a One hour drive home, not to mention the time zone change...and that's IF it all goes according to plan. I really can't afford this delay, let alone another one. So, please pray for me guys....or wish me luck, if you are NOT religious. Either way, the posts will have to wait until tomorrow. Again, sorry guys.

The Return Of The Raptor!

2009-07-30T13:38:00.003-04:00

The Cretaceous Dromaeosaurid, Deinonychus antirrhopus borrowed from the web as I can't upload my own pictures yet, as per the reason explained in the post. The Artist is written on the picture, or if you can't read it, the artist is Robert F. Walters from the site here: http://www.ansp.org/museum/dinohall/deinonychus.php or the Academy of Natural Sciences website!

As much as this sounds like a hit action film or suspense novel, it's not, readers! I'm simply letting you know when I'll be returning to Kentucky and what will happen. For starters, let me explain why there have been NO posts despite the fact I've been using the Hampton Inn's computer. First of all, it isn't mine, and I have no intention of "hogging" all the time on the computer for lengthy posts. So, it's check my e-mail, do the occasional blog scan, maybe make a quick comment and log off. And, because it isn't mine, I can't upload pictures, which makes these posts that are coming soon worthwhile. Sorry to say you guys have to wait until I return with pictures, several blog posts about it. Then, I will also talk about the four topics in the poll at the top of the page in whatever order you guys see fit. So, remember to vote (And, yes, I have extended the time so I can give everybody the chance to vote because I'm such a nice guy, right? ;)). So, please vote! I shouldn't have to tell you twice, and I hate asking you to vote when i put up a poll like this. Remember, these polls are for you.

I understand my frequent absences and the fact I don't post as often as I should. I'm sorry, and I know it's difficult to know when I am here. Fortunately, I am one of those considerate readers who tend to comment on what I read so I can give feedback from those of you who read this blog. So, try to look for me on your blogs and, you'll know I'm still here on the blogosphere and, if I'm not posting , you'll figure it's for whatever possible reason. So, again, to let you all know, I will be back this weekend, so you can expect a posting frenzy this weekend. So, Watch For It!!!

STAY TUNED FOR MY RETURN!!!

Artwork of the Day #8!!!!!

2009-07-22T16:38:00.005-04:00

Suchomimus tenerensis ambushed by Sarcosuchus imperator (Literally, "Super Croc"). I had actually first seen this painting as tall as a wall in the excellent "Super Croc" exhibit in the basement of the Union Terminal in Cinncinatti, Ohio (ironically, not in the Natural History Museum part of the building...which is to the right of you as soon as you walk in.) Sadly, it was only a Special Exhibit. I wish you, readers, could have seen it.

Countdown to Junior Year- 4 More Weeks and a Lot Going On

2009-07-18T23:22:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm back home in Kentucky, and I must say, readers, this Summer Break has gone by too quick! I'll miss my mom and will see them again this Christmas, and, hopefully, Thanksgiving. Sorry for the lack of posts. As the weeks went by, I would get busy, and often not find the time to post. This is what I wanted to talk to you, readers, about. As school approaches, my life will get busier and busier (sp?) until school starts and then it'll be a repeat of last year. So, let me tell you all where I'll be.

First of all, it turns out, that I have some Summer Reading to do, in addition to some responsibilities here, like unpacking since I JUST got home today (More specifically, I got home about 4:30 pm.). Believe me this is NOT my idea of fun. My definition of FUN is hanging out with you all and NOT working. Sadly, this is just a dream, but I'll be a professional Vertebrate Paleontologist soon enough so not to worry. In the meantime, I'll be doing some research for my Fossil Facts. so they'll be returning, hopefully.

In addition, I'm accompanying my Dad to St. Louis, Missouri on his business trip! So, while he's at work (By the way, he's the President of his Company Now!!), I'll be hanging out in the hotel room doing my Summer Reading for my Advanced Junior English class (Only got 4 weeks left so wish me luck!) and in the afternoon, hanging out with him and see St. Louis. My dad did this with his dad and he had such fond memories of it that he decided to do this, probably because I'm almost out of High School and am almost a legal adult! Anywho, I'm really excited and this means I won't have time to blog! Plus, I won't even have a computer with me even IF I did somehow find the time. So, Now you know.

I let the forum members of Dinosaur Home know that I will be absent and the site will be left in the capable hands of the Administrators, so it all works out nicely!

However, when I DO get back from St. Louis, I'll go into blogging overdrive because of my absence, complete with Pictures!! So Stay Tuned for that Readers!!

Burrowing Dinosaurs?- Fossil Evidence Shows that some small Ornithischians Burrowed to Escape Polar Winters

2009-07-13T20:10:00.004-04:00

Interestingly enough, Naveed of Naveed's Realm, sent me an article from News Scientist, an on-line science magazine (Well, that was obvious! Now forgive me for wasting your time with this obvious information.) about findings of small Hypsilophodontids in burrows in Australia (And even in Canada, mainly Alberta.)...sound familiar? It should because this was covered in my First Fossil Fact and even a Paleo Fact by Traumador the Tyrannosaur over at the Tyrannosaur Chronicles. Well, despite the fact that I was only correct in describing the Cretaceous world and, basically regurgitating what I'd heard in a Walking with Dinosaurs episode (which is exactly what I did! Thankfully, Traum was kind of enough to give me some help and kindly correct me about this information. Hopefully he'll read this post, because I, personally, think he would be interested to see this new research and see that BBC and I may have been correct after all. Huh....Who knew?). Orginally, my first Fossil Fact was basically to supplement Traumador's well-researched, knowledgeable and well-written Paleo Fact. Now, there is actually fossil evidence to suggest such a thing, though the behavior of the Leaellynasaura as organized as they were is still speculation. Anywho, it's about time I stop here with this Introduction and begin with the details of the finds.

Did they actually Burrow?

Well....that's what the fossil record seems to tell us. In the Polar regions of the Earth (In Alberta, Canada, and as far south as Australia), several remains of small Ornithischian Dinosaurs ("Bird-hipped," mainly referring to the majority of herbiverous dinosaurs) have been found in what looked to be burrows. The scientists who played a prominent role in the research of Dinosaur migratory patterns of the Polar regions, Eric Snively and Now, the Hypsilophodont, Leaellynasaura was only known from fragmentary bones from that region, but, now, we seem to have a more complete picture of life at the Polar regions during the Cretaceous.

Measurements of burrows from Alberta, Montana, USA, and Australia suggest their occupants, though possibly temporary, were small Hypsilophodontids roughly around the same size as Leaellynasaura (and the same size as their contemporaries.) Of course, what does this mean?

Eric Snively, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, with David Varrichio of Montana State University in Bozeman, theorize that, though they were selectively adapted to wait out the chilling Polar, Cretaceous winters, they couldn't stay their year round because, as evidence also suggests, the burrows were made in soil that was deposited by flood waters, indicating the risk of flood.

As new evidence comes to light, more insight into the life and behavior of the Dinosaurs becomes available. That's the beauty of Paleontology. One day, perhaps, we'll find complete vertebrate fossils in Oceania and Antarctica and gain MORE insights into their behavior.

Dinosaurs To Live Again?

2009-07-09T21:22:00.010-04:00

Dinosaurs have captured the imagination for centuries since their disappearance 65 million years ago. Since then, the media has attempted ressurected this amazing group of animals and their environment through films, novels, encyclopedias, kids books, scientific journals, etc. Who wouldn't want to see them up close and personal? Now it might be possible. New techniques in genetics brings back the hope of seeing these great animals alive again.

The novel Jurassic Park suggests that one can extract dinosaur DNA from mosquitos fossilized in amber. In fact, one geneticist attempted to do just that...or rather using a slightly different method and from a relatively younger mosquito. The result was an apparent DNA strand, yet when it was attempted by others, people gave up when they got no DNA , leading to the idea that maybe the DNA was a contaminant from the scientist. Thus, diminishing the hope of resurrecting these fantastic animals.

However, Dr. John R. Horner has another idea, if you recall from my Wired article post. If you DO recall, he mentions that modern birds have the same genes as the avian-theropods (Coelurosaurs, mainly). They're just turned off or slightly modified. In fact, these "old-dogs" can learn new tricks. Experimenting with these genes (more specifically, these hox genes, or genes that make up the body plan of an organism. Hox genes correspond to a specific body part.), is Horner's former student Hans Larsson notices that as an chicken embryo develops, the embryo has about 16 vertebrae in their tails and then it shrinks to about 4-5 vetebrae in their tails. Larsson then attempts to see if he can keep the gene active longer than usual. In fact, it works. He not only succeeds in keeping the gene on in the chicken, he manages to extend the tail about 3 more vertebrae. Developmental Biologist Mathew Harris has managed to cause a bird's feet to develop downy feathers like the Dromaeosaurs would've had and the Chinese breed of chicken the silky bird. Harris and his mentor found that a chicken mutant was starting to develop embryonic teeth. Suddenly, Horner's idea of retro-engineering of birds into theropod dinosaurs seems possible.

However, it's not as easy as it sounds. Not only do they have to identify the particular genes, but they have to find the right mix of chemicals to start the fertilization process and to create the enzymes needed to control the genes as in what genes are turned on/off and when. Despite this setback, Horner and Larrson believe that at the rate at which we're decoding genomes and the rate at which the science of genetics is racing, we may be able to retro-engineer dinosaurs (mainly theropods) from modern birds within this century. Jurassic Park? Probably not. Living theropod dinosaurs or something like it? Yes!

Author's Note: Information obtained from the Discovery Channel documentary: "Dinosaurs: Return to Life?"

Author's Note: Wondering about the bird wings and the fore-limbs of Dinosaurs? I believe that at the rate at which Genetics is racing, we may able to find the gene that keeps the fingers separate and the arm long and capable of grasping prey and find the right enzymes and chemicals (with the right mixture, of course.) we could keep that gene turned on. Like I said, sounds easy, right? Well, easier said than done fits this situation. However, it will happen within this century I believe and you may see a theropod walking around in a zoo before you kick the bucket. That's the deal with the fore-limbs of the bird embryos and the theropods.

Me And The Houston Museum Of Natural History

2009-07-03T20:06:00.021-04:00

It was vacation time again and I thought it was time to take a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural History as mentioned on my Boneyard post, if you recall. Yep and now I wanted to put my Paleo knowledge to the test and enjoy the exhibitions. Despite the fact, the museum was holding special exhibits, I could only choose one thing to do, sadly. I chose the permanent exhibits as I could not see "Leonardo" like I hoped. At least I enjoyed the the regular exhibits just fine, though I do not have pictures of everything, sadly. I do, however, have pictures of my visits to the Paleontology Hall.

First, let me tell you the layout of the museum, so you can get an idea of where we were in the Museum (Trust me, you'll enjoy the pictures much better if you know where I was). When we first entered the building, we entered a spacious lobby with the Ticket Counters, the Planetarium, which seemed to have interesting programs playing that day, the IMAX theater, which happened to be in 3-D (and in association with one of their new IMAX films, they had giant, life-sized inflatable sharks all around the lobby with a large life-sized inflatable whale shark on top of the roof near the entrance. Unfortunately my mom wasn't feeling well and we were celebrating her birthday too (which was a few days before, but I was staying with my Grandma's before she came down to stay with us and take me back that weekend, 4th of July weekend to be exact.), and encountered the longest line I had ever seen in my entire life!!!! It stretched about half way across the lobby (and, believe me, readers, it was a long line! If I had any photos of the lobby, you would see what I'm talking about, which I don't.) And, on the right were the entrances to the main part of the museum (starting with the Paleontology Hall ) and then, farther down, was the Gift Shop with, which had the most unusual thing in the most unusual place, which you'll see what I'm talking about in a few moments, so, please, bear with me. As soon as we purchased our tickets, we bypassed the crowd and entered the main exhibit hall (the Paleontology Hall), of which we saw an impressive display of fossils from the Paleozoic on the right with illustrated murals on the wall with fossils of the flora and fauna of each particular period. They had Trilobites as big as a man's torso, Crinoids, and, reaching the Permian, they had, what seemed to be the fossilized remains of an amphibian or reptile. And, on the left, (assuming your entering from the lobby), the Mesozoic begins, with specimens of the major animal groups, from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, somehow skipping the Triassic period. Here is a sample of what I saw when I was there:

As you can see, it's me in front of a Dromaeosaurus fossil. Theropod tracks on the back of a theropod (Tyrannosaurus rex , I think...or Dromaeosaurus) mount next to a nest beneath the glass.

Me in front of a Triceratops horridus skull.

Those are a sample of the Paleontology Hall at the Museum. If you want to see the rest of my pictures, shoot me an e-mail and I'll be happy to show them to you. In fact, let me explain the rest of the layout of the Muesum. Above the Paleontology Hall where you can see the Edmontosaurus adult and Juvenile next to a Tyrannosaurus rex cast skeleton from a specimen from the Hell Creek Formation in Montana. From up on the balcony on the second floor, you can still see the Diplodocus carnegiei and Quetzocoatilus (sp?). Up on the second floor is the Gem Gallery as I like to call it where you head into dark corridors with illuminated cases of beautiful gems and minerals. There's also the Halls of Texan and African Wildlife where, in the glass cases are stuffed animals (no, not the toys, I mean, dead animals) and displayed them in recreations of their natural habitats. Downstairs, is the local Mummy and they have a King Tut exhibit where they have the room built like the tomb, though the decor and treasures are gone. The "crack" in the wall has a creepy illumination of wildlife and the middle of the room is a Huge "table" where Tut laid in the tomb, except he's obviously not there and the computer was inside showing CT images of the corpse. There's even CT scanning of Tut's skeleton the visitor can manipulate. It's interactive. With the Mummy, there's a number of amulets and mummified animals in the nearby case. As you can see, the Houston Museum of Natural Science/History is pretty cool. I recommend you visit it at least once the next time your in Houston, TX, USA. It was also the home of "Leonardo," if you recall, temporarily.

The Origin Of Life On Earth (Dinosaur Home Post # 2)

2009-06-25T23:07:00.008-04:00

Aside from Cryptozoology, most members focus on credible and relevant topics to Paleontology like the one I will be discussing right now: The Origin Of Life On Earth. No introduction should be needed as how this relates to the field of Paleontology and, thus, make it onto my blog and Dinosaur Home, for that matter. The only differences is that I will not recite the first chapter of Genesis from the Bible as that would be pointless and does nothing more than tell the myth and give no scientific explanation. That's not what I'm about. I want to explain how life came to be on this once inhospitable world, talking about what we DO know versus what we don't. Let's take a look some 2-3 billion years where the Earth was chaotic giant rock in orbit in a very young Solar System.

According to the Bible, God created the heavens and the Earth, then He separated the sky from the waters, and created light. Then He created all the marine life at the same time and the birds in the sky and then on land created all land fauna of the Quaternary period with Adam and Eve as the first humans. Now, we know this to be incorrect on many accounts. First of all the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old and the fossil record is proof of the fact of Natural Selection in stone. Need I go on? Now, not to deprive God of His credit and glory as He is reading over my shoulder as I type this, He did create the Universe and life on Earth, just not in the way described in the Bible and Torah (the Jewish/Hebrew's Sacred Text that shares the same Old Testament with the Christians) .

Now here's the Scientific story! We know that the fossil record has a great deal of gaps as to the fact that because of the composition of organisms during the Pre-Cambrian, they don't fossilize particuarly well so our knowledge of life that far back is a bit hazy, but it becomes clearer as more paleontological finds and biochemical experiments are done to see exactly the sort of processes God used to create the first molecules of life and even the first cells. We may even figure out how much of that first evolution and creation was God or independent of him. That's what we don't know. As well as exactly how those bio-molecules arranged themselves to form the basic polymers, sugars, lipids, carbohydrates, etc.

Despite our lack of knowledge of the beginning of life during the Pre-Cambrian, there have been many theories suggested as to those molecules even came about on the Earth. Some believe (as well as several members of that site, Dinosaur Home, which ironically isn't just about Dinosaurs) that the molecules and "ingredients" were "delivered" during the many asteroid impacts as Earth's atmosphere was very thin. Other theories include the bio-molecules being "stirred" up by an active "proto-atmosphere" into a primordial "soup" which is supposed to somehow fit together and make up the first prokaryotic cells. But how are the molecules supposed to fit together? My answer, again, is God. God is behind most of the seemingly coincidental events in life. Sure, sometimes those "coincidents" are just that, coincidents (sp?) . So, the only explanation for the seemingly impossible aspects as the bio-molecules "randomly" into the polymers that make up the basics of life. And, recently, there have been findings of primitive organisms beneath the Earth's surface (specifically Archae-Bacteria) , leading to the possibility that Life actually began beneath the Earth's surface and worked it's way to the surface where it remained for the last 3 billion years.

Now you, readers, know what we DO know about the Origin of Life versus what we Don't. This is, perhaps, one of the greatest mysteries of the Universe. However, the anwser is up to you, readers, I ask you: What do you think the answer is? Is it God or something else, you tell me.

Why Cryptozoology Isn't A Valid Or Credible Science

2009-06-23T21:52:00.004-04:00

As promised I will begin to post about common topics on Dinosaur Home and give you a kind of taste of the site in case any of you are interested in which you all can just click the link. Ok...first on my mental "to-do" list of topics is on Cryptozoology because, whether one believes it or not, it makes up the majority of the fantasies of these young and old Paleo Enthusiasts on the site. Sure, they have plenty of fantasies about Prehistoric Life (Dinosaurs, mainly. Hey! Who Doesn't?), but I have found whole conversations of it on the site (Okay, I just exagerrated big time there, but there are at least a few people who truly accept Cryptozoology as a valid field of Science. There are several problems with Cryptozoology that I'll explain in a moment, but it is not something that one can believe and still be found credible. I'm a afraid that any respectable person, no matter how brilliant and smart they are and trustworthy, can be found to be insane. This is a sad fact, yet thankfully it's not just one-out-of-every-five hundred-or-so situations. Most are in certain groups who truly believe they are correct, though they may very well be. However, the general public will find you in need of the institution, while others may, to put it mildly, disagree with you. Sadly, the public is where your money comes from if your a scientist in the major fields (Especially, if your a Paleontologist through Museums and Universities, others taxes.) , so credibility is very important in the world of Science, and in today's world in general. Anywho, enough rambling, let's now look at Cryptozoology a little more closely and it's role on this site.

First, let's look at the definition of Cryptozoology. Cryptozoology is, by public definition, the study of creatures and things that most likely don't exist. Ok. Things that probably....no...most likely don't exist. Hmm....now does that make a credible person? That depends. Some people literally go insane with passion and determination to prove the public wrong and that he/she's a brillian man/woman. Most cases like that mean they're headed to the asylum. Now, I'm NOT saying that everyone who believes Cryptozoology is crazy! I'm merely saying that these people vary. Those who believes in Extra-terrestrials and UFOs is a popular one, but the most likely plausible than a Haunted Hotel or something or Nessie. Big-foot is another phenomonae that's plausible. The North American Western Rockies are a suitable environment to support animals like Sasquatch, this primate/hominid ( If it is real, then it maybe a another surviving species of hominid, which will explain the human like silhouette....or...that they're just random men in costumes). So far, it's not looking good for this "Science" and it's credibility.

I would, now, like to talk about the characteristics of a credible science. Most credible sciences are usually relevant to public life nowadays and concern subjects that can be studied by the basic Scientific method learned in the Elementary school science classroom. These are, of course, the fundamentals of Scientific reasoning And as such the subjects has to be at least capable of being observed as observation plays a big role in scientific thinking and exploration. On the other hand, in Cryptozoology, you can't really do that nor can any experiments or observation be performed. Since Cryptozoology does not fit the basic criteria for an actual field of science, it is NOT a science, yet it is the culmination of the Human imagination stemming from the root of some studies in a field of Science (i.e. Ghosts, Extra-Terrestrials, UFOs, Nessie, and even Sasquatch, just to name a few.

And, yet, I found a couple of people talking about whether even Mesozoic Marine Reptiles still live at the depths of today's Oceans and I had to tell him that is not possible because of a number of reasons, including Climate, different diet, etc. Just because the Coelocanth survived doesn't mean a Tylosaur or Liopleurodon could survive as the prey is just too small and the only prey that would come even close are the Whale Sharks and the Whales themselves which I doubt Liopleurodon would even consider taking down a mammal around the same size. It'd be too much of a hassle. Anyway, here's my answer to the member's comment.

I'm Back And Better Than Ever!!

2009-06-03T10:03:00.002-04:00

As the title says, readers, I'm back and better than ever!! First of all, I would like to apologize for my sudden absence from the Paleo Blogosphere! I find it wasn't fair of me to leave you all hanging like that. You guys are loyal readers and you all mean a lot to me. Heck, I don't need to tell you that! If you've read a few of my Previous posts, you'll find me a bit..."paranoid" if you will. This is my first and only blog! I also want to apologize to those people (and dinosaurs, yes you, Traumador!) whose blogs I follow! Apparently, School had me in it's enormous grip and I really was too tired at the end of the day to do full posts. So, I hung out on the web and just surfed, doing whatever I felt like. However, I missed this blog and you all. So, as a treat this blog will cover my return as Raptor Lewis, Paleo Teacher and Blogger...as well as what I've been up to.

Here's a quick summary of what's been happening with my life:

The Dinosaur forum that Traumador was the first of us Paleo bloggers on Blogger to do a blog post, has picked me to go from ''Fresh Boarder" to Moderator in less than a day! (Actually, though i had an account there, I still manily posted here adn didn't get into the forum until a few weeks later.) So, that's where the majority of my time has been spent. I am ONE rank below the Three Administrators, one of which picked me of all the members to be Moderator. So, of course I was flattered and I accepted. Thus leads me to my next topic. Starting now, the only posts are going to be the Discussions me and the other forum members had. It should be quite interesting.
At this point, School! To be more precise, the Second and Final Semester of Sophomore year. The Good news is that the majority of my Grades were As and Bs with the ONLY C being in P.E. I aced Advanced Biology, and World Civilization (Both of which are Core Classes), and Bs in Advanced English 2, Spanish 1, Geometry, Probability and Statistics (Yes, that's One class, usually abbreivated as Prob. and Stats.).
So, right now, I'm on my way to a Wedding, my Step-Brother's Wedding to be exact (though we're so close we consider each other to be Just Brothers.) So, it should be fun! Then, it's 6-weeks down in Louisiana at my Mom's house with a week in Houston, TX at my Grandma's to see my Great Grandma and head to the Houston Museum of Natural Science (Which you can get a gist of it and a link to their site here.) Here, I can see "Leo," the Mummy Brachylophosaur ( A reletively new genus of Hadrosaur found in in the Formation by which it's named in Montana.)

Well, that's a taste of what I've been up to. But, don't worry. I'll still do the "Artwork of the Day" posts as well as the Fossil Facts...maybe (That's a maybe on the Fossil Facts.)

A Much Deserved Vacation...

2009-04-01T19:32:00.004-04:00

As the title says, I'm on a much needed vaction down to my Mother's and am relaxing and having fun!! it's Spring Break and I felt so over-worked from High School. *sigh* I'll tell you, I'm exhausted and this will be my last post until I return...with pictures! I'm sorry, again, for being absent and having no posts. I regret not being on here and blogging as much as I like. I love to teach...though I wouldn't be like Craig or Peter over at Prehistoric Insanity...they're REAL teachers....lol! (I'm kidding...though teaching is stressful and I believe that, for the trash they put up with by some ungrateful students, teachers need a pay raise...though that's another post.)

Anywho, I'll have a real meaningful post when I get back home, but, for now, you'll get to know what I've been up to:

Working on my drawing skills. Yep! I drew some AND finished my Styracosaurus for Art Evolved....FINALLY! (You'll get to see it on the next post and on my....for now empty Deviant Art page, as well as on Art Evolved.)
Watched some Television...but haven't really watched anything good...other than DVDs.
Just chillin'! In fact, I have just been relaxing and, pretty much nothing these few days.
I also stay in shape and did randomly did 20 REAL push-ups without much effort (A HUGE jump from a few weeks ago.) the other day!
I practice my Spanish every now and then, just to remember it for Spanish class.

That's...pretty much it. It's not a lot, readers, I know, but that's how I like it...;) Although, I will be heading to Shreveport, Louisiana to go to the Physics Museum called Sci-Port. (There's NO good Natural History Museum here nor in Kentucky....expect for the Garbage called the "Creationist Museum." *shudders*)

Hey, I'd pick NO Natural History museum any day over that Creationist GARBAGE in Kentucky! I mean it! *sigh* That's what I've been up to, in a nutshell. Well...catch y'all later for a REAL post! It's my Spring Break and I will enjoy it to the fullest! ( Oh yeah, Happy April Fool's Day!)

Artwork of the Day #7!!

2009-03-19T18:13:00.004-04:00

Joe Tucciarone's rendition of the classic battle of Triceratops horridus and a pack of Tyrannosaurus rex. The battle is similar to Charles R. Knight's painting, but unlike, Knight's painting this one's slightly more accurate (or much?) than that. This painting looks slightly more realistic and accurate. Incorporating modern research, this painting shows Tyrannosaurus rex as social animals and in the correct posture. The Triceratops has been isolated from it's herd and is facing impending doom from the asteroids burning in the horizon marking the end of the Cretaceous period. This is another example of the "K-T Extinction" event (K is used for the Cretaceous so as not to be confused with the Cambrian and Carboniferous periods.)

Just For Laughs...Or Maybe A Smile

2009-03-11T20:52:00.003-04:00

As soon as I found this on the web, I knew I had to post it! Obviously this is a cartoon of Darwin, and it's poking fun at Natural Selection, but that isn't the funniest part. The funny part is that this conjecture was made by someone who really doesn't even understand Natural Selection. Before you (those of you who disagree with my posting this) decide to kill me, think about it. Why criticize (especially in science) something that you don't even understand the basics...or hte definition for that matter? (There will be a post soon on this, hopefully.) The chances are that the cartoonist started poking fun at Darwin without truly understanding the theory. I'm not just looking at Creationists. Darwinians, too, who try to defend him and Natural Selection (I would have said "theory," but there's enough evidence to say fact, but I'm not sure what to say.), yet they don't even know what Natural Selection is!! That's the funny part!!

Celebrations Abound!!

2009-03-09T12:32:00.002-04:00

Well....I'm back!! I know it's been awhile but, homework REALLY doesn't help, lol. I just thought I owed y'all a post since I really haven't been blogging in awhile. Anywho, I'm back and have come across a BIG surprise today alone! There have been at least TWO fellow bloggers, Craig and Glendon Mellow, in particular, who have had celebrations this past weekend. I'm one of them! I have officially turned 17 today and I'm glad! It means in exactly 365 days, I will reach adulthood!! Happy Birthday to me!!

Anyway, for those two, I thought I'd say a few special words:

Craig Dylke: Happy Birthday!! I'm glad to have met someone like you over the internet or, more specifically, the Paleo Blogosphere. You're work for Prehistoric Insanity is AMAZING!! You are kind, funny, and SMART!! I guess you fit your self-proclamation as a "Paleo-Expert!" Enjoy your year!! Great Person!!

And..for the Flying Trilobite: Happy Triloversary, dude!! You deserve it!! I want to say thanks for the nice conversations we've had and the fun artwork. I consider you a valuable friend, thank you.

If there are any anniversaries or birthdays on the blogosphere besides these two, then shoot me an e-mail at raptor.lewis@gmail.com.

Artwork of the Day #6!!

2009-03-01T21:25:00.012-05:00

The "Legendary" Charles R. Knight's famous painting of a battle between Tyrannosaurus rex and a Triceratops horridus ("Old-School" reptilian pose.)

An Update On My Life

2009-03-01T11:30:00.003-05:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile but, being in nearly all advanced classes is killing me along with my other commitments. What commitments? Well, my birthday's coming up in eight days (March 9th, 1992), which means I need to plan the party and the dates. I'm going to be 17 the week after tomorrow. I'm excited but, stressed. Then, I started a drawing for Art Evolved, which happens to launch TODAY!! (Now go check it out!) Sadly, I'm not on there because, well, mine isn't finished. I've been working on it for a week now (when I can) and it's coming along great! The dinosaur (a Styracosaurus) is finished but the landscape isn't. So, expect that in a few days. I know this post is short but, I've got some work to do and don't have much time to relax. Another thing, Fossil Fact #8 is Coming Soon!

"Revenge of the Birds"- Wired Magazine Interview with Dr. Jack Horner

2009-02-22T20:28:00.004-05:00

Today I read an interesting interview with Dr. John R. Horner of Montana in Wired magazine (for those who don't know, Wired is a magazine that covers Technology in this day and age, even Genetic.) Dr. Horner has the idea that you can "reverse engineer" avian embryos into Dinosaurs. Basically, what evolution did, was turn off certain Dinosaurian phenotypes (visible characteristics) in birds. It's like a Genetic "light switch" if you will. Avian embryos already show dinosaurian (mainly theropod) traits like teeth, three digit limbs an extra set of vertebrae to give it a tail. Already, it's a dinosaur "evolving" with each bird's offspring. What Horner proposes is to keep those genes active so it hatches a Dinosaur. The three digit fore arms would fold inward to form the wing. So, it's limbs and DNA that make a bird, not feathers. Of course, like all scientific ideas, there's always repercussions and problems with it. So, Jurassic Park may not be as far off as once thought. The question remains on how to do it. That's where Wired came in. They interviewed him about this shocking proposal. Here's a sample of the interview:

Wired: Dinochicken-walk me through the concept.

Dr. John Horner: Birds are descendants of Dinosaurs. They carry their DNA. So in it's early stages, a chicken embryo will develop dinosaur traits like a long tail, teeth, and three-fingered hands. If you can find the genes that cancel the tail and fuse the fingers to build a wing-and turn those genes off-you can grow anmals with dinosaur characteristics.

Wired: It's a romantic idea, that dinosaurs can live on in bird form.

Dr. Horner: Dinosaurs are not extinct; they're still with us in a sense. Birds look different, but it's all cosmetic. By tweaking some genes, we can bring out the underlying similarities. Yes, it's a wild plan, but I like to think about things backwards.

Wired: You were a consultant on Jurassic Park...Should we be worried here?

Dr. Horner: Look, it's not like dinochicken will overrun the world. If he mates with a chicken, you'll still get a chicken. Eventually we might make more animals that look like dinosaurs, but we won't have Velociraptors on the loose.

Wired: Thorny ethical issues?

Dr. Horner: If you think we're playing God, maybe. But we're already modifying plants and mice. I don't see a lot of people jumping up and down complaining about better tomatoes.

It's an interesting proposition, and Horner makes some pretty witty remarks. So, Jurassic Park could be a reality. (You can read the rest of the article here at Wired's website.) That is still not a reality yet, but the way Genetics has gone and is going, having revived Dinosaurs might be in the near future. Then come the moral and ethical questions or, simply, "Should we or shouldn't we?"
The most recurring theme in Michael Crichton's novels have been that Science ventures always go wrong because of careless mistakes by scientists. That may seem like it's a mistake and no big deal, but, it can be extremely dangerous, especially with manipulating the Biosphere. In fact, if an error occurs, we try to fix the problem then never admit the error was with us and blame it on the subject. The point is NEVER manipulate the Natural World unless you know what you're doing, even then, be careful. And, if something goes wrong, admit your error and take responsibility for it and try to fix it if possible (Not all our mistakes can be fixed.....by us.). If you can't leave it alone, learn from it and move on. Experiments need to be considered at every angle. Think of the consequences. Science is a game of chance and learning, but a dangerous one.

Enough With The Insults- My NEW Policy!!

2009-02-21T16:39:00.005-05:00

Dear Readers,
Sorry, for not posting! I've been EXTREMELY busy with homework!! My teachers are trying to kill me. (Not literally, my Autistic readers.) I've had two Late-Nighters and can't even relax in the afternoon and my Homework still take me until 10:30pm! What's the big deal, you ask? I have to get up at 6 AM for school! 6 AM!! What's worse is that the time I do get on here, I have nothing to post about as my brain power is drained! So, in a nutshell, that's why I haven't posted. Again, Sorry for the absence!!

What doesn't help is that I read posts about Darwinians insulting Creationists! I mean, WHAT THE HECK!!! What's wrong with us? Why are WE lowering ourselves to THEIR (Creationists) level? That's just STUPID! *sigh* I'm MAD at BOTH of you! I'll tell you another thing! Every insult you make about them, I'll have NONE of it on my blog! This blog is for EVERYBODY to enjoy! I know I've done it but, I've decided to end the stereotypes and insults after seeing Schindler's List (1993) by Steven Spielberg! That movie changed my life!

Another thing, we may disagree and you're welcome to debate on my blog, but make it FRIENDLY!!! No, insults! No slander! No, Libel! No, Language! I MEAN it! If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say ANYTHING!! In fact, I have several Creationists in my family, including My MOM! Which is one of the reasons I'm saying this! So, please, by all means celebrate Darwin, celebrate you're Higher Power, but PLEASE watch what you say!

Of course this hasn't happened yet on this blog, and I don't want it to start. I'm just trying to give you guys a friendly warning. Just don't insult other's opinions. There are a number of creationists who read PaleoQuest. To be fair, bloggers, who are very strong Darwinians, tend to insult Creationists and then complain about their stubbornness and persistance. That's what gets me! That means there is hypocrisy among Evolutionists. That goes for Marek Eby of etrilobite.com. I like his blog, but he and a number of bloggers have seemed a little hypocritical. They insult creationists just as much they do to us. I'm starting this policy so we don't lower ourselves to their level. I've seen and heard of debates on blogs where emotions run so wild and fights break out. I just thought I'd take the initiative and try to prevent these things from ever happening. I learned from past experience that diction is just as important, if not more so on the internet. Trust me, I nearly lost my good friends, Traumador, Craig Dylke, Peter Bond, Glendon Mellow, etc. I got it straightened out, a few like Craig and Peter are still upset with me and I want them to know how sorry Iam. All I've asked for was forgiveness. Finally, PLEASE, read this carefully, and keep in mind what I said so we ALL can have a good time on the internet and this blog.

All the Best,
Raptor Lewis

I Have Asperger's and I'm Proud!

2009-02-15T10:38:00.006-05:00

All the time I've been a member of Blogger and have kept this blog going, readers, I've ran into situations in which I have admitted that I have Autism....or Asperger's Syndrome. Well, you'd think that it's all fine and "dandy" that I said it, but, ironically, it caused me even more stress as a number of you guys wanted me to post about my experiences with this "condition" as Traumador (First by me) so "elegantly" put it and, believe me, it hasn't been the slightest bit easy. Why? I guess it's been a kind of "snoop" or curiousity of my personal life, which as you probably tell, I don't reveal that much, hence why I don't tell you my real name and stick with "Raptor." (Lewis IS my real last name, in case you're wondering.) Oops...I did it again, didn't I? Oh well....

Okay, here are some more of my reasons why I haven't posted about it until now:

I didn't know where to start.
I also didn't know what to say or talk about.
It's kind of personal to me and something I don't reveal on my own.
I'm busy, as you can identify with VERY well, some of you.
This was originally supposed to be a Paleo Blog where I teach YOU about paleontology.
This was the result of urging from a number of friends on the blogosphere: Traumador, Glendon Mellow, Craig Dylke, Peter Bond, etc.

They each had their own reasons for my personal posts. I guess, because they're my friends, they wanted to get to know me a little bit. Which is fine, but, I wasn't expecting all this encouragement for these posts. I thought people wanted the Fossil Facts. Hmm....well....here we go......I guess...:

For me, Asperger's Syndrome has always been, what I refer to as "mild." What I mean by that is that, for the most part, I was "normal" and you couldn't tell I had A.S. Asperger's Syndrome has symptoms that vary with each person, yet is fairly consistent. For a strange reason I had two "conditions" (again, as Traumador phrases it) acompanying Asperger's: they were, in fact, OCD (which I talked about, somewhat in my "Origin of 'Raptor' Lewis" post) and Tourette's Syndrome, a disorder that cause invountary (somewhat, involuntary, as I can control them) muscle twitches, called "tics" when I'm either excited or anxious. I also have some anxiety problems. For the most part I'm like you all, except with the "tics" that I was first misdiagnosed as having Tourette's Syndrome instead of A.S. (Asperger's Syndrome). Then, I found out I have them both.

Asperger's Syndrome really affects my co-ordination and my social skills. Y'see, unlike most people, I wasn't born with those set of "instructons." My brain just works differently than everybody else so my perspesctive may eccentric or unique among everyone else. I'm NOT stupid as my posts have shown. So, please, bear with me if I word something wierd. My brain is "wired" differently than your's . I also have trouble making friends but, I have worked hard at learning to interact with y'all. There you have it, the main points of my life living with it.

Artwork of the Day #5!!!!!

2009-02-14T15:46:00.003-05:00

Guanlong wucaii, Jurassic crested ancestor to the infamous Tyrannosaurus rex.

Tribute to History

2009-02-12T20:20:00.008-05:00

Out of all the commotion and hussle going on in the world today, we sometimes forget those that contributed to this day and age even on their specific holidays. Now, readers, (hopefully those who will forgive my lack of posts), I'd like to pay a special tribute for several important leaders in history:

Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12, 1809-Good Friday: April 14, 1865)

Biography as courteously and conveniently posted on the White House website:

The 16th president of the United States was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on February 12, 1809 to parents (whose names goes unmentioned by Lincoln himself) from both Virginia and Indiana. His mother died when he was 10 years old and his father re-married.

As a boy growing up in Kentucky, he struggled to make a living and educate himself. His dad remarried and life was a struggle to obtain knowledge on his own and live.

When he was a young man, he made a living working on a farm and keeping a store in New Salem, Illinois. He became captain during the Black Hawk War and served in the Illinois legislature (sound familiar?).

He later married Mary Todd and they had four boys, sadly only one of whom reached maturity and adulthood. In 1858, Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas (1813-1861) for senator. None of this could have really prepared him for the ,perhaps, Darkest Period of U.S. history: the Southern succession and the Civil War.

After his election to the presidency in 1860, the South had succeeded and declared attack on Fort Sumter the following year. The Civil War had begun!!

He managed to build up the Republican party and rally most of the Northern Democrats for the Union cause.

On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed ALL slaves in the South and turned the tide in the war. After the Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln issued the famous "Gettysburg Address", declaring the battlefield into a national cemetery.

Sadly, after his GREAT achievements, his fate was to be assinated on Good Friday, April 14th, 1865 by John Wilkes Boothe at Ford's theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln's assination stunned the nation as it was the first assination of a U.S. president. Boothe was later arrested and killed by Union military. There have been several tributes in Lincoln's honor such as: the Lincoln Memorial with the Gettysburg Address inscribed around the head of the giant statue of Lincoln across the reflecting pool from the obelisk: the Washington Monument. His room at the White House is open to the public and guests sleep on the same bed Lincoln did. And, for Naveed, yes, there have been rumors that the bedroom is haunted by his ghost. There have been "sightings" by guests of his ghost.

Charles Robert Darwin (Yes, THE Darwin) (1809-1882)

The famous English Naturalist who proposed the theory of evolution through Natural Selection (And, whether you believe it or not, that's YOUR business, so just keep it to yourself, please!)

Charles Darwin, doesn't need much of a biography as nearly EVERYONE knows who he is. So, let me just clear up some facts about Evolution in general what "Natural Selection" really means.

First of all, forget what you THOUGHT you knew about evolution. Another thing, evolution is NOT a linear process as it is commonly portrayed to be. For those of you who have seen "Darwin Took Steps" by Glendon Mellow: the Flying Trilobite, you've probably noticed the dead-looking tree in the background. That tree represents what evolution truly is and the reality of species struggle for survival. As you can probably guess, it's NOT linear, right? I will cover much more of that in another post. That misconception of linear evolution, is the one that gotten us, Darwinians, attacked. Clearly, Creationists are attacking something they know nothing about. They are criticizing the process of evolution, yet they know nothing about it. Even, some aethiests and Darwinians know hardly anything about it.

Jean-Bapiste-Lamarck (1744-1829)

French Botanist and Invertebrate Zoologist, that proposed the once-discredited theory that behavior by parents influences traits inheretid by the offspring.

However, recent genetic research shows that Lamarck was on to something with this early theory of evolution. (In case you guys don't remember, I gave you the link to the article from Newsweek in one of my earlier February posts.)

Why mention him? Without him, there probably wouldn't be Natural Selection as there would possibly be nothing to build off of. And, the fact is, I felt I couldn't mention Darwin and Natural Selection without this preceeding Biologist and his theory.

Here's my tribute from me to you, Darwin and Lincoln!! Happy 200th Birthday!!=)

Darwin and Lincoln- Same Birthday, Different Achievements

2009-02-05T19:05:00.004-05:00

It turns out, readers, that former president Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) shares the same birthday (February 12) as famed British Naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882). Now, we've all celebrated Lincoln for his accomplishments during he American Civil War. He freed the slaves in the Confederacy with the Emancipation Proclamation (did I spell that right?), kept the nation united and beat the South. Charles Darwin, on the other hand, didn't do THAT much, but, he did do one MAJOR thing. His book, On the Origin of Species, is one of the most controversial, yet widely accepted published piece of scientific work in history. And, yet, it was able to change the way we humans (Homo sapiens sapiens) view ourselves and the natural world around us. How's that for an accomplishment? However, Darwin has also recieved the most attacks by the public (namely "Christians" who are labeled by "Darwinians" as "Creationists").

Today, Brian Switek, over at Laelaps, did a very similar post on Lincoln and Darwin. I mainly skimmed through and it seems he was comparing the two. Makes sense, right? Why not, as they share the same birthday, you're asking me. Well, I won't do that. Why? The reason is, well, there's no point in comparing these men. They had VERY different professions and were VERY different men. They should both be remembered honorably and not compared. Charles Darwin was a naturalist and is controversial. Abraham Lincoln was a politician and the 16th President (1861-1865) of the United States. You can compare President Obama to Lincoln. You can compare Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to Darwin. But, by NO means, should these two great men be compared.

"The Sins of the Fathers, Take 2" (Darwin Post #1)

2009-02-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

-Newsweek
By: Sharon Degley

"Alas, poor Darwin, by all rights, 2009 should be his year, as books , museums, and scholarly conclaves celebrate his 200th birthday (Feb. 12) and the 150th anniversary of the On the Origin of Species ( Nov. 24), the book that changed forever how man views himself and the creation. Teamed with genetics, Darwin's explanation of how species change through time has become the rock on which Biology stands. Which makes water flea quite the skunk at this party.

Some water fleas sport a tiny helmet that deters predators; others with identical DNA sequences have bare heads...." (Read the rest of the article here.)

Sorry readers I've been meaning to post this, but I guess I never got around to it. This is quite interesting, though it's not much of a tribute to Charles Darwin. Clearly, with new research in Genetics, we have a bit of an conflict. So, it makes you wonder who is right?

(Author's Note: Sorry if you were expecting a tribute post, it's not much of one. So, hardcore, "Darwinians" don't kill me for this. This article belongs to Newsweek, not me.)

Artwork of the Day #4!!!!!

2009-02-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

"Masters of the Earth" by Joe Tucciarone

In this painting, it shows the ghostly image of a Tyrannosaurus rex looming over planet Earth. However, this painting has allegorical and/or symbolism in it. Tell me what you think it means.

What's the Difference?- The T. rex Name Game

2009-01-27T11:20:00.000-05:00

Readers, for once, I'm at a loss, surprising as it seems. The different media that encompasses prehistoric organisms, especially theropod dinosaurs, have a way of calling two similar but different species of the same genus, the same animal. In fact, they've done this with Tyrannosaurus rex as shown here:

Skull of a "Tyrannosaurus rex" as seen in Jurassic Fight Club

And here...

Tyrannosaurus rex skull by Peter Bond of Prehistoric Insanity.

They look different, don't they? The only reason I have for that is either their two different species of the genus Tyrannosaurus or their the same genus and species but are different subspieces, kind of like the difference between Humans: Neanderthals and Cro-magnons. They're both human but, their different kinds of the same human. In this case, Biologists, Anthropologists, and Paleoanthropologists give them the scientific names: Homo sapiens neanderthalensis (Neanderthals) and Homo sapiens sapiens (Cro-magnons, us?). Let me tell you first hand that I'm NOT an Anthropologist. So, if I made a mistake, bare with me. I consider myself an Amateur Paleonotlogist. Anyway, the point is, that's the only reason I can think of for the difference.

Note On Kentucky's Geology

2009-01-25T12:23:00.000-05:00

Kentucky, like other places around the world, has it's share of stereotypes. There's "Horse Capital of the World," (that one's self-proclamed), "Basketball's their main sport," and my favorite "Hillbilly Hell." I'm not a native Kentuckian, in fact, I've only lived here for the past eight to nine years. It's a nice place. Despite what my favorite name for it is, the nature here is breathtaking. We have all four seasons, if you know what I mean. It doesn't snow too much or too little. However, what makes Kentucky so attractiev to me besides the nature and abundance of wild-life, is it's geology.

Okay, Kentucky is also called the Bluegrass State or Commonwealth depending on who you talk to. No, the grass is NOT actually blue naturally. It has to do with the fact that Kentucky sits on an abundance of Limestone, a Sedimentary rock. See where I'm going with this? That's right. Where there's Sedimentary rock, there's also fossils!!! Kentucky is loaded with them!!! What kind, you ask? Here they are and you tell me what they are:

Those are a few of the abundant fossils in Kentucky. However, no Dinosaur fossils have been found in Kentucky, why? The reason is most of the rocks are older than the dinosaurs. Most fossils in Kentucky are Paleozoic fossils from the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, and so forth. So although Kentucky has potential for fossils, doesn't mean you find what always find what your looking for unless your looking for Trilobites or something. So, if you want a dinosaur, then you'll have to look for places with exposed rocks from the Mesozoic era. But, that doesn't mean you'll find something. So, don't get your hopes up. And, NO, DO NOT go hunting for fossils on Private Property. That's NOT okay.

Anyway, as for the "Bluegrass" thing, the reason is that Limestone is full of calcium which is absorbed by the grass and when the sunlight hits it at a certain time and angle, the grass give off a blueish tint. In fact, this is the secret to Kentucky's strong Thoroughbred horses that race in the Derby at Churchhill Downs in Louisville. The horses get strong, dense bones from eating the calcium rich grass. That's Kentucky for you.

For more information on Kentucky's geology, go to the University of Kentucky's Geological Survey site at http://www.uky.edu/KGS/.

New Article at Dinosaur Home

2009-01-22T21:54:00.000-05:00

I've got a NEW article up over at Dinosaur Home about my "theories" on the evolution of spinosaurids. Hopefully, it's much better than the first one, so hopefully you can "pop" on over and take a look and give me some feedback. And, readers, don't worry abou the eighth Fact. It's coming SOON, I promise, hopefully this weekend.

And to make this post more interesting:

A preview that I found on the web and saved on my computer.

Excitement for Obama's Inauguration!!!!

2009-01-20T21:01:00.000-05:00

Today was a historic day here in these United States of America. We successfully had a peaceful transfer of power with former President George W. Bush leaving office after 8 miserable years in his presidency (Hooray!!) and President-elect Barack Obama being inagurated. Yes. He has been inagurated. He is the 44th president of these United States of America and the first African-American president in American History!!! It was truly a Historic and momentous day!! His running mate Senator Joe Biden became Vice president. I am over-flowing with excitement!! Today history was made. I saw him take the Oath of Office at school. If you wanna see something that I did on Microsoft Paint just for the occasion, here it is:

My Own Tribute to the Mesozoic era!!!

2009-01-19T18:30:00.002-05:00

Here it is, my tribute the Mighty Dinosaurs!! Please note, however, that there is NO music for I could not get the music uploaded to the video. I made this on Windows Movie Maker. I have never made a video before this so, don't blame me if the quality stinks. Enjoy:

(Edited: For Safety and Security Purposes.)

How Nerdy Am I?

2009-01-19T15:27:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am "Slightly Nerdy" as this test proves. It's funny because I found this test on new blogger: DinoGal 097' blog. However, I'm proud to be as nerdy as I am. Although, there's a lot about me that contradicts this: I have a lot of GOOD friends. I like to go hiking, and I also like taking walks when the weather's nice and warm. I also like Football.

A New Direction

2009-01-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking long and hard about this and I think it's time to initiate my full-proof plan. Mwahahaha...!!! Yes, saying my "full-proof plan" makes me laugh maniacally. It's sort of an evil comic book antagonist's diction. Anywho, yes, I am moving this blog into a NEW direction.

After reading some blogs like Traumador's, Peter Bond of Prehistoric Insanity, Brian Switek, Craig Dylke the Weapon of Mass Imagination, etc, I've decided to turn PaleoQuest into my own personal weblog. Now, don't me wrong, the Facts will continue as usual, as well as the Artwork, and so on and so forth. The only thing that's changing some is the purpose for PaleoQuest.

From now on, you can follow me as I achieve my my ULTIMATE goal: Vertebrate Paleontologist with a Ph.D. Also, you can learn what living with Autism is like and how I cope in order to be a paleontologist. You can even learn more about me, in general. For those who love the Tyrannosaur Chronicles, and Bond's Blog, as well as the others mentioned in the above paragraph, than you'll like PaleoQuest a lot now. For those who love this blog, you'll love it more.

Hope you like the new direction!!

All the Best,
"Raptor" Lewis

Binomial Nomenclature: the "Two Part Name"

2009-01-15T17:30:00.000-05:00

I have a theory about everyone's confusion when it comes to names for organisms. Apparently, people wonder why Biologists, Zoologists, and Paleontologists use what's commonly referred to as "Scientific Names." This confuses people and when they were "in the dark" about a certain subject. I think it would be a good idea to cover the history of this classification system and how it's used. (Author's note: Information was obtained from Wikipedia.)

Background:
This classification system started with Swedish Botanist and physician Carolus Linnaeus (1707 – 1778). His interest in the natural world led him to attempt to describe the known world and started using the now globally used system of Binomial Nomenclature. However, this system was used even before Linnaeus about 200 years. He's credited with the invention of the system because no-one used the system until after Linnaeus. (Author's note: That's my personal guess because I really have no clue.)

How To Use :
Binomial Nomenclature is a system that gives each organism a two-part "name." This "name" consists of the genus and then the species. The first name or genus' first letter is capitalized and is the "generic name" for the organism. The "species" is the specific type of that genus or organism. For Example, humans are referred to as Homo sapiens, with our genus Homo referrencing we're a hominid. The term sapien tells the kind of hominid. Also, note the terms are italicized when typed. When the terms are hand-written, the terms must be underlined separately.

Another thing to remember about this system is that most of the terms are derrived from either Greek or Latin. For example, Tyrannosaurus rex means "tyrant lizard king" with "Tyranno" meaning tyrant and "saurus" coming from the Greek "sauros" meaning lizard. Rex means King. (Author's note: I don't know the language the term "rex" originated but I DO know that it means "king." However, I assume Latin or Greek because those're the most common languages used for this system.)

Why It's Used:
The reason Biologists, Zoologists and Paleontologists use this system is the simple barrier of language. Every language has it's term for the same thing. However, almost all languages derrived from a form of Latin, so Latin was used as the major language for this system. Scientists around the world needed a unified system (similar to the SI measurement system) to classify organisms and understand what each was talking about without confusion. See? It's pretty simple once you get the hang of it. In case you didn't catch on, the term "Binomial Nomenclature" means "two-part name." It also comes from one of the two Languages for the system. Can you guess which one?

Dinosaur Tribute

2009-01-14T17:00:00.001-05:00

Readers, I was surfing the web and found a video on Youtube that fits this blog nicely. It just so happens to be a Dinosaur Tribute. I thought all of you would enjoy this. It's my special treat from me to you.

And so, just to keep this post interesting...

Diplodocus as seen in BBC's Walking With Dinosaurs

Home of the Paleo People

2009-01-12T17:02:00.000-05:00

Readers, I am pleased to announce that I have joined a new site called Dinosaur Home. It's a site designed for anybody interested in paleontology can discuss it with others. I've already written my first article over there.

If you think I'm ditching PaleoQuest, I'm not. I will continue to post here as well. You guys love it and I love it. So, don't worry guys, I'm not going anywhere.

To make you feel better, here's a preview of what it's about:

Gideon Mantell (1790-1852), identified the first fossils belonging to Dinosaur

John R. "Jack" Horner of Montana, discovered Maiasaura peeblesorum, the first evidence of dinosaur parenting behavior and is the character Crichton based Dr. Alan Grant from Jurassic Park off of and paleontology consultant for the Jurassic Park films.

Maiasaura peeblesorum with young (will do a Fact on soon, I promise.)

Artwork of the Day #3!!

2009-01-11T20:16:00.000-05:00

Anomalocaris of the Burgess Shale formation in CGi BY: The Weapon of Mass Imagination: Craig Dylke of Prehistoric Insanity

Fossil Fact #7!!!!!!!!!

2009-01-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

Finally, it's here!! The Seventh Fact has come!! I know ALL of you are relieved that it is here on this blog, at last!! For this Fact, I've decided to touch up on an apex predator that should seem very familiar to all of you as of July 18, 2001 and Jurassic Park III. Now, let's meet this mysterious predator... (Author Note: Nearly all information in this Fact are from Wikipedia.)

Spinosaurus aegyptiacus- Movie monster or Real misunderstood animal?
Background:
First off, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was a theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Egypt and North Africa in the Middle Cretaceous period (100 million years ago.) It was first discovered in the 1910s by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer. He named the animal based on a nearly complete fossil specimen and is the biggest theropod known today based off the fossil. Sadly, it was destroyed when the the museum was blown up during an Allied bombing in 1944 near the end of World War II. However, more skull material has been found in recent years. Unfortunately, it's still unclear whether they're from the same species or a different species of Spinosaurid altogether.

Description:
Spinosaurus aegyptiacus is distinct because of it's trademark crocodillian-like mouth which is characteristic of at least three relatives: Suchomimus, Baryonyx, and Irritator. Another characteristic of the family Spinosauridae (group of theropod dinosaurs that includes Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, Irritator challengeri, and Suchomimus tenerensis.)would be the long structures protruding from the animals back vertebrae that supposedly supported a skin "sail." The use for the vertebrae is about as mysterious as the plates on Stegosaurus. Theories range from temperature regulation (note: possilbly not it's internal temperature...at least that's MY opinion.) to sexual display. If the vertebrae did support a skin sail, then it could flush blood up into the thin tissue in the sail. The thin tissue was possibly filled with blood vessels probably ranging from arteries, veins, and/or cappilaries.

Diet:
This theropod probably fished. It's mouth is perfectly designed for catching fish. In fact, fish (like lepidotes)were possible a LOT bigger in the Cretaceous period than today. Otherwise, Spinosaurus could have been a scavenger, a kind of "beach comber." This animal, possibly, ate carcasses that washed up on shore. It could have also alternated between behaviors.

Spinosaurus aegyptiacus Today:
Interestingly enough, nobody knew this dinosaur existed until Jurassic Park III was released in July 18, 2001. Unlike Tyrannosaurus rex, however, the carnivore didn't help the franchise. Fans were extremely disappointed due to the fact it was poorly used. The third film in the trilogy did NOT meet the expectations of fans. To them and other "Paleo-nerds," it was another dinosaur movie like the "old-days." The Spinosaurus was just another "monster" in a another "monster flick." However, paleontologists try to restore the reputation of all dinosaurs through research and public education through documentaries and museums.

My Favorite Prehistoric Organism!

2009-01-07T20:29:00.000-05:00

Some of you love it when I post my Fossil Facts. Others like my personal posts more. That's okay, I'm glad you are interested in me and this blog. However, a few people voted on the last poll, asking me to mix it up a little bit. You know, post some Facts here and some personal stuff there. Something like that, right? I thought so. And so, I thought I'd do just that.

My passion for paleontology and prehistoric organisms is well-known (well, as well known as it can be around the blogosphere.) So, I thought I'd reveal my favorite among them all.

My Favorite Prehistoric Organism ARE..........The Dinosaurs!!!

What's that? "Figures." You say? Well....duh! Of Course, it should be dinosaurs, but not just any group. I especially love the Theropods and the Ceratopsians (group that includes Triceratops, Chasmosaurus, Torosaurus, Styracosaurus, Protoceratops, Psittacosaurus, etc.) Of course, I love all prehistoric organisms. Dinosaurs are my favorite and it's easy to see why.

Here are my reasons for Dinosaurs being my favorite animals:

Dinosaurs have the most variety out of the animal kingdom.
They're neither mammal, bird, nor reptile. (although, the theropods lean more towards being birds.)
They're one of evolution's greatest success stories. (they're dominance lasted from 225 million years to 65 million years.)
They have captivated the world even 65 million years after their extinction....or evolution?
They're different, yet so similar to nimals today.

Now you know my favorite prehistoric animal group. I love every group, however, so don't get me wrong. Ilove the arthropods of the Cambrian period(e.g. trilobites), the Archosaurs of the Permian and Triassic, the marine reptiles, and, of course the pterosaurs (e.g. Pteranodon ingens). If you wish to learn about me, feel free to contact me at raptor.lewis@gmail.com or leave a comment on this blog.

I've Been Tagged For A Meme!

2009-01-06T20:06:00.002-05:00

I've been tagged!! Now, I have to tell 6 RANDOM things about myself all thanks to Marek Eby of http://www.etrilobite.com/!!

Here's what I'm supposed to do:

Link to the Person who tagged you.
Post the rules on my blog.
Write 6 random things about myself.
Tag six people at the end of this post and link to them.
Let each person know they've been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
Let the tagger know when you're entry is up.

Okay, here are 6 random things about me:

I am related to Louisiana Purchase explorer Meriwhether Lewis.
I'm growing my first moustache.
Theropod dinosaurs and ceratopsians are my favorite dinosaurs.
I'm a Christain and an Evolutionist.
My passion is Paleontology.
I have Asperger's Syndrome.

The people I'm going to tag are:

I think that's it!! I've done this stupid meme and can now get on with my life.

Mondays, Let the Stress Begin (Especially After Holidays)

2009-01-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

"I hate Mondays!!" I'm sure nearly all of you have heard that statement before, and/or said it at one time or another. And, if you haven't, you can possibly agree with it as I do. Why do I mention it? Well...let's just say that it was wierd especially for a Monday. Normally, Mondays are the most stressful part of the week. It's always hard getting back into the swing of things.

First off, what is stress? Stress is the pressure from heavy external forces. Stress in humans occurs with a large workload. This in turn can cause health problems if not managed correctly. This is also a positve thing. Stress is a signal to your brain to review a certain situation if something isn't right.

Mondays after a vacation can be especially stressful because we have to return to the routine of going to work and to school. That's how I'm feeling, but, there wasn't that much to do or worry about. I was stressed and worried about having a bad start to this new semester of school. Not everything went as well. My point? I hate Mondays!!!

Merry Late Christmas because I was away from my Computer.

2009-01-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Cretaceous...in case you can't read it.

This is what should have been posted on Christmas. Sadly, I forgot and before I could post it, I was away, leaving this saved on my PC.

Note: The ORIGINAL photo is not mine, I merely found it on the web and the card I made out of it is mine. I used Microsoft Paint.

The Origin of Raptor Lewis, Part Two

2009-01-04T14:20:00.000-05:00

Of course, an interest in paleontology can't happen without museums. A few of which, have websites you can reach on the right-hand side of the blog. I've been to museums as far off as the Natural History Museum in Albequerque?, New Mexico, United States. There's been so many contributions, that I can't really name them all.

Coupled with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and an all out fascination, my interest has NEVER ceased. I feel that I was born for Paleontology. However, coupled with OCD, I had become obsessed with Video Games from my middle school years on to 8th grade and Freshman year in High school. My interest in dinosaurs had been over-shadowed by video games, but, didn't stop. It was restricted to the confines of my soul until it was released by reading The Lost World by: Michael Crichton (1995). Video games were bound in my brain and soul like my interest in all things Paleo was. I was overflowing with interest 'till this day. It was as if my interest was building inside of me, dormant, and ready to overflow in all it's pleasure and glory.

And so, I have made this blog so I can share this knowledge and interest with you, readers and the world. I also created this blog show you the awesome power of Life and it's place in the Universe. Life's power is second only to the angels an God in heaven in it's evolution and growth to become a force that can't be reckoned with easily. Now you know the origin of my interest in paleontology and the name "Raptor."

The Origin of Raptor Lewis, Part One

2008-12-30T17:05:00.000-05:00

For the past few months, I'm sure a good deal of you readers have wondered the same question: "Where did his interest in paleontology and dinosaurs come from?" Well, since y'all asked, I'll oblige with a whole post of it's own.

First of all, I always had an interest in dinosaurs. However, it hasn't been as intense as it is now. My interest had some wierd beginnings. To start off, I think I'll give you some of my background. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a form of high-functioning Autism. With this developmental disorder, I also have OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.) That will explain where my attention goes from paleontology.

My interest comes from two things. One of those things may sound very bizarre. That, readers, was Nintendo's Pokemon. Bizarre, right? I thought so. I also had the privelage to go to some very cool museums (more on that in another post.) The reason Pokemon had some influence on my interest in paleontology and fossils were the prehistoric pokemon or fossil pokemon.

Aerodactyl

One of the fossil pokemon and any Pterosaur's "poke" counterpart.

Omanite (looks familiar, don't it?)

Pokemon has some references to paleontology as you can see. Hopefully, you won't think I'm crazy...

To Be Continued....

Geologic Time Scale- A Visual Aid in Paleontology and Geology

2008-12-20T21:11:00.000-05:00

You guys can use this chart as a visual aid for the Fossil Facts! This can help you understand what the Earth was like during each period!

Artwork of the Day #2!!

2008-12-19T17:54:00.001-05:00

Woolly Mammoth During an Aurora

By: Joe Tucciarone

Darwin Took Steps By: Glendon Mellow the Flying Trilobite (Artwork of the Day!)

2008-12-18T21:53:00.000-05:00

Readers, I thought I'd try something new. Everyday or every other day, I will post some sort of artwork for appreciation on my blog. Just for those few people who love art, this is perfect! The first one is by Glendon Mellow: The Flying Trilobite:

Darwin Took Steps By: Glendon Mellow the Flying Trilobite (Artwork of the Day!)

2008-12-18T19:01:00.001-05:00

Fossil Fact #6!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-16T20:02:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is, readers. *sigh* Sorry again for the delay. I've been busy on the road of life and high school. I've decided to clear up some misconceptions about some of the deadliest theropods (again....paleontologists classifcation for predatory dinosaurs) that ever lived......Dromaeosaurs or "Raptors." These started with Jurassic Park back in 1993. The confusion mainly was between Velociraptor mongoliensis and Deinonychus.

Commonly confused Dromaeosaurs (Part One of Movie Myths):

Velociraptor mongoliensis

Time Period: Late Cretaceous (70 million years ago-65 million years ago)

Diet: Carnivore

Method of kill: retractable "killing claw"

Height: 3 feet tall

Length: 6 feet long?

Locality: Gobi Desert in what is now Mongolia and China

Cool Facts: Cool fossil of it locked in combat with a Protoceratops near a protoceratops nest in Mongolia. Theorized as a pack hunter.

Deinonychus

Time Period: Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous (145-65 million years ago)

Diet: Carnivore

Height: 6 feet or as tall as a full-grown Human male.

Length: (I'm not sure how long it was)

Locality: North America

Method of kill: retractable "killing claw" (for lack of a better term.)

Cool Facts: Mistakenly called "Velociraptor" by fans because it was needed to fill the role of a 6-foot-tall "Raptor." They knew the difference thanks to Horner but, in Crichton's novel, the Velociraptors were 6 feet tall. Theorized as a pack hunter because a group of them were found together next to their prey. This indicates that they died trying to take down the herbivore. The vertebrae in the tail were stiff and interlocked creating a stiff and strong counter-balance for running and jumping.

Cool Paleo Blogs!!

2008-12-13T22:13:00.000-05:00

Quick Genetics Lesson- Why Jurassic Park is still Science Fiction

2008-12-05T21:20:00.000-05:00

DNA-Deoxyribonucleic Acid-the universal genetic code. This amazing molecule codes for everything about us. For about 150 years, Biologists have wondered where we get our characteristics. Readers, I've decided to do a quick basic lesson on Genetics to clear up any confusion you may have with Crichton in Jurassic Park and all this talk of heredity and DNA sequences and jargon that make you go "Huh?"

Here's a basic Timeline on DNA studies:

Mid 1800s: Johann Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), "Father of Genetics", discovers the fundamental laws of inheritance through his eight year work on interbreeding pea-plants. This idea deals with dominant and recessive traits that are inherited from parents to offspring. He published his findings in 1865.

Mid 1800s: Fredrich Meischer (1844-1895), discovered the FIRST crude fragment of DNA that he named Nuclein. He found bandages from a nearby clinic and washed the pus off the bandages and isolated the molecule around 1876 or so.

Late 1800s: Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866-1945), discovered the chromosomal theory of inheritance with fruit flies. He won the Nobel Prize in 1933.

1920s-1940s: Geroge Beadle discovered that bacteria can mutate by absorbing DNA from their environment.

1950s: Rosalind Franklin stretched a molecule of DNA in a long tube and fired X-rays at it. The rays diffracted and formed an x-shaped photograph on paper. The shape gave clues as to the shape of DNA. The shape implies a Double Helix. This was expanded by Francis Crick and James Watson in the early 1950s. Crick (now dead) expanded his thoughts on the subject with the Central Dogma. (too complicated to explain.)

--50 years later-----

2003: The Human Genome Project was completed. Human DNA has been completely sequenced.

DNA basics:

DNA is made of the sugar Deoxyribose, and is an acid. The "rungs" of the molecule are made of a phosphate group linked to a deoxyribose sugar which are linked to one of four nitrogenous bases: Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), and Guanine (G). A fits with T and C fits with G and vice versa. The bases are linked by weak Hydrogen bonds so it can easily replicate. When it replicates, the molecule unwinds, and an enzyme called DNA Polymerase moves down the bonds and "unzips" it. Then another strand comes and fits with correct corresponding base. This happens in the Cell's nulceus. The molecule replicates when the cell divides. That's DNA basics for you. Also, to extract DNA, the lower the temp., the better perserved DNA stays when the cell gets dissolved.

However, as the animal dies, and the cells and tissues deteriorate, so does the DNA. Thus, by the time an animal is fossilized, you have fragmented and dead Deoxyribonucleic Acid. The same holds true for the amber in a mosquito idea. The Mosquito's dead therefore it's genetic material is too.

Maybe? Maybe Not? Certainly NOt in 2008!

Museum News #2!!!!!!

2008-12-03T17:01:00.000-05:00

Dinosaur Mummy CSI: Cretaceous Science Investigation
Leonardo the Brachylophosaurus and a mummified pregnant ichthyosaur as well as Triceratops with preserved skin on it will appear at the Houston Museum of Natural History SOON!!!

Paleo Lovers MUST CHECK IT OUT!!!

Ticket Information
Members
$8
Adults
$15
Children (3-11)
$12
Seniors (62+)
$10
K - 12 School Groups
$5
Groups of 20 or more / Corporate
$9

PaleoQuest's 2 Month Annniversary!!

2008-12-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe I've been a blogger for 2 months. I'm still a relative newcomer but, I think PaleoQuest is pretty popular! Thanks for all of your support!!

Sue the T-rex at the Field Museum

Museum News #1

2008-11-30T16:44:00.000-05:00

Readers, I've decided on trying something new. Every so often I will try to give you updates to what's happening at various Museums around the world.

Grand Canyon Adventure

What: Omnimax feature
Where: Cincinnatti Museum at Union Terminal
Showtimes: Monday through Wednesday: 1, 2, 3 and 5 p.m.
Thursday:1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 p.m.
Friday: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m., 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9:15 p.m.
Sunday: Hourly through 6 p.m.

Fossil Fact #5!!!!!

2008-11-22T22:22:00.000-05:00

Here we go, readers. Finally, the 5th fact. The one you've all been waiting for. The poll is closed and no more interruptions. I can finally post the fifth fact. The readers and voters have spoken and the winner? The Jurassic Period. I have to say, good choice, readers. The Jurassic is probably the most famous period. It's the one with most inaccurate facts to it. I'll clear some of that up with this fact. Let's go.....

Jurassic period (Mesozoic, part 2)-When Dinosaurs Dominated the Earth

First off, the there a lot of inaccurate information about this time period. To clear things up, Geologists divide the time the Earth has been around into eons, then eras, then periods. This is based on the relative age of the rock layers. The Dinosaurs dominated for three time periods in the Mesozoic era of the Phanerozoic eon. We've covered one: the Triassic. Another thing, T-rex didn't appear until the Late Cretaceous period. The "king of the jungle" during the Jurassic was Allosaurus.

Allow me to set the stage: Most of the Archosaurs that lived into the Late Triassic were extinct by the Jurassic period. Pangaea was still together and still did what it did best hosting a battle for the survival of the fittest.

Earth during the Jurassic period.

Since Allosaurus didn't appear until the late Jurassic period (145 million years ago), there was a theropod that preceeded him: Dilophosaurus. I don't think I need to introduce you to this 10 foot tall carnivore. You know him, you love him and at the same time fear him from the film Jurassic Park (1993). For the most part, the movie was accurate with Dilophosaurus except for the frill, and the spitting behavior. This theropod (again....paleontologist's way of classifying these guys.) was actually the first "super-predator." It domianted Pangaea for most of the Jurassic. It's teeth were not as thick as T-rex's, good enough for slicing like a steak knife through flesh and muscle. Since it couldn't crush bone, it could take down it's prey through persistant attacks. However, there were no need to take THAT many bites because there were no huge sauropods (long-necks) around mowing the forests. Prosauropods ("before sauropods"), like Plateosaurus, however did that job pretty nicely.

In the Mid Jurassic rose an even bigger theropod, Ceratosaurus. This huge theropod was unique with the fact that it had horn on the top of it's muzzle. Like Dilophosaurus, this carnivore had knife like teeth that were perfect for slicing flesh and tearing muscular tissue. Ceratosaurus lived in what is now North America.

In the Late Jurassic, the infamous theropod of his time, Allosaurus fragilis. I guess I don't need to introduce him. Y'all have probably heard of his pack hunting behavior. No? How about the claws that grabbed into the flesh like grappling hooks so it could pull it's prey towards it and take decent size bites with it's flesh-searing teeth? No? Well, you just did. It's head was also big in relation to it's body. It may have been smaller than Tyrannosaurus rex but some Paleontologists think it was even deadlier. Note: it, and the other two mwntioned were very bird like.

My First EVER Boneyard Post!!

2008-11-22T12:09:00.000-05:00

I'm excited, readers as this my first EVER Boneyard post. I've decided to participate in this years theme of "My Favorite Museum." Granted, I don't have a favorite. There a few I've been to and a lot I haven't. So, I'll just list a few, give brief summaries, and pictures with each. (Sorry, I haven't gotten around to the fifith fact yet. I'm doing my best.) Anyway, here are a few in The United States:

Field Natural History Museum:

Whers is it: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Have I been there: No
Point of interest: "Sue" the Tyrannosaurus rex, and other fossils
Info: I haven't been there but, I've always wanted to. Sue, seems to reside in the entrance to the museum. She is the largest, most preserved, and complete T-rex ever discovered. They even take you on a walk through life's evolution on Earth.

Union Terminal at Cincinnatti, Ohio:

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.
Have I been there?- Yes, about 3 or 4 times
Points of interest: Allosaurus fossil and statue, Apatosaurus femur, mastodon fossil, stuffed Polar Bear on it's hind legs, audio tour of human prehistory, HUGE Omnimax dome theater, it used to be a fully operational train station during the Great Depression, 3 museums: natural history, history, physics for kids; the first exhibits mentioned are in the natural history museum, ankylosaurus statue, some marine fossils, Cenozoic era fossils, Hadrosaur skulls, T-rex cast skull, and of course the Gift Shop with a REAL T-rex fossil foot for sale for hundreds of american dollars, cool educational DVDs (sometimes even Imax films on DVD), and lots of really cool stuff.
CHECK IT OUT!!!!

Houston Museum of Natural Science:

Where: Houston, Texas
I have been there least least twice.
Points of interest: Great collection of fossils, iMax theater, mineral hall, prehistoric shells, butterfly collection, Geology and Physics section. The website speaks for itself. It has so much cool stuff that there's no way to describe it all with this post.
One of My most favorite of the one's I've been to or at least remember.

Those are a few I can think of and can tell you little bit about. There's more museums that are pretty cool, but I have the links to their websites on the right hand side of this blog. They can give you some more information. If you love museums and are in the country, check out a few of the museums. They're pretty darn cool.

LOL!!

2008-11-21T22:41:00.001-05:00

T-rex Mating

2008 Coming to a Close!

2008-11-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas is coming and y'all know what that means. That's right. A New Year!!! Time for us to wrap up this chapter in our lives and start off with a clean slate with a whole new year. A time to move on learn from any mistakes made in this new year. It's a fresh start for we have been reborn anew. It's a new chapter in our lives. 2008 is coming to a close. But, before hand, we got less than 2 months before this chapter is over. Make it a Good one.

Good Bye 2008. In 2 months, Hello 2009.

Fossil Fact #4 Suppliment!!

2008-11-16T20:33:00.001-05:00

Earth during the Triassic!!

Please Vote!!

2008-11-15T21:22:00.000-05:00

Readers I can't stress this enough. Please vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. I hate to say this but I will postpone the next Fossil Fact until you guys have voted. You guys are the ones picking it, so, it makes sense. In a way you're writing it. And if you don't write it, there's no Fact. I'm trying to make this blog more interesting and interactive. It's all up to you. I thought Democracy can settle this. To be honest, I want to teach y'all. I can't if I don't know what you want to learn about. Please VOTE!!!

Authors Have a Curse.....Death!!!

2008-11-07T17:51:00.000-05:00

For me, a fallback from Paleontology was to be an author like Michael Crichton or an artist. However, every so often I've noticed that a lot of the best authors in the world have died. (e.g. J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, William Golding, Shakespeare, Michael Crichton, etc.) Is it just me, or do authors have a tendency to die before retirement or in their prime? Sure, the rest of them died in their 70s or 80s (except Shakespeare and Crichton) but, not Crichton. He passed away in his 60s. HIS 60s!!!!! That's his prime. The culprit? Cancer!!! Still, I do NOT want to be an author because, of their tendency to die. I don't know why. I'm probably paranoid, I know. But, it just doesn't make any sense!!! Authors w/ curse, apparently, = Death!!! This is very strange!!

Novelist, Michael Crichton, Dies!!!

2008-11-06T15:43:00.000-05:00

Creator of the hit TV drama ER and author of Jurassic Park died Wednesday after a private battle with cancer. Crichton (1942-2008) was the author of some of the most bestselling novels of the 20th century. These include fiction like: Jurassic Park, Congo, Sphere, Prey, The Andromeda Strain, State of Fear, The Lost World, Eaters of the Dead, Rising Sun, Timeline, The Great Train Robbery, Coma, The Terminal Man, Disclosure, and, I think, Next. Michael Crichton was a very smart man and was able to challenge scientists' views about the world. He encouraged the world to think independently and form views of their own. Crichton also encouraged to educate yourself and not to go along with the "truth." In his novels, he taught very crucial lessons and sometimes cool scientific fact/theories in an indirect and easy-to-understand way. He was the kind of man that was born every so often. He inspired us each time we read a book by him. As such, he will be profoundly missed by everyone who new him and/or read his books. My regards to his family and friends.

In Memory:
J.Michael Crichton, Ph.D
Born: October 23, 1942
Died: November 4/5, 2008
Bestselling Author, Hardcore Scientist, And A Family Man

Happy Election Day!!

2008-11-04T15:57:00.000-05:00

Today is Election Day here in the United States and we are experiencing a Historic Presidential Election. This is the chance to have our first Minority president or our first female Vice-President. Since, today is such a special occasion, I'd like to wish all readers (mainly, that are American) a Happy Election Day. No mater who wins, I hope we stay United as a nation into the future. Good or Bad times, it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that we stay united, despite our political differences. It doesn't matter if we're black, white, red, purple, Republican, Democrat, independent, chinese, asian, latino, autisitic, have special needs, etc. We need to stand together no matter who wins, Barack Obama or John McCain. We are a NATION!! HAVE A HAPPY ELECTION DAY AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

Don't Stress People, Work Is Fun.......Shyeah Right

2008-11-03T21:21:00.000-05:00

If anyone has ever told you that work is fun, they are nuts!!! Cookoo!!!!!!!! Crazy!!! Psychotic!!!!!!! They don't know what they're talking about.....or do they? Normally, I agree somewhat with this statement. Work can be fun. Unfortunately, tonight our dryer didn't agree with me and/or that statement. Normally, when I try to do my laundry, it takes fifteen minutes to wash in our washing machine and about 45 minutes to dry in the dryer. Not tonight! Recently, my dryer takes two cycles to dry the same load that it used to with one. To fix that, I tried setting the timer for one hour. About fifty minutes later, they hadn't dried at all. (Okay, maybe a little.) Not good!!!! Not only that, but drying took three to four more cycles than usual and about three hours of laundry that I started about 5 PM. *sigh* Sorry, readers, I just had to vent my anger and frustration with a post. Moral of the story: when you have problems like this with your dryer, buy a new one.

Fossil Fact #4!!!!!!!!

2008-11-01T21:44:00.000-04:00

One of my friends, followers, readers and fellow bloggers, Naveed, has wanted me to a special Fossil Fact just for him. As I've ran out of ideas for facts, I thought of an idea!!! Why not get my readers involved? It was ingeneous and whaddya know it works. Well, as well as it can for Naveed to give me a suggestion. (No offense, dude.) He's a blogger and follows my blog and is fan of it. (Yay, my second fan!!) Anyway, you'd expect him to. He's a blogger. Now....enough with my rambling.....let's get the show on the road and on the Fact.

The Triassic: end of the Archosaurs and dawn of the Dinosaurs (Part One of the Mesozoic)
First off Naveed, Dinosaurs weren't the only animals that populated the Earth during this period. In fact, Dinosaurs didn't appear until the Late Triassic. The dominant land animals were huge reptiles designated Archosaurs by Paleontologists. These HUGE reptiles were bigger and different than the reptiles that inhabit the Earth today. (Probably because of the greater Oxygen levels in the atmosphere than today.)

Now, for the continents. The world is unrecognizeable. All the land masses are smashed together into one big Supercontinent called Pangaea. It'll be about 250 million years until the giant land mass crumbles like a cookie into the seven continents that we know today. This causes the seasons to be about the same nearly everywhere. It was on Pangaea that evolution spawned a new kind of reptile. One that would become one of evolution's greatest success stories: The Dinosaur.

Now, during the Late Triassic, the earth was still full of huge reptiles that still had the primitive leg design. Their legs were sprawled out away from their hips like modern reptiles. The bully on the block was one mean and nasty Archosaur: Postosuchus ("post crocodile"). This guy had a huge head that was filled with teeth that were like steak knives that were perfect taking a big chunk out of it's horned-faced ugly herbivorous neighbors the Placerias. It wasn't very fast as it had the primitive reptilian hip/leg design. However, it needn't be, it's prey couldn't run if their lives depended on it (and it usually did.) The only thing Postosuchus had to worry about was another Postosuchus. That depended on how big the other one was and how loud it's roar was. (Remember, this is all speculation and I got this information from Walking with Dinosaurs....well...these guys introduced me to these Archosaurs.)

On with the early dinosaurs. Well, the one I know the most about is Coelophysis. This theropod (simply, paleontologists designation for dinosaurian carnivores) was light weight, built for speed, and it's bones were hollow like a bird's, yet, strong. It's neck vertebrae was shaped into an S which was perfect for striking quickly at it's prey. It, presumably, hunted in packs or some sort of social group with some sort of social structure. One thing we do know, is that it was a cannibal that occasionally ate it's own young in harsh conditions. The reason? Probably, to avoid turning on each other and risking injury with a lack of food. Smart move, considering, they could spawn more young if the adults survived. The reasonable time for cannibalism would be during severe dry seasons with severe drought and severe scarcity of food. ( One neighbor that I forgot to mention during the Triassic were the mammal-like reptiles that gave rise to the true mammals.) Sadly, it didn't save them from extinction in the Jurassic period.

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-31T15:48:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween, readers!!!!!!!!!!! Today, is the spookiest, and, by far, the sweetest day of the year. It's a time for pumpkins, cold weather, costumes, haunted houses, ghouls, goblins, ghosts, and monsters. Scare yourself or your friends and family. Eat candy until you vomit. (With as much candy as you'll eat, you'll probably vomit until Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year.) LOL!!!! The point is to have a fun, happy, and safe Halloween this year. Don't do it because I, Raptor Lewis, told you to. Do it for yourselves. I'm taking the night off from blogging. So, don't expect the next Fossil Fact anytime tonight. Enjoy yourselves and have fun. Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give me some suggestions or ask a Question

2008-10-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

Now, I think it's time for me to let you, readers, decide on the next fact. Yes, you. If you have questions, please ask. This blog was intended to educate the public. I've been busy with Homework and haven't ahd time to blog. When I do get time to blog I often forget what I wanted to post. So..........please............I'm begging you tell me! I know you've got questions and please ask them. PaleoQuest is for your benefit. Not mine. Although, blogging is kinda like writing down one's thoughts. I can't think of everything, so, I rely on you, the readers, to tell me what to post or ask a question. I like questions because it means you're interested in this blog and I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't important to me. I, will, however, post this weekend....'cause...by the weekend, I should have something to say....maybe a fact or something. I run out of ideas because I'm so dang busy. Dang!! If High School's this hard, I wonder what college is like. Anyway, it's worth achieving my dream of being a Paleontologist. (Man, I gotta quit rambling.)

Fossil Fact #3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-29T19:45:00.000-04:00

A couple of years ago, back in 2005, Paleontologists in Montana, USA discovered the fossilized remains of a new hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaur) was discovered called Brachylophosaurus, a Late-Cretaceous (70 million years ago) herbivore with a duck-like bill full of flat grinding molars and looked a bit like an Edmontosaurus. This one was special!!! Named "Leonardo", this Hadrosaur turned out to be a mummy!!!!!!!! With skin still attached, with muscles, and it's last meal!!!!!!!!!!!! With soft tissue fossilized and still attched to a good percentage of it's body, this specimen from the "Leonardo Formation" in Montana, was a major discovery. Dinosaur fossils rarely mummify and then Fossilize. So far, only Duck-bills have mummified as far we know. Meaning, it was attacked by a predator. Here's Leo's Story as I know it:

Leonardo, the mummy Brachylophosaur
Leonardo lived in the Late Cretaceous period (70 million-65 million years ago) of the Mesozoic era in North America. Leonardo had a long wide tail for balance when running from predators, a duck-billed mouth full of flat molars designed for chewing up tough pieces of plants such as conifers. His species occasionally reared up on their hind legs to graze from the tops of trees. Basically, it was an Edmontosaur "cousin." Now, while Leonardo was drinking he didn't see the threat coming for him. A giant Theropod such as a Tyrannosaurus rex charged for him, taking a huge chunk out of the side of Leonardo and then aiming for the neck to shatter the spine. It was unsuccessful and Leonardo later died of his wounds. He later dried out in the sun, became mummified, and then was swallowed up by the lake and sunk to the bottom. He was covered in sediments, the calcium in his bones were replaced by the mineral in the rock, turning the mummy, Leonardo, into a fossil.

Fossil Fact #2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-28T17:41:00.000-04:00

This will knock your socks off, literally!!!!!!!!! Four million years ago, in Uruguay's rain forest, stalked one of the biggest rodents that ever lived!!! An ameteur Paleontologist Sergio Viera discovered the fossilized skull of this 3-ton/ 6,000-pund rat!!!!!!!! That's a HUGE rat problem! The skull was 21-inches long and Paleontologists suggest it was about 6,000 lbs. However, others say that size estimates based on skull length would not be an accurate depiction of this animal's size. However they agree that it's teeth suggest it was an herbivore that foraged in the rain forests hwere it was found. Let me tell you the story, readers, of this Collossal mammal.

Josephiartegasia monesi: The 3-ton Rat
4 million years ago the Earth looked VERY similar to the way it does today. This means it was the same as it does today (well, continental-wise). Down in South America lived THE Biggest rodent that ever lived. This 3-ton rat had a jaw that was well adapted for the vegetation that grew close to the ground in the South American Rainforest during the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic era. (4 million years ago-Present.) Why it disappeared? Paleontologists think that climate change altered it's habitat so that that the rodent's size could no longer be supported.