DIPLODOCUS: Endearment

by Arthur Weasley (Wikipedia)

Through the efforts of the famed industrialist Andrew Carnegie (U.S.), Diplodocus became world famous. Carnegie had generously sent out a large number of skeletal casts of Diplodocus to museums around the world. After She was discovered in 1877 in the United States, naturalists, at that time, thought that Diplodocus was the largest of the Dinosaurs. (Argentinosaurus, at twice the size of Diplodocus, is now regarded to be the largest.) Because of her near-complete skeleton in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, She was named Diplodocus carnegii in 1901.

            When Diplodocus was first examined by Othniel C. Marsh (noted paleontologist), he saw that She had extra bones underneath her spine. Therefore Marsh called Her “Diplodocus” (double beam) for the chevron-shaped bones which supported her neck and tail. These special bones are common in the skeletons of other Sauropods.

            Because of her extra-long neck and tail, Diplodocus was one of the longest of the Dinosaurs. Her tail, which was about half of her length, counterbalanced her considerable elongated neck. (Seismosaurus, a larger Dinosaur, is actually an abnormally long species of  Diplodocus.)

            When scientists first studied Diplodocus, they thought that She lived in the water. Her nostrils, which they believed were located on the top of her head, acted as a snorkel. For many years, illustrations showed Diplodocus standing in a swamp or lake. However, in the 1950’s and 60’s, two paleontologists proved otherwise. Dr. K.A. Kermack (U.K.) demonstrated that the water pressure would have killed Her if She did snorkel underwater. Then a few years later, Dr. Robert Bakker (U.S.) established that Diplodocus lived on land instead of water.

            Later the paleontologists reasoned that Diplodocus used her long neck to reach high up into the trees to eat leaves. Though her neck did contain fifteen vertebrae, She did not have the flexibility needed to lift her neck high.  When Diplodocus wanted to eat, She would grip a branch with her teeth and strip the leaves off. Also, sometimes She would poke her head into the forest fringes or push a tree over with her massive body to eat the leaves.

            Because of her early world-wide fame, Diplodocus became endeared by people. The museum workers who cleaned Diplodocus’ skeleton often called Her “Dippy.” Roaming about the countryside during the Jurassic, this long Dinosaur, with small spines running down her back, often pushed trees over using her elephant-like feet. That such a massive animal could endear Herself to people is a remarkable feat. We should ponder how She did that. Could it be that She was simply Herself, and people loved Her for it?

PLATEOSAURUS: Being Misunderstood

(Please note the claws are too big.)

Named in 1837 by Hermann von Myer, an early naturalist, Plateosaurus was one of the most misunderstood of the Dinosaurs for many years. The first Prosauropod (“basal sauropodmorph”) ever found, She confused many paleontologists.  Because of her shape and size, they thought that Plateosaurus was the ancestor of the giant Sauropods (Apatosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus and others). However, it turns out that She is only a cousin who lived alongside their Ancestor.

            Plateosaurus was so abundant, that her fossils can be found throughout Europe. Since She was so common, her bones sometimes got mixed in with those of other animals. Because of this, many incorrect species of Plateosaurus were named. One of them was Teratosaurus, who was a combination of Plateosaurus and an Ancestor of Crocodile. This supposed “Plateosaurus” was a meat-eater, and thus further confused paleontologists. Now they had to link a carnivore to the Sauropods, who ate only plants.

Finally in the 1980s, the scientists reviewed everything they knew about Plateosaurus. And realized that they had made many mistakes about Her. What was Plateosaurus like, once things were sorted out? Living in the late Triassic (220 million years ago), Plateosaurus was one of the largest dinosaurs of that time. According to studies based on her plentiful fossils, She had a small head, a long body, and a long tail. Because She could either walk on her four or two legs, Plateosaurus ate the tops of trees and the ferns on the ground. To grasp and shred leaves, She used her partially-opposable thumbs on her front “hands.” (Some scientists also believe the thumb claws were used in mutual combat like Roosters do with their spurs.)

            Known as the “All-Purpose Dinosaur,” Plateosaurus did a lot of things moderately well. Growing big as a bus, she could stand taller than many of the other Dinosaurs of the Triassic. At that time, She was one of the most advanced Dinosaurs. However by the early Jurassic, Plateosaurus became prey to the more advanced meat eaters such as the Ceratosaurs.

            Plateosaurus is the poster child for being misunderstood. Confused paleontologists thought that She was many things until they finally decided to figure out who She actually was. However, they are still arguing over her thumbspike and what She used it for. “Be patient,” counsels Plateosaurus, “things will get sorted out eventually.” Until then, just continue to do what you have already been doing. Eventually, people will come to understand you.

IGUANODON: Question Authority (1 of 2)

Incorrect view of Iguanodon

As only the second Dinosaur to be discovered, Iguanodon reflects the development of the science of paleontology. In fact when She was named by Gideon Mantell in 1825, “Dinosaurs” were still an unknown concept. He had named Her for her iguana-like teeth, and regarded her “thumb” spike to be a nose horn similar to an Iguana.

In 1842, Sir Richard Owen, a creationist, in order to rebut various theories of evolution, created the Dinosaur Order (Dinosauria) from Iguanodon, Megalosaurus, and Hylaeosaurus. In contrast to the prevailing thought that these extinct animals were Reptiles, Owen reconstructed Iguanodon as a huge four-footed Mammal. Meanwhile, Mantell had the revolutionary concept that Iguanodon was a plant eater, when naturalists at this time regarded Dinosaurs to be only giant carnivores.

            These varying images formed the first pictures of Iguanodon for the public. Depicted as a lumbering low-slung animal, Iguanodon was displayed with her “thumb” spike on her nose. The life-size reconstruction of Iguanodon, at the Crystal Palace in London in 1852, resembled an Elephant with sharp teeth. This particular depiction of her became firmly entrenched in the public’s mind.

            This image changed in 1878, when a group of Iguanodon fossils was discovered in a mine in Belgium. When these fossils were finally reconstructed, scientists realized that Iguanodon looked much different from what they initially thought. In his models, Louis Dollo presented her new image to the public. Resembling a giant Wallaby, Iguanodon stood upright on her hind legs, while balancing on her long tail. Dollo moved her nose horn to the end of her hand for her “thumb” spike. Dollo’s presentation of Her lasted for an hundred years.

            In the 1980s as paleontologists re-examined their ideas of Dinosaurs, they realized that they were wrong about Iguanodon. If She had sat on her tail, it would have broken in two. Meanwhile, other new discoveries revealed that Dinosaurs had stiff tails that they held high off the ground. Having a stiffened tail meant that Iguanodon could walk on two feet or four feet, as She chose. Since Iguanodon could do this, She could search for both low lying plants and ones at the tree tops.

LAMBEOSAURUS: CREATE YOUR OWN IMAGE

Named in honor of Lawrence Lambe, an early paleontologist, Lambeosaurus was the first Duck-billed Dinosaur (Hadrosaur) to be found in North America (in 1927). The largest-known Duck-billed Dinosaur, Lambeosaurus had a hatchet-shaped crest. (This crest was tall and flat, pointing forward with a prong jutting out in the back of the head.) Living about 83 million years ago in Eurasia and North America, He browsed on twigs and flowering plants.

            The crest of Lambeosaurus was the subject of mistaken ideas by early paleontologists. Since each crest of a Lambeosaurus differed by age and sex, paleontologists believed that each individual Lambeosaurus was a different species of Dinosaur. After much study, later scientists realized that all of these Dinosaurs were the same species at different ages. Young Lambeosaurus had a low crest with no backward prong. Adult Lambeosaurus had a taller and more elaborate crest. Meanwhile Male Lambeosaurus had a large crest to impress the mating Females.

            The hollow crest of Lambeosaurus was filled with nasal passages, since it was a part of his nose. He used his crest to make bellowing calls to his Friends. Living in huge herds, this plant eater had no defenses against a predatory Tyrannosaurus rex, and needed an effective alarm system. Therefore, a guard Lambeosaurus would “honk” with his crest to warn the others to quickly run away, from danger, on their hind legs.

            Be creative with your image teaches Lambeosaurus. He always stood out in his herd with his particular crest. Moreover in a large group, He always knew his friends by their crests, and by their particular hooting. As his crest changed as He matured, Lambeosaurus gloried in who He was becoming. Lambeosaurus embraced his growth, and continued to be Himself in his unique way.

EARLY HOMO FAMILY: Discover Your Inner Fire

The next Family to come after these Earliest Humans, was the Homo family (of which H. sapiens (Modern Humans) is a later member), about 2.4 million years ago (mya) Meanwhile, the Families of the Earliest Humans - Australopithecus and Paranthropus lived near the Homo family.  However, these earlier Families had little interaction with the Homo Family.  About two mya, several distinctive members (who had larger brains than the previous Early Humans) of the Homo Family appeared – H. gautengensis, H. habilis, and H. rudolfensis.  With his larger teeth, H. guatengensis specialized in eating plants.  Slimmer H. habilis (“Handy Man”) could make simple stone tools, while stocker and heavier H. rudolfensis ate grass roots.  

            About 1.8 mya, H. ergaster and H. erectus of the Homo Family appeared.  These Early Humans developed a complex tool making culture, such as using hammer stones to break open nuts.  Furthermore because of the hot African climate, their bigger brains needed more cooling.  Therefore these Humans possessed more sweat glands and was less hairy.         

Then H. erectus did something remarkable:  She migrated out of Africa to Eurasia,   adapting to the new places with strange plants and animals.  Since the seasons in Eurasia were more pronounced and cooler, H. erectus was forced to become more inventive: She discovered fire.  From the evidence found in the campfires of Peking Man of Asia, H. erectus built and used fire about 1.8 mya.  This gave Her a means to cook food and keep warm, which meant that She could master the environment.

            The Early Homo Family urges us to leave the safety of our homes and venture out in the unknown.  They will show us how to meet the challenges of new ways of living.  With their help, we can discover our own inner fires, thereby changing our own lives.