early version of T-rex found

pammiejoe6 · 02-09-2006, 01:19 PM

INTERESTING!!!!!!

By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer
Wed Feb 8, 6:10 PM ET

NEW YORK - Scientists say they've found the earliest known tyrannosaur, shedding light on the lineage that produced the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. The discovery comes with a puzzle: Why did this beast have a strange crest on its head?

Digging in the badlands of northwestern China that appeared in the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," researchers found two skeletons of a creature that lived some 160 million years ago. That's more than 90 million years before T. rex came along.

A two-legged meat-eater, the beast was far smaller than T. rex, measuring about 10 feet from its snout to the tip of its tail and standing about 3 feet tall at the hip. It also sported relatively long, three-fingered arms, rather than the two-fingered stubby arms T. rex had. Scientists suspect it had feathers because related dinosaurs did.

The discovery is reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

The big surprise, said study co-author James Clark of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was the finding of a narrow, delicate, largely hollow crest on its head. While other dinosaurs have had similar features, this one was unusually large and elaborate for a two-legged meat-eater, Clark and co-authors wrote.

Nobody knows its purpose, but it was probably some kind of display to other members of its own species, said Clark, co-leader of 2002 expedition that found the beast.

The researchers named the creature Guanlong wucaii, from the Chinese words for "crown" and "dragon," referring to the crest, and for "five colors," from the multi-hued badlands where the creature was found.

Because it preserves anatomical features from its ancestors that were lost in T. rex and other tyrannosaurs, the primitive beast helps scientists understand where tyrannosaurs fit in the evolutionary tree, said an expert not involved in the discovery.

"This is the best look so far at the ancestral condition from which the tyrant dinosaurs, T. rex and company, evolved," said the expert, Thomas Holtz Jr. of the University of Maryland.

Along with some other finds, the creature helps illustrate the sequence of anatomical changes that occurred along the way to the later, more specialized tyrannosaurs, said Philip Currie of the University of Alberta in Canada.

Ken Carpenter, curator of lower vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, said he tentatively accepts the creature as a tyrannosaur but isn't convinced of its age. It could be much younger, he said. Clark said that other data, not yet published, support the proposed age of 160 million years.

___

**bubba g** · 02-09-2006, 01:35 PM

Cool....

The Booger · 02-09-2006, 02:23 PM

Bio Prof was discussing this in class. He said that the old vision of a green scaley creature is wrong. Raptors and animals in the T-Rex family actually had feathers (since they are basically birds).

Kind of neat.

**powerman2000** · 02-11-2006, 11:59 AM

AYung · 02-11-2006, 05:44 PM

Man, history sure is interesting!

marlon · 02-11-2006, 06:32 PM

E_Scapegoat · 02-17-2006, 07:15 PM

sounds like a cool new animal. does it prove anything? no. If evolution were true, wed have millions upon millions of missing links. i wont get into my thought in detail though...

HCClubPrez · 02-17-2006, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E_Scapegoat

sounds like a cool new animal. does it prove anything? no. If evolution were true, wed have millions upon millions of missing links. i wont get into my thought in detail though...

x2. Yup

Very cool find for those involved - but other then being a two legged meat eater, how do they know it has any links to the t-rex?!? Just cause it looks the same doesn't mean one evolved into another.....

pammiejoe6 · 02-17-2006, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HCClubPrez

x2. Yup

Very cool find for those involved - but other then being a two legged meat eater, how do they know it has any links to the t-rex?!? Just cause it looks the same doesn't mean one evolved into another.....

i think what the article was saying was that this creature they found can help them figure out the lineage and evolution of the dinosaurs that came after it.....although this animal did not look anything like the T-rex as far as its size it did resemble it in that it was a two-legged meat eater... scientists believe that it came before the T-Rex (and other dinosaurs of the T-rex time) so they are now able to research the differences in the animals and start to hypothesize about how and why the animals evolved the way they did.

very kewl stuff!!

Ghosting · 02-17-2006, 08:23 PM

Was it necessary to bring religion into this and dismiss evolution? No.

Ghosting · 02-17-2006, 08:25 PM

Also just an FYI, nobody ever claimed this proved evolution.

02-09-2006, 01:19 PM	#1
pammiejoe6 Pink Members Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: south texas Posts: 4,174 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 85	early version of T-rex found INTERESTING!!!!!! By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Wed Feb 8, 6:10 PM ET NEW YORK - Scientists say they've found the earliest known tyrannosaur, shedding light on the lineage that produced the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex. The discovery comes with a puzzle: Why did this beast have a strange crest on its head? Digging in the badlands of northwestern China that appeared in the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," researchers found two skeletons of a creature that lived some 160 million years ago. That's more than 90 million years before T. rex came along. A two-legged meat-eater, the beast was far smaller than T. rex, measuring about 10 feet from its snout to the tip of its tail and standing about 3 feet tall at the hip. It also sported relatively long, three-fingered arms, rather than the two-fingered stubby arms T. rex had. Scientists suspect it had feathers because related dinosaurs did. The discovery is reported in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. The big surprise, said study co-author James Clark of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., was the finding of a narrow, delicate, largely hollow crest on its head. While other dinosaurs have had similar features, this one was unusually large and elaborate for a two-legged meat-eater, Clark and co-authors wrote. Nobody knows its purpose, but it was probably some kind of display to other members of its own species, said Clark, co-leader of 2002 expedition that found the beast. The researchers named the creature Guanlong wucaii, from the Chinese words for "crown" and "dragon," referring to the crest, and for "five colors," from the multi-hued badlands where the creature was found. Because it preserves anatomical features from its ancestors that were lost in T. rex and other tyrannosaurs, the primitive beast helps scientists understand where tyrannosaurs fit in the evolutionary tree, said an expert not involved in the discovery. "This is the best look so far at the ancestral condition from which the tyrant dinosaurs, T. rex and company, evolved," said the expert, Thomas Holtz Jr. of the University of Maryland. Along with some other finds, the creature helps illustrate the sequence of anatomical changes that occurred along the way to the later, more specialized tyrannosaurs, said Philip Currie of the University of Alberta in Canada. Ken Carpenter, curator of lower vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, said he tentatively accepts the creature as a tyrannosaur but isn't convinced of its age. It could be much younger, he said. Clark said that other data, not yet published, support the proposed age of 160 million years. ___

02-09-2006, 02:23 PM	#3
The Booger Pro Stature Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Look left. Posts: 664 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	Bio Prof was discussing this in class. He said that the old vision of a green scaley creature is wrong. Raptors and animals in the T-Rex family actually had feathers (since they are basically birds). Kind of neat. __________________ thebooger@hush.ai

02-11-2006, 11:59 AM	#4
powerman2000 The Old Moderator Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 4,188 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 202	__________________ Don't forget to periodize Best BP 507 lbs competitive Best Squat 705 lbs competitive Best DL 650 lbs competitive Guns don't kill people, men who come home early do. My workout log http://www.ironmass.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6247

02-11-2006, 05:44 PM	#5
AYung IMPC Contestant Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Canada Posts: 2,285 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 41	Man, history sure is interesting! __________________ Clean Bulking Journal http://www.ironmass.com/showthread.php?t=9546 Max Lifts Bench: 155 x 6 Deadlift: 315 x 6 Squat: 245 x 6 1 Rep Max Lifts Bench: 180 - Tested Deadlift: 365 - Tested Squat: 285 - Estimated TOTAL: 831 @ 156lbs Eddie Guerrero (1967-2005, R.I.P.) You'll always be loved and remembered.

02-11-2006, 06:32 PM	#6
marlon Pink Members Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 381 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 6	__________________ ***********.com 5% off Discount Code: MPP883

02-09-2006, 01:35 PM	#2
bubba g Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,949 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 177	Cool....

02-17-2006, 07:15 PM	#7
E_Scapegoat Amateur Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 29 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	sounds like a cool new animal. does it prove anything? no. If evolution were true, wed have millions upon millions of missing links. i wont get into my thought in detail though... __________________ Stats:whorepost: 16 ecto 5'10.5 : 157lbs 10-11% bf chest-40" arms-13.2" forearms-11.25" legs-22.5" calves-15" waist 29.5"

02-17-2006, 08:23 PM	#10
Ghosting IronMass Donator Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,801 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 22	Was it necessary to bring religion into this and dismiss evolution? No. __________________ Robcardu is the Jesus of the 90s.

02-17-2006, 08:25 PM	#11
Ghosting IronMass Donator Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 1,801 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 22	Also just an FYI, nobody ever claimed this proved evolution. __________________ Robcardu is the Jesus of the 90s.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode