/r/Paleontology

Photograph via snooOG

What is palæontology?

Literally, the word translates from Greek παλαιός + ον + λόγος [ old + being + science ] and is the science that unravels the æons-long story of life on the planet Earth, from the earliest monera to the endless forms we have now, including humans, and of the various long-dead offshoots that still inspire today. This community is open to anyone interested in paleontology, fossils, and evolution.

Related sub-reddits for your pleasure:

/r/Paleontology

177,282 Subscribers

1

Paleoart Weekends

Keep the rules in mind. Show your stuff!

0 Comments
2024/03/09
05:00 UTC

36

Carnotaurus. By Damir G. Martin

2 Comments
2024/03/09
03:13 UTC

2

What was the environment of England like during the mid Jurassic? (Roughly 168 million years ago)?

So for my next short story, I plan to write about the first dinosaur to ever be discovered, Megalosaurus. It will take place in the Forest Marble Formation and will center around a mother Megalosaurus guiding her young out of a forest fire as they’re still hatching. Of course being the detail and accuracy centered writer I am when it comes to this, I want to get a good enough idea of what the environment was like at the time. I’ve so far found it was tropical but hadn’t found anything on the kind of plant life there would have been. Anyone able to help me out on this? Thanks in advance.

Also, if ya end up linking a paper, would ya mind explaining it in a way layman can? Cause often those tend to have terminology I don’t entirely understand.

0 Comments
2024/03/09
01:08 UTC

17

My latest acquisition: Ichthyostega (Guodzilla)

Just arrived today after 6 weeks

0 Comments
2024/03/09
00:02 UTC

15

Who was/is your favorite paleontologist?

Bakker is my favorite by a longshot because of his revolutionary ideas and hypothesis. My favorite theory of his is the thought that dinosaurs could have been (and likely were) endothermic. Also, his hat is legendary. I'd like to hear your favorite and why!

11 Comments
2024/03/08
22:48 UTC

6

Journey of the Long-Necks: A Prehistoric Wild Story

https://preview.redd.it/39jyoefh66nc1.png?width=407&format=png&auto=webp&s=214d6320c481fa22defc5e2b8a59f4f9398d7c62

Today, I completed my sixth and by far most ambitious entry in my Prehistoric Wild collection of short stories. This one takes place in the Morrison Formation of Late Jurassic Colorado, 156 million years ago. It centers around a young sauropod named Blue-eye who along with her many siblings in their first year of life avoiding predators, surviving the dry season, and discovering the secret of who they are. This story is viewable on Wattpad, but here's the Google Doc link for those who are interested: Journey of the Long-Necks - Google Docs

2 Comments
2024/03/08
20:26 UTC

3

How to start fossil hunting

I really want to start fossil hunting, but I am from Mexico and there seems to not be many good places to hunt. Also, I have no experience at all. What would be the correct approach in order to start finding and digging for fossils?

4 Comments
2024/03/08
20:03 UTC

24

Which time period do you think needs more media representation that is not Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Quaternary? My opinion is Paeloegene period, especially during the Eocene epoch.

30 Comments
2024/03/08
19:36 UTC

14

Have we ever found fossil from the cenozoic in Antarctica ? Do we have ideas of what kind of flora and fauna existed there between the K-Pg extinction and the glaciation of the continent ?

7 Comments
2024/03/08
19:23 UTC

12

Hippo-like Spinosaurus?

So the newest paper for spinosaurus states that it's bines were too dense to legitimately swim, at least most of the time. Despite that, it's tail shows some level of aquatic adaptation. It's makes me wonder, is it likely that while wading and walking, it could have moved and lived similar to hippos? Since hippos cannot swim, but rather they wak along the bottom. Is it likely or possible that spinosaurus could run or walk along the bottom of the bodies water they inhabited as well?

10 Comments
2024/03/08
18:48 UTC

85

Question, is there something like a gigantic prehistoric moray eel known? I just thought a bit about prehistoric animals and realized that I never heard of something like a prehistoric moray. From my short research they already exist since the Miocene, so it would have been possible.

9 Comments
2024/03/08
13:52 UTC

3

What is the estimated TL (Total length) of Otodus megalodon since the new study has come out?

1 Comment
2024/03/08
10:31 UTC

1

Questionaire about Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus and Baryonyx Walkeri in video games

Hey, I am a German student and writing a term paper for my Abitur (an extra few years of school and an extra "degree" required to go to university here) and as part of my classes I am required to write a term paper. I decided to write it on the question "Does Spinosaurus or Baryonyx have a better representation and does the opinion of the public the same as what it says based on science?" This includes the proposed ecology, Anatomy etc. So I am kindly asking if you could fill out this little questionaire as a contribution of it. I am not collecting any E-mails, so it's completely anonymous and you of course don't need too.

Thank you very much

PS. If you saw my post on canopy hunting in Spinosaurs, yes this is part of it as well. We are supposed to work with two question.

Google forms questionaire link: https://forms.gle/xyLi7qAYLaNbx1VQ6

5 Comments
2024/03/08
09:42 UTC

0

Fossil Buying

Umm i live in India and there are not many fossil beds where i live

What are some good fossil buying sites i can use to buy? Im planning to buy mosasaurid teeth or extinct whale teeth

It would be a great if someone can help me.

3 Comments
2024/03/08
09:06 UTC

3

What should I collect?

Im a huge fan of Dinosaurs and I really want to start a good collection! I'd like some advice from other collectors or just anyone who wants to give me a cool idea! What kinds of fossils would be cool? Marine, plaques, plates, skulls, teeth, claws, etc. Also, how do you feel about ice age bones? Should I start there? Thanks!

6 Comments
2024/03/08
02:26 UTC

6

With the current debate on the true origins of the Tridentinosaurus what are other big name forgeries (besides the obvious Archaeoraptor fraud) that can be thought of?

6 Comments
2024/03/08
02:13 UTC

4

Debunking the "Red Megalodon"

4 Comments
2024/03/08
01:46 UTC

14

Who makes this rock pick?

Hopefully this is ok to post. I was watching a video last night and noticed someone on a pay-to-play dig was using this pick. It looks similar to an estwing Geo/paleo pick, but the handle is wood. Anybody have any ideas?

2 Comments
2024/03/07
21:41 UTC

10

iPaleo ?

I was using iNaturalist and just wondering. It had been quite difficult for me to find information about fossil species and the locations they are found in. INat helps make sure that for living species you can collect a vast amount of data on their location and time of year in which they are found. While fossils aren’t found as often, there are still lots of hobbyist fossil hunters and even experts can sometimes struggle to gather full information on a species’ true range and gather extensive information. This could help address stuff like fossil size and distribution, and instead of time of year , it could be the type of deposits it’s found in or if you can, date the fossil.

Would something like this be useful?

7 Comments
2024/03/07
18:58 UTC

0

Location or sieve?

I have walked a few of the creeks around valmire Illinois area, and was wondering if I could get any tips on where and how to look. In the past I have found countless bryozoan and crinoid disk and a few brachiopod. I was wondering if it would be a good idea or not to make a sieve and sift the bottom of the creeks.

0 Comments
2024/03/07
16:20 UTC

75

Best fossil find 30yrs ago

Found in Pleistocene bed I have found .Many other fossils but this one stands out.your thoughts ? Deer .?horse. ?

6 Comments
2024/03/07
02:48 UTC

5

Paleo Documentaries

Anyone have any good paleontology/paleobiology-oriented documentary recommendations?

5 Comments
2024/03/07
01:47 UTC

7

Any plants like archeacopteris?

I just found out about this ancient tree and I want it so bad but it is extinct so are there any plants like it?

7 Comments
2024/03/06
23:43 UTC

6

How many generations, millions of years, etc. are genetic bottlenecks detectable?

Genetic bottlenecks are when a population becomes incredibly small (isolation, population crash, etc) and rebuilds with relatively little genetic diversity. Eventually, genetic diversity does bounce back but areas of the genome that are commonly found in that big population are often still visible and can be used to infer genetic bottlenecks.

My question is how long (or how many generations) since the population has recovered will the genetic bottleneck still be detected? Let’s use primate-level mutation rates. Or whatever animal group you are knowledgeable in/know examples of having distant genetic bottlenecks.

2 Comments
2024/03/06
22:16 UTC

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