We are the 98% ... of a theropod skeleton
October 18, 2011 11:48 AM Subscribe
The most well-preserved dinosaur fossil ever found in Europe was recently announced: a 98 percent intact juvenile theropod that will be on public display this month in Munich.
Near-Perfect Young Dinosaur Fossil Found in Bavaria
Oh good! I've been looking for a young dinosaur to raise, but all the ones I've considered have misbehaved.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:01 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Oh good! I've been looking for a young dinosaur to raise, but all the ones I've considered have misbehaved.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 12:01 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
I love seeing this. It reminds me of a movie I once saw, called Jurassic Park. It is about Dinosaurs.
And Sam Neill.
posted by glaucon at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
And Sam Neill.
posted by glaucon at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
(Your post title's great.)
posted by resurrexit at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by resurrexit at 12:11 PM on October 18, 2011
It is absolutely amazing the amount of intricacy and detail this specimen contains. The Lord of Lies, who buried this in the ground to deceive us, truly is an artist extraordinaire.
posted by griphus at 12:12 PM on October 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
posted by griphus at 12:12 PM on October 18, 2011 [18 favorites]
Oh good! I've been looking for a young dinosaur to raise, but all the ones I've considered have misbehaved.
The Land Before Time + The Stepfather = ?
posted by Sticherbeast at 12:13 PM on October 18, 2011
The Land Before Time + The Stepfather = ?
posted by Sticherbeast at 12:13 PM on October 18, 2011
Fuck it. Pull some DNA out of those bones and bring this guy back to life. I'm feeling ballsy and I want to fight it.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011 [7 favorites]
Thanks, griphus, I really appreciate that somebody is finally recognizing my work.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
Cool - so this is something new and they haven;t nailed it down beyond theropod?
posted by Artw at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by Artw at 12:14 PM on October 18, 2011
The amount of detail in the fossil is amazing. The lack of detail in the reporting is frustrating.
posted by lekvar at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by lekvar at 12:16 PM on October 18, 2011 [4 favorites]
Amazing. Surely it's all stone, but some of that stuff in the middle looks a bit like skin.
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by jquinby at 12:19 PM on October 18, 2011
Amazing. Surely it's all stone, but some of that stuff in the middle looks a bit like skin.
I'd guess that due to the way they're excavating it (look at how much they've retained on the left side of the tail's curve where the dark skin-looking patches are located) that they're definitely something important even if they aren't skin.
posted by jimmythefish at 12:21 PM on October 18, 2011
I'd guess that due to the way they're excavating it (look at how much they've retained on the left side of the tail's curve where the dark skin-looking patches are located) that they're definitely something important even if they aren't skin.
posted by jimmythefish at 12:21 PM on October 18, 2011
I wonder what Jay Mascis has to say about this...
posted by dr_dank at 12:22 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dr_dank at 12:22 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wonder what Jay Mascis has to say about this...
He feels the pain of everyone, so I imagine he would want more pictures and a more detailed article including a discussion relating to the skin fragments and whether this is really a new species.
posted by jimmythefish at 12:38 PM on October 18, 2011
He feels the pain of everyone, so I imagine he would want more pictures and a more detailed article including a discussion relating to the skin fragments and whether this is really a new species.
posted by jimmythefish at 12:38 PM on October 18, 2011
I wonder what Jay Mascis has to say about this...
Have you ever heard him intereviewed? He wouldn't say anything. It would just be uncomfortable throat-clearing.
posted by Think_Long at 1:17 PM on October 18, 2011
Have you ever heard him intereviewed? He wouldn't say anything. It would just be uncomfortable throat-clearing.
posted by Think_Long at 1:17 PM on October 18, 2011
This is why we need genetic engineering; so I can have a pet theropod. And a pet glyptodont. And a pet Channel Islands Mastodon. Because that's what genetic engineering is for.
posted by happyroach at 1:47 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by happyroach at 1:47 PM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't understand how the German people declaring the find as a cultural asset would diminish its value. Should it not go up?
posted by Renoroc at 4:59 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by Renoroc at 4:59 PM on October 18, 2011
I assume that means it can't be sold to a private collector, reducing the market and thus reducing the price it could sell for, which they've confused with the value.
posted by benito.strauss at 7:46 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by benito.strauss at 7:46 PM on October 18, 2011 [2 favorites]
The Smithsonian article mentions that it was found in the Solnhofen limestone. That's the same place that yielded the first Archaeopteryx (also Theropod) in 1861 ((and most of the rest found since then). Also yielded several others, like Juravenator.
WP says the first Arch. sold in London for £700, which was serious change in the mid-1800s (about £50,000 today). Might have something to do with the secrecy about the location.
posted by Twang at 12:31 AM on October 19, 2011
WP says the first Arch. sold in London for £700, which was serious change in the mid-1800s (about £50,000 today). Might have something to do with the secrecy about the location.
posted by Twang at 12:31 AM on October 19, 2011
Who's the cutest little theropod? You are! Oh, yes you are!
posted by onhazier at 7:42 AM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by onhazier at 7:42 AM on October 19, 2011 [2 favorites]
I love this! Like most boys who grew up in the 80's I was obsessed with dinosaurs. One of the more disillusioning things was learning that a great many of the dinosaurs depicted in a lot of the illustrated books were largely imagined from a tooth, or an armbone, not to mention the whole issue of feathers.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 8:38 AM on October 19, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well, Uther, imagine how those of us who were boys during the Apollo program feel.
posted by Crabby Appleton at 5:20 PM on October 19, 2011
posted by Crabby Appleton at 5:20 PM on October 19, 2011
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Also, this looks like a fantastic exhibit all round. Dinosaurs and pretty rocks: the perfect first date.
posted by saturday_morning at 11:58 AM on October 18, 2011 [1 favorite]