The new palaeocast episode is about ancient DNA.  Over the last few years, more and more biologic material is being found associated with fossils.  The main reason why we find it now is because we weren’t looking previously. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a molecule that encodes the genetic information within every species of life on earth. The information contained within the sequence of base pairs determines how any given organism develops and biologically functions. DNA is not just limited to the biological study, but is also now being utilised in palaeontology. But why is DNA not normally preserved? What’s the…

Credit: Photographer: Dierk Blomeier. For David P.G. Bond and colleagues, GSA Bulletin, 2015. Science Daily  has a story about the Capitanian Extinction event.  This event occurred in the mid-Permian, around 10 million years before the end Permian mass extinction, otherwise known as the “Great Dying”.   At first it was thought to be a more local event, but now evidence from the high latitudes shows it to be global.  The original paper appeared in the journal Geological Society of America Bulletin. Until now, this Capitanian extinction was known only from equatorial settings, and its status as a global crisis was controversial.…

Artist’s conception of Mosasaur giving birth (Yale/Julius T. Csotonyi) CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks has a segment on Mosasaurs.  After re-examining fossils found over 100 years ago, researchers now believe that Mosasaurs probably gave birth to live young – similar to their cousins the Ichthyosaurs.  The original paper is in the journal Paleontology.  There is a Yale University press release here. Mosasaurs were giant marine lizards that lived in the oceans of the world during the Cretaceous period. They were part of the mass extinction that marked the end of that era, 65 million years ago. It was thought that, similar…

‘Generic’ azhdarchid pterosaur, similar to Quetzalcoatlus. Image courtesy of Mark Witton. Paleocast has a new episode.  The topic is Pterosaur Aerodynamics. Palaeontology is more than just going out into the field, digging up bones, and putting them back together. A good understanding of biology, geology, and even engineering can help to figure out how extinct animals lived and especially how they moved around. To further comprehend how we can use knowledge of engineering in palaeontology, especially with respect to understanding extinct animal flight, we spoke to Colin Palmer from the University of Bristol, and the University of Southampton. His background in…

Science Daily has an article about the Permian mass extinction, the worst in Earth’s history.  It’s termed the “Great Dying” and perhaps 90-95% of species on Earth went extinct during the event about 252 million years ago.  The original paper appeared in the journal Science. It happened when Earth’s oceans absorbed huge amounts of carbon dioxide from volcanic eruptions, researchers say. This changed the chemical composition of the oceans — making them more acidic — with catastrophic consequences for life on Earth, the team says. The study, co-ordinated by the University of Edinburgh, is the first to show that highly acidic…

Credit: Painting by Donald E. Davis. Live Science has a story of how scientists are planning to dig 5000 feet (1500 meters) deep into the Chicxulub crater to bring up a giant core.  The core will be used to study the formation of the crater.  The project is in the planning stage and is slated to begin in the spring of 2016. Why now? “The Chicxulub impact crater has been a remarkable scientific opportunity for the 20 years since it’s been discovered,” said Sean Gulick, of The University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics. And, for the first time, scientists…

Artist’s reconstruction of oviraptor mating displays (Sydney Mohr/University of Alberta) Lots of good stuff in this week’s Quirks & Quarks show.  The segments include: Canada’s Disappearing Glaciers: Most glaciers in BC and Alberta are predicted to disappear by the end of the century. The Romeo and Juliet of Dinosaur Fossils: Two bird-like dinosaurs were fossilized together, and might have been mates. Comet Dust Makes Mercury a Dark Planet: Carbon from dissolving comets has stained Mercury black. Tambora – The Eruption that Changed the World: Mount Tambora erupted 200 years ago, and transformed the planet, killing 100,000 people, and having far…