This Fossil Friday, let’s travel back to the Triassic to meet the mighty Prestosuchus chiniquensis. With large claws, a huge head, and sharp-toothed jaws, you might think this animal was a dinosaur. But, Prestosuchus was actually closely related to crocodylomorphs, a group that includes living crocs and their extinct relatives! At around 20 ft (6 m) long and 900 lbs (408 kg), Prestosuchus was one of the most formidable predators of its time—inhabiting what is now modern-day Brazil some 210 million years ago.
What a croc! 🐊 This Fossil Friday, let’s take a bite out of the weekend with Deinosuchus—a giant crocodilian that lived alongside the dinosaurs some 75 million years ago. Reaching lengths of more than 35 feet (10.7 m) and weighing more than 8,000 lbs (3628.7 kg), Deinosuchus was as long as a school bus and as heavy as an elephant, making it one of the most powerful predators in its ecosystem. In fact, partially healed bite marks found on the bones of a tyrannosaur in North America match this giant croc’s teeth, suggesting Deinosuchus could go toe to toe with even the most formidable of dinosaurs.
This image is a historical reconstruction from 1942 and is not representative of current size estimates.
🚨 New research alert! Carnivores typically have forward-facing eye sockets to ensure stereoscopic (3D) vision—an important trait for judging the position of prey during hunting. But the “marsupial sabertooth” Thylacosmilus had wide-set eyes and laterally facing sockets, adaptations seen more often in herbivores than meat-eaters. So how could it maintain an estimated diet of 70 percent meat?
A team of researchers, including Museum scientist Ross MacPhee, think special adaptations allowed Thylacosmilus to see in 3D despite its unusual anatomy. Using CT scanning and 3D virtual reconstructions, they’ve compared this predator’s visual system to those of modern and extinct carnivores.
That’s one big “armadillo.” Today’s Exhibit of the Day is the enormous Panochthus frenzelianus, a glyptodont! You might not guess it, but scientists think one of their closest relatives includes the tiny 4-oz (113-g) pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus).
Some species of glyptodont, like the specimen pictured here, were the size of cars. They were covered in thick armor made from bone that grew from within their skin and could grow up to 10 ft (3 m) long. Their shells, or carapaces, were incredibly heavy: Some weighed more than 1,100 pounds (499 kg)! These enormous plant-eaters lumbered across the Americas for millions of years before their extinction at the end of the last ice age.
Have you ever heard of the “luck of the Irish?” ☘️ Well, this deer didn’t have it. Meet the Irish Elk, Megaloceros giganteus. It was originally discovered in bog deposits in Ireland. Once ranging from western Europe to China, this animal went extinct during the Pleistocene some 10,000 years ago. It was one of the largest known species of deer, weighing up to 1,500 pounds (680 kg). Its antlers, which could reach an incredible 13-foot- (4-m-) spread, were used in ritualized combat between males.
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a dinosaur? Nope to all of the above. This Fossil Friday, let’s talk about pterosaurs—the first animals after insects to evolve powered flight. Though they were related to dinosaurs, pterosaurs evolved on a separate branch of the reptile family tree. They ruled the skies for more than 150 million years, evolving into dozens of different species. Some were as small as a paper airplane while others, like Pteranodon pictured here in the Museum’s Hall of Late Dinosaurs circa 1940-1960, had a wingspan of more than 20 feet (6 m).
Happy Fossil Friday! With sharp teeth, long legs, and sickle claws, Deinonychus antirrhopus was likely a formidable predator. This dinosaur, which could reach lengths of about 7 feet (2.1 m) from nose to tail, lived during the Early Cretaceous, some 107 million years ago. It belonged to a group of dinosaurs called maniraptors, or “hand-robbers.” Its hands and feet were equipped with sharp claws for catching and grasping prey. Like modern day birds, Deinonychus had hollow bones.
Fun fact: The Deinonychus on display in the Museum is a real fossil skeleton—and the only one of its kind on display anywhere in the world!
💘Looking for flowers to “send” your beloved? This Valentine’s Day, we’ve got you covered with some tantalizing options you may not have considered…
1. For someone sweet, how about the true passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)? Bees and ants feed on its nectar, while a number of critters—from butterfly larvae to songbirds—snack on its egg-sized fruit. Humans also munch on its fruits, which can be eaten raw or made into jelly!
2. When love hurts, we suggest bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis). This perennial is originally from regions of eastern Asia. Though its heart-shaped flowers are beautiful, watch out… this plant is poisonous!
3. In the mood for a smooch? Try hot lips (Palicourea elata). This tropical flower can be found in parts of Central and South America. Its distinctive bright red leaves, known as bracts, attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds.
4. Make a statement with the naked man orchid (Orchis italica). The flowers of this plant are endowed with a unique shape: They’ve been said to resemble a man “in the buff!”
5. If you’re smitten, try cupid’s dart (Catananche caerulea). This attractive flower blooms for weeks at a time. It’s said that ancient Greeks and Romans used it as an ingredient in love potions.
6. …and if you just think love stinks, the corpse lily (Rafflesia arnoldi) is the flower for you. Its scent, which has been compared to rotting flesh, attracts carrion flies which spread its pollen from flower to flower. It’s also the largest flower in the world!
It’s time for #FossilFriday! Note the similarity between the bones of this true nosed dolphin (Eurhinodelphis longitostris) flipper and the human hand.🐬👋
Did you know? The Museum’s newest exhibition Sharks is opening to the public next week on December 15, but Members get to see it first this weekend! Older than dinosaurs—and more threatened than threatening—sharks are spectacular, surprising, and often misunderstood. In this special exhibition, visitors can get up close with dozens of life-sized models, like the megalodon model pictured. The mega predator megalodon measured roughly 50 feet long (15 meters)—several times larger than the great white shark, which is the largest predatory fish living today.
🦈Use the #linkinbio to learn more about a Museum Membership.
LAST CHANCE: Why should kids have all the fun? Tomorrow (9/13), we’re hosting our adults-only sleepover! Explorers can roam through the empty halls of the Museum and sleep under the iconic blue whale. Enjoy live music, a champagne reception, and more >> http://bit.ly/2kulbi9#NYC
Save the date: We’re filming a special Facebook Live with the narrator of our Dino Detectives Facebook Group, Emanuel Tschopp, on Jan. 18 at 1:20 pm EST! We’ll take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum’s Big Bone Room and look at a few fossils from Howe Quarry that were prepared in the 1930s. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask Emanuel questions. We hope to see you next week!
