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Thursday, May 3, 2018

Tyrannousaurid redux, many links


Blue sky over the "Hoodoos" ...  the hills of Alberta's signature badlands
I posted about the subject of dinosaurs some years ago after we had taken our Golden Retriever, Lindy, to help my husband explore Dinosaur Provincial Park near the town of Patricia, Alberta. 
ALBERTOSAURUS  SARCOPHAGUS

On the world stage, Canada is often considered a small country because of our relatively sparse human population despite our large land mass. However, Canada has been the site of some very big things!

Many fossils have been found of 
DINOSAURS
who once roamed this countryside! 

Although not as famous as its cousin 'Rex,' Alberta's gargantuan lizard, Albertosaurus, is a genus of tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the late Cretaceous Period, about 70 million years ago.

The type speciesAlbertosaurus Sarcophagus, was restricted in range to the modern-day Canadian province of Alberta, which gives the genus its named.
Scientists, however, disagree on the content of the genus, with some of them recognizing Gorgosaurus libratus as a second species.

As a tyrannosaurid, Albertosaurus was a bipedal predator with tiny, two-fingered hands and a massive head with dozens of large, sharp teeth.
It was probably at the top of the food chain in its local ecosystem. Although relatively large for a theropod, Albertosaurus was much smaller than its more famous relative Tyrannosaurus, probably weighing less than 2 metric tons.

I've been posting so much lately about the dangers of pollution on our planet that I can't help wondering...what if we suffer the same kind of fate as the dinosaur? Would we be humanity extinctus?

Drumheller, Alberta,
Dinosaur Museum
Since the first discovery in 1884, fossils of more than 30 individuals have been recovered, providing scientists with a more detailed knowledge of Albertosaurus anatomy than anything available for other tyrannosaurids.

The discovery of 26 individuals at one site provides evidence of pack behaviour and allows students of ontogeny and population biology opportunities which are impossible with lesser-known dinosaurs. 


POSTING FOR FIONA'S
SKYWATCH FRIDAY

26 comments:

Shantana said...

What a lovely post!

Greetings from Sydney and have a lovely day!

Spare Parts and Pics said...

I can just imagine dinos roaming the badlands! I get the same feeling sometimes when I'm hiking in the unusual rock formations in Joshua Tree!

Marti said...

I can see why they are called the badlands. Are they rock? I've only been to Canada once and it's one of the most beautiful places I've been. Thanks for sharing.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I can almost see the huge stones come alive to roam the earth

Klara said...

exciting! have a nice weekend.

Jim said...

Great formations.

Lady Fi said...

Canada is big sizewise though, isn't it? I can imagine the dinosaurs roaming!

Varis said...

Dinosaurs are fascinating creatures that managed to survive quite a few million of years after all. If humanity goes on like it does right now it won‘t even accomplish to complete a million.

Gattina said...

Looks like on the moon (I suppose, haven't been there yet)
I went with my grandson to a Dinosaur exhibition, they were so huge !

Jan K. alias Afanja said...

They are still very impressive.
Thanks for sharing and enjoy your weekend.

William Kendall said...

I've been to that part of Alberta, as well as the Tyrell Museum. Dinosaurs certainly capture the imagination.

The Nature Museum here has a fossil gallery that always draws visitors in, especially kids.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

The photo of the hoodoos reminds me so much of areas of New Mexico.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

If we do meet the same fate as the dinosaurs, I guess we’ll never know what our successors call us.

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Powell River Books said...

Hoodoos are interesting geologic structures. I went for a horseback ride through the ones in Bryce National Park. It was beautiful. - Margy

Su-sieee! Mac said...

I wonder how many of today's animals are direct descendants of dinosaurs, and we just don't know it. If humans became extinct, I wonder what the next big life form would look like.
The View from the Top of the Ladder

Mara said...

I went to the museum in Drumheller after you and Lindy had left for home again. I would have loved to see the national park as well, but that will have to wait a few years now.

As for becoming humanids extinctus, I think that as long as there are people out there fighting to keep us from ruining this planet, we could be okay. Ish.

Sharon Wagner said...

I'd love to go back to the badlands. Dinos not included.

thomas said...

Interesting rocky place

carol l mckenna said...

Fun post ~ great sky photo w/clouds ~ Son used to love dinosaurs as a child ~ With age I feel more and more like a type of dinosaur at time ~ LOL

Happy Weekend to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

magiceye said...

Wow so much information! And yes looks like humans are hell bent on making ourselves extinct!

Anonymous said...

Those rock formations are fantastic Kay. I didn't know Canada had places like this. I didn't know so many dinosaurs had been found there either. I would have loved to see the world as it was then. Thanks for a very interesting post.

Bill said...

Wow, dinosaurs were found in that area. Great information and learning lesson. Unfortunately, we humans will probably kill the planet but I hope not.

Small City Scenes said...

Very interesting post. Canada is a wonderful country. My sister and fam live in Kelowna and have about 60 yrs after moving from Lethbridge Alberta.
MB

Kay said...

Something about seeing just their skeletons that make them look even more fierce.

dee Nambiar said...

Nice hearing about the Albertosaurus Sarcophagus. I don't know too much about dinosaurs but yeah -- the T-rex really is famous. I once saw a super croc fossil and that made me do some reading up on it. While I was at it, I happened to see a graphic video of how it might have attacked the dinosaurs that came to the water to quench their thursts -- and My! I'm quite relieved I don't have to come across those huge creatures.

But it sure is sad that they got wiped out like that. They're like mysteries, now.