Siberian dinosaur: fuzzy or feathered?

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A very weird dinosaur found in Siberia reveals that it’s possible that more dinosaurs than previously thought had both scales and feathers—not just the ones who ended up evolving into modern-day birds.

Several hundred of the 140 million-year-old weirdo dinos died and were quickly buried in the sediments on the bottom of a lake. The unique conditions excellently preserved their remains—even their skin. And paleontologists say that the skin is made up of three different types of scales as well as three kinds of feathers.

Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus was part of the dino family that includes more famous names like about stegosaurus, ankylosaurus, and triceratops. All of them were previously believed to be scalely. But now scientists have to reevaluate.

The Kulindadromeus was one and half metres long, walked on two feet and had feathers…. maybe his relatives had a little bird in them as well.

Check out the full story at: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/07/24/incredible_fuzzy_siberian_dinosaur_rekindles_feather_debate.html

 

Real-Life Time Eaters Stripping the Fossil Record

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Real-Life Time Eaters Stripping the Fossil Record

In recent years bandits on motorcycles have been descending on dig sites in Asia to steal ancient and important finds while paleontologists sleep. The dinosaur fossils are hastily removed and carried off into the night.

Through an underground network of fences and middlemen the fossils are smuggled out of the country and sold to private collectors.

The cost to science and our understanding of prehistory is incalculable.

Check out this great look at the burgeoning Jurassic crime spree:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/dinosaurs/10411253/The-trade-in-stolen-dinosaur-fossils.html

Heddy Lamar–The Bombshell Beauty with an Inventor’s Mind

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Heddy Lamar--The Bombshell Beauty with an Inventor's Mind

In THE TIME EATER, Foster Raymond’s neighbour and fellow fossil hunter, Ashanti, is a fiery Swahili inventor. The inspiration for this strong, brilliant girl was—surprisingly—1930’s MGM movie star, Heddy Lamar. Beautiful, brainy, successful—Heddy was a take-no-prisoners woman in a time when that was rare.

She was a awarded a patent in 1942 for a super-secret communications system that made today’s cellphones and WIFI possible, as well as inventing tons of unusual products in a variety of fields.

And she wasn’t the only celebrity inventor—check out this article for some surprising revelations.

http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/shortcuts/2011/dec/04/hedy-lamarr-wifi