Wild Things:
Life as We Know It

Dinosaur gangs, psychedelic fish and long-distance elephant calls

  • By Amanda Bensen, Joseph Caputo, T.A. Frail, Megan Gambino and Sarah Zielinski
  • Smithsonian magazine, May 2009
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elephant dinosaur bones hopping fish camels warbling antbird
More than 20 young dinosaurs died together 92 million years ago

(Mike Hettwer / Project Exploration)


Young Dinosaurs Joined Gangs

More than 20 young dinosaurs died together 92 million years ago after being trapped in mud in what is now Inner Mongolia. The fossilized remains of the ostrich-like ornithomimids are rare evidence of social behavior, say scientists from Montana State University and elsewhere. No adult bones were found at the site, suggesting that the young plant-eaters traveled on their own in herds.

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Comments (3)

My wife and I work at the Georgia State Archives, while there I came across an article in the May 2009 issue of the Smithsonian Magazine, the article mentioned that stone tools were found with animal proteins detected on the tools. Along with camel, bear, and sheep proteins there were horse proteins, and it was my understanding that horse's did not exist on this continent until they were brought here by the Spanish. If the horse was on this contenent when did they disappear, and could they have been used as beasts of burden by the people living in the area? I realize they were probably smaller than the burros of today and much smaller than todays horse, but just how big were they. Thank you Ben Carrigan

what an odd fish, its just so weird.

Just another amazing thing about elephants! The more we learn, the more amazing they seem!



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