Metatarsals of a large caenagnathid cf. Anzu wyliei (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria) from the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, U.S.A.

Isolated metatarsals III and IV of a caenagnathid theropod likely referable to Anzu wyliei are described from a locality of the Hell Creek Formation in northwestern South Dakota of the U.S.A. These bones are missing from the holotype and only partial shafts have been described for a specimen referable to this species. Accordingly, the present description adds further anatomical information on this already well-known species of Caenagnathidae. The present finding also demonstrates the significance of isolated or fragmentary specimens found in multitaxic bone beds.

Megasharknado

What happens when an asteroid hits the deep ocean? The public has been assailed with Hollywood’s interpretations such as the movie Deep Impact, but the reality is worryingly real. Approximately 2.5 million years ago, the only know deep-ocean asteroid struck the South Pacific. Initial waves were miles high. It resulted in the extinction of 36% of all life on Earth, including the megashark. The megalodon, or megashark, was big and fast. It preyed upon many cetacean species, such as dolphins and small whales. As a result of the asteroid impact, meter-thick bone beds of dead animals were washed up along Pacific shores, but perhaps even worse, climate changed.

Late Silurian zircon U–Pb ages from the Ludlow and Downton bone beds, Welsh Basin, UK

The Ludlow Bone Bed (Welsh Basin) is a critical stratigraphic horizon and contains a rich assemblage of fish scales. Units above provide insights into the early evolution of animal and plant life. The bed has not yet been radioisotopically dated. Here, we report 207 secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) ages from 102 zircon (ZrSiO4) grains from the Ludlow (n = 2) and stratigraphically higher Downton (n = 1) bone beds. SIMS ages are middle Ordovician (471.6 ± 20.7 Ma) to late Devonian (375.7 ± 14.6 Ma, 238U–206Pb, ±1σ analytical uncertainty). Cathodoluminescence images show that the youngest ages appear affected by alteration. Chemical abrasion isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) U–Pb geochronology was utilized to improve precision. Detrital zircon grains from Downton yield 424.91 ± 0.34/0.42/0.63 Ma and from Ludlow 424.85 ± 0.32/0.41/0.62 Ma (n = 5 each, 238U–206Pb, ±2σ analytical, tracer or systematic uncertainty). These ages provide a maximum deposition age. Results overlap the basal Přídolí age (423.0 ± 2.3 Ma) in its stratotype (Požáry Section, Reporyje, Prague, Czech Republic). The Ludlow Bone Bed marks the base of the local Downton Group, which has previously been correlated with the base of the Přídolí Series. The CA-ID-TIMS ages are older than those for other land arthropod-bearing sediments, such as the Cowie Harbour Fish Bed and Rhynie Chert.Supplementary material: An Excel file containing detailed information on the SIMS analyses, a figure showing calibration curves for AS3 standards sputtered over sessions 1 and 2, and a figure showing CA-ID-TIMS U–Pb age data (concordia and weighted mean plots) are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5087031

X' Marks the Spot: Transferring Dig Site Coordinates from Maps to Google Earth

Dinosaur Provincial Park has been a popular site for palaeontological digs for many years. Over time, the many quarries and bone beds uncovered have had their locations marked on large paper topography maps. Unfortunately, many dig sites have been lost due to poor documentation. Some sites have been abandoned for years. The high erosion levels of the park (2 – 4 mm yearly) continually both destroys dig sites and uncovers new fossils. To help recover old, unused dig sites, the coordinates of the sites marked on the old paper maps were uploaded to Google Earth Pro for easy access. Unfortunately, the points had to first be transferred to clear mylar maps, because the original paper maps lacked longitude and latitude measurements. This was accomplished by matching the topography when the scale of the maps differed, and by overlaying the clear maps on the paper maps when they did not. The distance of each point from a line of longitude or latitude was found using a ruler (each mm measured on the map representing 10 m in the park) and used to calculate their coordinates. After the coordinates were found, they were recorded in a Google SpreadSheet. Once this was completed for all 462 points, they were uploaded to Google Earth Pro. The purpose of this project was to provide more easily accessible records of dig sites and prevent further record loss as the old paper maps age and their condition deteriorates. The massive paper maps are unwieldy and impractical to use in the field, and something more compact is needed. Google Earth is easily accessed on a computer or cell phone, and the points will not be lost due to physical damage, degradation, or misplacement of the records. In addition, it takes up far less space in digital form, and thus is better for field work than the original maps.