Paleo File: Alectrosaurus

         The fossil record, although expansive and bursting-from-the-seams with material, is rather fragmentary. This can be observed time and time again with discoveries so fragmentary proper names are impossible to be attributed. The tomb that is Mongolia is a great reservoir of fossils, many quite well-preserved; however, along with the well-preserved specimens comes the fragmentary ones. Alectrosaurus is one of those fragmentary finds that struggles to shed light on the ecosystems of the prehistoric world, and of course Mongolia as well.

Only the right hindlimb was found on April 25th, 1925, by the Third Asiatic Expedition of the American Museum of Natural History. This find was not the first nor the last and a week later assistant Paleontologist, George Olsen, (the discoverer of the first specimen) found more material on the fourth of May. Nearly one hundred feet away from the initial specimen, he discovered a right humerus, two incomplete manual digits, and four fragmentary caudal vertebrae. These finds were sent back to the museum and prepared; however, more material was uncovered some time later. Fossils were then found in Outer Mongolia which included skull and shoulder fragments. Enough material to suggest how the animal may have appeared in life (Thanks to the laws of symmetry), still more material is needed to get a better picture of this animal.

Art and Copyright belongs to Sergey Krasovskiy

                 The material that was found suggests a Tyrannosauroid theropod of medium size and moderate build. Alectrosaurus may have reached lengths of up to twenty feet. Unlike other Tyrannosauroids, the superfamily leading to more advanced groups like Tyrannosauridae, the lengths of the tibia and femur are rather similar. The formation in which Alectrosaurus was found, called the Iren Dabasu Formation, suggests it may have lived in an area that also housed animals like Gigantoraptor, Bactrosaurus, and Gilmoreosaurus.

Art and Copyright belongs to Prehistoric Wildlife

Copyright belongs to BBC

Works Cited:

Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2011) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, Winter 2010 Appendix.

Loewen, M.A.; Irmis, R.B.; Sertich, J.J.W.; Currie, P. J.; Sampson, S. D. (2013). Evans, David C, ed. "Tyrant Dinosaur Evolution Tracks the Rise and Fall of Late Cretaceous Oceans". PLoS ONE 8 (11): e79420. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0079420

Rothschild, B., Tanke, D. H., and Ford, T. L., 2001, Theropod stress fractures and tendon avulsions as a clue to activity: In: Mesozoic Vertebrate Life, edited by Tanke, D. H., and Carpenter, K., Indiana University Press, p. 331-336.

"Alectrosaurus." Alectrosaurus. Prehistoric Wildlife, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

"Alectrosaurus Olseni - Palaeocritti - a Guide to Prehistoric Animals." Alectrosaurus Olseni - Palaeocritti - a Guide to Prehistoric Animals. Palaeocritti, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

"Alectrosaurus Olseni - Palaeocritti - a Guide to Prehistoric Animals." Alectrosaurus Olseni - Palaeocritti - a Guide to Prehistoric Animals. Palaeocritti, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
"Fossilworks: Alectrosaurus Olseni." Fossilworks: Alectrosaurus Olseni. Fossil Works, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

Museums: Let's take a trip through RMDRC's Catalogue!

                   

                        If any of you do not know what the RMDRC is, it is an acronym that stands for; the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. This is a museum and casting company that operates in Woodland Park, Colorado. The company, Triebold Paleontology provides skeletal casts for a majority of the museums in the world. They create skeletal casts and life-replicas for educational and private purposes and have done so since 1989. Here I will go through their catalogue of available mounts through a gallery-like format! Enjoy!

Skeletal Mount of Chelosphargis. advena (22 in long)

Albertosaurus. sarcophagus 

Apatosaurus. excelsius

As yet, unnamed, Avaceratops-like centrosaurian

Brachiosaurus. altithorax

Tylosaurus. proriger

Carolinochelys. wilsoni

Champsosaurus. laramiensis

Chelosphargis. advena

Chelosphargis. advena

Cimolichthys. nepaholica

Denversaurus. schlessmani

Clidastes. liodontus 

Latimeria. chalumnae life-Model

Coelodonta. antiquitatis

Mammuthus. columbi

Desmatosuchus. spurensis

Didelphodon. vorax

Dimorphodon. macronyx

Dimorphodon. macronyx

Dolichorhynchops. bonneri Adult skeletal

Dolichorhynchops. bonneri juvenile skeletal

Dorygnathus. banthensis

Dorygnathus. banthensis

Dromaeosaurus. albertensis

Dsungaripterus. weii

Dunkleosteus. terrelli

Edmontosaurus. annectens

Elasmosaurus. platyurus

Enchodus. petrosus

Enchodus. petrosus

Trilophodont Gomphothere, unknown genus and species.

Mammuthus. primigenius

An, as yet, unnamed pterosaur from the Hell Creek Formation

Holmesina. floridanus

Holmesina. floridanus

Appalachiosaurus. montgomeriensis 

Ichthyodectes. ctenodon

Ichthyodectes. ctenodon

Ichthyornis. dispar

Istiodactylus. latidens

Istiodactylus. latidens

Jeholopterus. ninchengensis

An, as yet, unnamed pliosaur from Manitoba, Canada.

Mammut. americanum

Megacephalosaurus. eulerti

Megalocoelacanthus. dobiei

Carcharocles. megalodon

Megalonyx. jeffersonii

Metaxytherium. floridanum

Balanoptera. acutorostrata, Minke Whale

Nanotyrannus. lancensis

Nanotyrannus. lancensis

Nyctosaurus. gracilis (Likely a male)

Nyctosaurus. gracilis (Likely a male)

Orcinus orca, Killer Whale

Anzu. wyliei

Pteranodon. longiceps

Pachyrhizodus. caninus

Pezosiren. portelli

Placerias. hesternus

Platecarpus. tympaniticus

Plesioplatecarpus. planifrons

Plioplatecarpus sp. Skull

Postosuchus. kirkpatricki

Prionochelys. nauta

Protostega. gigas

Pteranodon. longiceps Life-Model

Geosternbergia. sternbergi (Likely a male)

Geosternbergia. sternbergi (Likely a female)

Pteranodon. longiceps

Pterodaustro. guinazu

Pterodaustro. guinazu

Quetzalcoatlus. northropi

Quetzalcoatlus. northropi

Rhamphorynchus. muensteri Life Model

Saurodon. leanus

Saurodon. leanus

Diplodocus, previously referred to Seismosaurus

Smilosuchus. gregorii

Stangerochampsa sp. 

Stangerochampsa sp.

Struthiomimus. altus

Thallasodromeus. sethi Skull

Thescelosaurus. neglectus

Toxochelys. latiremis Juvenile

Triceratops. prorsus

Triceratops. prorsus

Tylosaurus. kansasensis

Tyrannosaurus. rex

Mosasaurus sp.

Xiphactinus. audax

Triebold Paleontology: http://www.trieboldpaleontology.com/platecarpus.html

RMDRC: http://www.rmdrc.com