More dinosaur links. It seems like there's a discovery about every fifteen minutes now. Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
First off, from Cliff Eyler, a link to a BBC story
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4879672.stm):
Fossil animals found in Arctic Canada provide a snapshot of fish evolving into land animals, scientists say.
...The 383 million-year-old specimens are described as crocodile-like animals with fins instead of limbs that probably lived in shallow water.
...The creature shares some characteristics with a fish; it has fins with webbing, and scales on its back.
But it also has many features in common with land animals. It has a flat crocodile-like head with eyes positioned on top and the beginnings of a neck - something not seen in fish.
"When we look inside the fin, we see a shoulder, we see an elbow, and we see an early version of a wrist, which is very similar to that of all animals that also walk on land," said Professor Shubin.
"Essentially we have an animal that is built to support itself on the ground."
Next, from Steven Kreuch, a link to a story over at CNN
(http://tinyurl.com/zv9hy):
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- Fossils discovered in southern Utah are from a new species of birdlike dinosaur that resembled a 7-foot-tall brightly colored turkey and could run up to 25 miles per hour, scientists said Tuesday.
Fossils of the meat-eater's hand-like claw and foot were found in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument near the Arizona border, giving paleontologists reason to believe some dinosaurs known as raptors roamed from Canada to northern New Mexico about 75 million years ago.