Hobbies And Interests
Ice Age Discovery
In 2009, underneath a demolished department store in central Los Angeles, researchers found one of the largest caches of ice age fossils. This department store was located close to the La Brea Tar Pits where 34 mammoths were found nearly a century ago. The 2009 find includes "an almost intact Colombian mammoth, nicknamed Zed by researchers, a complete sabre-tooth cat skeleton, a giant ground sloth and a North American lion," according to the Guardian. This collection of ice age fossils gave researchers a glimpse into life in the Los Angeles basin nearly ten thousand years ago.
Prehistoric Birds in Denali
In 2011, scientists found a pair of ancient bird tracks in Denali National Park. The first tracks found belonged to a larger bird, named Magnoavipes denaliensis, after the park. The second tracks were much smaller. They were named Gruipeda vegrandiunis, which means 'tiny one.' Many ancient bird tracks have been found in Denali. "According to the study published in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology, the Denali park is one of the best places on Earth to look for tracks of prehistoric birds," as noted by PressTV.com. The unique rock formations provided breeding and nesting grounds for migrating birds and winged reptiles. Fossilized tracks found in Denali represent some of the most biologically diverse tracks in the world.
Dinosaurs
Dinosaur fossils have been found in many states across the U.S., including Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota and California. Many of these discoveries have been associated with the sediments of ancient river systems, as bones are preserved in flood plains and river channel deposits. However, dinosaur fossils have also been found in mountains, canyons, deserts and eroded hillsides. Scientists and researchers have found dinosaur skeletons in addition to fossilized teeth, eggs, skin impressions and coprolites, also known as fossilized dinosaur feces. Fossilized skeletons of the T-Rex and Triceratops have been found in the Western United States, while remains of coastal dinosaurs have been found in California, indicating that many dinosaurs inhabited the California coast during the Mesozoic era.
Oldest Flying Reptile
The fossils of an 89 million-year-old Pteranodon was found by a paleontologist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in March of 2011. The Pteranodon was a type of pterosaur and one of the only flying reptiles to dominate the ancient skies. The fossil found may be one of the oldest flying reptiles. This toothless variety had a 13-foot wingspan and was discovered in the Austin group, a prominent rock formation in Dallas that was deposited approximately 89 million years ago.