Quantcast
ZME Science
  • CoronavirusNEW
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
Home Environment Animals

Fossil Friday: Sciurumimus albersdoerferi, the single-fossil theropod

There's only one fossil of this dinosaur that we ever found -- and you're looking at it.

Alexandru Micu by Alexandru Micu
June 17, 2016
in Animals, Biology, Fossil Friday, Science
S. albersdoerferi fossil found in the Plattenkalk formation in Peinten, Germany.
Image credits to wikimedia user Toter Alter Mann

This fierce little guy is a Sciurumimus albersdoerferi. Well, it’s actually the only S. albersdoerferi we’ve ever found. He belongs to an extinct genus of coelurosaurian theropods that lived some 163 to 145 million years ago, in the Late Jurassic. Theropods were initially carnivorous, however, several groups are known to have evolved into other kinds of diets, from herbivorous to insectivore and omnivore. Based on the shape of his jaw and teeth, S. albersdoerferi was most likely a meat-eater (though we don’t know if he prayed on other dinosaurs, fish, or insects.)

And theropods have passed this wide diet to a very colorful part of life today — they’re the direct ancestors of modern birds. The link was established based on the fact that both theropods and birds have a wishbone and hollow skeletons. Some theropods even had feathers.

Now, this specimen is a fossil of a juvenile S. albersdoerferi so we don’t know what size an adult might grow to. As a group however, theropods tended to grow larger than any of the predators that came before them. To get an idea, think of the reconstructions of T-Rex you saw in Jurassic Park — also a theropod.

Do not want to be that guy.
Image credits wikimedia user Matt Martyniuk

 

 

Get more science news like this...

Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops. More than 40,000 subscribers can't be wrong.

   

Tags: albersdoerferidinosaurfossilfridaySciurumimust-rexTheropods
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

Follow ZME on social media

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
  • More

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Environment
    • Climate
    • Animals
    • Renewable Energy
    • Eco tips
    • Environmental Issues
    • Green Living
  • Health
    • Alternative Medicine
    • Anatomy
    • Diseases
    • Genetics
    • Mind & Brain
    • Nutrition
  • Future
  • Space
  • Feature
    • Feature Post
    • Art
    • Great Pics
    • Design
    • Fossil Friday
    • AstroPicture
    • GeoPicture
    • Did you know?
    • Offbeat
  • More
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Our stance on climate change
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2019 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.