Mesozoic Miscellany #17

The Big Story
Willo the Thescelosaurus has had its heart ripped out. Playing the part of Kali in this very Temple of Doom-ish scenario is NC State's Timothy Cleland, lead author of a study with Michael Stoskopf and Mary Schweitzer. They found that the "soft tissue remains" purported to be a stain left by the poor ornithischian's heart is just an ironstone concretion. More from Paleochick's Digs, Dinosaur Tracking, and Pterosauria.

Around the Dinosaur Blogosphere

First up: new month, new Boneyard! Only this time around, it's the Shell Midden. Why? Because that's how Kevin Zelnio rolls, holmes. Head over to the hallowed halls of Deep-Sea News for this month's periodical of paleontology.

At Project Dryptosaurus, Gary wrote about a dinosaur footprint from New Jersey.

Brian Switek wrote a great "State of the Ceratopsians" report at Dinosaur Tracking, talking to Andy Farke and John Scannella about the current debate over Triceratops, Torosaurus, and Nedoceratops.

Archosaur Musings has written a pair of posts on Scelidosaurus recently: one and two.

If further indulgence in armored dinosaurs is what you're craving, head over to Pseudoplocephalus. The Brainy One herself offers a look at the "spiked tail club" meme in restorations of ankylosaurs.

And if you want even more, check out the Dinosaur Toy Blog's review of David Krentz's Sachania model, which "bears all the verve and spirit of a grizzly bear. Heavy perhaps, but nonetheless ready to smash the living crap out of anything in its way." I heartily agree!

Saurian wrote about his first field trip of 2010, drawing attention to how the economic downturn has had an effect on fossil-hunting: quarrying activities have ceased at the site, leaving much of the fossil material hidden under snow-compacted clay.

Matt Wedel of SV-POW continued that blog's series of tutorials for aspiring paleontologists this week, offering advice to those who want to do research, but lose heart when it seems that all of the interesting stuff has been studied.

Twit Picks
Stuff I've linked to from Twitter in the last week or so:

• Cranes on Seashore (1933) by Japanese Artist Ohara Matao, shared by Gary Ashley at Flickr.
• Dave Hone on the distortion of bones in the fossil record. Bigger problem than distortion of guitars on rock records.
• "Pseudoscience drafts off science's fumes." - @johnhawks
• Classic from Tetrapod Zoology: the hands of sauropods.
• Hummingbirds! Thanks, Nature.

Tumblin'
I Effing Love Dinosaurs shared this gem.



It comes from a book called A Creationist's View of Dinosaurs and the Theory of Evolution.

Paleoart of the Week
We're doing a toofer for today, just because I feel like it. First up, Matt Van Rooijen unveiled a new piece this week, a follow-up to his Tarbosaurus feeding traces illustration from last year. This time, Tarbosaurus is bringing the pain to a poor Saurolophus. He also wrote a bit on his process and the woes of grappling with color space.


Next up, Draw a Dinosaur Day happened this week, and it ambushed me. I hoped to do one, but I've been happily busy with freelance design work, so I couldn't. It took David Tana by surprise too, but he rose to the task with his handsome Triceratops. Please be sure to check out David's own weekly roundup, too!


Outrageously Off-Topic Indulgence
52 years ago this week, the world lost Buddy Holly. Here's one of my favorites from him. There's no better way to start a road trip, or any other exciting endeavor. That's not just my opinion: that's a fact.