The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 12

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, twelve insects in Australian amber entombing,
eleven ediacaran organisms evolving,
ten tiny T. rex tyrranizing,
nine Nigersaurus nibbling,
eight evolutionary digits encroaching,
seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 11

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eleven ediacaran organisms evolving,
ten tiny T. rex tyrranizing,
nine Nigersaurus nibbling,
eight evolutionary digits encroaching,
seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve days of Christmas - Day 10

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, ten tiny T. rex tyrranizing,
nine Nigersaurus nibbling,
eight evolutionary digits encroaching,
seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 9

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, nine Nigersaurus nibbling,
eight evolutionary digits encroaching,
seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 8

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, eight evolutionary digits encroaching,
seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

Why Dinosaurs Hate Christmas

Back by popular demand, and new and improved (well it has a new diagram . . .)

Did you know that most dinosaurs hate Christmas? It’s true, they do. And it’s not because they couldn’t get a handle on the present wrapping (or unwrapping for that matter) either. No, there is a very good reason why Dinosaurs hate Christmas.

However, before explaining why dinosaurs hate Christmas, lets deal with some startling new information. Everyone is familiar with the standard explanation for the extinction of the dinosaurs. I've included a common representation of the event.

However, startling 'evidence' has been presented which suggests another reason for what happened. The evidence is still officially hidden by the authorities, but one startling image has been smuggled out and is shown here for the first time.

It is claimed that it was one of Santa's early experiments on propulsion systems that went wrong and had to be ejected. Shocking as this image is, there are some who claim that it is a forgery and just another shot by those at war with Christmas.

However, this is not the reason that dinosaurs hate Christmas. To understand that we need to know what dinosaurs are.

In his classic 1842 publication on dinosaurs, Richard Owen named and defined the Dinosauria as:
a group of exceedingly large, pachydermous reptiles from the Second Age . . . includes Megalosaurus, Iguanodon and Hylaeosaurus.

In 1997, Tom Holtz provided a different definition:
the last common ancestor of Megalosaurus andIguanodon and all its descendants. Using the same methodology, we can define dinosaurs as including the last common ancestor of the Herrerasauidae and the Hadrosauridae, and all their decendents.


Anyhow, the thing about this definition is that, nestled between the the Herrerasaurs and the Hadrosaurs, are the Dromaeosaurs, and directly related to the Dromaeosaurs, and so one of the descendants mentioned above, is a little group called Aves!

So with the mass slaughter of birds dinosaurs every Christmas, wouldn't you hate Christmas?

If you insist in participating in this slaughter, at least make sure you cook your dinosaur correctly:

1. If your dinosaur is frozen, fully thaw it.

2. Don’t stuff the dinosaur. By the time the stuffing reaches a safe temperature, the meat is overcooked.

3. Cover the dinosaur breast with ice while the rest of the dinosaur warms to room temperature. Don’t leave the dinosaur out for more than 3 hours. At this point, the breast will be about 4.5^oC (40^oF), while the rest of the meat will be at 15.5^oC (60^oF).

4. Put the dinosaur in the oven and cook according to your favorite recipe.

5. With a meat thermometer, check temperature. Take out of the oven when legs reach 82^oC(180^oF) and breast hits between 68-71^oC (155-160^oF).

Ho Ho Bleedin' Ho.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 7

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me, seven seismosaurus stomping,
six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 6

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, six snakes aslithering,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 5

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me,

fiiiiive fossilllll fishhhhhhh,

four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 4

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me, four fossil footprints following,
three Tribrachidium tripartiting
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 3

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me, three Tribrachidium tripartiting,
two trilobites tasting,

and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 2

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me, two trilobites, and a Cambrian Lagerstätte.

The Palaeontological Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 1

Following on from the Twelve Geology Days of Christmas, this year we have a palaeontological version.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, a Cambrian Lagerstätte.