Geobulletin alpha

Cambrian explosion - amazing new discovery 

The Journal of the Geological Society’s series of ‘Review Focus’ articles on fossil Lagerstätten continues with recently discovered fossils from Emu Bay, South Australia, which are casting new light on the early evolution of vision… Read more

Eye opening fossil deposits 

The Journal of the Geological Society’s series of ‘Review Focus’ articles on fossil Lagerstätten continues with recently discovered fossils from Emu Bay, South Australia, which are casting new light on the early evolution of vision… Download the paper free The … Continue reading

Palaeoxonodon - The 3-in-1 Jurassic Mammal 

A lower jaw of Palaeoxonodon from the Middle Jurassic of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, sheds new light on the diversity of British stem therians. 2015. On an expedition in Scotland, researchers recently discovered the fossilized remains of a mouse-sized mammal dating back around 170 million years to the Middle Jurassic. The fossil represents a lower jaw belonging to a species of 'stem

Asteroids have “fractured and pulverized” the moon’s subsurface 

Large asteroids that crash into the moon cause fractures to the lunar crust that extend up to 25 kilometers (16 miles) below the moon’s surface, finds a new study. These cracks could contain a record of asteroid impacts that bombarded the inner planets billions of years ago, possibly shedding new light on the formation of our solar system and the origin of life on Earth, according to

Guest blog by Elisa Kagan: New book on the Dead Sea Transform 

A new book on the Dead Sea Transform has been published by Springer: DEAD SEA TRANSFORM FAULT SYSTEM: REVIEWS Together with Prof. Zvi Garfunkel and Prof. Zvi Ben-Avraham, I am a co-editor of this book. The book focuses on various aspects of the fault system, from geophysics, to tectonics, paleolimnology, hydrology, seismicity, and PALEOSEISMICITY. Most relevant to this blog are the papers by Agnon and by Marco & Klinger. Shmulik Marco and Yann Klinger review in a new light

Theropod Nesting Behavior, a study 

A university study into the incubation behavior of modern birds is shedding new light on the type of parental care carried out by their long extinct ancestors. The study, by researchers at George Mason University and University of Lincoln (United Kingdom), aimed to test the hypothesis that data from existing birds could be used to predict the incubation behaviour of Theropods, a group

Geosciences column: Hazard perception – how great is the risk of a rockfall? 

In this month’s Geoscience’s column, Sara Mynott discusses the geological hazards associated with climate warming and how recent research sheds new light on our understanding of rockfall frequency. Rockfalls are the free-falling movement of bedrock material from a rock face, a phenomenon also encompassed by the terms ‘landslide’, ‘rockslide’ and ‘rock avalanche’. They range from

Os dinossauros tinham interclavículas? 

Evidence for presence of clavicles and interclavicles in sauropod dinosaurs and its implications on the furcula-clavicle homologyClavicles and interclavicles are plesiomorphically present in Reptilia. However, several groups show reduction or even loss of these elements. Crocodylimorpha, e.g., lost the clavicles, whereas dinosaurs are generally interpreted to only preserve the clavicles, the theropod furcula representing an unique case of fused clavicles. In sauropods, reports of clavicles are [...]

Dinosaur Art: it's quite pretty 

Following David's review (not to mention Dave Hone's and Brian Switek's, whoever he is) is going to be quite some work. At the back of my mind is the persistent fear that I'll lose what respect (if any) you lot already had for me when you finally realise that I really don't know what I'm talking about. Far more importantly, publishers might not feel inclined to send me any more shiny shiny books in the mail for me to gloat over on Facebook.Never mind, though. Wish me luck! And remember, all [...]

Another Terrestrial Fish 

One of the world's strangest animals – a unique fish that lives on land and can leap large distances despite having no legs – has a rich and complex social life, a new study has found.The odd lifestyle of the Pacific leaping blenny (Alticus arnoldorum) has been detailed for the first time in research findings that throw new light on how animal life first evolved to colonise the land.The