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Friday, June 30, 2017
Camptonectes Bivalve Fossil
This picture is of a Camptonectes cf. Calvus bivalve fossil. It was found in the Blue Lias of Pinhay Bay, Lyme Regis England. The fossils date back to the Lower Jurassic Period.
Specimen displayed at the Lyme Regis Museum in England as of August 2016.
Learn more at www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk
See it on this site as well: http://jurassiccoast.org/fossilfinder/1192-camptonectes/
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Echinoceras Ammonite Fossil
This picture is of an Echinoceras aenum ammonite fossil. It is from the Watch Ammonite Stone Lyme Regis England. The fossils date back to the Jurassic Period.
Specimen displayed at the Lyme Regis Museum in England as of August 2016.
Learn more at www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
The Trouble With Trilobites Video
PBS Digital Studios has helped produce a new web series about Earth science called Eons. Their first episode is about trilobites (not tribbles and science fiction). The video on YouTube last about 7 minutes.
If the embedded link does work below, here is a direct YouTube link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aji2VnQFUCs
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
PaleoFauna Coloring Book - Kickstarter Project
I believe in supporting new ideas and products using Kickstarter. So far I have supported 3 technology projects and like to visit the site to see what new projects are being launched.
I came across the Coloring Book of PaleoFauna by Diane Ramic of Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. This looks like a neat idea and ambitious with 200 pages. The author has already 5 books published including one on dinosaurs.
If you get a chance check out this campaign and support if you want a neat coloring book of creatures that only exist as fossils now. The campaign ends on August 6, 2017.
LINK: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036907625/the-coloring-book-of-paleofauna/description
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Gertie the Dinosaur Videos
I came across of video on YouTube of what is called the first animation featuring a dinosaur. It is a short animation from 1914 by Winsor McCay. Gertie was based off an Apatosaurus dinosaur fossil skeleton (known at the time as Brontosaurus). There is also a mammoth for comic effect later in the film. An odd appearance of a winged dragon flying across the screen shows up as well. This Wikipedia article about this film explains that the animator was not sure of the mechanics of the dinosaur standing up was so the flying lizard was added to draw the viewer's attention away during this event.
The film introduced a number of animation techniques like keyframing, tracing paper, registration marks and looping frames to show movement. The film is part of the U.S. National Film Registry. The film below is just the excerpt of the animation from the 1914 original, it lasts about 5 minutes.
This next video shows one of Winsor McCay's last animations showing how Gertie evolved in animation terms from 1921. It was from a never finished short entitled "Gertie on Tour".
Below is a embedded video link to the full movie short from 1914 that is about 14 minutes long. It features a side story about visiting the American Museum of Natural History and a bet to make one of the dinosaurs move.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Gennaeocrinus Crinoid Calyx Fossil
Genus was named by Wachsmuth and Springer in 1881.
Thanks to Kenny for showing me the fossil.
Thanks to Kenny for showing me the fossil.