Vertebrate Paleontology Blog

News and reviews of scientific research on fossil vertebrates.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Mammal eats Dinosaur

IVPP and AMNH scientists published the first evidence that Mesozoic mammals munched on dinosaurs. The paper, published in the journal Nature, shows an exquist skeleton of a new species of Repenomamus from the basal member of the early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Liaoning, China. This new fossil mammal was huge! (well at least compared to other Mesozoic mammals, about the size of a living possum). Repenomamus is a Triconodont mammal, which are normally very tiny. In the gut, limbs and teeth were found of a juvenile Psittacosaurus, a common dinosaur from the Yixian Formation.

Saturday, January 08, 2005

Mammalian Paleontologist Dr. Charles Repenning Murdered

Sad news. Dr. Charles Repenning, best known for his recent work on the paleobiogeography of Pliocene and Pleistocene rodents and his work on the evolution of marine mammals, was found murdered in his home on Wednesday in Lakewood, Colorado. - (F. Cardona, 1/6/2005 Denver Post)