ThePrehistoricMaster Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 The two partial limb fossils from the ancient sea turtle Atlantochelys mortoni fit together perfectly, leaving little room for doubt that they are from the same bone.http://phys.org/news/2014-03-paleontologists-giant-turtle-bone-fossil.html#jCp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gizmo Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Yahoo Article - http://news.yahoo.com/missing-half-bone-reveals-prehistoric-sea-giant-113454791.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 This is such an amazing fossil story! A good writer could turn this into a chapter in a book about against-the-odds science serendipity. "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 another story on it http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20140325_For_once__pieces_of_the_fossil_puzzle_fit_nicely.html ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scylla Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Lol, looks like we all wanted to post this one. What an amazing story! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 there's also a blurb on this in the April Nat Geo in the science notes section ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
non-remanié Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26717415 ---Wie Wasser schleift den Stein, wir steigen und fallen--- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted March 26, 2014 Share Posted March 26, 2014 (edited) I just received a pre-print of the article, which hasn't yet been publicly released. The proximal half of the bone may have been found 200 years before the distal half; It is uncertain exactly when and how it came to the Academy of Natural Sciences. The locality information with the specimen started out as "Cretaceous of New Jersey", later amended (by Leidy?) to "Burlington County, New Jersey", probably simply because a lot of Cretaceous fossils had been found there in the 1800s. This new find, made in 2010, allows the actual locality, the Monmouth Brooks in Monmouth County, New Jersey to be determined with precision. In addition, one of our members was involved in the scanning of the specimen. I'll let him speak up for himself if he wishes. I have requested permission to post the 3-D scanned pictures of the bone, likely after the paper is released. Rich Edited March 26, 2014 by RichW9090 The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fossil26 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 What an incredible story ! One of the above articles stated: "With the complete 21-inch bone in hand, scientists at the state museum and the academy, which is part of Drexel University, were able to estimate the size of the massive reptile. Their calculation: 10 feet from head to tail, as much as twice the length of its typical modern counterpart." Does anyone know if this calculation is just for this species or would it hold true for a 21" leatherback turtle humerus ( miocene - roundmountain silt formation ) as well ? Lisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichW9090 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 No, the calculation was based on George Zug's work with modern sea turtles, so likely just as applicable to the Sharktooth Hill leatherback. I've seen two skulls of that species, and they are BIG. The plural of "anecdote" is not "evidence". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Good news: Don't give up hope. You may yet find that key missing piece of that awesome fossil. Bad news: It may take 160 years. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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