Feb. 11, 2009 -- In just four years, the Isle of Wight, otherwise known as "Dinosaur Island," has yielded the remains of 48 new animal species, including eight new dinosaurs, six dino-era mammals, and many different types of lizards, frogs and salamanders. Watch video about the strange phenomenon of dinosaur mummification. Together, the finds shed light on what life was like when dinosaurs dominated the planet. All of the fossils were discovered by a resident of the island, Steve Sweetman, who is a research associate with the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. His latest paper, which has been accepted for publication in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, concerns one of his rarest finds -- the remains of a mammal that scurried around on the dinosaur-trampled ground. "This new species, as is often the case with fossil mammals, is known only from isolated teeth," Sweetman told Discovery News. "It is of interest not just because it is something new, but because it is a new species of a genus (Eobaatar) that is otherwise known from rocks of roughly the same age occurring in Spain and slightly younger deposits in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia," he added. Related Content:
He said this mammal, as for most others from the Mesozoic Era, was "very small, shrew or mouse-like and probably insectivorous." Certain others were slightly bigger, "say, rat-sized, and probably filled niches now occupied by rodents." Of Sweetman's dinosaur discoveries, perhaps the most dramatic was a velociraptorine dromaeosaur, which appears to have been much larger than Velociraptor, a feathered carnivore whose popularity has risen in recent years since the theropod was featured in the movie "Jurassic Park." Sweetman credits his record-breaking number of prehistoric animal finds with both his search technique and the site itself. For the former, instead of relying upon fossils exposed naturally by weather and waves, he digs up mud, which he transports to a makeshift local laboratory for fine sifting and microscopic analysis. "In the very first sample I found a tiny jaw of an extinct, newt-sized, salamander-like amphibian and then new species just came coming," he said. During the Cretaceous and Jurassic periods, the Isle of Wight was part of an island archipelago with landmasses connected by natural bridges at various points in time. The dinosaur-bearing rocks suggest the prehistoric animals thrived near a large river surrounded by coniferous forest. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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