Alphabet Animals: The Letter Q (Extinct)

In our last post, we looked at some extant, or still living (as opposed to extinct) animals whose name begins with the letter "Q."  Today, we are going to look at a few more of these animals, but this time we are going to be looking at some of those extinct animals!  Let's go, team!

1.  Quetzalcoatlus - One of the largest flying animals of all time, Quetzalcoatlus is not a dinosaur like it is often thought to be.  Instead, Quetzalcoatlus is a memeber of a distinct group of archosaurs (a large groups of reptiles that includes crocodilians and dinosaurs) called the pterosaurs.  Quetzalcoatlus lived in the Late Cretaceous Period of North America, between around 68-65 MYA.

2.  Qantassaurus - A small Australian ornithopod, Qantassaurus was named by paleontologist-couple Patricia Vickers-Rich and Tom Rich after the Australian airline Qantas.  Qantassaurus lived about 115 MYA, when Australia was still a little south of the Antarctic Circle!

3.  Qiaowanlong - A sauropod dinosaur from Yujinzi Basin of Gansu, China, Qiaowanlong was first discovered in 2007, and lived about 100 MYA in the Early Cretaceous Period.

4.  Quagga - An extinct subspecies of the plains zebra, the quagga was once found in the Karoo of South Africa, and was the first extinct creature to have its DNA studied by scientists.  The quagga was actually hunted to extinction by humans: the last wild one is thought to have been shot in the late 1870s, while the last specimen ever known to have existed died on August 12, 1883 at a zoo in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

5. Qingxiusaurus - Described in 2008, Qingxiusaurus is yet another sauropod dinosaur whose name begins with a "Q."  Like Qiaowanlong, Qingxiusaurus was also found in China.  Qingxiusaurus lived much later than Qiaowanlong, however, in the Late Cretaceous Period.

6.  Qiupalong - An ornithomimosaur, or ostrich dinosaur, Qiupalong lived during the Late Cretaceous Period of China, and is the first ornithomimosaur that is definitively known from outside the Gobi Desert in Asia.

7.  Quaesitosaurus - With a name meaning "extraordinary lizard," Quaesitosaurus lived between around 85 and 70 MYA in Mongolia.  It was first discovered in 1983, and its skull was likened to that of a horse.

8.  Quilmesaurus - Native to Argentina during the Late Cretaceous Period, not a lot is known about Quilmesaurus.  It is estimated to have been between around 16 - 20 feet long.

9.  Qinlingosaurus - Yet another Late Cretaceous Asian sauropod, Qinlingosaurus was named after the Qinling Mountains of China in 1996.  

Alphabet Animals: The Letter Q (Extant)

Of the multitudes of animals, living and extinct, not a whole lot of them have names that start with the letter "Q."  Today, we are going to look at a few of these animals, so next time you are playing the Animal Alphabet game, you are quite prepared to handle whatever your opponent has to offer!  (Unless, of course, your opponent has also read this post, in which case you guys might reach a stalemate).  To make the post easier to deal with, I am splitting it up into two parts: the first one, this one, contains a list of some extant (still living, opposite of extinct) animals that begin with Q!  And yes, in the picture below, I know that the quagga is extinct....I just am too lazy to change the picture.  So you're going to have to find some way to deal with it.

1.  Quoll - A carnivorous marsupial native to Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania, the quoll is often called the marsupial cat.

2.  Quail - A collective name for a mid-sized bird that is often used for consumption by humans.

3.  Quokka - One of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans and about the size of a domestic cat, the quokka is a marsupial, just like the quoll.  However, the quokka is a type of macropod, like the kangaroo and the wallaby.

4.  Quetzal - One of the most beautiful birds in the world (in my opinion, at least!), the quetzal is a member of the trogon family, and native to Mexico and Guatemala.

5.  Quail Thrush - Despite their name, the quail thrushes are neither quails, nor thrushes.  Native to Australia and New Guinea, the quail thrushes are close relatives of the jewel-babblers of New Guinea!  And yes, the jewel-babblers are, indeed, actual birds!

6. Quelea - A small nomadic bird native to Africa, the red-billed quelea is thought to be the most numerous bird in the world!

7.  Quahog - Also known as the hard clam, the quahog lives in the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of North America.

8.  Quique - A mustelid (often called the grison), just like the otter, the quique is native to South America.

9.  Quarter Horse - An American breed of horse that has been clocked at up to an astonishing 55 mph!

10.  Quarry Worm Salamander - An "Endangered" species of salamander that is endemic (native only to that one place) to Costa Rica.

11.  Queen Snake - A nonvenomous snake native to North America, the queen snake is very similar iin appearnace to the garter snake, and is often confused with it.

Stegosaurus at the Morrison Natural History Museum (Stegosaurus Week)

So as you probably know (at least if you've been following us here for Stegosaurus Week), the whole point of the special week was to celebrate Stegosaurus Day at the Morrison Natural History Museum in Morrison, Colorado!  But what Stegosaurus-related exhibits does the Morrison Natural History Museum even have?  Well.  I am so glad you asked.  Let's dive on in!  

The first Stegosaurus-related thing that you will see is just a small exhibit, whose size is not a good representation of its importance.  The four groups of bones that you see here are part of the holotype specimen of Stegosaurus!  It was with these bones, as well as the rest of the specimen (part of which is at the Morrison Museum, the rest in the collections at Yale in Connecticut)  that paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh first named and described the genus Stegosaurus in 1877, during the famous (or rather, infamous) Bone Wars.  Below, we have a picture with the four different groups of bones highlighted in red. 

The first bone that we see below is part of one of the plates of Stegosaurus!  The entire specimen actually extends back several inches, but the fossil part of the specimen is only on the very top layer.

Next, we have part of the femur of Stegosaurus!

Here we have two different types of vertebrae of Stegosaurus, lumbar and caudal (back and tail) vertebrae.

The next picture is an illustration by paleoartist Fabio Pastori of what this animal would have looked like.  Meet Stegosaurus armatus, one of four species of Stegosaurus that are currently considered to be valid!

Next, we have some more VERY interesting Stegosaurus fossils, as well as a cute little baby Stegosaurus model!  This little guy below is about a foot long, and is a life-size representation of the animal that would have made that footprint.  Besides being the very first baby Stegosaurus footprint discovered anywhere in the world, this footprint is especially interesting because it shows that the baby Stegosaurus was walking on its back legs, without its front legs touching the ground!

Here we have another Stegosaurus footprint: or rather, a trio of footprints!  The main footprint on this slab of Jurassic-aged rock contains what is largely considered to be the best adult Stegosaurus hind foot track in the world!

This footprint-containing slab is of particular importance to the paleontological community for another reason other than preservation quality: not only does the slab contain a very well preserved hindfoot track of an adult Stegosaurus, it also contains a forefoot track, probably from the same individual, as well as a partially crushed juvenile Stegosaurus track.  This partially crushed juvenile Stegosaurus track is of particular importance, as it seems to be pretty strong evidence that the adult and the juvenile were traveling together! 

Next, we have a cast of a skull of Stegosaurus, next to a cast of the foot of the animal, as well as a reconstruction of the foot itself! 

Next, we have a VERY interesting block of fossil-containing rock!

It all started when the block was brought into the museum because of the dinosaur bones, like the rib bone you can see below from an unidentified dinosaur....

....and these bones, on the back of the block.  It wasn't until the block was brought inside the museum that researchers noticed something that they hadn't been able to see outside: some tiny dinosaur footprints!

Here are two of the footprints, below.  The one on the left, about the size of the palm of my hand, is thought to belong to a mid-sized ornithopod, likely a hypsilophodont or a heterodontosaur, we don't really know.  The much smaller one on the right (which isn't much larger than a house cats) is even harder to identify, and could belong to a wide variety of dinosaurs.

  

Here is another picture by Fabio Pastori, depicting the small ornithopod that might have made the tracks.

The other tracks on the slab are by and large considered to be much more interesting.  What you are looking at below are some more baby Stegosaurus footprints!  Remember the baby Stegosaurus footprint that we discussed below, and remember the model of the animal that was thought to have made it?  The model is about the size of the animal that is thought to have made the little tracks on the left in the picture below!  What's particularly interesting about these footprints, however, is that they show the footprints of at least two individual Stegosaurus, each probably just a few months old, superimposed on each other!  This seems like pretty good evidence that these guys were also moving in groups, just like the other slab of Stegosaurus footprints shows us with older individuals!  The smaller footprint on the right (again, around the size of a domestic cat's footprint) is from a much smaller individual, probably just a hatchling!  It is also possible that this hatchling was moving with the other juveniles, as well!  

This is a model of the hatchling Stegosaurus that made the footprint on the right in the three pictures that we have above.

Finally, we have a size comparison of footprints of Stegosaurus at different ages!  The bottom one is from an infant Stegosaurus, maybe an inch and a half or so in diameter.  The top one is from an adult, larger than your average dinner plate!

Want to learn more about Stegosaurus and it's relatives? Well, check out the Homebase for Stegosaurus Week HERE to partake in more of the festivities!

How Would Stegosaurus Have Sex? [FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY] (Stegosaurus Week)

In the newest episode of "Animal Explorations With Zack Neher," we investigate (with Hugh Hefner) a very interesting dilemma that has puzzled paleontologists for a plethora of years: how would Stegosaurus and its relatives have had sex?

After I posted this video, Matthew Mossbrucker, the director of the Morrison Natural History Museum, commented on the post, with some very important and interesting information!  Here is what Mr. Mossbrucker had to say:

"Quite a few folks have pondered this through the years - myself included. Allow me to put on my Dr. Ruth field hat for a moment. Heinrich Mallison's concept of the African stegosaur Kentrosaurus mating seems plausible to me. I've assumed this myself as a default mating position for these animals. My read of the tail base in Stegosaurus is a bit different than Brian Switek's analysis. While it is true that our North American stegosaurs had limited up-down motion at the base of the tail, stegosaurs do something for ornithischian dinosaurs: they have the ability to twist their tails in a corkscrew-like fashion. I can envision a standing female Stegosaurus twisting her tail to one side and therefore removing obstacles for her mate. Unlike the boated models in your photo, a living Stegosaurus would have been able to stand and even walk on its hind-limbs with grace. So, therefore I see no barrier putting a male into mating position. So, there you have it."

There we have it indeed!  I hope you find that enlightening, as well as the video!  The dilemma definitely makes more sense after hearing what Mr. Mossbrucker has to say!

Want to learn more about Stegosaurus and it's relatives?  Well, check out the Homebase for Stegosaurus Week HERE to partake in more of the festivities! 

The Stegosaur Song (Stegosaurus Week)

The second of a pair of songs that I made especially for Stegosaurus Week!  "The Stegosaur Song" to the tune of "The Mexican Hat Dance."  Below is the link to the song:

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Full Lyrics:

Primitive stegosaurs they are all found in China, England, France, and Tibet
Lexovisaurus and Regnosaurus and a stegosaur not named quite yet
Chialingosaurus and Craterosaurus and Jiangjunosaurus too
Next we have the huayangosaurs from China and so far they number but two

[Chorus:]
Oh, the plates and the spikes like the head of a trike with them you definitely don't want to mess
The stegosaurs lived in the Jurassic but some lived to the dawn of the Cretaceous

Chungkingosaurus and Huayangosaurus and now we move on to the set
Gigantspinosaurus and then Kentrosaurus and Loricatosaurus you bet
Those last three were all primitive stegosaurids but still thought to be more advanced
There are two more still Paranthodon and Tuojiangosaurus I bet you're entranced

[Chorus]

The dacentrurines are the second to last of all the groups of stegosaurus
Dacentrurus who gives name to the group Miragaia and then there are no more
The stegosaurines are the last of the bunch Stegosaurus most notorious
Hesperosaurus and Wuerhosaurus and last of all Hypsirophus

[Chorus]

Are you diggin' the songs?  Well, then check out our playlist below!

CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO A FUN-FILLED PLAYLIST OF AMAZING SONGS.

Want to learn more about Stegosaurus and it's relatives?  Well, check out the Homebase for Stegosaurus Week HERE to partake in more of the festivities! 

Bone Wars, Marsh and Cope: to the Tune of "Two Black Cadillacs" (Stegosaurus Week)

One of a pair of songs that I made especially for Stegosaurus Week!  "Bone Wars, Marsh and Cope" to the tune of "Two Black Cadillacs" by Carrie Underwood.  Below is the link to the song:

Here are the lyrics to the song:


Full Lyrics:

1800s, Morrison, a big find was made
"If Cope got a bone, Marsh lost," Dr. Bakker say
They devoted their life,
To get the most bones, each other they'd fight
Two rivals fighting over fossils in the dirt and grime

[Chorus:]

And the teacher, Lakes, he was a good man
And Marsh and Cope, they used to be friends
But then the two of them wanted the other to die
Bye, Bye bye, Bye
1,500 species they wrote down
Dug them all out of rock and from the deep ground
They both refused to work together on the same side
Bye bye, bye bye, bye bye

Bone Wars, Marsh and Cope

Eleven years ago researchers found some more fossil bone
123 years they'd been buried there for oh so long
Matthew Mossbrucker, from the Morrison Natural History Museum
The site had been reburied, waiting for the right time, right time

[Chorus:]

Even now some of the fossils in rocks and time are still encased
Mystries and new species found in the Quarry
Learning new secrets from the grave

[Chorus:]

Are you diggin' the songs?  Well, then check out our playlist below!

CLICK HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO A FUN-FILLED PLAYLIST OF AMAZING SONGS.

Want to learn more about Stegosaurus and it's relatives?  Well, check out the Homebase for Stegosaurus Week HERE to partake in more of the festivities!

8 Truths About the Stegosaurus: Animal Truths Episode 3 (Stegosaurus Week)

Here we will learn 8 Truths About the Stegosaurus.

This is the third video in our "Animal Truths" series.  Make sure to check out the other two we have made so far, "8 Truths About the Mountain Lion" and "17 Truths About the Cheetah," below!

Want to learn more about Stegosaurus and it's relatives?  Well, check out the Homebase for Stegosaurus Week HERE to partake in more of the festivities!