Miniature T-Rex unearthed in China
My son will be thrilled when he hears about this – a team of paleontologists have discovered the T-Rex ‘missing link’, a 125-million-year-old miniature dino now dubbed ‘Raptorex kriegsteini’. Of course – ‘miniature’ in this case still equates to a 10-foot-long lizard armed with razor-sharp teeth. The really exciting thing about this find is that it bears out evolutionary extrapolations based on tyrannosauroids found in other parts of the world.
If you will allow me a brief aside: I’ve been listening to an audiobook of Richard Dawkins’ latest offering The Greatest Show on Earth and marveled at Dawkins’ description of Darwin’s Hawk Moth, whose existence was likewise extrapolated by the presence of orchids with especially deep nectar pockets. Darwin predicted that a moth would one day be found with a 12 inch proboscis, necessary to enable the orchid to reproduce. Twenty years after Darwin died, just such a specimen was found – the xanthopan morgani. The moth’s subspecies name is praedicta, in honor of Darwin’s foresight.
The beauty of the natural world, seen through the lens of evolutionary theory, never ceases to amaze me.
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Comments
Well, they let P.Z. Meyers in – but he had to sign a release that he wouldn't cause a ruckus. Seriously.
Yeah, it would be good for a laugh, but since it costs $20 to get in the door, I'm afraid the joke would be on ME!
That's the other thing- I might go on half-price day but I don't want to spend that kind of money to be bombarded by willful ignorance!
AND it's furry?!
I think we should visit the Creation Museum. Should be good for a laugh. But I am afraid when Shapiro Keats walks in the "Scientist Alarm" will go off and we'll be kicked out!