#dmm round two

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

DMM ROUND TWO MASTERPOST

Ornithischians

Changmiania vs Sinocephale

Bisticeratops vs Gobihadros

Tlatolophus vs Jakapil

Stegouros vs Spicomellus

Sauropodomorphs

Mbiresaurus vs Bagualosaurus

Kholumalumo vs Amanzia

Bajadasaurus vs Lavocatisaurus

Ibirania vs Australotitan

Nonavian Theropods

Berthasaura vs Ceratosuchops

Asfaltovenator vs Maip

Daurlong vs Ambopteryx

Caihong vs Falcatakely

Avians (Neornithes)

Vorombe vs Asteriornis

Conflicto vs Annakacygna

Cryptogyps vs Miosurnia

Heracles vs Heliothraupis

REBLOG! SHARE! DEBATE!

IT'S DINOSAUR MARCH MADNESS!!!

[scolop98]

VOTE STEGOUROS FOR DINOSAUR MARCH MADNESS 2023

art by Gabriel Ugueto

This is admittedly a really tough choice, but what is March Madness season for if not throwing your entire soul into campaigning against a random animal species for petty reasons? (disclaimer: this is from the guy who slandered Vaderlimulus for almost the entirety of Triassic March Madness before realizing that it never actually beat Atopodentatus in a poll)

I’ll try to keep this short since my previous Berthasaura propoganda post took a lot out of me and I actually respect Spicomellus as a contender /hj

A VOTE FOR STEGOUROS IS A VOTE FOR:

- an entirely new basal clade of ankylosaurs, only described less than two years ago, which survived until the Maastrichtian!

- the macuahuitl, which I believe is the first new type of thyreophoran tail-weaponry discovered in a long time

- asymmetrical, vaguely hourglass shaped teeth. what was it doing with those teeth? something cool, no doubt; I am a sucker for phylogenetic trends in feeding ecology 

- was apparently adapted for cursoriality, including with hoof-shaped claws? I didn’t even know thyreophorans could do that but yes please, all of that. Hello, new hyperfixation rabbithole

- south america! as far as I’m concerned, South American ecology has been Fabulous roughly since the Cretaceous and hasn’t stopped. Stegouros lived alongside unenlagiines! that’s really cool!

- a Little Guy™️. exhibit A, from wikipedia:

what a perfectly sized little guy. so precious and (comparatively) small, and this was a full-grown adult thyreophoran from the non-European Maastrichtian! As far as I know, Stegouros has no right to be that small. If it does, please tell me, as it will only make me love it more

- something known from a mostly-complete skeleton! so we actually have a good idea of what it looks like!

As much as I love Spicomellus for being so extra (osteoderms attached directly to the rib, first known african ankylosaur, earliest known ankylosaur, lived alongside a Stegosaur) it’s only known from a single rib bone. It is, admittedly, a really cool rib bone, but Stegouros also lots of really cool bones! And they all belong to the same skeleton! Spicomellus may come with some really interesting biogeography and ankylosaur evolution facts, but so does Stegouros! And Stegouros objectively has more neat anatomy than Spicomellus does, no matter how you slice it. Does Spicomellus really have anything to offer that Stegouros can’t offer just as well, if not better?

Vote Stegouros for the only remaining Cool Ankylosaur™️ with a remotely complete skeleton. For the only remaining definitely-a-thyreophoran with a remotely complete Skelton, for that matter.

@a-dinosaur-a-day

[straycatboogie]

2022/08/18 English

BGM: 坂本真綾 "バイク"

Today I worked early. This morning was tough for me again. I could find no reasons. Just I worried that I hadn't slept well, and I was confused because everything I was concerned about could be the reason for the mistakes I would do. But I couldn't quit my job so I went to my workplace. Then, my body started moving naturally as usual and my thought also changed dramatically. A serious personality in me started working, and confidence came to my mind... no, I didn't have any confidence. That another personality that had been built by the experiences of doing this job over 20 years exactly supported me. Therefore I could do today's work.

You might think that I am weird because of another personality. But I am that kind of person, and that's all. Usually, I look for some nasty videos on the DMM site. But when I started reading books like Salinger or wearing my company's uniform, the personality that had been built by taking and reading so many books or working hard in the past days starts appearing. It's like Ryo Saeba, the main character of "City Hunter". It's strange but cool, so I accept this strangeness as this kind of thing can happen in this world.

I let another personality do my work, and at lunchtime, I took my lunchbox. I read some responses from my friends about the anxiety I had written on LINE. And I thought that this must be happiness. My friends exactly support me (so I am never lonely). I can eat lunch and I have my job. So I can feel that I am glad to be alive... this must sound weird, but I might accept it if a person who came from "Matrix" said, "TBH all of your life was just a dream". My current life is completely different from my past miserable life. Or I should say this life is a miracle.

At night, I attended two online meetings on ZOOM. The one was about archeology. The host spoke very smoothly and showed his rich knowledge, so I could enjoy it even if I was just an amateur. Another was the one by Facebook's language exchange group. Tonight we talked about our hometowns and experiences of traveling. I have rarely gone to another place and enjoyed an impressive trip, but I want to go to Hawaii if possible. I want to know two faces of Hawaii. The one is for tourists, and the another is just for residents. This must be the influence of Yoshio Kataoka. But I have to save money... Money-go-round!

[easthillsinstruments]

East hills Instruments

In the world of precision engineering, precision parts are of utmost importance, and in this case, it is the digital display system of the Winchester Model 1 that sets the standards. The Company, founded in 1869, has been devoted to manufacturing high-quality, fully automatic engineering instruments, and its full line of precision engineering parts, ranging from pumps to wide-range digital gauges, are a testament to this dedication. All the equipment and supplies used in the manufacture of precision engineering parts, ranging from pumps to digital scales, are engineering by the Company's skilled technicians using the latest digital technology. From the electro-mechanical engineering parts used in pump repair to the precision engineering parts used in clock machinery - from precision scientific sensors to digital scale systems, the Company takes pride in delivering products that are designed, engineered, and put together with precision.

When it comes to precision engineering, there is no better company than the Company. Its wide range digital gauges and thermometers are designed to meet the needs of every type of industry. Its digital scale models feature technologically advanced weight applications, digital backlight, and high-resolution electronic displays. In addition, its digital gauges and thermometers have many more advanced features that are designed to meet the exacting requirements of the precision engineer. All these products, and more, are sold in most of the countries around the world.

The Company's wide range of digital gauges includes Digital Multi-Meters (DML) and Digital Millimeters (DMMs). A Digital Multimeter is a very versatile digital scale that can be used for many measuring applications. It has various measurement techniques including Digital Pressure Gauge (DPM), Digital Ultrasonic Doppler Measurement (DUD), and other advanced techniques. A Digital Multimeter also helps in measuring liquids, oils, and gasses. The Company's multimeters are used to design and build air conditioning systems and control systems, and industrial instruments.

East hills instruments also sell a variety of other products. Some of its popular instruments are Digital Multimeters and Microprocessor Couplings. These two products help in measuring the resistance of electric circuits. Digital Multimeters and Microprocessor Couplings are also using to measure the resistance of different types of electrical circuits. Digital Pressure Gauge (DPM) are used for measuring the pressure of different types of fluids, gasses, and metals, while Digital Ultrasonic Doppler Measurements (DUD) are used to measure the flow rate of the fluid, or the speed of sound in a medium.

Apart from these, the Company also sells a wide range of digital multimeters, digital scales, digital gauges, and thermometers. All these products help in taking the performance level, quality, reliability, and accuracy of these instruments. They help in designing and building control systems and instruments. Apart from this, the Company has its tie-up with Sargus Research to manufacture digital scale models.

Sargus Research is a leading market leader in digital scale models and related product engineering. They provide state-of-the-art instrumentation for a wide range of electronic measurement and control systems. They also manufacture a wide range of multimeters and digital multimeters. The Company manufactures a wide range of precision instruments. Apart from these, Sargus also manufactures instruments that perform multiple functions, including air compression gage, gas gauge, fuel transfer gauge and many more.

East hills Instruments also manufactures precision medical instruments. The Company makes medical equipment such as foetal heart monitors and ultrasound machines. They also manufacture pressure gauge and laser technology diagnostic devices. Other products offered by East hills Instruments are ultrasound machines, blood gas analyzers, and endoscope instruments.

The Company is also into manufacturing of precision engineering instruments. East hills Instruments has gained an international reputation for their innovative and high performance instruments. They provide all-round solutions for engineering, construction, manufacturing and other scientific instrumentation requirements.

"Auto-Ranging" or "High Pressure Calibration" is a concept which describes high-quality instruments that are used in a variety of applications. Most industries have been using auto-ranging/high pressure instruments for precision measuring properties of materials for a very long time, including automotive, chemical, dry powder and food processing applications. It is only with the development of new and advanced techniques and instrumentation that this tool has seen a rebirth as many industries are realizing the importance of using precise measuring tools which can be calibrated and validated. "East Hills Instruments", a pioneer in digital instrumentation and calibration technology has grown into a company which serves the industry not only with its outstanding quality and performance but also with a full range of service products and accessories. The company is continually striving to provide precision instrumentation and calibration solutions to its wide range of customarily.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card-hen 1 | Gakuen Babysitters 1 | Idolish7 3 | Zoku Touken Ranbu Hanamaru 1 | Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 1 | Miira no Kaikata 1 | Death March 1

The debuts for the winter season keep coming, but we’re almost at the end of them with this post.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 1

Note I don’t have any prior experience with Cardcaptor Sakura aside from 1 volume of manga and watching the show in passing while other people were watching it, plus knowing about a few spoilers and the show’s reputation as a seminal magical show show…then in more recent days, I finished 2 episodes of it (in fact as of the day I’m typing this, I finished episide 2 today!).

This OP makes Sakura look like later-stage Sailor Moon, and I think that’s the point.

Where did the bear in Syaoran’s hand go when Sakura hugged him?

Eriol! I don’t really know much about him, and I knew I should’ve known about him before starting this, but…it was a bit of a shock to see a character I technically haven’t seen the debut of with my own eyes.

I get the feeling these are the “two bears” from the prologue OVA…

Emails! In the world of Cardcaptor Sakura! Wow, I feel old…and I didn’t even grow up with her.

Hot dang! Gimme dat bishie (Yue)! I knew he was coming, but…I still don’t really know how he came to be!

Wow, this Yamazaki kid spouts such rubbish! I’m looking forward to seeing him in the main series now.

It’s pretty obvious I need to watch the original before understanding this fully, so I’m putting it on hold.

Gakuen Babysitters 1

I’m here for my Ume and Nishiyama. I’m not particularly good at dealing with kids, especially younger kids, but this doesn’t make me run for the hills either.

Ryuichi involves the kanji for “dragon” and Kotaro has the kanji for “tiger”.

That man with the hat is so not sketchy…

I’ve never heard of NAS before (but I have heard of NAZ through Idolish7).

That joke Saikawa told actually worked! These shows may all be middling this winter, but I’d be happy with even some of them on my docket. I’ve been pleasantly surprised more often than not that I haven’t found “stinker of the season” yet.

The comedy for this show’s really on point, although the overall design is a tad lackluster.

K-Kamitani?! Apparently Ume-chan’s character is Hayato Kamitani, so that’s how Ume got involved, so to speak. This sudden intro of 4 kids works on a story scale, but not in a way any person can process without pausing the video (or getting individual intros later).

Well, there are those individual intros I was asking for. Spoke too soon.

It’s actually kinda sad and quite telling how independent Kotaro is. (I still find it extremely hilarous Nishiyama – whose first name is Kotaro - didn’t voice Kotaro, although from a practical standpoint I understand why.)

Usaida has such bedroom eyes, it’s hard to ignore (because they make him look like En)! Dangit, I want my En back!

This brings back memories. My mum used to deal with kids all the time, and of course I was in the background for some of the shenanigans.

Dragon puppet symbolism, eh? (see the dotpoint a bit back about Ryuichi’s name)

As soon as this guy (who kinda looks like something out of Haikyuu) started demanding Taka come with him, I screamed. That character doesn’t seem very Ume, but…uh, it’s Ume. Gotta deal with it. Now that I listen to their voices properly though, Ume does have a “big bro” voice and Nishiyama a “earnest young man” voice.

Oh dear. Taka’s imprinted on me already, and I don’t even like boys that age.

I haven’t felt a genuine sense of danger from any of these winter shows until this one, so it seems like it’s one of the strongest debuts. Then again, CCS was my frontrunner before this and YuruCamp the second best, so I guess I can’t talk, eh?

Gah, I feel like I wanna cry now. That is a strong premiere!

I have a real problem with how anime tears come out in globs. Then again, I’m too much of a crybaby, as my notes can attest…so I guess no arguing here.

Should it be “Chairman” or “Chairwoman”???

Tsundere grandma. Now there’s something I thought I’d never think in my life…

Oh, I didn’t realise earlier but Taka = “hawk” and Hayato = “falcon man”. Animal jingoism at its finest!

Whoo, that was a real nice debut. I thought I was too old for this stuff, but it’s a keeper!

Idolish7 3

It’s a good thing I chose to cover episodes 1 – 2 so I won’t have to do them now.

I didn’t notice Nagi getting all huggy there with everyone in range (the first time, at least).

In case you don’t know from all the other idol shows, the centre is the one in centre stage. They’re often seen as the leader, so it’s a very important position.

This song can’t be anything but Monster Generation! Woohoo!

Wow, I haven’t seen one of those “watch from a distance” things in a while. Makes me nostalgic.

“Ichi” would probably refer to Iori, right? (He has the kanji for “one” in his name.)

Wowee, Nagi’s entendre…is really thick. Like pudding.

I agree, brothers can be so strange…

“…spoil me sometimes.” - Laying on the entendre thicker than custard here, Iori!

These boys are so into their Magical Kokona. I want in now.

Tamaki really is an En-chan…En-chan! Come back! (But why does Tamaki have no socks???)

These ED outfits are so elaborate! Ooh! Imagine a gender-swapped cosplay of them, that’s be great!

Who’s that on the edge of the ED video though? (You can see something hopping up and down.)

Zoku Touken Ranbu Hanamaru 1

Can we please just call this “Hanamaru 2” like Crunchyroll? “Zoku” just refers to a continuation…anyways, I got Hanamaru season 1 done last year while dealing with Katsugeki, so…here I come, sword boys!

Didn’t Hanamaru get a dub, by the way? Why would you dub this? For me to criticise it? The Touken Ranbu fanbase is kinda small…

W-Wait, did they just write Yams out of this season? Yams is the protag (if not a protag) here! What did Ichiki do now to deserve this???

It was getting too hard to jump through the proxies to play Touken Ranbu as of late, so I deleted my DMM account. Even still, the sword boys have multiplied since I left! Yikes!

Wow, unexpected 1st person bit there, Kashuu/Masuda. I thought I told the industry to stop doing that…

Exposition wave…I don’t need this wave, but I guess anime-only fans might. Carry on, Heshikiri.

So this multiple Konnosuke thing wasn’t a Katsugeki-only gag? Oh dear, my head’s spinning…

I don’t think I noticed, but Kashuu uses a brush (and not a specialty brush provided in the lid of nail polish). Probably because in Touken Ranbu, plastic isn’t much of a concept…

I still appreciate how Kashuu was this Saniwa’s starter. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy for my own TR days…

Photos are a nice way to recap. After all, 1 picture speaks 1000 words.

Wow, Shishiou’s a real chibi compared to these tachi. But Shishiou’s a tachi too…

Dang, I’m jealous. These bros were around when I was a TR player, and I missed ‘em! Dang Kebishii drops!

So that thing really is a nue. I could never see it on Shishiou’s card, y’know.

Hmm…considering the bros are new swords, the Saniwa’s strategy is to level up them up using the younger bro as leader (remember, the leader gets more experience). I see…

A “pincer attack” is a V shape, so the description fits the Crane Wings formation…

I can’t say I wasn’t impressed by Akashi just then. Come to think of it, he didn’t have any battles in Hanamaru’s 1st season.

A double attack suits a pair like this, of course!

Oh my gosh, they even got two dfferent voice actors for the Konnosukes! LOL!

Hanamaru’s EDs kept changing and it seems like they’ll continue to change, eh? This one looks quite spiffy.

The style of this ED doesn’t look like Hanamaru at all. It was probably done by the original illustrator for the swords.

It’s a great return to form for Hanamaru! I’m sold!

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 1

Another day, another long title…plus this show I would’ve passed on, if not for that resolution…

Michiko Yokote is on a lot of shows I watch. I don’t really know what her influence is, but it seems she’s genuinely competent at what she does.

So…uh, Gendo pose anyone?

I think the teacher is the best part of this. I’ve been a bit of Tonari no Seki-kun, and the pull of that is the sheer ludicrousness of what Seki does with his stuff. However, there didn’t seem to be any intervention aside from Yokoi (I think that was her name)…

Nishikata’s reactions are just way too easy to read…

Well, that was okay, but it’s definitely a show to binge all at once. On to the “on hold” pile it goes.

Wait, but they missed a segment (the 100 yen segment). Gotta skip forward…

I didn’t get any laughs out of that show at all, but it’s still a decent school SoL.

How to Keep a Mummy 1

I have absolutely no experience with this manga, mind you…aside from seeing this tiny mummy on Comico…

Wow, if the mummy can fit in his shoe…how big is it?

The translation of “ready” is surprisingly ganbaru, and there’s a “but” mentioned in the Japanese title missing from the English. Also, “ready” has sexual connotations I’d rather not pair with a tiny mummy…I’d say the translation of the episode title should be something more along the lines of “White, Round, Small, Very Wimpy But [Also] Tries Its Hardest” (“It” being the mummy and not Pennywise…).

Is Dracula even public domain right now? (Does anyone care about the intellectual property of a classic vampire novel anyway? Because I sure don’t.)

Can we please start making jokes about how Sora’s daddy got him a mummy? It may seem childish, but I’m tempted to now.

This mummy is so adorable, I think it even beat out the kids from Gakuen Babysitters! Geesh, I’m spoilt this season! It completely set off my moe senses, and I don’t even have any!

It imprinted on him! Oh wow!

The mummy doesn’t even have a mouth…how can it spit things-oh wait. That’s the joke, isn’t it?

Come to think of it, crybaby characters ae few and far between. However, between this and Devilman…er, Crybaby…they’ve suddenly become popular…I guess?

It’s like a harem, only it’s between a dog and a mummy. Why I never…

One of the best things about anime is that you can learn about other cultures through the things included offhandedly…like that molokhiya thing that Sora mentioned. Apparently it’s a Jewish vegetable of some sort.

Do mummies get jet lag too? I was just thinking how Comico stories, with their full colour and yet simple design (to allow for downward scrolling and intake by the eyes) are perfect for anime.

I listened to the show with volume for once…because Tazuki seems to be the guy voiced by Keisuke Koumoto…and I think I was on the money there. Plus, Sora’s VA really sells the delivery of jokes (although he seems to be voiced by a woman…?)!

Yamanba…like Yamanbagiri’s namesake. The mountain hag, right?

Yep, I was right on the money with Tazuki being Koumoto. Kamitani Tazuki, it seems his name is…

This dance ending’s kind of cute, too. It’s a keeper!

Death March 1

(looks at title just above this dotpoint) C’mon. There’s no way I’m going to repeat “Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody” over and over again for at least 11 or 12 episodes…by the way, I’m here because I was reading a KonoSuba novel and saw an ad for this, just in time for the anime…

“SADA”, my butt…

I love how they almost replicated Windows 8 in this show. Or is it 7, or 10? They don’t show the taskbar, which is the main visual difference between 8 and 10, but either way the Windows replication without being sued is really something…

This OP’s gonna make me dizzy someday…

Classes, eh? So that means Suzuki’s working with an OOP language. Plus you can see Cortana on the computer as the mention of classes goes by, meaning that person’s on Windows 10.

UML.

By the way, Satou is a fairly common name in Japan…at least to my knowledge. But Suzuki is a pretty common one, too, hence the mistake.

The client? Unless Suzuki is referring to the client as in the program, it could also mean the client as in the person/group who wants the game made. Considering what he says though involving a call, it’s probably the latter.

That’s the second show with a lost kid in the first episode. It seems a bit trite, don’tcha think?

According to his phone map (flip phone!), he’s in Akihabara.

FFL…eh? Google says there are multiple Final Fantasy games for Android, meaning I’ve probably thinking of Fire Emblem Fates (which doesn’t match), and there’s no such thing as Final Fantasy 50 (L in Roman numerals) yet.

That’s the second time they mentioned work/daily life being a death march. Can we not???

Come to think of it, Suzuki looks like Nobuaki (King’s Game), which doesn’t bode well for either show.

Apparently you can get Facebook Messenger for Windows 10, which I didn’t know…

“…being a corporate slave.”

C’mon! This ain’t the Animatrix, but still, if you’re trying to make stuff look technological, at least make it look a bit better.

Third time they’ve mentioned “death march”.

It might just be Houseki no Kuni’s fault, but this CGI is really janky.

Welllll…at least it looks like a game.

Welllllllll…at least they knew where to put their money for some sakuga…

This running through fields scene is either a homage to Every Anime Opening ever, or Pokémon. I distinctly remember it being in Emerald’s opening animation, at least.

Dude, if you want to look for a wyvern, do it from the ground where you won’t get injured, dumb Satoo.

Does this look a lot like Berserk (2016) with all its CGI knights…or is that just me?

Zena…? I might be showing how old I am with this (or how much I scour the internet), but…by any chance, do you mean this gal instead?

I think I’ve had enough of this flip for now, so I’m putting it on hold.

[magzoso-tech]

Blockchain security startup CoolBitX raises $16.75 million Series B round

New Post has been published on http://rebrand.ly/cbihqie

Blockchain security startup CoolBitX raises $16.75 million Series B round

CoolBitX, a blockchain security startup based in Taiwan, announced today it has raised $16.75 million in Series B funding, led by returning investor SBI Holdings, a Japanese financial group.

Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bitsonic, Monex Group, another Japanese financial group, and Taiwan’s National Development Fund also participated.

Founded in 2014, CoolBitX makes two products. One is CoolWallet S, a Bluetooth-enabled hardware wallet for cryptocurrency. The other is called called Sygna, a solution created to help virtual asset service providers (VASPs) become compliant with a new rule passed last year by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Referred to as the “travel rule,” it is meant to prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorist acts by requiring virtual asset service providers to collect personally identifiable information (PII) from customers during transactions. All virtual asset service providers in FATF member countries need to comply by June.

With its new funding, CoolBitX plans to expand Sygna’s presence beyond the Asia-Pacific region. The startup says that 12 cryptocurrency exchanges have already signed memorandums of understanding with it and are currently using or testing Sygna, including SBI VC Trade, Coincheck, Bitbank, DMM Bitcoin, BITpoint, MaiCoin, BitoPro and Ace.

CoolBitX founder and CEO Michael Ou told TechCrunch in an email that Sygna’s deployment helps differentiates it from competitors like Shyft and Ciphertrace, which also offer travel rule compliance solutions, because it has been tested and proven by users.

“In addition, Sygna ensures that VASPs can quickly comply with new regulations with minimal disruptions to their day-to-day operations,” he added. “By focusing on seamless user experience, maximum security during the transmission of data, Sygna aims t facilitate the mainstream adoption of the crypto currency.”

In a press statement, SBI Holdings president and CEO Yoshitaka Kitao said, “As one of the early investors in CoolBitX, SBI Holdings is happy to see the breakthroughs made by the CoolBitX team to drive cryptocurrency adoption forward. As such, we are delighted to participate in our second tranche of investment in CoolBitX. The borderless nature of digital assets requires a solution that isn’t bound by geographical boundaries and we are proud to partner with CoolBitX on their journey to bring a secure and easy-to-implement system to the world.”

[nordpol-blog]

Demystifying the Saudi Arabian Visa Process

Saudi Arabian Airlines is the banner provider of Saudi Arabia, operating underneath the title Saudia. It's one of the largest company providers in the Heart Eastern place and has been acquiesced by many market watchers together of the very efficient. Alongside top-notch services, it includes some of the cheapest global routes on some routes. To be able to develop the company and reach, the officials decided to re-brand the carrier, and changing the former name Saudi Arabian Airlines was the very first step. Presently, it acts a lot more than 120 destinations in Africa, Europe, North America, Asia and Heart East. A lot more than 600 flights are operated by the provider every day, and the quantity might move quite saturated in Ramadan and Hajj seasons. The need is frequently achieved by charter flights on popular routes as despite 100 per dollar journey occupancy, all tourists do not obtain a seat.  saudi airlines They're operated low priced international routes from the primary foundation at Jeddah-King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED), and secondary basics at Dammam-King Fahd International Airport (DMM) and Riyadh-King Khalid International Airport (RUH). The growth of airports in the location has served it in raising the capacity and offering larger quantity of fliers efficiently. Travellers can opt for Saudi Arabia flight booking to achieve any area of the earth as it is associated with a number of huge titles in the industry. It is a full-time member of the SkyTeam alliance and Arab Air Companies Organization (AACO). It gives limitations with other customers, who extend their solutions to the carrier on paths where it doesn't run an immediate flight. Nevertheless, to ensure cheapest global passes, individuals can follow some recommendations given by expert travellers. It's been observed that search of a flight admission generally revolves round the price. Nevertheless, authorities are of an alternative opinion and suggest that the search shouldn't be price-centred. In the event of a short-haul trip, seat choice or different in-flight amenities may be dismissed as only two to four hours have to be used in the aircraft. Next, individuals obtain access to their cell phones, may continue seeing the movie they want or send the urgent mail, and in those cases, value can be the primary base. However, in the event of international journeys, ease, Wi-Fi entry, meals and greater headphones can be important for many people. All through such trips, travellers may have to undergo different time zones, which may be literally challenging. Hence, a cushty seat becomes an important factor.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Caihong vs Falcatakely

Caihong juji

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Rainbow with big crest

Time: 161 million years old (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic)

Location: Tiaojishan Formation, China

It’s always a special treat to hear the announcement of a dinosaur with known colours, because it gives the most direct impression of how truly stunning these animals would have been to witness in real life. And Caihong might just be the most spectacular of them all so far, described in 2018 from an immaculate full-body fossil that preserves detailed feathers! Caihong’s feathers are longer than some other floofy dinosaurs, and would have had the appearance of a luxurious mane along its neck. Not only that, the fossil preserves feather microstructures that in life would have made this dinosaur gloriously iridescent!

Now iridescent dinosaurs aren’t new, Microraptor has been decked out in fabulous starling-esque plumage for a while now, but Caihong absolutely takes it to the next level. Its whole body was covered in iridescent black, including the enormous tail, but the real star of the show are the platelet-like melanosomes found on the head, neck, and the base of the tail. Different from the usual iridescent melanosomes, the structure of these tiny organelles reflects brilliantly iridescent colours, like those on the heads of hummingbirds and particularly the bright purple feathers on the necks of the trumpeter family. Caihong would have put on an absolutely dazzling jewel-toned display in the treetops or on the forest floor of prehistoric China!

Falcatakely forsterae

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Forster’s Small Scythe Beak 

Time: 70 to 66 million years ago (Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous) 

Location: Maevarano Formation, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar 

We like to joke that the different types of protobirds in the Mesozoic were just like modern birds with teeth, and that’s obviously an oversimplification, but sometimes it’s just true. This is one of those times. Falcatakely was an Enantironithine - an Opposite bird - very distinct from living birds, and yet, it convergently evolved a toucan beak, essentially rendering it a toothed toucan! Don’t get your hopes up, though - the teeth were few in number, concentrated in the front of the beak. But, still, that’s not going to stop me from calling this an Opposite Toucan. Unfortunately, only the skull is known, so it is uncertain how large the rest of the body was - the beak itself was 9 centimeters in length. Falcatakely lived in the seasonally arid Maevarano Formation, which transitioned between a swampy floodplain and a semidesert depending on the season. Here there were a LOT of weird animals, not just Falcatakely - this is the home of the herbivorous croc Simosuchus, the toothy dinosaur Masiakasaurus, giant stem-mammals like Adalatherium, the giant frog Beelzebufo, the weird protobird Rahonavis, and more normal things like Majungasaurus and Rapetosaurus. Honestly, we should stop being surprised at the strange things islands manage to produce, but I’m not quite ready to give up that shocked feeling yet. 

[scolop98]

VOTE BERTHASAURA FOR DINOSAUR MARCH MADNESS 2023

​Berthasaura is just *barely* losing @a-dinosaur-a-day​‘s DMM poll and if the only remaining Noasaur loses to a friggin Spinosaur I might actually riot

A vote for Berthasaura is a vote for all Noasaurs, arguably the weirdest collection of non-avian theropods to ever exist. A vote for Berthasaura is, by extension, a vote for:

- Masiakasaurus “why are your teeth like that“ knopfleri of Prehistoric Planet fame, a genuíne Madagascan weirdo

-  Vespersaurus “only dinosaur that walks on one toe” paranaensis (yes that includes all birds), tragic second place of the previous round

- Limusaurus “are you sure that’s even a theropod” inextricabilis, which started out like normal little baby theropods before losing their teeth and becoming quasi-ornithomimid beaked herbivores, and its fellow Elaphrosaurines

- Noasaurids are also the closest relatives of Abelisaurs, which should be worth extra brownie points

And Berthasaura itself was no slouch either! In addition to being arguably The Most Ornithopod of any theropod (vote for wacky convergent evolution!), it evolved its toothlessness independently of the Elaphrosaurines, and was toothless its entire life! Friggin Noasaurs don’t even do toothlesness the same way twice apparently. Berthasaura also holds the distinction of being the second ever toothless non-ceolosaurian theropod to be described, and it had a nearly complete skeleton! Berthasaura was an ornithomimid before ornithomimids became cool (or even existed), an early-cretaceous throwback to Shuvosaurids, the first of a long line of weirdo theropods. Peak dinosaur, 9/10.

Meanwhile Ceratosuchops is what, a Baryonychine with a horn on its head? Boo, unoriginal, 4/10. The horn ain’t even that big. It’s only known from some fragments of a skull (again: compare to Berthasaura’s remarkably complete skeleton) and in all honesty I’m just tired of Spinosaurs at this point. I couldn’t even keep track of whatever Spinosaurus drama was happening back when I was deep in my early Covid paleo hyperfixation and I'm kinda scared to check in on it. Apologies to Darren Naish, but I’ve had a petty grudge against spotlight-stealing Spinosaurs since like the third post-2014 Spinosaurus paper and it sure as hell-herons ain’t going away now. Sure, Ceratosuchops was a heron-analogue with a cool name, but it’s not even a proper heron mimic. If you want some real convergent evolution, vote for Berthasaura. 

Am I deliberately skimping on Baryonychine facts due to a petty grudge against the most famous member of the family? Yes definitely absolutely. They get enough attention as is. And what do they have that Noasaurs don’t? Weird teeth and an aquatic diet? See Masiakasaurus. Big fore-claws? See Noasaurus. Large size? Overrated, and Deltadromeus might be a Noasaur so they even have that covered. Sail-backs and a semiaquatic lifestyle? That’s Spinosaurus bias talking, vote for Bajadasaurus or Annakacygna instead. Spinosaurs may be fan-favorite weirdo dinosaurs, but I think that Noasaurs were objectively weirder and deserve to advance in the polls. Vote Berthasaura for a weirder, wackier theropod (and a way to unload that pent-up anti-Spinosaurus grudge, if you like)

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Berthasaura vs Ceratosuchops

Berthasaura leopoldinae

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Bertha and Leopoldina’s reptile (in honour of naturalist and women’s rights activist Bertha Maria Júlia Lutz, and first Empress of Brazil and advocate for Brazilian independence Maria Leopoldina)

Time: Uncertain, likely ~121 to 75 million years ago (Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Creataceous) but may be younger

Location: Goio-Erê Formation, Brazil

Theropods are famously carnivorous dinosaurs, but many, many groups of theropods have decided “actually but what if I didn’t” and gone vegetarian, and yet it’s still wild when another one of those pops up every now and then. Even among them though, Berthasaura is special for being the only theropod that seems to have tried to just straight up turn itself into an ornithopod. The long spindly legs, the teeny little arms, and a big head with a toothless beak all come together to create an utterly bizarre little theropod that honestly nobody could have predicted.

Berthasaura is a noasaur, and those of you familiar will at this moment be saying “oh of course it’s a noasaur” because those guys were small ceratosaurs that were basically Theropod Wacky Experimental Phase 1.0. Within this group you’ve got wild sticky-outy teeth, a single weight-bearing toe on each foot in our fellow competitor Vespersaurus, and now multiple instances of beaks evolving independently. Theropods just love to evolve a beak, what can I say? Whatever the hell Berthasaura had going on, it must have been successful because as the basalmost noasaurid currently known its direct lineage has been surviving since at least the Late Jurassic!

Ceratosuchops inferodios

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Horned Crocodile Faced Hell Heron

Time: ~128 million years ago (Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous) 

Location: Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight, England 

Say hello to the Hell Heron! Ceratosuchops is one of many new Spinosaurs described recently, showcasing the sheer diversity of this group as well as their much larger spread than previously believed. Ceratosuchops, previously thought to be just Baryonyx, is one of such new taxa that point to the entire group originating in Europe, a piece of their evolutionary puzzle not previously well known. Ceratosuchops was about 8.5 meters long, and had a long crocodile-like skull, with a horn on the top of it (hence its name). As a spinosaur, it would have probably been an aquatic stalker (you know, like a heron) - waiting near bodies of water for food, and snatching it up before it could swim away. Just, the difference between Ceratosuchops and actual herons, well, this was a big heron. It probably wouldn’t have had a sail, though it is possible it may have had a ridge like its close relative Suchomimus. It lived in a heavily river-filled environment, giving it a wide variety of locations to choose from for hunting. Besides a vast diversity of invertebrates, sharks, ray-finned fish, salamanders, lizards, turtles, many kinds of Neosuchians, Plesiosaurs, mammals, and pterosaurs, Ceratosuchops lived alongside other dinosaurs such as Hypsilophodon, Brighstoneus, Iguanodon, Mantellisaurus, Valdosaurus, Polacanthus, Eucamerotus, Oplosaurus, Ornithopsis, Aristosuchus, Calamosaurus, Calamospondylus, Eotyrannus, Neovenator, Ornithodesmus, Yaverlandia, Vectiraptor, Thecocoelurus, and even another spinosaur, Riparovenator!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Ibirania vs Australotitan

Ibirania parva

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Little wanderer of Ibirá (a municipality of São Paulo, Brazil)

Time: ~85 to 72 million years ago (Santonian to Campanian stages of the Late Cretaceous)

Location: São José do Rio Preto Formation, Brazil

Enormous sauropods keep making the news as the next giant behemoth, stacking up a roster of incredibly huge animals that push the limits of how big a land animal can get. But every now and then, a sauropod comes along that is just a certified Little Guy, and that is Ibirania! Described in 2022 as a new genus of saltasaurine, Ibirania is remarkably little even within this modest-sized clade. It clocks in at under 6 metres long and only a couple heads taller than the average human, which also makes it an extremely temptingly rideable size. Like that’s just a less messed up horse with some slightly more uncomfortable armour plates! Another unique feature of Ibirania is the evidence for acute osteomyelitis in the leg of one specimen, an example of one of the many diseases that could and did affect dinosaurs throughout their probably pretty difficult lives. Not only that, but there are preserved blood parasites inside the leg bone that would have caused the infection, a definite first in dinosaur paleontology! Kinda sucks for the dinosaur, but also fascinating stuff!

Australotitan cooperensis

Artwork by Vlad Konstantinov, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Southern titan from Cooper Creek

Time: ~95 million years ago (Cenomanian to Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous)

Location: Winton Formation, Australia

Nicknamed “Cooper” by its discoverers in 2005, Australotitan was big news on the Australian dinosaur scene for years before its discovery because it was clear this dinosaur was Huge. It took 5 years of preparation and 10 years of study and reconstruction before Cooper was finally published in 2021, and secured its official title as the largest Australian dinosaur known to science! While exact weight measurements for titanosaurs are extremely difficult, it fits into the same size class as other newly-famous giants like Dreadnoughtus and Patagotitan. The bones themselves show signs of being trampled over by a convoy of smaller sauropods that left a 100 metre fossil trackway over the site. Honestly, the disrespect to an icon like Cooper!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Stegouros vs Spicomellus

Stegouros elengassen

Artwork by Luis Enrique Pérez López, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Armored Creature with a Roofed Tail

Time: 74.9 to 71.7 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous) 

Location: Dorotea Formation, Patagonia, Chile 

South America is just where the nonavian dinosaur party is happening these days! Stegouros is another recently described species from this continent, and another weird one - it was an Ankylosaur, but not a Nodosaur or an Ankylosaurid, and more to the point, instead of a tail club it had a series of vertebrae enclosed in osteoderms, in a shape that looked a lot like a macuahuitl - the tail was also very short, shorter than any other Thyreophoran, with flattened vertebrae coming together to form the strange and distinctive shape (similar short vertebrae are known from its relative, Antarctopelta). At around 2 meters long, it was very small for an Ankylosaur, though it had a head that was quite large for its body. It also had inward curving teeth, making them look vaguely hourglass-shaped, though they were also asymmetrical. It had many typical ankylosaur traits, but also some stegosaurian ones such as hollow sides to their vertebrae. Overall, it was very similar in proportions and appearance to Antarctopelta, indicating Antarctopelta may have looked more like Stegouros than previously thought. It had limb bones similar to cursorial Ankylosaurs, indicating Stegouros itself was a fast and efficient mover; and it even had claws shaped like hooves which may have enabled even more efficient running and locomotion. So, yeah. A short big headed ankylosaur built for running with a freaking ax on its tail. That’s normal! Living in the Dorotea Formation, Stegouros probably lived near the coast, alongside different sorts of mammals, fish, bivalves, amphibians, plesiosaurs, turtles, and unnamed dinosaurs such as opposite birds, megaraptors, Unenlagiines, and possible titanosaurs. 

Spicomellus afer

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: African Collar of Spikes 

Time: 168 to 164 million years ago (Bathonian to Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic) 

Location: Third Subunit, El Mers Group, Fès-Meknès, Morocco 

Spicomellus is the oldest known Ankylosaur, and also the first described Ankylosaur from North Africa! But that isn’t even the weirdest thing about it! Spicomellus had dermal spikes, fused to the bone, forming a collar (for which it was named) around its neck. Given that the spike were fused to the underlying bone - something no other ankylosaur does - it is probable that it wouldn’t have had a particularly flexible neck, or an easy time moving in general if the pattern continued throughout the body. It probably would have been around 3 meter long at the most, similar in size to other ankylosaurs from the Middle Jurassic. Coming from the El Mers Group, i tlived alongside Cetiosaurus, the stegosaur Adratiklit, megalosaurs, and teleosaurids. Spicomellus adds to a growing diversity of Jurassic Ankylosaurs, showing how Ankylosaurs and Stegosaurs lived alongside each other for a large period of time (the Middle and Late Jurassic epochs) and that the extinction of the Stegosaurs must have been due to a different, unrelated factor.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Vorombe vs Asteriornis

Vorombe titan

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Titan of the Big Birds 

Time: 10,000 years ago to sometime in the past 2000 years (Holocene epoch of the Quaternary period) 

Location: Southern Madagascar 

Vorombe is a newly erected genus of Elephant Bird, the largest that we know of! Whereas all species of Elephant Bird used to be put in the same genus, distinct differences among the types of Elephant Bird that we know of indicate they deserve their own genus names - and here we are! Vorombe was significantly larger than the other species of Elephant Bird, and probably was about 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) tall when standing. It was also ridiculously heavy, weighing around 650 kilograms. As such, Vorombe is currently the largest known bird ever recorded. It lived in the arid and succulent woodlands as well as the grassland mosaics, the weirdly unique habitats that charactierize Madagascar, and was a major feature in the functioning of those ecosystem - helping to spread plant seeds and maintain habitats as they lived within them. Vorombe and other Elephant Birds lived alongside a lot of weird animals during the Quaternary of Madadgascar, including dwarf hippos, giant tortoises, and giant lemurs. 

Note: A paper came out literally on the last day of February this year indicating Vorombe may not be its own genus. More work is needed to determine if this bird is distinct from Aepyornis. 

Asteriornis maastrichtensis

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Asteria’s Maastrichtian Bird 

Time: 66.8 million years ago (Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous_ 

Location: Maastricht Formation, Eben-Emael, Belgium 

Say hello to the Wonderchicken! While we know that modern dinosaurs - birds - had to have evolved in the Mesozoic, and diversified somewhat during it, actual fossil representatives of Mesozoic modern birds are quite rare, with only a few duck-related taxa (Vegavis and Teviornis) known. Asteriornis finally adds a stem-chicken to that group, which we knew had to have been around since we had stem-ducks! (They diverged at the same time, so the presence of stem-ducks requires the presence of stem-chickens). A small, long-legged bird, Asteriornis had a lot of characteristics similar to both chickens and ducks, indicating it may have evolved right after that initial divergence. It had a slightly down-curved beak without specializations, allowing it to have a generalist diet. It had wings similar to living ground birds, and that combined with its long legs indicates a terrestrial lifestyle. Living along the coast, Asteriornis would have eaten whatever it could forage for, possibly wading into the water or trekking through high vegetation when necessary. It lived near the ocean, along the coast, and as such it shared its habitat with many types of invertebrates, including corals and echinoderms and crustaceans, as well as ammonites. Surrounded by grasses, palms, and shrubs, Asteriornis also lived alongside other vertebrates such as a wide variety of sharks, tons of mosasaurs, turtles, elasmosaurs, marsupials, and other dinosaurs such as Orthomerus, Janavis, large theropods, an unknown opposite-bird, and other potential Ornithurans. 

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Kholumalumo vs Amanzia

Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum

Artwork by @alphynix, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Kholumolumo (giant reptilian dragon from Sotho folklore) named for Paul and François Ellenberger (the original excavators of the fossils)

Time: 210 million years ago (Norian stage of the Late Triassic)

Location: Lower Elliot Formation, Lesotho

Kholumolumo is an old friend with a new name. Its previous informal name, “Thotobolosaurus” meaning “trash heap reptile”, was truly magnificent and became one of the great memes of Ye Olde 2010s Palaeo Tumblr! Needless to say it was a bittersweet moment to see our old buddy finally published but lose its iconic name in the process. Rest in peace, Trash Heap Lizard.

The reason it wound up with that name is because the fossils were in fact found basically right next to the local rubbish dump of the village of Maphutseng in 1955. The trash pile turned out to be sitting on a bone bed of around five to ten animals, and over the course of several years they were excavated and moved to the University of Cape Town. Unfortunately, and perhaps appropriately to the name, the subsequent study of these fossils ended up being a complete trash fire. Specimens went missing that have never been found, professional relationships fell apart, and the animal itself wasn’t mentioned in the literature until 1970 when it was dropped into a discussion on the stratigraphy of the Elliot formation and named “Thotobolosaurus mabeatae” without any description of the fossils. This made the name “Thotobolosaurus” a nomen nudum (naked name) and thus invalid.

Finally in 2020 all the tribulation paid off and it received a proper initial description, although many fossils that weren’t lost in the chaos still remain under study and could be the subject of future papers. It’s nice to see our beloved trash heap of a dinosaur finally coming into its own!

Amanzia greppini

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Named for 19th-century geologists Amanz Gressly and Jean-Baptiste Greppin

Time: 157 million years ago (Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic)

Location: Reuchenette Formation, Switzerland

Amanzia has been through a real odyssey of classifications. First discovered c. 1860, it was mistaken for a theropod and named Megalosaurus meriani in the 1870s, reclassified as a sauropod and named Ornithopsis greppini in 1922, then re-reclassified as a species of Cetiosauriscus in 1927, and then basically ignored ever since. Poor guy’s got an identity crisis now.

The actual fossils weren’t properly cleaned until 2003, and subsequent study in 2020 named it and revealed it was probably a turiasaur, an early-branching group of large sauropods that was unknown before the 2000s, so nobody working on it in the century and a half beforehand could have had any idea what they’d really found!

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Bajadasaurus vs Lavocatisaurus

Bajadasaurus pronuspinax

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Downhill reptile with forward-bent spines

Time: 145 to 132.9 million years ago (Berriasian to Valanginian stages of the Early Cretaceous)

Location: Bajada Colorado Formation, Argentina

Initially published in 2019, Bajadasaurus became pretty much instantly popular because of its bizarre, forward-pointing double mohawk of spines on its neck. The only other dinosaur like it is Amargasaurus, a dicraeosaurid sauropod that was thought to be entirely unique in its neck spines. The initial hypothesis in the paper describing Bajadasaurus was that the front-facing spines would have been passive defense structures that could impale predators that tried to make a charge at the otherwise-vulnerable head. However, a recent paper on Amargasaurus in 2022 has potentially turned that idea on its spiny head, suggesting that based on the interior bone histology of the spines as well as the outer texture Amargasaurus’ multi-pronged neck actually supported some sort of fleshy sail instead! The study didn’t include Bajadasaurus in its analysis, but based on its similarities to Amargasaurus it’s reasonable to assume that this forward-swept spine was also more of a sail, turning a deadly defensive fortification into a showy display feature!

Lavocatisaurus agiroensis

Artwork by @i-draws-dinosaurs, written by @i-draws-dinosaurs

Name meaning: Lavocat’s reptile from Agrio del Medio (in honour of French palaeontologist René Lavocat)

Time: ~120 to 113 million years ago (Aptian to Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous)

Location: Rayoso Formation, Argentina

Lavocatisaurus was a genus of rebbachisaurid, the clade of diplodocoids that saw everyone else doing the whole neck thing and were like “actually what if I didn’t”. We actually have a complete series of neck vertebrae from Lavocatisaurus, and while its neck wasn’t as short as some of its relatives it’s clear that reaching tall branches wasn’t the priority here. The skull is wide and flat at the front, so it may have been a low browser, preferring to take in as wide a selection of plants as possible. The well-preserved skull also makes obvious a weird and unique feature of Lavocatisaurus; it had a big extra hole in its skull! Some sauropod skulls have a small hole in the side of the snout called the preantorbital fenestra, and while it usually looks like a pinhole in species that have it Lavocatisaurus has a bizarrely huge one. It’s not super clear what the purpose of this was, but it might have been to further lighten the skull.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Round Two: Conflicto vs Annakacygna

Conflicto antarcticus

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Contradiction from Antarctica 

Time: 65 million years ago (Danian stage of the Paleocene epoch, Paleogene period) 

Location: Seymour Island, López de Bertodano Formation, Antarctica 

The evolutionary history of the fowl - chickens and ducks - is a controversial one, owing in no small part to the sheer diversity of basal taxa from the Galloanseran group. Existing prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction, Galloanserans went through the same adaptive radiation that everything did following the extinction - leading to a wide disparity of animals that show a weirdly diverse mosaic of traits. Conflicto is one of such taxa. Literally occurring in a fossil formation that tracks the transition from Cretaceous to Paleogene, Conflicto appears on the Paleogene side of the boundary, possibly a direct descendant of other Anseriformes that were present in Antarctica in the latest Cretaceous. But it's survivorship is not, in fact, the weirdest thing about it. Conflicto, despite being a stem-anseriform, and thus early on in the evolution of the group, had a weirdly duck/goose like beak. It was similar in structure to the bill of waterfowl, just not as wide. It also had large nostrils, much wider openings than modern ducks and geese. The problem with this is the fact that the earliest branching-off members of Anseriformes - the Screamers - have chicken-like beaks. As such, the original hypothesis for bill evolution in Anseriformes was that they started with chicken beaks, and later the group composed of geese, ducks, and magpie-geese evolved a spatulate bill the one time. However, Conflicto coming prior to the splitting off of screamers and having such a bill throws this idea into question - and this won’t be the last word on the subject, I assure you. Showcasing a partially-spatulate bill makes Conflicto an important piece of the puzzle of anseriform evolution. In its post-apocalyptic world, Conflicto was surprisingly not alone - living in a temperate to subpolar fern forest, it was able to feast on a wide variety of gastropods, bivalves, worms, and echinoids. When it comes to vertebrates, however, Conflicto was alone - the last survivor of a previously vibrant Cretaceous environment. 

Annakacygna hajimei, A. yoshiiensis

Artwork by @otussketching, written by @zygodactylus

Name Meaning: Swan from Annaka (Hajime’s or of Yoshii-machi) 

Time: 11.5 million years ago (Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch, Neogene period)

Location: Haraichi Formation, Annaka, Japan

Annakacygna was dubbed during its research “the ultimate bird”, and honestly, I don’t even blame the scientists for doing so - I may have even done the same. Both large species of swan, A. hajimei was about the size of a black swan, and A. yoshiiensis was larger than even the mute swan. They were weird in so many ways it boggles the mind: they were adapted for filter feeding in the water, their wings and tails were so flexible they could form a cradle for their young on their backs like modern mute swangs, said tails and wings were probably great and flashy display structures, its head was extremely large weird looking and had a slightly spoon-like bill, they had wide and heavy vertebrae but still had long and flexible necks, it may have even been a flightless bird or at least a poor flier based on its sternum and coracoids, though its scapula is extremely strong and unlike flightless animals - more research is needed to better understand this aspect of its mobility. That said, it did have very short wing birds, weirdly curved and short among birds, with weirdly shaped finger bones coming together to create weirdly formed curved wings. Its hips were arched up, creating a dip in its back, and it had narrow leg bones, allowing for efficient movement in the water like living *grebes and loons*. So while it had this whole weird display structure with its wings and tail going on, and its robust but long neck, and that strangely boat-shaped body (what the actual f-), it was zooming through the water like a grebe or loon. It had a similar beak to living shovelers, possibly, and it could move its jaw back and forth in a seesaw like motion, not like any living swans. It could then filter food through its jaws via this motion, eating a variety of plankton through soft lamellae within its bill. It was probably very social, given its display structures, and communicated both vocally (imagine the power of those calls with that robust neck) and visually. Annakacygna also took care of its young, extensively, keeping them on their back protected in their wings, to the point that they may not have spent much time on land (like living loons and grebes). It wasn’t a deep diver, but was stable at sea while foraging on food and moving along the surface of the water, living primarily in the ocean. Found in a marine environment, Annakacygna lived with sharks, seals, many kinds of whales, and desmostylians.