Mini T. Rex Could Be Missing Link

A private owner has donated a fossil that could change the way we think about Tyrannosaurus and their development.

Some scientists believed the T.Rex evolved to its enormous size, then its arms shrank, when they were no longer needed.  The new discovery, though, shows that the tiny-armed killing machine may have evolved from a much smaller killing-machine-with-tiny-arms.  This totally rearranges the previous T.Rex evolution paradigm.
The 125 million-year-old fossil dinosaur, unearthed in China and dubbed Raptorex kriegsteini, is "as close to the proverbial missing link on a lineage as we might ever get for tyrannosaurs," Sereno said.

Link

(As a special bonus, check out the religious debate in the comments.)

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by HeartlessMachine.

Comments (13)

Newest 5
Newest 5 Comments

Neat-o! Unfortunately, the headline kind of threw gasoline on one "creationist's" fire, implying "surprise." T.rex's tiny forelimbs have always been a bit of a mystery, and the hypothesis that it evolved from a smaller form with proportionally longer forelimbs makes sense. But any palaeontologist will freely admit that no evidence had been found that confirms that hypothesis. This fossil is certainly interesting and important, and should be taken into account when re-evaluating the hypothesis. But it doesn't necessarily blow it out of the water. Tyrannosauroids very likely lived in forested areas, and thus their fossils are rare as fossils go. We're still a long way from getting a clear picture of their development. I don't really think any palaeontologist was "surprised," though, in the sense that at least one detractor assumed. (He seems to think that scientists are "know-it-alls" who are surprised at every new discovery because they actually know nothing.) After all, flightless birds come in a wide range of sizes, so it's entirely possible that stubby-forelimbed dinos came in different sizes as well.

It's sad to see so many loudmouthed people vehemently defending their literal interpretation of a creation myth in the name of religion. This discovery has zero to do with religion. And of course the little 'roid's fossil was found among fish & clam fossils --- It was a complete skeleton, well-preserved, which means it was buried in mud immediately rather than left in the open. Being a land animal, it most likely died in a flash flood and was swept downstream. This does not support a "universal deluge" myth.

Further proof that logic needs to be taught in school.
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Cordydan, they probably scavenged whenever they could, as lions do, but that doesn't mean they couldn't, or didn't, hunt whenever they needed to.
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"I feel the article fails to address a very important aspect of the Mini T. Rex; are they or are they not absolutely adorable?"

I also vote for adorable. I also think that small bipedal robots with mouth weapons and tiny little arm guns would be both adorable and kick-ass.
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Well, you are going to need protein so I'd go with a whey protein powder which keeps for a while as long as it isn't opened (so small containers).
Water doesn't go bad as long as it is clean, and something you will need a lot of.
There is salt, which doesn't go bad and can be used to preserve stuff that you've killed to eat post apocalypse.
Grains, beans, and pastas last about 8 years as long as they are stored properly and are away from bugs.
Also, don't forget about a first aid kit. None of that stuff is useful if you nick yourself and get gangrene and die.
Also, I would like to say that I am not prepared for the apocalypse, I just researched for like 10 minutes.
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Rice does pretty good. Keeps long, cheap, high in calories.
I'm told canned meats last a long time, but they're heavy, and salty.
Potassium iodide can sanitize water if you're willing to suffer the awful taste. And hey! Bonus nuclear fallout radiation protection for you thyroid. Vitamin C can help with the taste, double bonus!
I'd put multivitamins in my apocalypse kit, but I haven't looked into how long they're really good for... easily thrice their expiration date which is already many years. Vitamin deficiencies can become big problems with limited food varieties. Multivitamins aren't ideal, but they can suffice.
Powdered milk lasts quite a while. Yeast does too, but not flour so much.
Lab-grade ethanol is cheap (~$10/gal. for 90%), lasts forever, makes a good sanitizer, and it'll getcha obliterated in a pinch if you're so inclined.
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  2 replies
As long as you keep it dry, sugar doesn't go bad. Lots of calories and you can mix it up with yeast, water and the syrup from those 20-year-old canned peaches to create some prison hooch. You'll need a little nip to keep the edge off when you're fighting zombies and assorted crazies.
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I've had a half-bottle of molasses in the refrigerator for years. No one will eat that nasty stuff.

But I had a jar of honey that was pushed back behind other things ..and it went dry and crystallized. You can't say it lasts forever.
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Salt (iodized and non iodized). Salt tends to get overlook as necessary nutrients go. Plus, iodized or not, it's a good for wound care and as a mouth rinse. It can also be employed in long-term food preservation and various cleaning wounds. As well as, preventing goiters when it is iodized.

Lard keeps for a long time and can be used in any application requiring fat or grease. Aside from cooking/edible uses you can make soap, use it for skin protection and for any mechanical polishing or lubrication purposes. This really applies to any natural fat, but if we're picking pre-packaged then, lard it is.

Grain alcohol or ethanol, which was already mentioned. Sanitizing, and fuel (for fire starting or engines.)
Failing that, I think they're making Twinkies again and there's always Spam.
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Powdered Peanut Butter. Comes in 2 flavors, regular and chocolate. Just add water to the powdered portion you want to eat. Lasts indefinitely.
My dad was a Master Beekeeper and this is what he did with honey. Honey will crystallize but you can easily re-liquify it by placing the glass jar on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at the lowest temperature an oven will go - somewhere between 150 and 200 degrees until liquid again (3-4 hrs). Or liquify it in the jar in a pan of hot water. It will take a while because you need to keep reheating the water. Don't boil the honey.
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