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Before the Dinosaurs

link Chrissy Joined: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 187645 9/18/23, 11:00:45 PM 
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Fascinating

Dinosaurs have a reputation for being the most terrifying prehistoric predators, but a newly discovered skull sheds light on a fearsome beast that dominated 40 million years before the first 'terrible lizards' walked the Earth.

The 265-million-year-old fossil found in Brazil reveals the largest meat eater of its time, one that prowled the jungles searching for unlucky critters to chomp on.

"This animal was a gnarly-looking beast, and it must have evoked sheer dread in anything that crossed its path," says Harvard University paleontologist Stephanie Pierce.

An almost-complete fossilized skull of Pampaphoneus biccai measuring almost 36 cm (14.2 inches) was discovered along with skeletal bones near São Gabriel in Southern Brazil.

link Halliwell Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 21558 9/19/23, 6:48:58 PM 
In reply to Chrissy

Interesting indeed
Was wondering if it would be closer to a bird than a mammal but the article didn’t really go into that and the article’s images seem to suggest reptilian.

link Chrissy Joined: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 187645 9/19/23, 8:36:20 PM 
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In reply to Halliwell
I want to know how they work,out the age?

link Halliwell Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 21558 9/19/23, 8:57:41 PM 
In reply to Chrissy

Isotope dating I guess

But we’re dealing with such large standard errors
And it’s hard to disprove theories that far back once someone prints it right?
‘Just before the largest mass extinction’

link sgtdjones Joined: Feb 16, 2017
Posts: 32437 9/19/23, 10:06:37 PM 
In reply to Halliwell

Any archaeological dating technique that yields a result in calendar years prior to the present is known as chronometric dating, often known as chronometry or absolute dating. Absolute dating techniques are used by scientists and archaeologists on materials ranging from prehistoric fossils to relatively modern objects.
By enabling highly accurate dating of historical items and materials using a variety of scientific procedures, chronometric dating has transformed archaeology.Numerous creatures and minerals contain radioactive isotopes including U-235 and C-14. These radioactive isotopes decay over time at a predictable rate since they are unstable.

For the purpose of dating rocks, artifacts, and fossils, a number of radioactive isotopes are frequently utilized. U-235 is most frequently found. Numerous igneous rocks, soil, and silt contain u-235. U-235 has a half-life of 704 million years before decaying to Pb-207. U-235 is the ideal isotope for radioactive dating because of its lengthy half-life, especially for older fossils and rocks.

Another radioactive isotope that transforms into C-12 is C-14. The majority of living things contain this isotope. The C-14 starts to deteriorate once an organism perishes. C-14, however, has a short half-life of only 5,730 years. C-14 isotopes are not detectable in samples older than 50,000 years due to its short half-life, making it impossible to date older samples. C-14 is frequently used to date human artifacts.

sciencing.com
Isotopes Used for Dating

link Halliwell Joined: May 14, 2005
Posts: 21558 9/21/23, 1:59:54 AM 
In reply to Chrissy

Ok
Who built this?

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link Chrissy Joined: Nov 14, 2002
Posts: 187645 9/21/23, 2:56:53 AM 
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In reply to Halliwell
Fascinating

link Curtis Joined: Dec 4, 2002
Posts: 15390 9/21/23, 3:18:39 AM 
Glad I wasn't around then bwoy
Have problems with raccoon and rat these days. Who you gonna call for dinosaurs?

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