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RESEARCHERS STUDYING THE remains of an enormous dinosaur have given it an equally colossal name: Dreadnaughtus, or “fearing nothing”.
Scientists hope its unusually well-preserved bones will help reveal secrets about some of the largest animals ever to walk the earth. The four-legged beast, with a long neck and powerful 29-foot tail, stretched about 85 feet long – equal to more than seven Tyrannosaurus Rex – and weighed about 65 tons. That’s more than seven times the weight of even a plus-size male African elephant.
Pieces of the specimen were first discovered in Agentina’s southern Patagonia in 2005 by Kenneth Lacovara of Drexel University in Philadelphia and parts of it have been pulled together over a number of years so it can be properly studied.
He said he can’t claim that it was the most massive dinosaur known, because the remains of comparably sized beasts are too fragmentary to allow a direct comparison.
It is, however, the heaviest animal whose weight during life can be calculated directly with a standard technique that analyses bones of the upper limbs, he said. Its bones indicate it was still growing when it died.
In a study released by the journal Scientific Reports yesterday, Lacovara and colleagues describe the plant-eating behemoth’s bones as being 75 million to 77 million-years-old.
Since 2009, they have been creating computerised 3D reconstruction of the bones and have started making minaturised physical models of parts of the skeleton to investigate how the animal moved.
We’re getting a more complete picture of this giant animal than we have for any of the other big titanosaurs that are out there,” said paleontologist Kristi Curry Rogers of Macalester College in St Paul, Minnesota. The bounty of anatomical data should help scientists learn about variation in titanosaurs and their evolution, she said.
“This is pretty big news,” Rogers said.
Jeff Wilson of the University of Michigan called the finding “a really great specimen.”
Among the questions it can help scientists investigate, he said, is what kind of anatomical features were needed to let a dinosaur grow so huge.
Another huge dinosaur is currently being excavated in Patagonia and scientists hope they can determine whether the two beasts are closely related or whether each came by its huge size independently.
- With additional reporting by Michelle Hennessy.
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Now if Alan Hughes could go too then that would be great! Does nothing for the show.
@Seán Ó hAodha: agreed
@Seán Ó hAodha: Agreed. Sits there laughing at nothing.
@Seán Ó hAodha: u know the “saying that makes me sick”, well i actually dry wreched watchin his old show talkabout.
@Seán Ó hAodha: isnt he a weather presenter?
@Dave Barrett: whether he is a presenter or not is the real question!!!
@Seán Ó hAodha: Alan Hughes… worst then trush
@Seán Ó hAodha: Hughes is horrendous. How hes kept on is beyond me
The best presenter who was on Ireland AM was Aiden Cooney, a great news reader and presenter with a good sense of humour as well.
@Marty from Sligo: seriously???
@Marty from Sligo: I have to disagree
@Marty from Sligo: you must be joking was hopeless read the results wrong on many occasions and came across as winging it
@Marty from Sligo: he was like a fat mushroom sitting there with nothing interesting to say whatsoever
@Marty from Sligo: I’d say he’d be good for a late night sports show with Trevor Welch.
No loss found him to be unwilling to listen and a fixed point of view. Totally anti public sector and his view was the only view an interview would go when a balance would be needed .
Still won’t be watching anyway.
@Mark Mccormack:
Let me guess, you’re a teacher?
@Mark Mccormack: give his job to Simon Delaney.
Enjoy his wit and delivery
Underrated
He was very opinionated and had no time for anyone else’s views. Thank God he’s gone as he thought himself above everyone who didn’t agree with himself.
That will be the end of any half intelligent conversations on the show. Alan Hughes is great for a laugh but as for the rest of them, less said the better. Think I’ll have to switch back to radio
@Dan2078: have to agree, what’s left hasn’t got a full brain cell between them
Oh I missed it. Will they repeat it? Of course they will as that’s all virgin media do
He was a govt mouth piece who rarely gave anytime to guests who did,nt agree with govt policy. Showed his true colours when the water protests were at there height. Like rte never a balanced view on the major issues of the day. Will not be missed.
Good.. a new line up is needed for that chat show really…
Went to school with Mark. Enjoyed ‘Night Train’ on 2FM. Then his mid morning show on TodayFM followed by Ireland AM. Will be a change in the morning routine. Wishing Mark all the best in the future.
Wonder who’s next to get axed off that show!
@Sean Leonard: hopefully Karen . Leave Alan and all the chefs; at least that’ll give us a laugh
@Dan2078: yea it hilarious alright…..Alan hand me over that big sausage …… hahahahahaha did you here him looking for the big sausage hahahahahaha
@Dan2078: Karen has great legs
He was at his best on the radio years ago.
Alan Hughes – The exaggerated laugh of the Guy does me head in
@Angry_Man41:
Going by your name, I’d guess anyone laughing/having fun, isn’t your thing.
Top man n decent bloke…..crappy show but not his fault.
@Brian Murphy: yes professional presenter… Show is droning in to torture level… It’s so repetitive the only that changes is the news!
@Sean Leonard:
“It’s so repetitive”, so you keep watching? Which other morning tv show do you think is better to have on while one is going about one’s business of getting ready for the day ahead?
Did Cooney turn up for his farewell??
@Dan2078: probably too busy with his other 10 jobs – bore
Not a mention of Sinead who he anchored with for years!! Bad former me thinks. All the best Mark.
@Gina Clifford: he did mention her in his leaving speech at the end of the show.
I never looked at an episode…. I’ll live longer for it….
I’ll miss his dainty socks and his crossed leg posture
Mark was the brains of the show. Even then, the only part I could watch was the weather forecast and newspaper front page review. And only then with the sound muted.
Anton Savage to replace Cagney
@Breda Claffey: Simon Delaney
Great news!!! Alan next please. His attitude is horrible.
Ciara genuinely care about guests and gives honest opinion. Go lady!!
Who?
@Patrick Daly: Doctor Who
Dose
You will be miss Mark
Enjoyed him the odd time I watched. I think VM will transition this program to have a better vibe, now it still searches for audience. A bit of hard news reporting would suit me, I don’t “watch” radio.
@John Flood:
Do people really want “hard news” in the morning? I don’t think they do. “Light news” and a bit of a laugh is a much nicer way to start the day.
Weak for himself !GoodLuck Good Riddance
I
The worst show I’ve ever briefly tipped in and , mostly, out of! Why can’t it be called a very average cookery show for narcissistic, sycophants and be done with it!
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