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Glacialisaurus hammeri

© William Stout

Glacialisaurus hammeri

Introducing Glacialisaurus hammeri!

Fragmentary material belonging to a new species of basal sauropodomorph, Glacialisaurus hammeri, was recently described from the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of Antarctica in:

Smith, N.D. and Pol, D. 2007. Anatomy of a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of Antarctica. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52 (4): 657–674. PDF

The derivation of the name comes from the Latin glacialis, meaning “icy” or “frozen,” in reference to the geographic location of the type species, which is from the Beardmore Glacier region in the Central Transantarctic Mountains.The species name is in honor of Dr. William R. Hammer (Augustana College, Rock Island, USA), for his contributions to vertebrate paleontology and Antarctic research. This interesting paper can be downloaded from the Acta Palaeontologica Polonica website.

 

 

© William Stout
Tritylodont		  

The Search for Antarctic Dinosaurs

This new childrens book by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by John Bindon (October 2007), tells the story of Cryolophosaurus and the challenges faced by paleontologists working in extreme conditions.

"Rocks, ice, and snow. That is all Dr. William Hammer and his crew can see when they look at the land around them on Earth’s coldest continent. But on top of a mountain, the scientists discover a 190-million-year-old fossil. It is the remains of the first dinosaur found on mainland Antarctica. Learn more about the hunt for fossils in Antarctica and what life might have been like there millions of years ago."

This book is now available on Amazon.com from the Millbrook Press.

  

 

Cryolophosaurus

 

 

 

  

 

New Specimens Under Study

More fragmentary material belonging to a Bienotheroides clade tritylodont and a dimorphodontid pterosaur are currently under study. An official publication describing the tritylodont remains is currently in press:

Hammer, W. R., N.D. Smith. 2008.  A tritylodont postcanine from the Hanson Formation of Antarctica.  Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(1).

The Search for Antarctic Dinosaurs

 

 

 

 

 

Cryolophosaurus ellioti

The name Cryolophosaurus means "frozen crested reptile." The characteristic feature of this dinosaur is the large crest on the top of the skull, above the eyes. The nasal bones extend toward the back of the skull as ridges, and then join with the lacrimal bones to form a grooved crest which extends perpendicularly from the skull. Cryolophosaurus was discovered in the Jurassic Hanson Formation in the Transantarctic Mountains and represents the only theropod dinosaur to be found in Antarctica. Read more about Cryolophosaurus in these papers:

  • Smith, N.D., P. Makovicky, W.R. Hammer and P.J. Currie. 2007.  Osteology of Cryolophosaurus elliot from the Early Jurassic of Antarctica and implications for early theropod evolution.  Zoological Journal of Linnean Society 151 (2): 377–421.
  • Smith, N. D., and P. J. Makovicky. 2007. Early theropod evolution and paraphyly of the coelophysoidea. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(suppl. 3): 150A.
  • Smith, N. D., P. J. Makovicky, D. Pol, W. R. Hammer, and P. J. Currie. 2007. The Dinosaurs of the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of the Central Transantarctic Mountains: Phylogenetic Review and Synthesis. 10th International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences, U.S. Geological Survey and The National Academies; USGS OF-2007-1047, Short Research Paper 003; doi:10.3133/of2007-1047.srp003 PDF
  • Smith, N., W.R. Hammer, and P.J. Currie. 2005.  Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of the Early Jurassic theropod Cryolophosaurus ellioti (Dinosauria: Theropoda): implications for basal theropod evolution.  Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, v. 25, supp to #3, p. 116A.
  • Hammer, W.R. and W.J. Hickerson. 1996.  Implications of an Early Jurassic vertebrate fauna from Antarctica.  In: The Continental Jurassic, ed., M. Morales, p. 215-218.  Museum of Northern Arizona, Bulletin 60.
  • Hammer, W.R., W.J. Hickerson and R. Slaughter. 1994.  A dinosaur assemblage from the Transantarctic Mountains.  Antarctic Journal of the United States, v. 29 (5), p. 31-32.
  • Hammer, W.R. and W.J. Hickerson. 1994.  A crested theropod dinosaur from Antarctica.  Science, v. 264, p. 828-830.
  • Hammer, W.R., J.W. Collinson, and W.J. Ryan. 1990.  A new Triassic vertebrate fauna from Antarctica and its depositional setting.  Antarctic Science, v. 2(2), p. 163-169.
  • Hammer, W.R. 1997.  Jurassic dinosaurs from Antarctica.  In: Dinofest International, eds. Wolberg, Stump and Rosenberg, p. 249-251.  Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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