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Posted on 08/13/2003 9:02:05 PM PDT by nwrep
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2 hours, 55 minutes ago
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By RAMOLA TALWAR BADAM, Associated Press Writer
BOMBAY, India - U.S. and Indian scientists said Wednesday they have discovered a new carnivorous dinosaur species in India after finding bones in the western part of the country.
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The new dinosaur species was named Rajasaurus narmadensis, or "Regal reptile from the Narmada," after the Narmada River region where the bones were found.
The dinosaurs were between 25-30 feet long, had a horn above their skulls, were relatively heavy and walked on two legs, scientists said. They preyed on long-necked herbivorous dinosaurs on the Indian subcontinent during the Cretaceous Period at the end of the dinosaur age, 65 million years ago.
"It's fabulous to be able to see this dinosaur which lived as the age of dinosaurs came to a close," said Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago. "It was a significant predator that was related to species on continental Africa, Madagascar and South America."
Working with Indian scientists, Sereno and paleontologist Jeff Wilson of the University of Michigan reconstructed the dinosaur skull in a project funded partly by the National Geographic (news - web sites) Society.
A model of the assembled skull was presented Wednesday by the American scientists to their counterparts from Punjab University in northern India and the Geological Survey of India during a Bombay news conference.
Scientists said they hope the discovery will help explain the extinction of the dinosaurs and the shifting of the continents — how India separated from Africa, Madagascar, Australia and Antarctica and collided with Asia.
The dinosaur bones were discovered during the past 18 years by Indian scientists Suresh Srivastava of the Geological Survey of India and Ashok Sahni, a paleontologist at Punjab University.
When the bones were examined, "we realized we had a partial skeleton of an undiscovered species," Sereno said.
The scientists said they believe the Rajasaurus roamed the Southern Hemisphere land masses of present-day Madagascar, Africa and South America.
"People don't realize dinosaurs are the only large-bodied animal that lived, evolved and died at a time when all continents were united," Sereno said.
The cause of the dinosaurs' extinction is still debated by scientists. The Rajasaurus discovery may provide crucial clues, Sereno said.
India has seen quite a few paleontological discoveries recently.
In 1997, villagers discovered about 300 fossilized dinosaur eggs in Pisdura, 440 miles northeast of Bombay, that Indian scientists said were laid by four-legged, long-necked vegetarian creatures.
Indian scientists said the dinosaur embryos in the eggs may have suffocated during volcanic eruptions.
You haven't posted any.
ROFL!
You are in violation of your agreement.
5 Language Restraint We will not use obscene or belittling words to describe another complying poster or whatever that poster believes; however, merely factual or logical criticism and rebuttal shall never be considered "obscene or belittling."
You should know what to do, but I doubt that you will do it. This is another example of why I did not sign the agreement.
What? No jesting now? (even between us?)
Sheesh.
As I predicted, you would know what to do but would not do it.
Sorry, RA, but the tone has been set by others already. Dittojed2 has already been compared to medved to belittle, creationists have been described as not understanding the scientific method. I happen to have met and known Dr. John J. Grebe. He understood the scientific method. He was a creationist. All of those are counter to the agreement. Your participation was accidental and I do not consider you as culpable.
One man's?!
You are assuming motives not in evidence on this one.
...creationists have been described as not understanding the scientific method.
When they demonstrate that, they get called on it. Period. It's like a book review from someone who never read the book - it's a joke at best.
I happen to have met and known Dr. John J. Grebe. He understood the scientific method. He was a creationist.
Wonderful. Is he posting here? If not, who gives a d@mn. If you hope to establish that there are scientists who are Creationists, I think that's a given.
If that were true there wouldn't be so many sects. No, it's interpreted by people, sometimes with holiness in mind, sometimes with power on earth in mind.
Good, that was my point. And I give a d@mn, buddy
I signed it and withdrew when I saw that many on the evolution side had dishonored their promises: Pheobe Debates post# 2692
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