* Astronomy

Fossilised T.rex to be auctioned in Las Vegas
Museums and high-rolling natural history buffs will get a crack at buying a fossilised Tyrannosaurus rex next month at a Las Vegas Strip auction.
Auctioneer Bonhams & Butterfields is hoping that bids for the T. rex dubbed "Samson" will top $6 million when it is sold Oct. 3 at the Venetian hotel-casino in Las Vegas.

Read more

Title: Feeding behaviour and bone utilisation by theropod dinosaurs.
Authors: David W. E. Hone and Oliver W. M. Rauhut.

Examples of bone exploitation by carnivorous theropod dinosaurs are relatively rare, representing an apparent waste of both mineral and energetic resources. A review of the known incidences and possible ecological implications of theropod bone use concludes that there is currently no definitive evidence supporting the regular deliberate ingestion of bone by these predators. However, further investigation is required as the small bones of juvenile dinosaurs missing from the fossil record may be absent as a result of theropods preferentially hunting and consuming juveniles. We discuss implications for both hunting and feeding in theropods based on the existing data. We conclude that, like modern predators, theropods preferentially hunted and ate juvenile animals leading to the absence of small, and especially young, dinosaurs in the fossil record. The traditional view of large theropods hunting the adults of large or giant dinosaur species is therefore considered unlikely and such events rare.

Read more

Tyrannosaurus jagte wohl in der Kinderstube
Zwei Titanen, die sich einen blutigen Kampf liefern - der nicht selten für beide tödlich endet. So werden grobe Raubsaurier im Kampf mit ihrer vermeintlichen Beute, den mindestens ebenso groben Pflanzenfressern, meist dargestellt. Ein derartiges Jagdverhalten ist durch Fossilienfunde aber nicht zweifelsfrei belegt. Vielmehr deuten die versteinerten Uberreste der Raubsaurier eher an, dass sich die groben Fleischfresser, die Theropoden, vor allem auf eine kleinere Version dieser Beutetiere spezialisierten: Der LMU-Paläontologe Dr. Oliver Rauhut und sein Mitarbeiter Dr. David Hone vermuten, dass Tyrannosaurus und Co vor allem Jagd auf Jungtiere machten. "Anders als ihre erwachsenen und sehr wehrhaften Verwandten konnten diese Tiere den Raubsauriern kaum gefährlich werden", sagt Rauhut. "Auberdem hätten die zarten Knochen der Jungtiere den Fleischfressern wertvolle Mineralien geliefert. Wir hoffen jetzt auf weitere Fossilfunde, die unsere Hypothese untermauern."

Read more (German)

Reexamination of T. rex verifies disputed biochemical remains
A new analysis of the remains of a Tyrannosaurus rex that roamed Earth 68 million years ago has confirmed traces of protein from blood and bone, tendons, or cartilage. The findings, scheduled for publication in the Sept. 4 issue of ACS' monthly Journal of Proteome Research, is the latest addition to an ongoing controversy over which biochemical remnants can be detected in the dinosaur.

American Chemical Society

Title: New Mid-Cretaceous (Latest Albian) Dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia
Authors: Scott A. Hocknull, Matt A. White, Travis R. Tischler, Alex G. Cook, Naomi D. Calleja, Trish Sloan, David A. Elliott

Australia's dinosaurian fossil record is exceptionally poor compared to that of other similar-sized continents. Most taxa are known from fragmentary isolated remains with uncertain taxonomic and phylogenetic placement. A better understanding of the Australian dinosaurian record is crucial to understanding the global palaeobiogeography of dinosaurian groups, including groups previously considered to have had Gondwanan origins, such as the titanosaurs and carcharodontosaurids.

Read more