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Some Arctic Dinos Lived in Herds By Sid Perkins Just as interesting, however, is how this was discovered. Scientists didn’t look at a single fossil bone. Instead, they analyzed a large number of preserved footprints on a mountainside located toward the southern end of central Alaska. Anthony Fiorillo works at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas. As a vertebrate paleontologist, he studies the fossils of creatures with backbones. In 2007, he was part of a research team exploring Denali National Park. “We rounded the corner and there they were,” he recalls. Thousands of footprints had been preserved in stone. “It was amazing.” Dinosaurs died out more than 65 million years ago (not counting birds, their modern-day relatives). So, it’s a bit surprising that scientists know so much about these ancient creatures. Now, a new study reveals that a certain type of duckbilled dinosaur lived in the Arctic year-round. These animals also traveled in herds that included many age groups, they find. The creatures even appear to have gone through a “teenage growth spurt.” Those tracks pepper a steep patch of exposed rock about twice as long as a football field and up to 60 meters (roughly 200 feet) wide. They sit at least 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of the Gulf of Alaska. Between 69 million and 72 million years ago, that now-rocky material was muddy sediment on a floodplain near a seacoast, Fiorillo explains. The hadrosaurs walked across the squishy mud. Later, the footprints they left turned to stone. Previous studies suggested adult duckbills took care of their young, says Fiorillo. The new evidence that these dinosaurs truly traveled in herds with multiple age groups confirms that parents cared for their young well beyond the time they left the nest, his team concludes. The researchers published their findings June 30 in Geology. © Science News for Students Thousands of tracks cover this rocky mountainside in Alaska’s Denali National Park. They provide a wealth of information about the size, age and lifestyle of certain dinosaurs. COURTESY OF PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE EVIDENCE FOR HERDS O F DINOSAURS Small meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods had left behind a few of the tracks that Fiorillo’s team found in Denali. Birds had left some others. But the vast majority came from creatures called hadrosaurs. These large plant-eating duckbilled dinosaurs had been quite common during the Cretaceous Period. That helps explain one of their nicknames: “cattle of the Cretaceous.” For the new study, the researchers focused only on the hadrosaur tracks. More than half of the footprints were preserved so well that they had clear impressions of the skin on the dinosaurs’ feet. Most tracks had a similar level of preservation. That suggests all were probably left within a short period. Other fossils in the nearby rocks, including insect burrows, suggest these hadrosaurs had left their footprints during the summer. These are trace fossils — evidence of ancient life other than a preserved carcass or bone. At the time these dinosaurs lived, Fiorillio says, the average temperature in the warmest months was between 10° and 12° Celsius (50° and 54° Fahrenheit). That’s about what conditions are like today along the border between Canada and the lower 48 U.S. states, he notes. The team measured a large sample of the duckbills’ footprints. They fell into four distinct size ranges. The largest tracks, presumably made by adults, measured about 64 centimeters (25 inches) across. The smallest tracks, 8 centimeters (3 inches) wide, were likely left by young duckbills. They would have been no more than a year old. Tracks of two other size groups were probably made by juveniles and near-adults. These data suggest the community of hadrosaurs included four different age groups. © Science News for Students A hadrosaur footprint made roughly 70 million years ago. For scale, the long blue bar at right is 10 centimeters long; each small blue or white bar measures 1 centimeter. COURTESY OF PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE © Science News for Students THESE DINOSAURS DIDN’T MIGRATE About 84 percent of the tracks sampled for the new study had been left by older hadrosaurs — adults or near-adults. Roughly 13 percent came from the youngest members of the herd. And a mere 3 percent came from herd members considered to be juveniles, says Fiorillo. The rarity of tracks by these tweens suggests that the young of this species had a rapid growth spurt. If true, they would have spent relatively little time at this vulnerable size — and therefore left very few tracks. “What’s really neat is how many small tracks there are,” notes Anthony Martin. An ichnologist — or expert in trace fossils — he works at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Other scientists had analyzed fossil bones from duckbills. These studies had hinted that the equivalent of adolescent hadrosaurs would have experienced growth spurts. But the new findings are “the best evidence that I’ve seen,” says Eric Snively. He’s a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Wisconsin- La Crosse. “This is a great study,” he adds, “and further evidence that juvenile hadrosaurs grew up in an eye-blink.” Also previously, researchers had proposed that Arctic dinosaurs migrated farther south for the winter. That’s because even if the region was much warmer than it is today, nights in the high Arctic would have been 24 hours long. So, with no sunshine for several months, Alaska would have had long periods of very bleak, chilly weather. But finding juveniles in the herd strongly suggests that these dinosaurs remained in the Arctic all year. That’s because adolescents and preadolescents wouldn’t have had the strength or stamina to make those long treks, Fiorillo maintains. Field work is often harsh. Paleontologists studying the dinosaur footprints here on an Alaskan mountainside sometimes worked in cold and fog. COURTESY OF PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE © Science News for Students The presence of very young dinosaurs might have been expected, he notes: If this were a nesting region, the babies would have hatched sometime just before summer. And remember, that’s when these tracks were left. But that wouldn’t explain the juveniles, he says. The team’s findings “suggest that these dinosaurs were overwintering in Alaska somehow,” says Snively. At the time, the average temperature in the region remained above freezing even during the winter, he notes. But, he adds, “this study raises interesting issues about how the dinosaurs could live in the region when it was pretty dark for several months at a time.”

Rock Hunting I went hunting for rocks. I found a flat gray rock. I showed the rock to my dad. He said it was slate. Some houses have floors made of slate. I went hunting for rocks. I found a glassy black rock. I showed the rock to my dad. He said it was obsidian (ob-SID-ee-en). Obsidian can be used to make arrowheads. I went hunting for rocks. I found a light brown rock. I showed the rock to my dad. He said it was limestone. Some old buildings are made from limestone. I went hunting for rocks. I found a rock with gray and black spots. I showed the rock to my dad. He said it was granite (GRAN-it). Some kitchen counters are made from granite. I put my rocks on a piece of paper. I wrote their names under each one. My dad knows a lot about rocks. Now I know about them too!

Eff..rs of ott.-PoFllat i What woLrld hoppen ro our colnrry i, it is ovetsp.pulored? When our counrry is ov€.-populdted, re @ €xp€ri.nce rh€ foll.wirg: Food is our bdsic h@d. Wh€n th€.Cs an ih.re.se ir populdtion it neans thar hore ,@d is iealed. It rheds ho .naJgh food, rrtrple irll srruggle wirh eddr oth€r in ordeLro €!'r- As o l!fllr, lhde rill be o f@d -- , ond ou, now]nert of on ihdiyiduol fron d c..tair - the move$eni o, on individudl our of o cerrain pla.e which help r€duce ihe populotion of th6t fr Arcih€. b.sic ned is w.ra. Wde. shorroge ocu.s when there is on ircreare of hu,nber of p@ple ro be $pptied. rn owr-popur.t d ore.s, woler is rdior€d, Ir rEB rhoi supplies like ti,tWSS ond ,IWSI can'i $pply enoish worer. Do you hdve enough supply of sai.. in your oreo? Aside f.om food alld worer, shelier is olso ohe o, our inportant heeds. As the populoiion ihcre.!e!, building n.w hoLr!€s or rhelt€r is limit.i. To find solulion to this prcbl€n, some goverihent og.ncies dnd orhs non{ov€Ihrehl offi.iofs (N6O) .onvefied sot@ ti.elields, du,np site. dnd nountcirlr inlo flbdivisions dnd relidentiols. Sut whot uould be ths effect o{ coMrtiig .i@fields to .6id€nri6l uits in our food supply? z , 2 Z Z :'", becouse there ore no enough space for prcpex garbage dkposol. ^s o r€sulr, sore peoPle lend to ihrow'their gorbdge onywh.f€. oorbdge baones brc{niry ond rursing ground of iEecrs and onidols ihot @se horm ro pe.ple. Dec.yiry garboge olso produces r,hpleaiant odor ard ehen burn if pmduces pois.nour qds @lled nelhohe As ihe populdtion incr€a3*, the 9d6.9e dso incraes. nris is T't ,,8 T H Wha you de living in on oa-populdi.d pla@, you moy oqaiae halrh prcblerns. Ir is be@@. the woi.r srpply is limit.d ihct will l..d you to poor hygi.ni. hobirs. In plo.4 like rhis, the surrouhdiigs naybe uniidy. o focrorthoi @uld oko cfFe.t your h4l'th. The common oilments rhot yd @uld oc$rire in ovesfDpllar€d ploces ore bEnchil is, o5l hnq. diqrrha and rube.culosis. 7,\ ,\\ \1" 6. Lnck of Herlrh sarvice llosi Pelple in 6n oM-populci€d 6ra 90 ro rubli. heilrh @trtas ond governhent hospirols be6u.e ii prcvides fr@ @Eulrorion oid los @sr rEdicdrions. A3 a ..suli, lh€s€ gow.nnenr dg€rciB b.@ne itud.4$re in mcetiig ihe n eds b..ou!€ df ihsrffici€nr funds. Lock of medicol personnel ,o odmaiisi€I is also s problen in mosr hosptols ev€n rhere or. od.audtc supply of hedicire!. 7_ Do you how wlry rhe crim€ roi€ hexs ih becdur€ fiDre pe.ple o.e fnJrrct€d d@ ro sLffici€.i naE io supp.rr their forniliG. ouf country inclY{ses? If is uh.mploym€ni dnd hdve no arinet .re u$dv gr€{rer ia dn dq-popltdled ra whq. tl, , a, v, tlr I E. Air ard Wat€r Pollutioh How dir be.o'nes pollut€d? I11€ dir b@'n€s p.llurn be.4ne of rhe hormfolgoees thot ser. produ.4 by the fdciori€s and vehicles. Itete {octories ond whi.l6 @ fuel ro run nochiB ond .JBin6. In ,h€ prc.ess, they give our Cdrboh Dioxide ond other ho.6ful gars.r such 6 Nittugei Oxide, Corbon l oioxide dnd Le.d iiio the oir. Do you know whot .ontdbute io ihe incr€asing number of whides qnd foctories? It is ihe inc.6e o, populdtion. As whdt I hove dis.!sse!, wirh a lihired sra.e 9@bd9e disposalie one of the problens thot .o!ld ise i, dh o!er-pop!,.t€d ploce. exn,jple ot thie orc rhos€ pelpl€ livi,rg oh the raverside teid 'ro ,hrou, lheir gEr&ge Hde you seen 'th. P6si9 river or the Tulyahan river? Did you {ind it Whdr do you think i! ihe eff€.t of ihis ih the.re4iures sho lives ih Ahothd f6do.s thal could.on rlbule to wdtd pollutioh dre oil s?ills, gorbqg€ fro,n boa, or ships ahd som€ ihdust.iol wosre. 9. Ite l@96f p4.enroge group. Individuols who orc this grclp. of olr popllarioh is compos.n of the working @pobla of s'rpporting ,heir fomilies nok !-up Though rhas group hol& the lojgeei percenroge of d. populaiion, rhis olso becomer one o{ oveFpopulored probl€]ns b€4use there ore rc jobs awildble fo. oll of iha10. Erergy Shortdge ltere will be on energy shortdge iJ ihe populdtion incre63"l be.dise rhe d.,nand i. €le.iriciry is high. Why is thai wh.n th. PoPqldion inclE.g, rhe d4ord in el4tricity is high? Ir B be.ouse there $,ould be 8to.e hdsat dnd blildirys to lighr ond nore el?riric oPPliohces ro run. rt.6rcznho!3.Ef+ed Whor is rhe grernho@ eff€.r? In whoi say il c.uld offect c2 6re.hhG. effed is rhe wdrniltg of rhe drltlosphee. lvhen the 5un worft rhe.nrrh s1jrf.@, sone of rhe h@r go€J bo.k ro rhe ornos?herc. Air an the dtnDsphere which is C@boi Dioxid. ,rops ihe heot 6hd it mok6 the a.th very worm. As ihe populdtion coniinuou!|,l gtol4 , the gt@rl$use etfe.t b@res no.e visible. Ir is becaosu ,hera ore mo.e focrories snd whicl.s iha, produce wdst€s ond fuma5 which cduses more C{.bo. Diodde ir the ormosphere. As a rcsutt, ,herc eiould be nore h4, ,rop in the ornosphere uhich osk6 th. @ih nuch wornerIf this will hoppen continuously, ,h€ fish ih th€ ocah *ill di€, ricerields/f@mlands will dry too due to lh€ wcm clitnole 12. Destruction of rhe Ozone Loyer A5 whot you hove l@med lrheh you de in v5-6, rhot the qzore ldver is 'the proiecrive loy€. of the olnosPhd€. ft protects us {rom the homful effects of ultrdviolei rays of the su. Do you khow ,hot our Ozore lol€t q4. dQ4tt\!ci.d? Il olreadY hod holes lhai dllow the ulrroviolet rdys to .4dt ihe @rrh. How do6 this hdpPei? Does th. in rc$e of poPuldioh h@€ sonething 'to do tr,lh ir? Yes, rhe I6i grov/irts PoPuldiion .odribuied o lot be@use 6 th' populotion incre3es, rhe u5e of refrigerd'tors, d€rosol lProvs 6nd pl4srics 6bo ihcre&s6. The sid producls coiiojn chemicol called Chlorofluorocdrbons (CFCS) which is mix wafh ihe dir in ihe ormosPher€. As o resulr. ihe hcrmfirl chernicol r€oches the Prolectiw ldver dnd lhrowh. hole in {hid ult@iolzi cahders aid cai4.ct3 ,F.*Y.iis hi!586$q€9.7,- Ho$ doas dcid rdin form? Is cid roii hdmful ro rEn? In the prcvious dis.ussions, yodt€ t.on€d rhd more vel .1e3 dnd fdctori€s or€ necded fo het the iii:.e.siry number o{ P@Pla. Lefs now fihd af hd f@tot.i€s dnd vehicle! .ontribure in the forrEtion of ocid When foctories 6nd whi.ler give off woste gd..3 ,hot will ,nix on lhe noisture i. rhe oir, it will ihen Produ.e sulPhu.i. ocld dnd Nitri. o.id. 'Ihe clol,Jd folb will ,h€h obsorb rhese ccids ond ehei ihe clold f.lls os .oin, ih. ccid is ahady Pdrr of itU/ha d.id ftin falls oh lok"!, ,46 or ocan ih€ fish sill die d.d if h fdlls oh fopnlonds,lhe pldni. together oith the soil B desrroyed. When you inhole dir with Niiric acid, your blood will los. irs @pobilily io fonspori Oxyg€h to your diff€.ai bodY Po.i3. ScieniisB include other rorns oJ dcidic pr€cipiigrion. Thes€ drc nisi, Do you krcw ihot Nuclerr power slotionr Use .adiodctive ,ndie.ials in producirE fuels, yet, rhey do and those .odioactiw rndlqlotE gi\e otf radio'ting en.rgy thoi is harmrul 'to livirq thilEs. wlren rodiotion enlert ihe body ot living things it {ill srq rhere for o lorg ,eriod of ri'ne. Exonple fhe rodiqtion vG srilled to the c.m. Then rhe @rn will be aie by rhe chicken, the .odiotion o the c.rn 'rill also 'tronsf€r to the chi.k€n. Wha on individuol als ihe nat of the chickeh sith mdiarion, helshe rill .ko oblorb ihe rodi@.tirc mtaid that will destrcy hB/her .€lls ond ruket hnn/hd si.r. Over-populoiion .on leld to food shoridg€, wdter shorroqe, housiB probl€ms, qdrbog€ probl€rs, lock of halrh sdi.e. tisa ol clit@ rote, oir ond woi€r pollution, uhanpl6ynat, eiergy 5horr69e, grenhoq3€ efreci, desrruction o( th. ozo@ lat/e?, rci.l roi. olld e.l€d. watta

The Lives of the Dead

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