Fossils help archeologists learn more about ancient time periods and the kinds of creatures that once roamed the earth. In this article, you will find out what the teeth of a horse fossil and of a dinosaur meant to researchers in June of 2009.
Snapshot of the Neolithic Age
A Kingston University research team has discovered two 6,000-year-old tombs that represent some of the earliest monuments constructed in Britain , within a prehistoric complex that shed light on the Neolithic Age. At the complex, some artifacts have been uncovered, including fragments of pottery. Flint and stone tools were also scattered about the site with the anticipation of additional finds due to the ploughing of the excavation surface.
Archeologists are convinced they will find more interesting details pertaining to the Neolithic era once they complete further excavation. It is their hopes to beat the erosion that threatens old sites such as this complex. They stand to lose significant details regarding the lives of people who thrived during the Neolithic era. Additional research can also shed light on how the environment was 6,000 years ago.
A question that hasn’t been answered yet is whether or not human remains are housed inside of the tombs. In June, work on the prehistoric site was still in the early stages.
Teeth of a Horse Fossil
Fossil teeth located in the Panama Canal earthworks reveal the existence of a three-toed browsing horse that belongs to one of the most complete fossils of a horse found at the site since excavations took place during the last 100 years. The shape of the teeth and other details will be used to identify two earlier finds of a horse that primarily lived in the forest about 15 to 18 million years ago. The habitat of the horse most likely looked like dense forest and open woodlands.
Researchers also compared the find to other discoveries that date back to the same time period in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota. Researchers are interested in calculating a bridge that connected Panama to North America where animals and plants once congregated in the same vicinity. More information regarding this find is included in the May 2009 issue of the Journal of Paleontology.
Largest Carnivorous Dinosaur Tooth Found
Comparing the Allosauroidea tooth uncovered in deposits in Riodeva, Teruel, with other similar samples, scientists from the Teruel-Dinópolis Joint Palaeontology Foundation have confirmed the discovery of the largest tooth of a carnivorous dinosaur ever found in Spain. Measuring close to 10 centimeters long, the tooth helps pinpoint its origin. Researched have concluded that the tooth once belonged to a large, predatory, carnivorous dinosaur known as a theropod , the Allosauroidea clade , a group of dinosaurs that reach heights of 6 to 15 meters.