Repository Browsing by Subject "histology"

Browsing by Subject "histology"

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The first and most complete dinosaur skeleton from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland
2025
Panciroli, Elsa
;
Funston, Gregory F
The fossil record of dinosaurs in Scotland mostly comprises isolated highly fragmentary bones from the Great Estuarine Group in the Inner Hebrides (Bajocian–Bathonian). Herewe report the first definite dinosaur body fossil ever found in Scotland (historically), having been discovered in 1973, but not collected until 45 years later. It is the first and most complete partial dinosaur skeleton currently known from Scotland.NMSG.2023.19.1 was recovered froma challenging foreshore location in the Isle of Skye, and transported to harbour in a semi-rigid inflatable boat towed by a motor boat. After manual preparation, micro-CT scanning was carried out, but this did not aid in identification. Among many unidentifiable elements, a neural arch, two ribs and part of the ilium are described herein, and their features indicate that this was a cerapodan or ornithopod dinosaur. Histological thin sections of one of the ribs support this identification, indicating an individual at least eight years of age, growing slowly at the time of death. If ornithopodan, as our data suggest, it could represent the world’s oldest body fossil of this clade.
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