Many populations of African rhinos are increasing in numbers because of the conservation efforts that people have been working on. However, there is still one species that does not seem to be improving and at this time may already be extinct – the Northern white rhino. Back in 2006 only four of these animals could be found by the world’s best rhino specialists. During their most recent search they were not able to find any.
New research may show that dinosaurs were combative while in their teenage years. The fossils show that they might have had violent fights in which they butted heads. According to research the bones showed that the skulls of these younger dinosaurs have compressed and rebounded – which can happen after a serious head ram.
Researchers have discovered that big dinosaurs, like humans, reach sexual maturity during the growth spurts of adolescence. The reproductive strategy of dinosaurs was unlike that of their reptilian ancestors or their bird descendants, the study concludes. “They are growing really fast and yet maturing early,” said Sarah Werning, a graduate student in paleontology and integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Remember the Velociraptor, the fearsome dinosaur made famous in the Jurassic Park films. It seems that they weren’t as cary in real life as we thought they were. They had feathers and probably more closely resembled a big turkey than the killer screen dinosaur, scientists have discovered.
Scientists who are constantly studying dinosaurs have discovered the the larger dinosaurs’ hearing was sensitive to large noises rather then small ones, such as whistles. In fact they were given the ability to hear the footfalls of other dinosaurs from miles away.
Dinosaurs have always been a source of interest because they are extinct and because they are so mysterious. There are many different types of dinosaurs that have been discovered, but there is always something new to learn about.