The Bristol Dinosaur Project Featuring Thecodontosaurus

Benton, M. J., Schouten. R., Drewitt, E. J. A., and P. Viegas. in press. The Bristol dinosaur project. Proceedings of the Geologist's Association. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2011.07.004

Abstract - Dinosaurs have been fascinating to the widest public since the 1840s, and that interest has grown step-wise ever since. Public interest has been harnessed over the years especially by museums in blockbuster exhibitions, and in the form of best-selling books and films. Here we describe a major educational initiative, the Bristol Dinosaur Project, which has run for ten years and has reached tens of thousands of children and adults, supported by substantial funding. The Bristol Dinosaur Project focuses on the fourth dinosaur ever named in the world, Thecodontosaurus, discovered in Bristol in 1834, and named in 1836. The dinosaur is not in itself spectacular, being only 1–2 m long, but its evolutionary role as one of the first plant-eating dinosaurs in the world justifies our current research, and provides a strong theme for the public presentation. Further, the fact that the dinosaur is found as disarticulated bones in ancient tropical cave systems, allows us to develop numerous key themes with all age groups: the geological time scale, continental drift, reconstruction of ancient environments, modern landscape analogues, the rock cycle, evolution, biomechanics, and critical assessment of geological and palaeontological evidence. These themes are of key importance for socio-economic and intellectual reasons, and yet are often poorly understood.

Bentonyx sidensis, a new Rhynchosaur from the Middle Triassic of England

A note in the newest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology reviews the type and referred material of the rhynchosaur Fodonyx spenceri and concludes that a referred skull actually belongs to a new taxon. This new taxon is named Bentonyx sidensis in honor of Professor Mike Benton of the University of Bristol, and authority on rhynchosaurs and a mentor to many students of the Triassic. You can read more about this is a recent post by David Hone, the third author on this paper.

I would like to congratulate Mike regarding this honor, especially in having the member of a taxon so dear to him named accordingly.

Langer, M. C. , Montefeltro, F. C. , Hone, D. E. , Whatley, R. and C. L. Schultz. 2010. On Fodonyx spenceri and a new rhynchosaur from the Middle Triassic of Devon. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30:1884 — 1888.  DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2010.521901