My take on Scleromochlus by paleoartist Gabriel Ugueto. Exciting times as we're finding more and more basal archosaurs that lead to both dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

#archosaurs #paleoart #dinosaurs #pterosaurs #procreateart

Gizmodo: Unique Triassic Reptile Had Slenderman Claws and a Beak https://gizmodo.com/unique-triassic-reptile-had-slenderman-claws-and-a-beak-1850743773 #pterosauromorpha #dinosauromorpha #kantipollicatus #kunpengopterus #rodrigomuller #lagerpetidae #kongonaphon #archosaurs #pterosaur #triassic #dinosaur

08/06/2023 Unlike other herons, a Green Heron keeps its head close to its body, hiding its long neck. It's a surprise when they extend it. The Heron kept amazing balance even as it stretched down. The neck kept an "S" curve in center leaving slack for the final thrust. It caught a Six-Spotted Fishing Spider. More from Brazos Bend State Park! Video: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/grnheron_spider_080623.mp4 My herons page here: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbird6.html #Heron #Archosaurs #Birds #Wildlife #Nature

7/30/2023; Pilant Lake in Brazos Bend State Park. Chorus of bellowing that morning. Mating season ends before June; but 1 bellow can start a chorus. 1 hour later,the gator was still feisty & did a headslap. Alligators can filter ambient sounds(such as bullfrog calls)so they can ignore them. This environment has all kinds of animals which produce sounds and movement. Alligator bellows are in that blend & only the alligators can decode them. http://www.rickubis.com/rick/gators_talk073023.mp4 #Alligator #Archosaurs #Wildlife

Pterosaurs have always been some of my favorite #archosaurs. It's a shame they didn't survive along with birds, as they would have given us an interesting way to compare flight mechanics between both groups.

#pterosaurs #paleoart #paleontology

On 06/04/2023 this Green Heron was using bait at Brazos Bend State Park. More luck with video here, as it gently placed an insect in the water & watched it, moving it if it drifted. This one was successful! Pics are frames from my video: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/grn_heron060423.mp4 more herons on my page: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbird6.html #Birds #Heron #Archosaurs #BirdBehavior

05/16/2023 An Eagle was on top of the high-tension tower at Fiorenza Park. Almost everything the Eagle saw below was potential prey. The Eagle was an imposing apex predator atop the tower; looking down upon its domain. Then, this happened. At first, the Eagle seemed a bit perplexed. The Eagle tried to go back to looking majestic. But the Northern Mockingbird didn't allow that. Video at this link: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/eaglemock05162023.mp4 #eagles #mockingbirds #archosaurs #birds #urbanwildlife

04/30/2023 1/3 3 different Herons that were hunting that day. I've seen Green Herons make amazing catches. But not this day. This heron stabbed, but "ran out of Heron", went in, missed! Wet, hungry, maybe embarrassed. I read the raised head crest as annoyance. video that goes with all these images: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/greenherons04302023_4096.mp4 Older video with a good catch: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/green_heron_042212_2020.mp4 #heron #birds #archosaurs #wildlife #predation

03/19/2023 At Brazos Bend State Park flocks of Swallows were foraging at 40Acre Lake & Elm Lake. Most seemed to be Barn & Tree Swallows. A flock of Swallows hunting together is a wonderful sight! Some flew over algae mats in Elm Lake. They worked their way North, then flew 50 yards back South, and moved North again. I could wait for them to fly by. It was still hard to capture them with the camera. They are fast! video (slowed 8x): http://www.rickubis.com/rick/swallows03192023.mp4 #birds #archosaurs #wildlife

On 03/19/2023 This Limpkin was hunting in Elm Lake at Brazos Bend State Park in Texas. It captured at least 6 mussels over 45 minutes. The procedure: 1)Chip off edge of the closed shell. 2)Stand the shell. 3) Insert beak, disrupt mussel. 4)Open the shell. 5) Swallow the main body. 6) Clean the small bits. video: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin03192023.mp4 Look at all of the discarded mussel shells in the picture! More on my page: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkins.html #limpkins #birds #archosaurs #predation #naturephotography

#NewPaper #Paleontology #Dinosaurs #Archosaurs #Histology

Tito Aureliano, Aline M Ghilardi, Marcelo A Fernandes & Fresia S Ricardi-Branco (2023)
Air sac attachments or tendon scars: the distinction between soft tissue traces in archosaur bone
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, zlac103
doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac103
https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac103/7081058

On 03/05/2023 Spoonbills were active around the islands in 40 Acre Lake through most of the day. I got lucky. More images: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbird11.html
Then I accidentally caught a brief "clap fight" (or whatever one calls a contest involving such ridiculous weapons). When I realized it was happening-it was already over.
I don't know if this was a minor aggression, or some kind of flirtatious activity. The birds never tell *me* what's going on. #spoonbills #archosaurs #birds #nature

#African #FossilFriday

The survivors of the #Permian #Extinction I mentioned last week included the #archosaurs, the lineage of #reptiles that includes #crocodiles, #dinosaurs, and #birds. This #fossil from the subsequent #Triassic is from a very close #dinosaur relative. Found in the #Luangwa Valley of #Zambia 🇿🇲, it was named Lutungutali sitwensis, #Bemba for "high hip" and named in honor of the village of Sitwe.

Figure from Peecook et al. 2013

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2013.755991

On 03/04/2023 I was on my way to Fiorenza Park when I noticed a Bald Eagle was perched on one of the high-tension towers. I walked to the tower & watched the Eagle for a while, hoping to see it take off. I left & the
Eagle flew before I'dgone 10 steps. I lost it among the cover. Although it's not doing anything except watching over the water here are pictures; because it's still an awesome Bald Eagle. More pics: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbird2b.html #baldeagle #archosaurs #birds #raptors #urbanwildlife

02/26/2023 At BBSP,Roseate Spoonbills hunted by islands at East corner of 40Acre Lake. Through binoculars I couldn't see what they were catching. So I shot video. One wasn't catching multiple items, but only juggling one crawfish. The Spoonbill had to chew on the crawfish a bit before eating it. Later,the Spoonbill encountered a bit of "traffic". A Snowy Egret was moving a bit slower & looking for the same kind of prey. Video: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/spoonbill02262023.mp4 #spoonbills #birds #archosaurs #wetlands

July 10, 2022;BBSP was still drying out. This gator moving through deep mud near Spillway Trail going to Elm Lake (1/4 mile away). It found a Musk Turtle & went for it. Stinkpot could move over the mud, but gator caught it & big moutful of mud. Ejected most of the mud and swallowed the turtle. Video: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/gator_muskturtle071022.mp4 more pics: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatr4j.html #alligators #archosaurs #predation #drought #behavior

3 of 3 Gators followed paths made by other gators, deepening the trails. The water flowing in the active channel was being moved by the passage of the alligator.
This alligator turned and moved up to the edge of the trail then crossed the trail into Pilant Slough. During gator high walk, the back is given rigidity byrows of osteoderms under the skin.
More pictures here: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatr4j.html #alligators #archosaurs #predators #nature #reptiles

2 of 3 Another, alligator was using the same technique and moving towards this one. Both of them were waving their forelegs and twisting to catch prey. This is a variation of the "seining" behavior I've described in detail on this page: https://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatr4i.html
I was mildly surprised to see the larger gator turn away. The large one kept moving into the very soft muck. Those channels weren't eroded by running water; probably made by gators as they pushed through the mud. #alligators #archosaurs

1 of 3 07/17/2022 BBSP Lost water from Pilant Lake starting May. Most of the animals in the shallows were eaten June , but gators still still tried in July. Those dimples on the water aren't raindrops, but the heads of tadpoles. This gator was moving forward & waving its front legs, herding prey ahead of it, then twisting jaws sideways to catch. Most of the images shown below are frames from this video: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorseine071722.mp4 #alligators #archosaurs #predators #nature #reptiles

Part 5 of 4 because I've edited to videos made from clips of the events listed in the thread. Great Blue Herons catching large prey at Brazos Bend State Park here: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/heron_siren_snake_011523.mp4 and Limpkin foraging at BBSP here: http://www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin_elm_011523.mp4 #greatblueheron #archosaurs #birds #predation #amphibians #snakes