Cows of the Cretaceous: 4 Fascinating Duck-Billed Dinosaurs

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Duck-billed dinosaurs, also called Hadrosaurs, were common during the Cretaceous period in Europe, North America, and Asia. Often called the “cows of the Cretaceous,” they were herbivores who lived close to bodies of water and fed on overland vegetation. Their duck-bill was an obvious characteristic, but they also boasted distinctive crests, which were almost certainly for social display. There is also some thought that they could use the crests to produce sound, but that’s yet unproven. ...read more

Genetic Analysis of Viking Settlers Challenges Historical Saga

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

If you look at a map, it would appear obvious that the neighboring Norse folks settled both Iceland and the Faroe Islands. After all, Norway is the closest country to Iceland at around 900 miles, while it is also the nearest neighbor to the Faroe Islands — an archipelago of 18 islands in the North Atlantic — at around 350 miles.However, new evidence says the truth is more complicated. A genetic analysis shows that Icelandic people come from a relatively similar gene pool, while residents of ...read more

4 Famous Archeological Sites That Appeared in Major Films

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

For decades, films have relied on computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create fantastical foreign landscapes.But there are still occasions when Hollywood goes for the real deal. When ancient temples or ruins appear in films, scholars describe the setting as real places, meaning they exist as seen on TV.Real places have led to film-inspired tourism, in which travelers take off to see on-screen favorites in real life. Here are four historical locations tourists can see for themselves.1. Ta Prohm (T ...read more

What We Know About Deinosuchus, the King of the Crocodilians

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Deinosuchus lived during the late Cretaceous period, from 82 million years to 73 million years ago. This monster croc, whose habitat consisted of areas in North America from Montana to northern Mexico and New Jersey to Mississippi, would have seen a world that looked much different than it does today. At the time, the continent was much warmer, with a coastal, tropical, and subtropical climate similar to Florida or Georgia. And although Deinosuchus lived in freshwater, it could also be found in ...read more

Majestic Mount Everest: What to Know About the World’s Tallest Mountain

Posted on Categories Discover Magazine

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Impressive as that is, there is plenty more to know about Everest. Think about this for a minute: The top of the mountain is covered with limestone that, a few hundred million years ago, was on the floor of the ocean. “It’s a remarkable example of how dynamic the planet is over geologic time,” says Sean Gallen, an Earth scientist at Colorado State University who studies, among other things, how mountains are formed.And then there’s the ...read more

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