Clarens Dinosaurs

10/04/2026

Egg...citing news! the first probable therapsid egg has been reported from the Karoo, based on a small curled up Lystrosuaurus specimen (NMQR 3636 in the collections at the National Museum in Bloemfontein. Well done to the authors fro this great piece of work!

The full article is free to access: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0345016

17/03/2026

Exciting news 🎺 🎉 : this is your formal invitation to please go and follow our new official page: Clarens Dinosaur Hunting Expeditions & Roar Store. Going forward, this page will focus more on academic palaeontology, and our new page will continue to share the latest information on tours, trips, and what’s new in the Roar Store. https://www.facebook.com/share/1apWSPQWAM/?mibextid=wwXIfr

13/05/2025

A good reminder that we should always keep our eyes open when hiking about!

The new Karoo Origins museum exhibiting the private collection of Dr Rubige is a world class exhibit.

17/01/2025

It's time again!

This week I'm showcasing how fossils are actually processed during preparation. This sauropodomorph has already started the fairly lengthy process of preparation, by having the plaster jacket opened, fossil identified and excess matrix removed so the fossil itself can be lifted from the jacket. This one was consolidated (just a fancy word for stabilising it with paraloid so it doesn't fall apart when handled) and is ripe and ready to be lifted out of the jacket. Once it's lifted (which I actually did today!) the layer of matrix is removed off the surface of the bones using dental picks and pneumatic air scribes to showcase the fossil hidden inside. This specimen actually has two pieces of the same part of the body in the jacket. Can you see what it is? I'll put the answer down below.

The job of the Preparation Palaeontologist is an intricate one! 🌼🦖🦕

This jacket holds 2 vertebrae, one big and one small.

18/12/2024

In South Africa we have the youngest gorgonopsians, including at Oliviershoek Pass and near Harrismith close to us, but the oldest one has recently been discovered thousands of kilometers away on the island of Mallorca

🚨 Un equip de recerca internacional encapçalat per l’Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP-CERCA) i el MUCBO I MBCN ha descrit un animal fòssil que va viure fa entre 270 i 280 milions d’anys a l’actual Mallorca.

La troballa és excepcional no només per la quantitat de restes fòssils localitzades, sinó també perquè es tracta del gorgonopsi més antic del planeta, el llinatge de dents de sabre que acabaria donant lloc als mamífers. 🦷

La recerca ha estat publicada a la revista Nature Communications. 🔬

Llegeix tota la notícia aquí:👇
https://lc.cx/6i8daT

🖼️ Imatge: Recreació de l’aspecte en vida d’un gorgonopsi en una plana d’inundació del Permià de Mallorca (Autor: Henry Sutherland Sharpe©).

08/12/2023

🌍 Join Us at IPC7!
The 7th International Palaeontological Congress in Cape Town, South Africa

📢 Calling all paleontologists worldwide! The 7th International Palaeontological Congress (IPC7) is coming, bringing together researchers from across the globe for an unforgettable scientific and networking experience!

📍 Where? The stunning and iconic Cape Town, South Africa, a destination with breathtaking landscapes.

📅 When? November 30 – December 3, 2026.

✅ Connect with hundreds of researchers from around the world.
✅ An unparalleled opportunity to share groundbreaking discoveries and strengthen scientific collaborations.
✅ We have received many outstanding symposium proposals on a wide range of exciting topics.

🏔 And beyond science, Cape Town offers an incredible variety of tourist activities, from exploring Table Mountain and visiting renowned vineyards to discovering its rich history and diverse wildlife.

⛏ Don’t miss out on this incredible experience! Let’s gather to advance paleontology on a global stage.

More information 👉 www.ipc7.site

30/11/2023

A new analysis of three-toed fossil footprints that date back more than 210 million years reveals that they were created by bipedal reptiles with feet like a bird’s.

09/11/2023

Was able to attend a fantastic talk and meet Neil Shubin last night at the CosmoCaixa Natural Science Museum in Barcelona where he spoke about the discovery of Tiktaalik, one of the most iconic palaeontological discoveries in recent years