Latest news with #UCalgary
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New Tyrannosaur Species Could Be a Missing Link to The Giants
Long before Tyrannosaurus rex stalked the planet, a Dragon Prince reigned supreme. Paleontologists have discovered a new 'missing link' species that cleared the way for the iconic giant carnivores. The new mid-size tyrannosaur, which lived about 86 million years ago, has been named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis – a name that translates to "Dragon Prince of Mongolia" in honor of where it was found. "We wanted to capture that Khankhuuluu was an early and smaller species, so a prince, rather than a king like its much larger tyrannosaur descendants," Darla Zelenitsky, paleontologist at the University of Calgary in Canada, tells ScienceAlert. Together with fellow UCalgary paleontologist Jared Voris, Zelenitsky co-led a study describing the new species based on two partial skeletons that had been gathering dust in a museum collection since the early 1970s. As far as famous 'tyrant lizard' predators go, Khankhuuluu was a middleweight. It stood about 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall at the hips, was twice that long nose-to-tail, and tipped the scales at around 750 kilograms (1,650 pounds). By comparison, T. rex was estimated to grow up to 13 meters long and weigh up to 8.8 tonnes. Of course, evolving to such a massive size didn't happen overnight. It was long presumed that these colossal apex predators evolved from tiny ancestors, like Suskityrannus and Moros intrepidus, which both stood around 1 meter tall. Logically, the road between those two extremes should be paved with middle-sized species. The fossil record has been patchy in that regard, unfortunately. Khankhuuluu, which lived some 20 million years earlier than Tyrannosaurus, helps plug that gap. "Khankhuuluu represents a transitional form from some even smaller 'tyrannosauroid' ancestors to those giant apex predator tyrannosaurs," Voris tells ScienceAlert. "It had long, slender legs, likely making a very agile predator, and its skull was lightly built, not capable of delivering such powerful bone crushing bite forces as its tyrannosaur descendants." Its discovery also implies a complicated history for tyrannosaurs. Khankhuuluu hailed from what is now Asia, far from where its more giant relatives would appear in North America. Over a span of a few million years the family gave rise to a range of massive species like Gorgosaurus and Thanatotheristes before returning across the Bering land bridge. Back in Asia, tyrannosaurs diversified again, this time into two distinct clades: Tyrannosaurini, which were massive apex predators with deep snouts like Tarbosaurus; and Alioramini, which were smaller and had long, narrow snouts like Qianzhousaurus. Eventually, some of the Tyrannosaurini wandered back to North America to try to make it big in Hollywood, leading to household names like Tyrannosaurus rex. Evolution probably would have continued playing this ancient game of Catan if it wasn't for that asteroid flipping the table and losing most of the pieces about 66 million years ago. Signs of this back-and-forth journey are in agreement with other recent studies on tyrannosaur family history. It also helps explain why the closest-known relative of T. rex isn't, say, Daspletosaurus — which stalked the same turf just 10 million years earlier – but is instead Tarbosaurus, a cousin that lived a whole continent away. The study also finds some interesting quirks in how tyrannosaurs in North America and Asia filled different ecological niches. "Both the North America and Asian ecosystems had mid-sized predators that were tyrannosaurs, but this was achieved in different ways," Zelenitsky tells ScienceAlert. "In Asia, there were two very different forms of tyrannosaur species in the same ecosystem. Forms like Tarbosaurus would have filled the giant apex predator role, whereas the alioramins were the smaller, fleet-footed, mid-sized predators." But it turns out that T. rex was such a spotlight-hog that it claimed both niches for itself. "In the last 2 million years of the Cretaceous Period, just before the mass extinction event, Tyrannosaurus was the only tyrannosaur in North America that we know of," says Zelenitsky. "The juveniles were smaller, fleet-footed animals with shallow snouts that would have taken down smaller prey than their adult counterparts. They would have essentially filled the mid-sized predator niche, rather than the apex predator niche of the adults." Of course, none of this would have been possible without the overlooked middle children like Khankhuuluu. We welcome the new prince to the dinosaur royal family, alongside the king (and, if you believe some controversial studies, the queen and the emperor). The research was published in the journal Nature. The World's Largest Organism Is Slowly Being Eaten First Evidence of a Sauropod's Last Meal Shows How They Ate Their Food Videos Show Chimpanzees Using The Forest as Their Drumkit
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Science
- CTV News
University of Calgary paleontologists discover closest-known ancestor of T. rex
UCalgary paleontologists Jared Voris (left) and Darla Zelenitsky (right). (Photo by Riley Brandt/University of Calgary) The University of Calgary's sports teams may be called the 'Dinos,' but the school's paleontologists just lived up to the name in a much bigger way — by unearthing the closest-known ancestor to the legendary Tyrannosaurs rex. A new species of dinosaur named Khankhuuluu, meaning 'dragon prince' in Mongolian, has been identified by a team of researchers led by UCalgary paleontologists Darla Zelenitsky and Jared Voris. The discovery, published in the journal Nature, offers a rare glimpse into a key transitional stage in Tyrannosaur evolution — when they were still mid-sized, agile predators rather than bone-crushing giants. 'This new species provides us the window into the ascent stage of Tyrannosaur evolution,' said Voris, a PhD candidate in the department of earth, energy and environment. 'Right when they're transitioning from small predators to their apex predator form, this was a fast, nimble mesopredator — something like a prehistoric coyote.' The Khankhuuluu dinosaur What the Khankhuuluu dinosaur looks like. (Illustration by Julius Csotonyi) Khankhuuluu lived approximately 86-million years ago and weighed about 750 kilograms — the size of a modern horse, and a far cry from the massive Tyrannosaurus rex famously depicted in the Jurassic Park movie franchise. Its fossils were originally found in the Bayanshiree Formation in southeastern Mongolia in the 1970s by paleontologist Altangerel Perle who likened the fossils to another medium-sized Tyrannosaur called Alectrosaurus from China. The Khankhuuluu dinosaur The Khankhuuluu dinosaur. (Photo by Darla Zelenitsky) Voris went to Mongolia in 2023 to study fossils at the Institute of Paleontology and soon realized there were features that differentiated them from the Alectrosaurus. He found that unlike its iconic descendants, Khankhuuluu lacked the bone-crushing bite and massive build. The Khankhuuluu dinosaur What the Khankhuuluu dinosaur looks like. (Illustration by Jared Voris) Instead, it featured a long, shallow skull and small rudimentary horns, likely used in mating displays or intimidation — features that later evolved into the more elaborate forms seen in Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus. 'The first real identifier was that the nasal bone was had a big hollow cavity inside of it – and this is something we never see in Tyrannosaurs, it's always been this really just massive bone so they can bite down really hard,' said Voris. 'That was the first clue that really told me that this was something else.' Rewriting the Tyrannosaurs family tree The Khankhuuluu dinosaur What the Khankhuuluu dinosaur looks like. (Illustration by Masato Hattori) The discovery also has major implications for the geographic story of Tyrannosaurs. According to Zelenitsky, Khankhuuluu – or a close relative – likely migrated from Asia to North America around 85 million years ago, where it gave rise to the line of apex predators that culminated in T. rex. 'Our study provides solid evidence that large Tyrannosaurs first evolved in North America as a result of this immigration event,' said Zelenitsky. The Khankhuuluu dinosaur Jared Voris. (Photo by Francois Therrien) The fossil record also suggests that the movement of Tyrannosaurs between Asia and North America was more limited and directional than previously thought. After evolving in North America, some Tyrannosaurs later returned to Asia, splitting into two evolutionary paths — one leading to massive predators like T. rex, and another to long-snouted, medium-sized species nicknamed 'Pinocchio rexes.' The Khankhuuluu dinosaur Darla Zelenitsky. (Darla Zelenitsky) Zelenitsky says this discovery now provides a backstory to the evolutionary process of an entire dinosaur species. 'This is so important because it really told us what an ancestral Tyrannosaur looked like, and we ended up rewriting the family tree of Tyrannosaurs,' she said. The Khankhuuluu dinosaur What the Khankhuuluu dinosaur looks like. (Illustration by Masato Hattori) 'But what's missing is some of the earlier Tyrannosauroids, the animals that are older than Khankhuuluu, because that material tends to be less well preserved. 'There's not as many specimens, so those need to be studied in more detail to figure out the far back ancestors of Tyrannosaurs.' The Khankhuuluu dinosaur What the Khankhuuluu dinosaur looks like. (Illustration by Jared Voris) The UCalgary team now plans to dig even deeper into the past in search of the earlier ancestors that preceded Khankhuuluu. In the meantime, the university's namesake Dinos can now take pride in something no rival can match: their very own link to the king of the dinosaurs.
Hamilton Spectator
03-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Students' gambit: Calgary foundation builds connection through chess
Team sports like soccer play fundamental parts of childhood development and signing up is a no-brainer for most parents. Generally, chess is not mentioned in the connection and world-building context with other, more physical team sports. However, a local organization is trying to change that narrative, beginning with brain-teasing Calgarians. The Checkmate Foundation , a Calgary-based not-for-profit, focuses on making chess accessible for everyone through tournaments, workshops and structured programming in schools and the community. While most events are open to everyone, they also run separate events focused on vulnerable, underrepresented, or marginalized groups. Muhammad Saim, the president of the Checkmate Foundation and UCalgary student, said in his experience, chess has helped build community connection, make friendships and positively impact mental health. 'For a lot of people, (chess) can help them build resilience,' he said. Beginning in the late pandemic, Checkmate was founded out of the need for connection. Initially, the foundation ran a virtual summer camp in partnership with Calgary charity Closer to Home to engage families and children in the sport. In the return to pre-COVID normalcy, the foundation has begun offering in-person classes, open to rook-ies and experienced players, all cost-free to attend. 'We first started off running our library sessions, where we provided places where people could come and learn chess, open to anyone. A lot of our sessions were tailored to beginners,' Saim said. After initial workshop success, the foundation began expanding sessions, with some focused on higher-level chess lessons and free play, an approach Saim said worked well. In addition to library classes, the foundation is involved with the Trellis Society , hosting games during their after-school program. Since its 2022 creation, Canada's only chess-based non-profit has taught more than 3,000 individuals, hosted more than 8,000 games and run more than 60 events, according to a foundation-made press release. The program has made progress aside from students, as they have taught in places like the Kerby Centre . 'A lot of seniors were really excited to learn chess, one of them even told us that he's learning chess because he wants to play with his grandson,' Saim said. 'It's a way to bridge those gaps and really allow people to make meaningful connections with each other.' The foundation has 65 active volunteers and a total of 200 volunteers in what Saim calls their 'volunteer pool.' In addition to chess knowledge, volunteers receive orientation and training to meet the specific needs of the groups they work with. Saim said that like him, most volunteers are University students within the 16-24 age range. This fall, the foundation has plans to work with the Calgary Dream Centre, an opportunity to teach the skills of chess to a new demographic, this time people who are recovering from homelessness and addiction. Saim said that he hopes that Checkmate volunteers can help make a positive difference in the lives of people who are struggling. They will host an eight-week program, with weekly chess sessions to be held in the centre's cafeteria. 'While many already know the basics of the game, the structured environment encourages reflection, focus, and social connection,' their media release reads. Without looking too far ahead, the foundation's next event is Saturday, June 7 at the Nose Hill Library. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers at UCalgary to use nuclear imaging for adrenal disorder treatment
Researchers at the University of Calgary (UCalgary) in Canada are set to make use of nuclear adrenal imaging, specifically a technique known as CETO, to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of adrenal disorders. This advancement could impact the management of conditions associated with adrenal gland tumours such as treatment-resistant hypertension. These glands are said to be present on the top of the kidneys. The CETO technique claims to offer a non-invasive screening approach for diagnosing and locating adrenal gland tumours. Dr Gregory Kline and Dr Alex Leung, both from UCalgary's Cumming School of Medicine, are the principal investigators spearheading this initiative of introducing CETO to the university. Both of them obtained funding for the trial to broaden the diagnostic imaging technique. Dr Kline, an endocrinologist and clinical professor, as well as the medical director of the Calgary Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Clinic, furthered his 'expertise' in the CETO technique during a sabbatical at the UK's Addenbrooke's Hospital. Kline said: 'It's quite different from the traditional computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The process involves an injection of a very short-lived compound that finds and sticks to the tumour, giving off a tiny radioactive signal which provides an image of the adrenal glands and tumour within.' Dr Leung is an associate professor and endocrinologist and a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the O'Brien Institute for Public Health. The partnership with Addenbrooke's Hospital has yielded positive outcomes, with the first subject in Calgary scanned, diagnosed, and treated using the CETO technique in late 2024. This was made possible by a grant awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, which is to provide funding for a Phase II trial over the next three years. The trial will compare the precision of the CETO scan against the current standard of care, adrenal vein sampling, in detecting adrenal gland tumours. Additionally, subjects' experiences with the CETO scan will be evaluated. In January 2025, UCalgary's faculty of kinesiology in partnership with the Mira Hormone Monitor creators, announced the start of a validation study for the device, aiming to provide individuals with detailed hormone profiles. "Researchers at UCalgary to use nuclear imaging for adrenal disorder treatment" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
