The science of dinosaurs

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Good afternoon, inhabitants of this Parallel universe! Dinosaurs are the stars of this edition. Is there anything that attracts children’s attention more to science? And since scientists are eternally children, dinosaurs will always seduce us.

It helps us in the Jurassic journey Daniela Floresa graduate in Biology. In addition to finishing her doctoral studies at the University of Chile, Daniela is part of a beautiful initiative to bring science and the arts closer together: the DICTA Foundation (Foundation for the Interdisciplinary Development of Science, Technology and the Arts). She is also a researcher at the Millennium Nucleus Early Evolution of MammalsShe will tell us about two of her passions:

First, the expeditions in search of dinosaur fossils. The physical and intellectual excitement of finding the remains of an extinct animal in inaccessible places in the far reaches of Patagonia.Then, she herself will share something about the area in which she conducts her research, where evolutionary theory and developmental biology intersect.

This week’s quiz is answered by Christopher GalbanPhD in Marine Sciences and professor at the Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment (GEMA) of the Universidad Mayor.

The image of the week is courtesy of the prolific Chilean scientific illustrator Mauricio Álvarez,who is also the author of the image that accompanies the first article of this newsletterWe take this opportunity to pay a small tribute to such an important and genuinely transdisciplinary profession.

In our Brief Parallels, we continue talking about dinosaurs. Do you know where the name “dinosaur” comes from? We’ll talk about the man who coined the name and who would have turned 220 this Saturday. We’ll also highlight an enigmatic and speculative connection between the disappearance of the dinosaurs and dark matter, proposed by theoretical physicist Lisa Randall almost 10 years ago.

I finish, full of nostalgia,recommending a book and a record from the first half of the 80s, when I was in the prime of my adolescence.

I hope you enjoy this edition of our Parallel universe. If so, please share and help me promote science in the media. And if you got it from someone, sign up now!

DISCOVERING FOSSIL PATAGONIA

Gonkoken nanoi, a dinosaur from Chilean Patagonia. Acrylic painting by Mauricio Álvarez. Image courtesy of the author.

By Daniela Flores

Licensed in biology

Fossils tell us about the origin and evolutionary history of living beings. Within the Chilean territory, the Cerro Guido sector and the Valley of the Río de las Chinas, located in the Province of Última Esperanza, Magallanes Region, protect the biological history of the end of the Mesozoic Eraalso known as the “Age of the dinosaurs”.

Year after year, researchers delve into these areas on paleontological campaigns. These involve exposing oneself to a hostile climate, living for weeks with rain, snow, low temperatures and vigorous winds that sometimes exceed 100 km/h, as well as long walks in completely isolated areas.

These challenging weather conditions become particularly evident when we prepare the “bochones”plaster blocks, burlap bands and wet paper, which serve to support and protect the fossil. This process requires mixing the burlap bands with plaster and almost frozen water, using your hands.

The cold of Patagonia makes this procedure a great challenge, leaving hands red, shaky and numb. However, despite the effort, fatigue and pain caused by walking and weight, everything is forgotten when it happens. The sublime moment of discovering a new fossilwhich takes us back millions of years of history.

Unpublished and valuable findings, which sometimes end in shouts of excitement, hugs and almost imperceptible celebrations in the midst of the solitude of the Patagonian pampas.

In recent years, various discoveries have been made that have clarified what life was like in the Cretaceous period in this place.

Among them, the following stand out: Stegouros elengassenhe Gonkoken nanoidifferent types of theropod and sauropod dinosaurs, remains of birds, and marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and mosasaurs, turtles and crocodiles, frogs and insects.

Recently, the discovery of the first mammal of the Chilean Mesozoic was announced, the Magallanodon baikashkenke, which represents one of the largest forms for the Mesozoic, and of the of OrretheriumThese discoveries are signs of the great fossil wealth of this place and possibly of many other unexplored places in Chilean territory.

It is not surprising that, as we continue to research and explore this territory, new records continue to enlighten us about the past history of this region and the biodiversity of the past.
This text is based on a longer article published in the Interdisciplinary Journalfrom the DICTA Foundation. You can read it here.

WHAT DOES EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT TELL US ABOUT EVOLUTION?

By Daniela Flores

Licensed in biology

When we think of a typical tree, we visualize how branches branch off from a central trunk into smaller, peripheral branches. This image is a good analogy to understand the evolution of species. Throughout the history of life, ancestral species emerged in ancient times, which we now know through their fossils (representing deeper branches).

From these ancestral species new species emerged with innovations compared to the previous ones.(representing more peripheral branches). Thus, evolution is understood as the emergence of new branches, each with particular characteristics that retain part of their previous evolutionary history.

A key dimension to understanding evolutionary changes observed in the fossil record is developmental biology. This discipline studies how organisms grow and develop from an initial cell to their adult form. From there emerges I have toan interdisciplinary field that connects the evolution of species (EVOlution) with the developmental biology (DEVelopment).

Why is developmental biology so important to understanding evolution? Because it focuses on the processes, mechanisms and patterns that form the basis of building an organism.

These processes are highly regulated and conserved throughout evolution, meaning that Changes in genes and gene expression, in developmental patterns, or in the dynamics of cells and tissues, can have enormous effects on the morphology of an organism..

For example, human embryos develop structures known as pharyngeal arches, which in fish, become gills, but in humans they evolve to form parts of the ear and neck. This demonstrates how developmental mechanisms can be reused and modified throughout evolution to fulfil new functions.

Examples of research in I have to They are also made in Chile. A fascinating case is the evolution of birds from certain carnivorous dinosaursknown as theropods, which walked on two legs. Other studies investigate how the Fish fins evolved in the fish lineage.

Evolutionary developmental biology, or I have toprovides us with an integrated perspective of how developmental processes have influenced the evolution of species. By studying changes in developmental programs, we can better understand how the diverse forms and structures we see in nature today arose.

This discipline not only allows us to unravel the mysteries of the evolutionary past, but also offers valuable insights into how organisms may continue to evolve in the future.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE: CRISTOhLEFT GALVAN

Every week we ask a scientist the same four questions. In this edition, we interview Cristóbal Galbán, doctor in Marine Sciences.

–What motivated you to dedicate yourself to science?

-Since I was little, I have been curious about exploration and science fiction. I have always thought that they go hand in hand. One of the things I always wanted when I was a child was to leave my city and visit other countries and other environments, but not as a tourist, but to discover the secrets that could be hidden there. On the other hand, the environment I had at home plays an important role. Another thing I remember is my parents reading scientific articles about their specialty in medicine, and my house has always been full of books. For me, at some point, when the time came to decide what to do when I grew up, I knew that I wanted to continue studying and learning.

–What scientific work has most influenced your activity?

-One is a book I read about evolution, called The wonderful lifeby Stephen Jay Gould. A zoology professor at university recommended it to me and I read it in just three days. It explained what the environments were like and what species inhabited them, hypothesizing about interspecific relationships in ecosystems. On the other hand, there are two scientific articles that helped me in my later development and that were closely related to my research. One of them is titled “Oceanic biogeochemical controls on global dynamics of persistent organic pollutants”, published in 2002 by Jordi Dachs, who was also my doctoral thesis advisor. And one that I will always remember fondly was an article I read about gas exchange between air and water, titled “Mechanism and rate of gas transfer across the air-sea interface”, from 1976. I was lucky enough to meet the author in person, who sent me a copy in an envelope wishing me all the best for my doctorate.

–What is the most important scientific problem to be solved?

-I think it is a subject completely outside my discipline, but I believe that understanding the evolutionary mechanism of the human species and the origin of life are two of the most important questions that we have to answer as a species. I think it is important to know where we come from in order to know where we are going, and these two problems are the most important to solve. In recent years there have been great advances in these areas, but I have no doubt that we will have more, since we have more and more technological capacity.

–What is the question that keeps you awake at night as a scientist and how do you address it?

-The truth is that this question came up by chance during my doctoral thesis, and it is about understanding the influence of microorganisms on the biogeochemical cycle of pollutants. Currently, knowing the mechanisms of how bacterial communities in the water column can affect the biogeochemical cycle of these toxic compounds is my main research question. In this regard, the approach is not easy, as I have always been quite reluctant to work with microorganisms, but I have realized that, to answer these types of more complex questions, it is very important to associate with researchers who know more about other topics and who, with their knowledge and experience, can help me answer them.

THE IMAGE OF THE WEEK

Image courtesy of Mauricio Alvarez

The scientific illustration It is one of the oldest intersections between art and science. A good illustrator in this area must be able to bring scientific concepts to the reader’s eyes in the clearest possible way, choosing the right angles and emphasis, without losing sight of the aesthetic component that enhances the impact of a scientific work.

This week’s image is a beautiful poster that scientific illustrator Mauricio Alvarez created for the Austral Patagonia Program of the Universidad Austral de Chile. It shows “some of the customary practices of the indigenous communities of coastal Patagonia, that is, practices that have been rooted in their ways of life for generations, forging a unique and powerful identity that today the communities are fighting to preserve.”

Mauricio Álvarez has participated in scientific projects in various disciplines. You can see more of his work on his Instagram page here. His illustrations have even made it onto the cover of Naturewhich is, for many, the most prestigious scientific journal in the world.

In Chile, scientific illustration is particularly important: Claudio Gaya French naturalist and artist who arrived in Chile in the 19th century, documented the country’s flora, fauna and geography in detailed illustrations. His influence on the iconography of Chile’s natural heritage is undeniable.
Well, then, a tribute from our Parallel universeto this essential profession, which remains a vital tool for scientific education and communication.

BRIEF PARALLELS

– This coming Saturday we celebrate the birthday of the English biologist and paleontologist Richard Owenseen in a photograph from 1879, posing next to the skeleton of a giant moa, a now extinct bird that lived in New Zealand until the 16th century.

Owen is known for having coined the term “dinosaur”in 1842. His work in classifying these prehistoric giants revolutionized paleontology and laid the groundwork for understanding a world dominated by these animals.
The word “dinosaur” comes from ancient Greek, combining “deinos“, meaning “terrible”, and “sauros«, which means «lizard» or «reptile».

Despite his great contributions, Richard Owen was not without controversy. He was known for his disputes with other scientists of the time, such as Charles Darwinwith whom he had disagreements over the theory of evolution.

Owen argued that evolution did occur, but it was more complex than Darwin proposed. He was uncomfortable with natural selection and believed that there must be an internal reason for biological structures that promoted evolution.

His focus on archetypes and structural similarities among organisms anticipated principles of evolutionary developmental biology, or I have tohelping to understand how anatomical structures can have a common basis and evolve in diverse ways.

Owen’s impact on paleontology is lasting. His work not only provided a solid foundation for the classification of dinosaurs, but also helped popularize the study of fossils and the history of life on Earth. Richard Owen is remembered as a pivotal figure in the development of modern palaeontology, and his legacy continues to inspire new generations of scientists.

– In 2015, American theoretical physicist Lisa Randall presented a hypothesis as fascinating as it was speculative about the disappearance of the dinosaurs. In her book Dark Matter and the DinosaursRandall suggests that the dark matter could have played an indirect role in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

The theory posits that 66 million years ago, a disk of dark matter in the Milky Way perturbed the orbit of comets in the nube de Oort.

The Oort Cloud is a vast spherical region, the most distant in the solar system, composed of small, cold objects.
This disturbance is said to have deflected a comet toward Earth, resulting in the catastrophic impact that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs and many other species.

Although this hypothesis is highly speculative and has no direct evidence to support it, it offers an innovative perspective on How cosmic forces may have influenced historical events on EarthRandall argues that this approach could explain not only the extinction of the dinosaurs, but also other cyclical impact events in the planet’s history.

The idea has generated both interest and skepticism in the scientific community. Some critics argue that Randall’s hypothesis requires additional assumptions about the nature of dark matter that have not yet been tested, and stress the need for more evidence to support these claims.
It does not stop being attractive,Of course, something as strange as dark matter could give us clues about dinosaurs.

RECOMMENDATIONS

In our questionnaire today, Cristóbal Galbán told us about the important influence that a book called The wonderful lifede Stephen Jay Gould. I have not read that book, but I have read the one that appears in the image accompanying this text: The smile of the flamencoor (Drakontos Bolsillo, 2008), which the same author wrote in 1985.

I must say that this was the book in which I was able to understand how revolutionary and subtle Darwin’s theory of evolution is. Gould’s writing is refreshing and passionate, always focusing on precise examples that illuminate general ideas like powerful beacons. The title comes from the anatomy of flamingos, which have their beaks turned upside down and feed with their heads inverted. An evolutionary paradox that allows Gould to use all his weapons to convince us of the wonders of the Darwin’s theory.
This is a collection of essays taken from his column in the magazine Natural Historywhich explores themes such as the evolution and extinction of the dinosaurs, as well as reviewing the lives and works of various naturalists, scientists and intellectuals.

Its accessible, playful and profound style makes this work a must-read for science enthusiasts.

– I cannot end this edition without recommending an album that was so important in my adolescence: Modern Clicksof Charly GarcíaI was 14 when it came out in 1983. I wasn’t a big fan of those songs, which were danced to relentlessly at parties at that time, such as “Nos sigue pegando abajo” and “No me dejan salir.” I tried to be different and despised everything that was mainstream. But listening to each of those songs again with the broad perspective that time gives you, I can only say that I regret it. What a tremendous album!

Now, even at that time there was a song that seduced me beyond my prejudices. A ballad that begins with a mysterious synthesizer note that was soon joined by an acoustic piano. A song without percussion that spoke of those disappeared by the Argentine dictatorship. The song is called “Dinosaurs.” An allegory about disappearance:

Neighborhood friends can disappear,
But the dinosaurs are going to disappear.