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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 20h

"These findings suggest that sauropod gigantism was sustained by lineage-specific combinations of femoral geometry, internal architecture and articular soft tissues." (fig 6 from Silva Junior et al)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 20h

"Locally, the results suggest that, in most species, the bones of the braincase and the maxilla were especially susceptible to sustaining and enforcing major spatial constraints, which probably channelled their morphological evolution." (figs 4 & 5 from Schuurman et al)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I swear I was gonna do a tyrannosaur #FossilFriday even before Tromerosaurus dropped! 😅 Each time I'm at the Mongolian Institute of Paleontology, even I have to admire and drool over the 'baby' Tarbosaurus MPC-D 107/7. Check out the 'chicken wing'-sized articulated arm from this specimen!!!!🤩

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Did you know that we had nicknamed a special 🦕in honor of Dolly Parton? "Dolly" is the first dino with a respiratory infection. And "Dolly" is also a new genus. Teaser image: I often use pieces of art as human scale bars, but I could think of nothing more fitting than Dolly with "Dolly."

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

If I had a nickel for #Hunter under a cast of the #Tyrannosaurus MOR 555 at a museum where I did a graduate degree, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice... @museumoftherockies.bsky.social @romtoronto.bsky.social

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

To say that Hunter was *excited* to see the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is an understatement! 🤣 #KeepitOscar

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A reminder, but back in 2022, we honored Dr. Fauci as the human scale bar in our sauropod respiratory infection paper. "Human scale bar is the exemplar of pandemic education and rationalism, Dr. Anthony Fauci." 🧵

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

🦬❤️🦬❤️🦬❤️🦬❤️

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

A true pilgrimage to paleo Mecca. This is *THE* type locality of the Morrison Formation. I laughed. I cried. I prayed to the Old Gods (Marsh, Cope, Hatcher, Gilmore, Lull, & Mook) for Morrison success, & I may have left an offering. Thanks to Amy Atwater for this opportunity!!!!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

This made me laugh for a good 5 minutes 🤣 Although asking if someone thinks Brontosaurus was a real dinosaur is really a better first date question.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Giraffe-like regional cervical elongation AND *multiple sets of gastral baskets* - from an early sauropodomorph?!?! (plus tons of other cool stuff) The axial osteology of Macrocollum by Fonseca et al. is a great read, and an awesome study!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I JUST GOT AN ORIGINAL COPY OF J.B. HATCHER'S 1901 MONOGRAPH ON DIPLODOCUS CARNEGII!!!!! *AND* IT WAS SIGNED BY HATCHER!!!!!!!!!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

This study found that between the known species of cassowaries, biofluorescent patterns differed significantly between species.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

I'll also add this Stegoceras by RCI. Yes, not a typical pachycephalosaur pose, but this is the only pachycephalosaur mount I know of in the world that has the ossified myosepta included. Such a small detail, but one that makes this mount an absolute jewel.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Had a great trip up to the @AMNH! Never enough time here, but loads of great research projects kick started! 🦕🦖🦴🔬⛏️

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

Hunter *loves* his little panda 😍

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#3) One big f-ing stego Sadly, it's only know from partial forelimbs, but we document a stego that based on limb dimension is ~38% longer than the average stego. Assuming we could generally scale isometrically (don't come at me!), that all equals the largest specimen thus far.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#2) Turiasaurs in the Morrison?! Maybe...🤷‍♂️ We documented several "heart-shaped" teeth from Colorado that are *identical* to turiasaurs. No turiasaurs are definitely known from the formation, so who might be the owner of these teeth?

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#1) The 1st Barosaurus from Montana A *GREAT* collaboration with the @elevationscience.bsky.social and @cincymuseum.bsky.social crew, we document the 1st Barosaurus known from the "The Treasure State", which isn't too shocking, but a wonderful surprise. (& thanks @BLM_MTDKs!)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

Like all of us, I've seen the video of the ICE agent that murdered Renee Good walking away from the scene like a hundred times....but I JUST noticed what's in the background.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

The last day in the fossil prep lab at Frost Science of 2025 was pretty good....

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

But in comes the new Williams & Harris paper! Not only is this the anatomical expertise rightfully needed, but they did phenomenal morphologic and histologic assessments. (love me some Fig 2 BTW)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 07/12/2025

I got into this from Ankole-Watusi cattle. This debate has long centered around a 'were they more like crocs or birds?' perspective, & I wanted to see what tissues were/were not associated with bifid spines (which Watusi have).

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

This has been a dream book with my bestest friends Ted & Annie Rechlin of Rextooth Studios! Out Dec 15. More info and to pre-order from Rextooth Studios: rextooth.com/mynewbook

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Hunter goes on most of my digs, and this book teaches kids not only how we find and dig up dinosaurs, but also how we study them - all from his perspective! AND this book chronicles an actual new sauropod we're working on!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

For #FossilFriday, my *secret project* that I've been dying to share with y'all is finally here! 🥁🥁🥁🥁 HUNTER! Or, more specifically, Hunter the Dino-Digging Dog! 🧵

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Hunter's favorite category is the Sporting Group. 🐕🏆 @TheNatlDogShow

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

I have laughed at this WAY more than I should! The satire in this is 🤌🏆

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

1) #Huayracursor_jaguensis is a new sauropodomorph from the Late Triassic of Argentina. For any early dino that is an INSANELY complete skeleton! And check out those cervicals! Definitely an important taxon for understanding the evolutionary history of pod neck elongation.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUNTER!!!!!! The big man turns **6** today! **SIX** Seems like just yesterday he was small enough to be my carry-on....😅 Here's to my love and the bestest boy on his bestest day, and may it be filled with tennis balls and cheeseburgers!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

hamoni: in honor of Bob Harmon. Bob was the former head of the MOR lab and field program, and he was the best field mentor I've ever had. I learned so much from Bob, and I am the crew chief I am today thanks to his tutelage. Thank you Bob, for everything. (📷 by A. Bailleul)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Now, on to the name: Brontotholus, which means Thunder Dome. Yes, a bit of a nod to the classic sauropod named "Brontosaurus", but primarily in homage to the classic 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

For #FossilFriday, it's a *NEW PACHYCEPHALOSAURID*(!), and a project that is very near and dear to my heart. Let's welcome #Brontotholus_harmoni!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

#ZAVACEPHALE IS FINALLY OUT! 🥳 Our first definitive Early Cretaceous pachycephalosaur! (~15 my older than the previous oldest pachycephalosaurs) And the first hand material for the clade! I can't tell y'all how much of a pleasure it was to review this paper! ☺️

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

#Spicomellus. It's effing weird, right?! A dino kaiju if there ever was one. I mean seriously, it's Anguirus! I remember seeing the half ring for the first time and literally exclaiming "HOLY SHIT!" (more AMAZING reconstructions by the absurdly talented @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social )

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

It's already blowing up on the paleo sphere, but let's welcome another #Spicomellus post! (reconstruction by the insanely talented @sketchy-raptor.bsky.social) www.nature.com/articles/s41...

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

*THIS* is a story I want to know more about! 😨

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

For #FossilFriday we recently imaged a bunch of microfossils with a Keyence microscope at @univmiami.bsky.social, & this #Troodon tooth was one of my favorites! Their teeth are something...but under such high mag, they really are wicked, and "wounding tooth" is certainly an appropriate name!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

Hunter *LOVES* pools. Hunter *HATES* sharing pools. 🤣

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

This is one I'm really excited about! A few years back, I was fortunate enough to join an expedition to Morocco led by @tweetisaurus.bsky.social and @Palaeo_Bham. We were in Morocco hunting for other things, but these three teeth were found, & I *vividly* remember holding them and going "Holy sh#t!"

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

New paper day! Phil Bell led a great study on some *INSANELY COOL* titanosaur tracks our expedition found in Mongolia. The scales in particular are extra awesome - they're like little pyramids, and they *may* have helped with scratch digging and/or walking on sandy surfaces!

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

It's a Saurischian-airport kind of day....

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Obligatory* selfie with #Brachiosaurus at #ORD. (* any photo with a sauropod is a good photo)

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

So far, I've only found it in a pub by Snively & Russell (2007), and technically, it's in a table of examined specimens. But it still stands that it was scientifically examined and published on.

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Cary Woodruff @doublebeam.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

I'm a few days late, but my goodness! Look at the exceptional skull of the new eusauropod #Jinchuanloong_niedu by Li et al! LOOK AT IT!!!! I'd wager you don't have too many more fingers & toes than we have great 🦕 skulls, & #Jinchuanloong's is definitely top tier 🏆

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