Thrinaxodon Facts and Figures

Thrinaxodon Facts and Figures Although it wasnt quite as mammal-like as its close cousin, Cynognathus, Thrinaxodon was still a startlingly advanced reptile by early Triassic standards. Paleontologists believe this cynodont (a subgroup of the therapsids, or mammal-like reptiles, which preceded the dinosaurs and eventually evolved into the first true mammals) may have been covered in fur, and also may have possessed a moist, cat-like nose. Name: Thrinaxodon (Greek for trident tooth); pronounced thrie-NACK-so-donHabitat: Woodlands of southern Africa and AntarcticaHistorical Period: Early Triassic (250-245 million years ago)Size and Weight: About 20 inches long and a few poundsDiet: MeatDistinguishing Characteristics: Cat-like profile; quadrupedal posture; possibly fur and warm-blooded metabolism Completing the resemblance to modern tabbies, its possible that Thrinaxodon sported whiskers as well, which would have evolved in order to sense prey (and for all we know, this 250-million-year-old vertebrate was equipped with orange and black stripes). What paleontologists can say for sure is that Thrinaxodon was among the first vertebrates the body of which was divided into lumbar and thoracic segments (an important anatomical development, evolution-wise), and that it probably breathed with the aid of a diaphragm, yet another feature that didnt come fully into mammalian vogue until tens of millions of years later. Thrinaxodon Lived in Burrows We also have solid evidence that Thrinaxodon lived in burrows, which may have enabled this reptile to survive the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event, which wiped out most of the worlds terrestrial and marine animals and left the earth a smoking, inhospitable wasteland for the first few million years of the Triassic period. (Recently, a Thrinaxodon specimen was discovered curled up in its burrow alongside the prehistoric amphibian Broomistega; apparently, this latter creature crawled into the hole to recover from its wounds, and both occupants then drowned in a flash flood.) For nearly a century, Thrinaxodon was believed to be restricted to early Triassic South Africa, where its fossils have been discovered in abundance, along with those of other mammal-like reptiles (the type specimen was unearthed in 1894). In 1977, however, a nearly identical therapsid species was discovered in Antarctica, which sheds valuable light on the distribution of  the earths land masses at the start of the Mesozoic Era. And finally, heres a bit of showbiz trivia for you: Thrinaxodon, or at least a creature closely resembling Thrinaxodon, was featured in the very first episode of the BBC TV series Walking With Dinosaurs.

Dubois Surname Meaning and Origin

Dubois Surname Meaning and Origin The ancient French surname duBois derived from the Old French bois meaning wood and was a French topographical name given to a man who lived or worked in the woods, or who worked as a woodcutter. Similar in origin to the WOOD surname in England and America. DUBOIS is the 8th most popular surname in France. Surname Origin:  French Alternate Surname Spellings:  BOIS, DUBOS, DUBOST, DUBOISE, DEBOSE, DUBAIS, DUBAISE, DESBOIS, BOST, DUBOICE, DUBOYS, DUBOSC, DUBUSK Where Do People With the DUBOIS Surname Live? WorldNames PublicProfiler identifies the largest population of individuals with the DuBois surname in France followed, as you might expect, by Belgium and Switzerland, and then Canada. Within France, the surname is most prevalent in the northern regions of Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie, followed by the Wallonie region of Belgium. The name in France is also fairly common throughout the central part of the country, from Paris stretching north, east and west. Data from Forebears agrees, ranking DuBois as the 4th most common surname in France and 17th in Belgium. It is also prevalent in French territories and collectives such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia, as well as countries which formerly belonged to France, such as The Ivory Coast. The Dubose surname variant is most commonly found in the United States. Famous People With the Surname DUBOIS Allison DuBois - American psychic/mediumW.E.B. duBois - African-American writer, historian and socialistAntoine DuBois - French surgeonCharles Frà ©dà ©ric Dubois - Belgian naturalistLouis DuBois -  Huguenot colonist in New NetherlandShirley Graham Du Bois - American writer, composer and civil rights activist Genealogy Resources for the Surname DUBOIS Common French Surnames Their MeaningsUncover the meaning of your French last name with this free guide to French surnames meanings and origins. DuBose-DuBois DNA ProjectOver 100 group members belong to this Y-DNA surname project, working together to combine DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out DuBose and DuBois ancestral lines. Includes individuals with DuBoise, DuBoice, DuBoys, DuBosc, DuBusk and similar surname variants.   Dubois Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Dubois family crest or coat of arms for the Dubois surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male-line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   DuBois Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Dubois surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Dubois query. FamilySearchAccess over 1.7 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Collins surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DUBOIS Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Dubois surname.  You can also browse or search the list archives to explore previous postings for the Dubois surname. The DuBois Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Dubois from the website of Genealogy Today. References Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967.Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005.Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia.  Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings.  Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993.Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow.  Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991.Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.