A primitive, long-necked dinosaur that weighed an estimated 40,000 pounds and grew to a length of 70 feet is the newest species to be plucked from the African Sahara by a team led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno.

Jobaria adult and juvenile

"With 95 percent of its skeleton preserved, the new species stands as the most complete long-necked dinosaur ever discovered from the Cretaceous Period," Sereno said.

The species, discovered in the Republic of Niger and described in the Nov. 12 issue of the journal Science, was unveiled Thursday, November 11 at a news conference at the National Geographic Society, a sponsor of the project.

Toiling in temperatures exceeding 120 degrees, Sereno’s team excavated tons of bone and rock during a 1997 expedition and spent that last two years cleaning and studying the bones. Sereno’s team has constructed two cast skeletons: an adult, rearing to a height of more than 30 feet, and a juvenile, posed in mid-stride.

The new dinosaur, named Jobaria tiguidensis, lived about 135 million years ago in the Cretaceous Period when open forests and broad rivers characterized the region. Jobaria (JO-BAR-E-YA) refers to "Jobar," a creature in the legends of the local nomadic Tuareg people, to whom they had attributed the exposed bones; tiguidensis (TI-GI-DEN-SIS) refers to the cliff near the excavation sites.

The main graveyard site contained bones of several adults and juvenile individuals, suggesting that Jobaria once roamed in herds of mixed age, Sereno said. Although an ancient flash flood quickly buried the animals, some may have died at the hands of the chief meat-eating dinosaur of the time, Afrovenator, a 27 foot-long predator previously discovered in the same area by Sereno’s team. Tooth marks are present on the ribs of one of the juvenile skeletons.

Jobaria doesn’t fit into any recognized family of long-necked dinosaurs, or sauropods. Rather, Jobaria represents an ancient sauropod lineage that survived and flourished only in Africa during the Cretaceous. Unlike other Cretaceous sauropods, Jobaria has spoon-shaped teeth and a relatively short neck composed of only 12 vertebrae. Jobaria’s backbone and tail are simple compared to the complex vertebrae and whiplash tail of the older North American sauropods Diplodocus and Apatosaurus.

"Jobaria is a real survivor, a relic in its own day," said Jeff Wilson, a sauropod expert on Sereno’s team. An analysis of the dinosaur record in general by Sereno and his co-authors revealed an uneven pace of skeletal change. "Some dinosaurs change a lot in a short amount of time, whereas others change very little over millions of years," he said.

Sereno’s team has studied modern elephants in their attempt to more realistically reconstruct the Jobaria skeletons. The team believes that despite its enormous size, Jobaria moved gracefully, with its feet set close to each other under the body. "Its proportions were elephant-like and its bones could have supported its body mass when rearing during feeding or in courtship contests," said Sereno. Jobaria’s flexible neck and spoon-shaped teeth are well adapted for nipping the smaller branches of trees.

Sereno’s field and lab work was supported by the National Geographic Society, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Pritzker Foundation and the Women’s Board of the University of Chicago. Sereno also won additional support by competing in the 1999 Chicago Marathon Celebrity Challenge and from pledges from children and other contributors.

The Junior Paleontologists in front of Jobaria at National Geographic in D.C.

Contact: Gabrielle Lyon, Director

773-643-3014

http://www.jobaria.org

Tabrina Davis, Chicago Public Schools

773-553-1620

Students Participate in Landmark Dinosaur Announcement

On November 11, ten Chicago Public School students will be on hand to witness the unveiling of Jobaria, a gigantic new species of dinosaur, in Washington DC at National Geographic's headquarters. For these Junior Paleontologists this event is another unique experience on a scientific journey they began in August. They have already studied, hiked, prospected and excavated dinosaur fossils in Montana.

Project Exploration's Junior Paleontologist Program is a three-week intensive program for students ages 12-17 which enhances science, social studies, language arts and personal leadership skills. The first two weeks are spent learning about paleontology and developing research skills. The last week is spent searching for dinosaur remains in Montana. Exposure to cutting edge science, support for critical academic skills including reading, writing and research are intertwined. Enabling students to build relationships with professional scientists and college students is a primary goal.

"Involving students in the excitement of a breakng science story is an experience they will never forget," said Gabrielle Lyon, Director of Project Exploration. "It's an ideal way to build on their summer experience."

Bringing the JPs to Washington for this moment in science history is just one of the recent initiatives by Project Exploration, a new non-profit science education organization founded by educator Lyon and paleontologist Paul Sereno. One of Project Exploration's goals is to inspire student populations that are underrepresented in science. The organization provides innovative hands-on experiences for kids, develops curriculum materials for teachers, and creates interactive exhibits for the public.

Schools CEO Paul Vallas praised Project Exploration for organizing this trip to Washington. "We want to continue strengthening our science programs and the Junior Paleontologists program is an excellent supplement to our curriculum. We look forward to further collaboration with Paul Sereno and Gabrielle Lyon as they expand Project Exploration."

DinoRun Raises $15,000 to Help Build Jobaria

The JPs were key players in "DinoRun," a fundraising effort for Jobaria aimed at schools and students, that centered around Paul Sereno's run in the Chicago Marathon. He ran the race in 3 hours, 16 minutes and the effort paid off. Thanks to the work of JP Marco Mendez, who organized a school-wide effort at his high school, Kenwood Academy won the coveted cast of the jaw of Jobaria by obtaining the highest number of individual contributions - nearly 1000.

Jobaria Website Launched

"Scientific discoveries need to be accessible - and if kids are interested then we need to support that interest to raise academic achievement," says Lyon, who was on the expedition that discovered Jobaria. Kids, teachers and families who want to learn more about the discovery can by logging on www.jobaria.org. Website highlights include: the science story behind Jobaria, background information on what it takes to build a 60 foot-long skeleton, an online exhibit ready for printing, and "Jobaria and the elephant," which illustrates how an elephant helped scientists to estimate the rearing capabilities of Jobaria.

Major Chicago Exhibit, "Dinosaur Giants"

On January 14, 2000 Project Exploration will open "Dinosaur Giants," a free exhibit in the Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier. The exhibit will showcase three dynamic skeletons - an adult and juvenile Jobaria, as well as Afrovenator, the dominant predator that lived alongside Jobaria. Chicago Public School teachers will be personally introduced to the new dinosaurs at a day-long workshop presented by Project Exploration on January 22, 2000. Chicago Public Schools will collaborate with Project Exploration to provide teacher training and support the development of a curriculum.

For more information contact:

Gabrielle Lyon, Project Exploration 773-643-3014