Palaeoblog
@palaeoblog.bsky.social
News and views from Dr. Michael J Ryan, Dinosaurologist
Premiered This Day (1933): Son of Kong. Rushed into production for a Christmas release after the success Kong (1933), the sequel could not help but fall short. But, it still features amazing animation by Willis O’Brien and is the perfect movie for those too young to see the admittedly scary, Kong.
December 22, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Premiered This Day (1933): Son of Kong. Rushed into production for a Christmas release after the success Kong (1933), the sequel could not help but fall short. But, it still features amazing animation by Willis O’Brien and is the perfect movie for those too young to see the admittedly scary, Kong.
Discovered This Day (1938): First Living Coelacanth. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the museum in East London, South Africa, examined a daily fish haul made at 70-m depth. In the trash heap she spotted a blue, 5-ft fish with iridescent silver markings – the first extant coelacanth!
December 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Discovered This Day (1938): First Living Coelacanth. Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, curator of the museum in East London, South Africa, examined a daily fish haul made at 70-m depth. In the trash heap she spotted a blue, 5-ft fish with iridescent silver markings – the first extant coelacanth!
Born This Day: Hermann Muller (21 Dec, 1890 – 4 Apr, 1967) was the first to increase the mutation rate using heat, later using 50 kilovolt X-rays to induce an even greater incidence of mutations. Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1946.
December 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Born This Day: Hermann Muller (21 Dec, 1890 – 4 Apr, 1967) was the first to increase the mutation rate using heat, later using 50 kilovolt X-rays to induce an even greater incidence of mutations. Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1946.
Born This Day: Sewall Wright (21 Dec, 1889–3 Mar, 1988) was one of the founders of modern theoretical population genetics. He applied statistical techniques to evolutionary theory and is best known for his concept of genetic drift, called the Sewell Wright effect.
December 21, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Born This Day: Sewall Wright (21 Dec, 1889–3 Mar, 1988) was one of the founders of modern theoretical population genetics. He applied statistical techniques to evolutionary theory and is best known for his concept of genetic drift, called the Sewell Wright effect.
Born This Day: Richard Leakey (19 Dec 1944–2 Jan 2022). Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician. Director of the National Museum of Kenya, founded the NGO WildlifeDirect, chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service. Co-founded the Turkana Basin Institute with Stony Brook Univ.
December 19, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Born This Day: Richard Leakey (19 Dec 1944–2 Jan 2022). Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician. Director of the National Museum of Kenya, founded the NGO WildlifeDirect, chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service. Co-founded the Turkana Basin Institute with Stony Brook Univ.
Premiered This Day (1975): The Land That Time Forgot. Directed by Kevin O’Connor, and starring Doug McClure.
August 13, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Premiered This Day (1975): The Land That Time Forgot. Directed by Kevin O’Connor, and starring Doug McClure.
Born This Day: Jean-Baptiste de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (Aug 1, 1744 – Dec 18, 1829). In 1809 Lamarck published his theory of evolution (in Philosophie zoologique). Lamarck's theory found little favour among his contemporaries and he died blind and in poverty
August 1, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Born This Day: Jean-Baptiste de Monet, Chevalier de Lamarck (Aug 1, 1744 – Dec 18, 1829). In 1809 Lamarck published his theory of evolution (in Philosophie zoologique). Lamarck's theory found little favour among his contemporaries and he died blind and in poverty
