Montana

Tiny extinct crocodyliform with unusual teeth discovered in Montana

Published

6 months ago

September 23, 2025

Tiny extinct crocodyliform with unusual teeth discovered in Montana

An artistic rendering of Thikarisuchus xenodentes, an extinct crocodyliform from the Cretaceous of Montana. Credit: Dane Johnson/Museum of the Rockies

About 95 million years ago, a juvenile crocodyliform nicknamed Elton lived in what is now southwest Montana at the edge of the Western Interior Seaway.

Measuring no more than 2 feet long from nose to tip of tail, young Elton was about the size of a big lizard, according to Montana State University professor of paleontology David Varricchio. Had it lived to be full grown, Elton would have measured no longer than 3 feet, far smaller than most members of the Neosuchia clade to which it and its distant relatives belong.

The clade includes modern crocodilians and their closest extinct relatives, almost all of them semiaquatic or marine carnivores with simple, conical teeth.

Elton, by contrast, lived on the land, probably feasting on both plants and insects or small animals with its assortment of differently shaped and specialized teeth. Its unique anatomy reveals that it was part of a new, previously unrecognized family of crocodyliforms endemic to the Cretaceous of North America.

If not for the sharp eye of Harrison Allen, a 2023 graduate of MSU’s Department of Earth Sciences in the College of Letters and Science, Elton’s ancient remains may never have been discovered. But during a dig in the summer of 2021 in the Blackleaf geological formation on U.S. Forest Service land near Dillon, Allen—then a student in Varricchio’s field paleontology course—noticed a fossil the size of the tip of his pinkie with a “weird texture on it.”

“I brought it to Dr. Varricchio and knew it must be something good, because he said, ‘Take me to where you found this,’” said Allen, who is now studying croc paleontology as a doctoral student at Stony Brook University in New York.

It was an exciting moment for Allen, originally from Kentucky, who chose MSU because it offers a paleontology track for undergraduates majoring in earth sciences.

Four years and hundreds of hours of study later, he is the lead author of a paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology that describes the morphology and scientific significance of the creature whose remains he found in the Blackleaf Formation.

“After the dig, Dr. Varricchio told me why he was so excited the day I found the initial specimen. It had so much visible anatomy to explore, and he could see it was a tiny, tiny croc skull, fully articulated and preserved—it was a special thing,” Allen said.

“We have found dinosaurs (in the Blackleaf) before, but this was the second known vertebrate animal we’d ever found in this formation.”

The extinct animal, which Allen and the paper’s co-authors later named Thikarisuchus xenodentes for its strange, sheathed teeth, has provided new information about the paleoecology of the Blackleaf ecosystem and about patterns of evolution in the croc family tree.

It also provided the ultimate undergraduate research project for Allen, who delved into the painstaking process of excavating, sifting and reconstructing the Thikarisuchus remains with the help of some fellow students.

“As an undergraduate student new to research, I nervously went up to Dr. Varricchio and asked if I could study this specimen,” Allen said. “It led me down the rabbit hole into this amazing world of prehistoric, extinct crocs and their evolutionary niches.”

The day after Allen recovered the first piece of skeleton, he and his classmates scooped up several bags of sediment from the mound where it was found.

Back in Bozeman, Allen and his friend Dane Johnson, who graduated in 2022 and is now a paleontology lab and field specialist at MSU’s Museum of the Rockies, spent between 10 and 20 hours sifting out fine particulate matter and dirt, eventually recovering dozens of tiny pieces of the Thikarisuchus skeleton that collectively fit into the palm of Allen’s hand.

As they worked, they listened to music, including Elton John’s 1970s hit “Crocodile Rock.” The nickname “Elton” stuck, long before the specimen was assigned the scientific name that reflects its physical traits.

Allen and Johnson recovered bits of bone from almost all areas of the animal’s body, including its limbs, vertebrae, jaw and 50-millimeter-long skull. Because the fragments were tiny and exceptionally fragile, the students didn’t attempt to physically reassemble them.

Instead, they took them for a series of CT scans, including some at MSU’s Subzero Research Laboratory. Allen estimates that he spent well over 100 hours coloring the digital, 2D segment slices that the scans produced, a process necessary to visually distinguish the bones from the rocks they were embedded in.

“Harrison worked super hard to digitally reconstruct the animal, and it came out beautifully,” said Varricchio.

During the process, Allen discovered that the bones of Thikarisuchus were densely concentrated and organized in a manner consistent with fossils of organisms found in burrows in the Blackleaf Formation and the nearby Wayan Formation in Idaho.

He said this suggests that Thikarisuchus was likewise preserved within a burrow, further supporting the notion that fossils recovered from these formations are biased toward those that were preserved in burrows.

The specimen also presented clues about Thikarisuchus’ newly named family group Wannchampsidae and a similar group found in Eurasia known as Atopasauridae.

Both groups were tiny and terrestrially adapted, and they shared certain cranial and dental features found in another more distantly related group from the Cretaceous of Africa and South America.

“It suggests that during the same time period, we’re seeing convergent evolution between two distantly related groups due to similar environmental conditions, prey availability and who-knows-what that prompted crocs on opposite sides of the planet to develop similar features,” Allen said.

As he works toward his Ph.D. and a career as a paleontology professor, Allen said his experiences with Elton cemented his research interest, which has since broadened to include extinct crocs from all over the world.

“The majority of diversity of crocodyliforms is in the past. There were fully marine crocs, fully terrestrial crocs, herbivorous crocs, omnivores and some that cracked shells,” he said. “That amazed me and made me want to get into this more specific realm of paleontology.”

Varricchio said he feels fortunate that students like Allen choose to study at MSU.

“It was a true pleasure to have Harrison as a student here—so much positive enthusiasm, followed up with great research,” he said.

More information:
Harrison J. Allen et al, A new, diminutive, heterodont neosuchian from the Vaughn Member of the Blackleaf Formation (Cenomanian), southwest Montana, and implications for the paleoecology of heterodont neosuchians, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (2025). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2025.2542185

Provided by
Montana State University

Citation:
Tiny extinct crocodyliform with unusual teeth discovered in Montana (2025, September 23)
retrieved 23 September 2025
from https://phys.org/news/2025-09-tiny-extinct-crocodyliform-unusual-teeth.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Source link

Related Topics:Featured Materials Nanotech physics Physics News science Science News technology technology news

Click to comment

Montana

‘Hannah Montana’ fans question Starbucks drink. ‘She hates raspberry’.

Published

7 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

‘Hannah Montana’ fans question Starbucks drink. ‘She hates raspberry’.

Hannah Montana once sang that “Nobody’s Perfect,” a sentiment fans are echoing regarding Starbucks’ new drink honoring the fictional pop star ahead of her iconic Disney TV show’s 20th anniversary special.

Thought to be a drink that Hannah Montana would order at Starbucks, the coffee chain launched the Secret Popstar Refresher on March 23 as a celebration ahead of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special”, set to be released on Disney+ on March 24. The drink consists of a grande Strawberry Acai Refresher with raspberry cold foam, two pumps of raspberry syrup and no strawberry inclusions – the dried strawberries typically in the refresher, according to the Starbucks app.

However, fans were quick to point out that the beloved TV show’s main character, Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as teen pop star Hannah Montana, notoriously hates raspberries. Her disdain for raspberries was established in Season 1 of the show.

Stewart’s disgust is rooted in a childhood experience, during which she got sick after eating too much raspberry pie. Her hate for the fruit is exacerbated when Hannah Montana has to advertise a raspberry-scented perfume.

Now, fans of the show have taken to social media to speculate on Starbucks’ inclusion of raspberry.

Fans react to the raspberry Hannah Montana drink

Fans on social media quickly caught the raspberry reference after the drink’s launch on March 23, which many felt was an oversight by Starbucks, as they seemingly did not take Hannah Montana’s past into account.

Multiple comments on Starbucks’ Instagram post announcing the drink question the product’s flavor, including messages like “Why raspberry tho…didn’t Miley/Hannah hate raspberry,” “but she hates raspberry,” and “brooo there’s an episode in Hannah Montana (the perfume ad) where she doesn’t like raspberry!!!!”

The post’s caption appears to poke fun at the episode, reading: “For the fans who remember the raspberry saga, this one’s for you.”

Other comments under the post from Disney accounts also seem to acknowledge the raspberry inclusion as intentional, with the official Disney+ account commenting, “This completes the circle,” and the official Disney Channel account commenting, “the raspberry lore lives on!”

How to order a Hannah Montana drink at Starbucks

The Secret Popstar Refresher will be available for order through the Starbucks mobile app until April 5, according to a Starbucks statement obtained by USA TODAY.

The drink is a “secret menu exclusive,” meaning it is not on the official Starbucks menu in stores or drive-thru. Customers who know the recipe or use the Starbucks mobile app can order the refresher variation.

However, like any drink variation at the coffee chain, the refresher can be ordered at any time, as long as Starbucks has the required ingredients.

How to watch ‘Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special’?

The “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special” became available to stream on Disney+ on March 24.

Reflecting on the past two decades, the special is an intimate sit-down interview with Miley Cyrus and “Call Her Daddy” podcast host Alex Cooper. The interview was filmed in front of a live audience in a recreation of the iconic Stewart ranch-style home.

Contributing: Greta Cross, USA TODAY

Source link

Montana

Now a true pop star, Miley Cyrus returns to her ‘Hannah Montana’ roots to fete anniversary special

Published

19 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Now a true pop star, Miley Cyrus returns to her ‘Hannah Montana’ roots to fete anniversary special

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sporting that “Hannah Montana” blonde hair and bangs, Miley Cyrus went back to her roots — celebrating 20 years of the TV show that launched the career of a real-life pop star.

Cyrus reunited with cast members of “Hannah Montana” in Los Angeles Monday evening for the premiere of the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”

Cyrus told The Associated Press that the milestone has given her a chance to see the character and series from “a new perspective.” Cyrus, who began the Disney Channel show at age 13, played Miley Stewart, a tween and middle-schooler hiding her secret life as a famous pop singer.

“Getting to be on the outside now, getting to be grown and be a part of it in a way that I couldn’t when I was in the middle of it before, and all the chaos and the schedule and the performing of it all,” Cyrus said, “now it just gets to be a celebration. So it is a new perspective. I love that.”

The anniversary special, which started streaming Tuesday on Disney+ and Hulu, celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, it features music, archival footage and an interview with Cyrus — now 33 and a genuine pop star — conducted by podcast host Alex Cooper.

Addressing the audience at the premiere, Cyrus paid tribute both to fellow cast members and fans. “Without you all, this show would have never been what it is, and I love saying what it is, not what it was,” she said.

“Tonight isn’t about looking back into the past, but it’s about what it means to us still tonight,” she said.

Jason Earles, who played Miley’s brother Jackson, told the AP that watching the show now highlights how much time has passed.

“I think if you go back and you watch the episodes, there’s enough dated references like old flip phones and stuff that you go, ‘Oh no, no, this show was a little while ago,’” he said.

Cody Linley, who played Miley’s on-and-off boyfriend Jake Ryan, reflected on the impact of portraying a teen heartthrob.

“It’s hard to believe that there were girls that had pictures of me with my shirt off in their locker and they would have me sign it,” Linley said. “And it’s hard not to let it go to your head, because you have to remember that it’s an image that they are seeing. It’s not you.”

Also attending the premiere was country singer Lainey Wilson, who recalled working as a “Hannah Montana” impersonator early in her career.

“From 8th grade to 12th grade, five years of my life, I would open up the show as Lainey Wilson, I would run behind a tree and put on my ‘Hannah Montana’ get-up,” the singer said. “I did birthday parties, fairs, festivals … I was hitting the roads.”

Source link

Montana

New report shows Montana sees small drop in nonfatal workplace injuries

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

New numbers from the Department of Labor and Industry show a slight improvement in workplace safety across Montana.

The data indicates 13,200 nonfatal injuries and illnesses were reported in 2024. This is down slightly from the year before where it was 13,600.

The overall injury rate held steady with retail, manufacturing, and transportation seeing the highest rates.

State leaders say the data helps identify risks and improve safety efforts statewide.

The department says it’s also expanding training programs and keeping workers safe.

The data will continue to guide safety improvements in the years ahead.

The followng press release was sent out by the The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI):

DLI Releases Latest Statistics on Workplace Injuries and Illness in Montana

HELENA, Mont. — The Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) released today the 2024 Montana Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Report, providing an overview of workplace injury and illness trends across the state’s private industry sector.

“This report provides valuable insight into where workplace injuries and illnesses are occurring in Montana and helps guide efforts to improve safety across industries,” said Sarah Swanson, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. “By understanding these trends, employers and workers can take steps to reduce risks and build safer workplaces. This helps fulfill our mission to ensure every worker goes home safe after every shift.”

Key Findings from the 2024 Report

In 2024, employees of Montana businesses reported 13,200 OSHA-recordable nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses, resulting in an overall incidence rate of 3.4 cases per 100 full-time workers.

The 2024 injury count decreased slightly from 13,600 cases in 2023, while the overall incidence rate remained unchanged.

Industries with higher 2024 incidence rates included retail trade (4.6), manufacturing (4.6), and transportation and warehousing (4.5).

Industries with lower incidence rates included mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (1.6), utilities (1.2), and finance and insurance (0.5).

The report reflects data collected during the 2024 calendar year* through the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), a nationwide program conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics in partnership with state agencies. Each year, a sample of Montana employers submits workplace injury and illness data through the survey.

Focus on Prevention and Training

In addition to tracking workplace injuries and illnesses, DLI promotes safety through training and education. The department offers workplace safety training, including OSHA 10-hour courses that help workers recognize hazards and improve jobsite safety. DLI also provides Labor Law Training and Education on topics such as wage and hour laws, prevailing wage requirements, and collective bargaining in the public sector.

Programs such as SafetyFestMT provide free safety training opportunities for workers and employers statewide. The department also supports professional development through the Workers’ Compensation Claims Examiner Certification program, which strengthens expertise in managing workplace injury claims.

Supporting Long-Term Safety Improvements

Montana has participated in the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses for more than 30 years. The data helps track long-term workplace safety trends and support efforts to reduce job-related injuries and illnesses.

The next survey cycle will collect data for the 2025 reference year, with results expected to be released in 2026.

The full 2024 Montana Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Report is available here.

*Because the survey relies on detailed employer reporting and data analysis, results are released after the survey year to allow time for collection, verification, and analysis.

Source link