Los yacimientos del Cerro Batallones en Madrid son los más importantes del mundo para el estudio de los félidos de dientes de sable del Mioceno, y cada año durante las últimas 2 décadas un nutrido equipo de paleontólogos excava allí, recuperando centenares de fósiles de excepcional valor científico.

El equipo del programa “Crónicas” de TVE ha filmado un extenso reportaje sobre la historia del yacimiento, los trabajos de excavación y estudio de los fósiles, y la repercusión de los hallazgos. El programa se emitirá este jueves 11 de octubre a las 23:00 horas en la 2 de Televisión Española.

Mauricio recently completed an exciting assignment from National Geographic Magazine: to reconstruct the bizarre South American Therapsid Tiarajudens eccentricus. His reconstruction has appeared in the “NOW” section of this month’s issue of the American edition. The section does not seem to be updated in the society’s Web site, but if you are a German speaker you may want to check the site of the German edition here:

https://www.nationalgeographic.de/wissen/palaeontologie-das-saebelzahnschwein

 In case you have not seem the Magazine yet, check the attached image of the reconstruction.

More extensive comments in:

 https://www.chasingsabretooths.wordpress.com

 Here is the reference for the original paper in Science:

Cisneros, J.C.; Abdala, F.; Rubidge, B.S.; Dentzien-Dias, D.; Bueno, A.O. (2011). "Dental Occlusion in a 260-Million-Year-Old Therapsid with Saber Canines from the Permian of Brazil". Science 331: 1603–1605

Mauricio is happy to announce that he has reached an agreement with Indiana University Press for the publication of his next book, which deals with the evolution of “Sabertooths”. The preparation of the text and illustrations is well underway, and publication is expected for 2013. This work summarizes over two decades of research about these fascinating predators, and it includes an extensive collection of original illustrations, most of them prepared especially for the book.

Mauricio has uploaded a new video that combines footage of Tanzania wildlife filmed during his 2011 safari with some insights into the evolutionary past of some of the most spectacular mammal species. The video is divided in two parts and can be seen by following these links:

Part 1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ieIuFDgJI

Part 2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Fd4RgIHvY