Millions of years ago, during the mid-Mesozoic Era, the dinosaurs were, too, plagued by pests – jumbo-sized flea-like insects that were sneaky enough to suck their blood. These fleas were able to live and tell the tale, as evident by the fossils discovered earlier this year by a group of Chinese researchers in Inner Mongolia.

“These are really well-preserved fossils that give us another glimpse of life into the really distant past,” Oregon State University zoologist George Poinar, Jr states in the university’s press release. Poinar, who researches insect pathology and studies insects (including “‘younger fleas from 40-50 million years”) fossilized in amber, wrote a commentary on the Chinese researchers’ paper, both of which were published in the April 24 issue of the online journal Current Biology.

Two types of species were found: Pseudopulex jurassicus and Pseudopulex magnus, both of which are now the oldest known parasites. The former is smaller and from the middle Jurassic Epoch (approx. 170-160 million years ago). The latter – the larger of the two – lived during the Early Cretaceous Period (approx. 140-100 million years ago), and is the one that sucked blood from dinosaurs.

Although this ancient flea shares many of the anatomical features of the modern flea, they differ in certain aspects. Built to maneuver through fur and hair of smaller mammals, modern fleas are miniscule and compressed and have short antennae.

The Pseudopulex magnus, on the other hand, had a much bigger (and flatter) body, which was around the size of an inch. Its size hints that the flea may have fed on larger animals, including medium-sized mammals and dinosaurs. Because it did not have any extended hind legs, it had not been able to jump.

The Pseudopulex magnus bore long claws that helped them climb on and latch onto the dinosaur’s large scales. It fed itself with a rather large proboscis – one that looks like a hypodermic needle – that would have been able to pierce the soft areas of flesh between the tough scales.

Its bite would be excruciating for mammals and humans alike if this humongous flea were alive today. “We can be thankful our modern fleas are not nearly this big,” says Poinar. Either the dinosaurs did not feel the needle-like proboscis, or the Pseudopulex magnus was quick enough to make a dine and dash.

Poinar states in his commentary that modern fleas may be related to this ancient insect, though they may not be descendants from a direct lineage, and have mostly likely descended from a branch of another species, which is now extinct.

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The wait is finally over to experience one of the most anticipated motion-picture trilogies of all time like never before when Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III debut as a trilogy set on Blu-ray on October 25, 2011 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg’s award-winning cinematic franchise, based on the best-selling book by Michael Crichton, generated nearly $2 billion combined at the worldwide box office and featured groundbreaking visual effects that changed the art of movie-making forever.

Now, all three epic films have been digitally restored and remastered in flawless high definition for the ultimate viewing experience. Additionally, the films’ visceral sound effects and the unforgettable music from legendary composer John Williams can now be heard in pristine 7.1 surround sound.

“From the moment T-rex first towered over worldwide movie audiences, the Jurassic Park Trilogy has electrified fans with its heart-pounding action and awe-inspiring technological innovations,” says Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

“With this newly remastered and digitally restored edition, we continue the franchise’s legacy by delivering to home viewers spectacular picture and sound that keeps the films as fresh and visceral now as they were when audiences first experienced them.” The Jurassic Park Ultimate Trilogy is one of the most successful film franchises in worldwide box-office history.

On a remote tropical island, an amazing living theme park becomes a game of survival for humans foolhardy enough to set foot on it. Meticulously recreated dinosaurs spring to astonishing life as the film’s breathtaking special effects and thrilling action sequences keep audiences on the edge of their seats.

Each chapter of the history-making saga delivers even more action and spectacular visual effects than its predecessor, as nature’s ultimate killing machines once again rule the earth. Almost 20 years after its inception, the Jurassic Park Trilogy remains an unmatched cinematic experience.

All-New bonus features on Blu-ray & DVD

• “Return to Jurassic Park” – this six-part documentary features all-new interviews with the many of the cast members from all three films, the filmmakers and Steven Spielberg.
• Dawn of a New Era
• Making Pre-history
• The Next Step in Evolution
• Finding The Lost World
• Something Survived
• The Third Adventure

• The Making of Jurassic Park
• The Making of The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Making of Jurassic Park III
• Steven Spielberg Directs Jurassic Park
• Early Pre-Production Meetings
• The World of Jurassic Park
• The Magic of Industrial Light & Magic
• Location Scouting
• Phil Tippett Animatics: Raptors In The Kitchen
• The Jurassic Park Phenomenon: A Discussion with Author Michael Crichton
• Industrial Light & Magic and Jurassic Park: Before and After The Visual Effects
• Industrial Light & Magic and The Lost World: Jurassic Park Before & After
• The Industrial Light & Magic Press Reel
• A Visit to Industrial Light & Magic
• Hurricane in Kauai Featurette
• Dinosaur Turntables
• The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park III
• Montana: Finding New Dinosaurs
• Animatics: T-Rex Attack
• The Special Effects of Jurassic Park III
• The Sounds of Jurassic Park III
• The Art of Jurassic Park III
• Tour of Stan Winston Studio
• Feature Commentary with Special Effects Team
• Production Archives: Storyboards, Models, Photographs, Design Sketches and Conceptual Drawings
• Deleted Scenes
• Theatrical Trailers
• And more!

Barone Firenze / Shutterstock.com

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Pixar Studios announced that the animation industry is working on two different movies that will be released in 2013 and 2014.

At the last Disney film convention, D23, held on August 20, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation chief John Lasseter disclosed the two films in active development whose titles remain unknown. Dinosaurs will be the main idea of one of the movies they are working on. Directed by Bob Peterson this movie confirms the rumors that sprang up two years ago.

In 2009, Greg Dykstra, a character sculptor at Pixar was showing his model for a young version of Carl during an Up featurette. In the interview with him, the public could see some dinosaurs’ pictures in the wall behind him. After that image the question loomed up:  Would be dinosaurs the main starring of the next Pixar film?

At the D23, Disney didn’t reveal much information about the plot. “What if that life-changing asteroid missed Earth? The hilarious tale depicts a world where dinosaurs never went extinct,” said Pixar. The movie, currently being referred to as the Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs, will arrive on November 27, 2013.

The other untitled production directed by Pete Docter, director of Monsters Inc and Up, will be about how the brain works. Described by Docter, it is a comic look at how ideas come together and the inner workings of our brains. The audience will have to wait until May 2014 for more details.

In the meantime and just few months before those two releases, Brave and Monster University movies will keep entertaining the spectators. Brave, from which a new scene was shown at the D23 featuring the suitors trying to win heroine Merida’s hand in marriage, will be on theaters August 17, 2012. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, this movie was titled at its origin as The Bear and the Bow.

This film is the first Pixar movie directed by a woman and starring a woman. It is also based on a tale. In addition, according to the media outlet Variety, princess Merida will most likely join the Disney Princesses after this movie.

Two days after that premiere, Mike and Sulley will return for Monster University, the sequel to Monsters Inc, on August 19, 2013. The plot is about how they met at the University where they couldn’t stand each other and how that relationship changed until they became best friends.

Monsters University, brings back Billy Crystal who voices Mike, 10 years after the original was released. At a Q&A for a Hero Complex screening of City Slickers where Crystal recently participated he spoke briefly about the movie and he stated that the script was “really funny.”

Discussing Sulley, Crystal said, “John Goodman is a genius and he’s great and we’re really funny together. It’s college pranks with monsters. And I wear a retainer. Mike has a retainer.”

Planes, a spinoff of the “Cars” franchise, is another upcoming produced by DisneyToon Studios that will also hit on Spring 2013. For those who cannot wait until that date Wreck-It Ralph is the movie to go see. Voiced by John C. Reilly, this film is about an arcade game character named Wreck-It Ralph. The film will be opening in November 2012.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/harshlight/

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