By Kelli Smith and Aria JonesStaff Writers then driving away after his vehicle burst into flames District Judge Sam Lindsay’s ruling came a year after Tomiya Crenshaw lodged accusations of negligence and excessive force against the city of Dallas and Officers Leonard Anderson and Darrien Robertson Anderson was fired and Robertson was suspended for 30 days over the May 13 Their discipline was reversed after questions arose over whether the officers ignored the wreck “We along with Tomiya and his family are disheartened by the court’s dismissal of Tomiya’s case against the City of Dallas,” said Crenshaw’s attorney Breaking NewsGet the latest breaking news from North Texas and beyond GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy The city of Dallas did not immediately provide comment The Dallas Police Department also declined to comment on the ruling handed down Thursday The crash sparked outrage from residents and police brass nearly three years ago after video footage showed bystanders pulling Crenshaw to safety following the crash The two officers tried to stop Crenshaw in South Dallas over a defective headlight and dash-camera footage shows the officers’ car trail behind him as he neared the intersection of Meadow Street and Martin Luther King Jr Anderson’s police car took a right turn at the intersection Bystanders pulled Crenshaw out of the burning vehicle and later yelled at police for turning away The officers have said they heard about the crash over police radio and circled back to help in the minutes after they drove off Former Dallas police Chief Eddie García fired Anderson in the months after the wreck and gave a 30-day suspension to Robertson The Dallas Morning News revealed in November that the discipline against Anderson and Robertson was reversed last year During an administrative law hearing to get his job back Anderson testified he had not seen the wreck and wouldn’t have driven away if he had “I just felt like he got away,” Anderson told administrative law Judge Karen Washington He said a construction tarp obstructed his view down the road and no damage was visible in the intersection In body-camera footage shown during the hearing “That’s his fault,” after Crenshaw crashed He told investigators he said that because he knew there’d be a possibility Crenshaw would crash Anderson can be heard calling Crenshaw an expletive saying that he “got away.” He used that pronouncement as evidence that he did not see the wreck before driving away Washington reinstated Anderson last April and gave him full back pay and benefits prompting García to also reverse Robertson’s suspension Anderson is now assigned to the police department’s property unit and Robertson is with the Northeast Patrol Division Crenshaw was severely injured in the crash and he broke several bones — including his collarbone Crenshaw told The News last year he was still recovering and has used a wheelchair or walker for daily activities “I just remember waking up on fire,” Crenshaw said during an interview last year Crenshaw,” Grinke said in his statement Monday Grinke is employed by the law office of Ben Crump a well-known civil rights lawyer who has represented many families of people killed by police “We have a good faith argument to change the direction of the law to hold officers and the cities who employ them accountable when officers knowingly drive away from a scene where the vehicle the officers pursue crashes and bursts into flames,” Grinke said The lawsuit — which alleged Crenshaw’s constitutional rights were violated and police failed to render medical aid — was filed in the Northern District of Texas It was then referred to a magistrate who found that Crenshaw’s “myriad claims” of liability against Dallas failed because he didn’t allege a “plausible constitutional violation,” documents show the officers had no duty to stop and render aid Lindsay accepted the magistrate’s findings in his decision to dismiss the case “The essential facts are undisputed,” Lindsay wrote in his order “and there are no facts that Plaintiff could plead that would allow the court to reasonably infer that Defendants are liable for the conduct alleged.” By Aria JonesAria writes about southern Dallas She previously reported on breaking news and is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Dallas College Aria has interned at the Austin American-Statesman When two Dallas police officers tried to stop Tomiya Crenshaw in South Dallas in the early morning hours of May 13 The ensuing moments ended in a fiery crash setting off a series of events that would sully the cops’ careers and leave Crenshaw with severe By Aria Jones and Kelli SmithDallas Morning NewsReprinted – by Texas Metro News Tomiya Crenshaw is suing two police officers over a crash Whether the officers saw his wreck after they tried to stop him is in question When two Dallas police officers tried to stop Tomiya Crenshaw in South Dallas in the early morning hours of May 13, 2022, it was for a defective headlight. The ensuing moments ended in a fiery crash Video footage of the fiery wreck circulated in news reports crash his car into a tree a few blocks from Fair Park Leonard Anderson and his trainee drive in the opposite direction seconds later Dallas police drew scrutiny in 2022 after two officers didn’t immediately help a man who crashed into a tree after a pursuit and suffered life-changing injuries City officials argued the officers’ inaction eroded public trust — but new details raise questions about the thoroughness of an internal police investigation and who was at fault Dallas’ police chief publicly denounced the officers’ inaction and months later fired Anderson Two years after the crash sparked outrage from residents and top police brass Crenshaw continues his fight for accountability through a federal lawsuit is back at work patrolling Dallas’ streets after an administrative law judge reinstated him during the city’s appeal process having determined he did not violate policies he was accused of breaking Sharing his story for the first time publicly Crenshaw told The Dallas Morning News he’s still recovering and has used a wheelchair or walker for daily activities He said he wore shorts for the first time since the wreck for the interview with The News a lasting reminder of the flames that scorched his body from the waist down Crenshaw recalls only glimpses: He was on his way to his girlfriend’s house when he stopped for gas Blue and red lights dotted his rearview mirror “I just remember waking up on fire,” Crenshaw said in late May as he sat surrounded by relatives at his attorney’s office in Frisco The News reached out to more than 10 people — Crenshaw the two officers and their employment lawyer the city of Dallas and the police department — and obtained court and internal police records this year that reveal the events of that night and their impact went far beyond what was shown to the public. The News also obtained through a public records request nearly eight hours of audio from an April hearing with the city where Anderson appealed his firing The new details raise questions about whether Anderson should’ve been fired and the thoroughness of Dallas police’s internal investigation Internal affairs investigations occur when city employees are accused of an administration violation They can be opened when an employee is suspected or accused of wrongdoing The outcomes can result in discipline up to termination a form of accountability that can build trust with the community the crash ripped apart multiple lives and led to finger-pointing over who ultimately was at fault Anderson did not provide comment when The News reached out multiple times by email and phone City spokesperson Jennifer Brown declined to comment in June because of the pending litigation The 64-year-old officer has never publicly shared his perspective the officer — who’d been with the department for nearly 15 years — said he never saw the crash and wouldn’t have driven away if he had The officers tried to stop Crenshaw because of a defective headlight “I just felt like he got away,” Anderson told the administrative law judge While heading back to their police substation the officers were alerted to the accident over police radio The same day Anderson was fired; his trainee He reversed that decision earlier this year A police spokesperson confirmed this week Anderson and Robertson are active employees assigned to patrol Anderson was rehired with full back pay and benefits in April The city of Dallas declined in August to release dash-camera footage of the incident to The News and referred a records request for it to the attorney general’s office However, video footage aired by WFAA-TV (Channel 8) in May 2022 shows Anderson and Robertson at a gas station at the corner of J.B A car drives onto the street without a headlight on and Robertson turn on their emergency lights and pursue the car which takes a left turn on Meadow Street and speeds away Anderson and Robertson turn off their emergency lights the dash-camera footage shows the car approach the intersection of Meadow Street and Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard and narrowly miss another vehicle The car’s brake lights turn on as Anderson says A brief orange light — which appears to be flames from Crenshaw’s collision — flashes in the distance Surveillance footage from a four-way intersection down the road shows the car nearly hit a pedestrian and another car Anderson’s police car takes a right turn at the intersection a group of bystanders carries a person across the intersection then lays the person down in an open space Other cars stop and people get out to help Body-worn camera footage shows the officers return to where the group carried the driver bro,” Robertson says as he exits the squad car then runs past flames to where paramedics tend to Crenshaw at the intersection “What if that was your people?” one man says Crenshaw’s relatives told The News that some bystanders went live on Facebook showing Crenshaw on the ground as they waited for emergency help he’s dead” — but Crenshaw raises a hand in the air Crenshaw’s loved ones said they started calling one another as recognition — and panic — set in The man appeared to be wearing khaki shorts which they found out later were Crenshaw’s burnt legs “When I seen my grandbaby,” his grandmother Leona Eledu said in May “he was just flesh.” He needed over 21 skin grafts and he had several broken bones — including his collarbone that broke us down,” his aunt Tomeicka Crenshaw said Tomiya Crenshaw spent four months in the hospital He and his family detailed how he suffered from hallucinations and endured nervous breakdowns He struggled to eat and use the bathroom during his recovery “I didn’t think I was going to make it out of the hospital,” Crenshaw said during the interview at his attorney’s office it’s just getting used to seeing my legs and my body like this.” In a small room in Dallas City Hall in April administrative law judge Karen Washington listened to Anderson’s former colleagues describe the officer as reliable and well-rounded Some officers said they would have acted differently that night; they would have continued to follow Crenshaw with lights and sirens off to ensure no accident occurred Other officers said that tactic — “cold trailing” — is frowned upon because it can escalate a situation noting Anderson’s actions were in line with training The hearing was momentous: It marked Anderson’s final avenue through the city to earn back his job Broadnax denied his attempt during the first stage of the disciplinary appeals process a year earlier Robertson was not called to testify in April Anderson’s voice was steady when it was his turn to speak As Crenshaw drove from the gas station with his headlights off Anderson said he immediately activated his lights and sirens for a routine stop Crenshaw had been traveling at a normal rate of speed but accelerated The officer turned off the car’s lights to disengage before Crenshaw reached Meadow and Martin Luther King Jr is more dangerous than others because the street curves up requiring slight turns to continue down the road Anderson said he saw Crenshaw’s brake lights come on looked down to check that the car’s overhead lights were off He didn’t want Crenshaw to keep speeding under the belief police were still following He said he did not see Crenshaw’s vehicle enter the intersection and go airborne Nor did he see the brief flash of flames in the distance as Crenshaw’s vehicle crashed He told the judge his “See that?” comment was in reference to Crenshaw seeming to show off for his friends in the vehicle then suddenly braking to negotiate a left turn Anderson said he tried to turn off his body-camera, and said, “Motherf—-r got away” — seeming to believe Crenshaw drove off. That soundbite was played at the hearing but was not in the footage posted by WFAA that drew more than 43,000 views on YouTube Anderson told the judge he didn’t think his comments were being recorded because he believed his body camera was turned off He assumed Crenshaw turned left because the last place he’d seen him was on the left side of Meadow Street it was going to be … at that intersection,” Anderson said but he turned on his brights to look over the cross section of MLK Jr Anderson drove the opposite direction from the route he believed Crenshaw went making a right turn onto Martin Luther King Jr Anderson disagreed he should’ve continued to look for Crenshaw He said officers are supposed to turn off their lights and disengage He drove to a nearby police substation for a restroom break he heard on the police radio that someone had crashed a block over from the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr The officers left the substation to find out if it was Crenshaw which came to a rest south of the intersection other officers and the irate group of onlookers had gathered around Crenshaw Bystanders who witnessed the crash spoke to investigators afterward and at least one testified at the hearing. Shannette Mitchell, 26, said they had to “basically break his bones” to pull Crenshaw out of the car.Related:Dallas received $2.3M to remove lead from residents’ homes. Many are still waiting “It was devastating,” she told the administrative law judge “I’ve never seen nothing like that in my life.” Anderson stays quiet as bystanders yell at him and other police A different man emphasizes the point: “Sir When he hit that tree and the car caught on fire they turned their lights off and turned right.” he replied: “I don’t think that’d been the right time to sit there and argue with the citizens of Dallas because it appears that their minds were made up.” said publicly he was embarrassed by the footage but told WFAA the officers wouldn’t face criminal charges because they didn’t cause the wreck; the driver wrecked during an attempt to flee ”It was obvious that something happened to the vehicle when it got to the intersection,” the chief said that was the most disturbing part of that portion of that tape.” Dallas police investigators concluded they could not prove Anderson saw the crash city attorney Jennifer Brissette said in the hearing An internal affairs packet obtained by The News details his statement to investigators Robertson said he saw Crenshaw turn left at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr but did not see Crenshaw lose control of the vehicle the car go airborne or the flames that resulted from the crash He told investigators he knew there was a possibility Crenshaw would crash “That’s his fault.” His knowledge of the intersection but he did not observe evidence of one when they drove up He said he became aware of the accident after they arrived at the police substation He read 911 call notes indicating a red sedan was in a major accident at Meadow Street He believed it was the same person they’d just tried to stop He acknowledged he had forgotten to notify dispatch that they were trying to pull over Crenshaw according to the internal affairs documents Dallas police investigators determined Anderson violated policy by disregarding public trust when he failed to fully investigate an accident Robertson faced the same violation as well as failure to complete a traffic markout — meaning he didn’t signal internally that he was working a traffic call García fired Anderson and suspended Robertson for 30 days argued at the administrative law hearing that investigators “felt pressure to find some manner of misconduct” because of García’s public comments after the crash She told The News the police internal affairs division did not interview the accident investigator who wrote the crash report and responded to the accident which she saw as “a big problem.” That investigator testified during the hearing that it would’ve been reasonable for Anderson to believe Crenshaw “safely got away.” “Why the investigator did not get a statement and an opinion from the person who was out there that night was a big question in my mind,” Bishkin said The allegation probed by internal affairs was “failure to render aid,” Bishkin said Investigators later changed that to “failure to fully investigate” — which Bishkin interpreted as investigators realizing they couldn’t prove the officers saw the crash but I think that they did feel some pressure from the chief who wanted to fire them — and so they gave him what he needed to fire them,” Bishkin said adding García erred in “passing judgment before an investigation was done.” “Once you peel back the onions and actually look at it,” Bishkin said “it’s not what it appears to be on first glance.” García declined to comment on the case when The News reached him by phone in October He stepped down from his role as Dallas’ police chief last month to work in Austin city management Washington’s concluding remarks were brief: “I’ve watched the videos over and over I even slowed it down and played it as slow as the computer will play it I’ve reviewed all of the evidence that you have presented to me and I have made a finding of nay for both counts.” She declined to comment to The News when reached by phone in June García reversed Robertson’s 30-day suspension which she hailed as a “very classy move.” Robertson also received 30 days of back pay Crenshaw filed a federal civil lawsuit against Anderson who is employed by the law office of Ben Crump The lawsuit alleges police used excessive deadly force and were negligent Crenshaw’s constitutional rights were violated “It’s disgraceful,” Grinke told The News of Anderson’s reinstatement “He gets to go back to work and go on about his life The lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas was sent to a lower magistrate judge The city argued there is no legal basis for the defendants to be held liable Police did not bring a “felony or related crime” against Crenshaw in the crash Grinke said the city hadn’t reached out to Crenshaw about Anderson’s reinstatement and that he hasn’t seen the evidence presented in the hearing where Anderson was rehired He said he could not comment on the contents of the proceedings ”We’ve been met with a stone wall ever since we reached out to the city,” Grinke said “If the officer testified as you relayed to me the words seem inconsistent with what we have seen and heard in the videos published by WFAA shortly after the incident,” Grinke told The News in a written statement “If the officers’ actions were indeed not in violation of department policy And this is the crux of our civil lawsuit in U.S “I still maintain vigorously that the city of Dallas is at fault and responsible for Tomiya’s injuries based upon the callous actions of these officers,” Grinke said adding he is awaiting the opportunity to flesh out evidence in the crash Grinke said he’ll be addressing policies and training in court. He said he appreciates the Dallas Police Department’s efforts to improve trust in Black and brown communities, but said instances like what happened to Crenshaw take them back “light-years.”Related:Exclusive: Dallas Police Chief Eddie García says, ‘I’m leaving on my terms’ ”Who watches somebody burst into flames and drive away and they’re sworn to protect and serve?” Grinke said This is some of the worst burn injuries I have ever seen that someone survived.” Bishkin said it was the first time in 30 years of trying such cases that the hearing examiner “basically said the officer didn’t do anything wrong” and reinstated the officer “I don’t expect that lawsuit to get anywhere either,” Bishkin said An attorney for the city has also filed motions to dismiss the federal lawsuit The documents assert Crenshaw was never detained which means his rights weren’t violated and he cannot bring the lawsuit Anderson was 62 when he was fired and wasn’t yet eligible for his pension he suffered financially after the termination while taking care of his elderly mother “You can imagine how aggravating that is,” she said “when you feel like you’ve given your heart and soul to a profession.” Crenshaw’s relatives said they haven’t heard from police officials since the crash only hearing what the chief said to news outlets afterward They said they have adjusted their lives to care for him but said the greater challenge has been his mental health Crenshaw would’ve been left in the car as the inferno overtook it Some of the bystanders who rendered aid were also injured recalling how Crenshaw was so burnt his feet scorched one man’s hand as he was carried to safety When Crenshaw saw his rescuers for the first time in October 2022 at a party celebrating his birthday wrapping his arms around them in an embrace he wouldn’t have been able to form just months before “We will forever be in their graces,” his aunt Priscilla Crenshaw said Crenshaw said he used to enjoy playing football His family said he loses balance easily and falls over He now distrusts law enforcement and feels anxious when he gets behind the wheel of a car ”I’m scared to put my life in their hands again,” Crenshaw said Crenshaw doesn’t feel anger toward the officers As he hung his head at his attorney’s office in Frisco in May he said he’s mad at himself for leaving home at all Pressed on why Crenshaw sped away from police to begin with Grinke said he was a young man who made a poor choice because he was afraid of officers “We will stand up before the jury and raise our hands and acknowledge that Tomiya has and takes some responsibility for his actions … but what happened afterwards is just unspeakable.” a magistrate judge must determine whether the officers are protected by qualified immunity The controversial legal doctrine shields police and other public employees from liability in civil rights lawsuits over actions taken while on the job and in their official capacity If granted at any stage of the proceedings qualified immunity could result in the dismissal of the civil rights lawsuit The lawsuit was sent to another magistrate judge in August the future of the lawsuit remains uncertain A Dallas police officer pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor assault charge for firing “less lethal” ammunition and wounding a demonstrator who lost an eye during.. By DYLAN LOVANAP NewsReprinted – by Texas Metro News (Source The Culture) A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Kentucky police detective of.. The community has united in an extraordinary display of solidarity raising more than $500,000 through a verified GoFundMe campaign for the family of Sonya Massey The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program will welcome more talented young rally prospects to its ranks for 2025 with two new drivers as well as one co-driver chosen following a rigorous selection process The TGR WRC Challenge Program was established in 2015 with the ambition to identify and develop rally drivers from Japan who can compete on the world stage The process to find a fourth generation of drivers to join the Program started at Fuji Speedway in October when almost 100 applicants had the chance to demonstrate their skills in front of instructors from TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team A total of seven drivers were invited to Lapland in northern Finland in December for the final training camp where initial fitness tests were followed by five days of driving in different cars despite their limited experience especially on snow and ice who were looking to select drivers that showed potential to become top-level competitors in the FIA World Rally Championship they chose Rio Ogata and Kanta Yanaguida to join the Program has extensive experience in drifting and began his rally career in 2024 in the Morizo Challenge Cup While their rallying experience is currently limited they will move to Finland early next year to commence an intense training schedule designed to accelerate their development pacenotes and fitness with the aim of being ready to start competing in national rallies in Finland and Europe from the summer onwards in front-wheel drive Rally4 cars a selection process was also held to welcome a co-driver into the Program Five co-drivers were invited to a final selection held in Japan in October where their pacenote reading and other key co-driving skills were assessed who has been competing in the Morizo Challenge Cup this year has been selected and will begin a dedicated training schedule in Finland alongside experienced rally driver Jarkko Nikara taking part in their first rallies together early in 2025 Those selected will also have the chance to learn from those whose footsteps they follow in including Takamoto Katsuta who was part of the initial selection in 2015 and now competes full-time for TGR-WRT in a GR Yaris Rally1 Second-generation drivers Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure will continue competing with the GR Yaris Rally2 in 2025 in an expanded schedule of events will step up from Rally4 to Rally3 cars for their second year on the Program Quotes:Mikko Hirvonen (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program chief instructor):“This is the second year in which we’ve been able to start our search in Japan at Fuji Speedway and it feels like the level of the drivers who come to Finland for the final selection is getting better every time We again had a good group of very strong drivers and all of them made steps forward during the week Some had great natural talent and some had a bit more background in motorsport already so they had to push hard to make a difference we’re also looking for how they perform under pressure; who is able to be consistent with all the different cars and situations and who is able to keep their head when we put them against the clock That’s what separated Rio and Kanta from the rest but now the hard work really starts for them They are able to handle a car but there are many more things involved in becoming a more complete athlete and there’s always a lot of work to do with pacenotes It’s also great that Toyota is widening the Program and wanting to support a co-driver as well: Tomiya will be learning besides an experienced driver and the wider team to get familiar with all the aspects of becoming a top co-driver.” I am relieved to have been selected to join the Challenge Program I entered last year and failed in the final selection so I am very happy that I tried again this year and was accepted by the instructors So far I have mainly competed in sim racing and after entering university I have driven in gymkhana and dirt trials but I am looking forward to participating in this Program because I think I will gain a lot of experience and get better at it.” Kanta Yanaguida (Driver):“I was feeling nervous before the final announcement but I was really happy when my name was called as one of the selected drivers We were able to drive a variety of cars on the ice and the instructors gave me a lot of precise advice on how to take the line I believe that participating in the Challenge Program is the beginning of a new life for me so I will do my best to become a top WRC driver Tomiya Maekawa (Co-Driver):“For a co-driver it can be quite difficult to know how to improve your skills so I really wanted to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I am very happy that I got chosen for this Program I have felt the high level of expertise among everyone at TGR-WRT and I am very excited to learn from a top team in an environment and on roads that are difficult to experience in Japan I will do my best to absorb as much as possible to enhance my skills and try to become a role model who can inspire the next generation of co-drivers in Japan.” 1 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (Citroën C3 Rally2) Retired Yuki Yamamoto/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program is supported by following partners TOYOTA GAZOO Racing reinforces WRC line-up with youth and experience for 2025 A breakthrough rally for Challenge Program’s Takumi Matsushita Challenge Program trio ace Italian tarmac test Menswear brand Rodd & Gunn celebrated the opening of its first U.S Held at the brand’s freshly opened boutique and more mingled while viewing Todd & Gunn’s new summer collection The evening was complete with cocktails and bites by  Rodd & Gunn’s executive chef you can discover the new lodge-style boutique influenced by Kiwi heritage and classic men’s dressing Nightlife personality Evan Kline brought back his annual Klinetime Pride party to celebrate Pride Month with a burst of glamour began at Bronze Owl—where attendees enjoyed cocktails and bites with beats by The Muses’ Jack James Busa and Daniel Walters the celebration shifted to Hell’s Kitchen hotspot It’s HIM Bar where everyone danced the night away to sounds from STILETTO and DJ P_A_T Kline also blew out his birthday candles with a rainbow cake at the celebration New shopping app Pinstripe celebrated its launch with an after-dark party at 5th House in Brooklyn The night found guests sipping margaritas and cocktails while discovering the app’s features—which allow users to discover local shopping destinations including pop-up boutiques and thrift stores customized to their needs and tastes A surprise DJ set by Mindchatter ended the evening with a groovy disco flair All images: David Litner/Courtesy of Pinstripe Disney celebrated Donald Duck’s 90th anniversary with a 90s-themed block party at Rockefeller Center’s HERO NYC and Kalen Allen explored the party’s New York-themed activations—including previews of new collaborations with Pandora and an array of themed cocktails and mocktails The night was complete with an electric performance by DJ Pee Wee (also known as Anderson .Paak) who delighted guest with a mix of his own songs and popular selections from Fergie DJ Pee Wee (Courtesy of Disney//Mariah Wild) Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip Aaron Royce is the Fashion News Editor at The Daily Front Row and pop culture—both on and off the runway he served as Digital Editor at Footwear News following internships with The Daily Front Row He was born in northern Virginia and lives in Brooklyn where he spends copious time shoe shopping document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a9b27d30a2d43f0ff61e1887613f39ee" );document.getElementById("d628b68082").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment GET OUR HAUTEST STORIES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Metrics details Palaeontologists characterize mass extinctions as times when the Earth loses more than three-quarters of its species in a geologically short interval as has happened only five times in the past 540 million years or so Biologists now suggest that a sixth mass extinction may be under way given the known species losses over the past few centuries and millennia Here we review how differences between fossil and modern data and the addition of recently available palaeontological information influence our understanding of the current extinction crisis Our results confirm that current extinction rates are higher than would be expected from the fossil record highlighting the need for effective conservation measures Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout The Biodiversity Crisis: Losing What Counts (The New Press the difficulties of comparing the past and present extinctions Mass extinctions in the marine fossil record 1501–1503 (1982)This is a statistical assessment of the Big Five extinction rates relative to background rates 127–155 (2006)This paper discusses the definition of mass extinctions and mass depletions and the relative role of origination versus extinction rates in causing the diversity reductions that characterize the Big Five Dynamics of origination and extinction in the marine fossil record IUCN. 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The Paleobiology Database 〈http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl〉 (2010) NEOMAP. 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This is University of California Museum of Paleontology Contribution 2024 Present address: Present address: Departamento de Ecologia Present address: Present address: National Evolutionary Synthesis Center University of California Museum of Paleontology University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology All authors participated in literature review and contributed to discussions that resulted in this paper performed key data analyses and interpretation relating to rate comparisons analyses and ideas relating to diversity dynamics and rate-magnitude comparisons The authors declare no competing financial interests Reprints and permissions Download citation Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (2024) Palaeontologists recognize five major extinction events from the fossil record Given the many species known to have disappeared in the past few thousand years some biologists suggest that a sixth such event is now under way set out to review the evidence for that claim and conclude that the recent loss of species is dramatic and serious but not yet in the mass extinction category — usually defined as a loss of at least 75% of Earth's species in a geologically short time frame there are clear indications that the loss of species now classed as 'critically endangered' would soon propel the world into its sixth mass extinction Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science Now the scientist who grew curious when he opened that drawer has established with a colleague that the fossil belonged to an early, long-extinct relative of dogs, foxes and weasels known as a beardog. The Field Museum fossil and another at the University of Texas each represent a new genus, the taxonomic rank above species. The researchers believe these beardogs, which lived up to 40 million years ago, may eventually tell the world more about the evolution of dogs and other carnivores and how animals adapt to changes in climate. According to a paper to be published Wednesday in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the jawbones belonged to two closely related types of Chihuahua-sized beardogs, new genera now named Gustafsonia and Angelarctocyon. The Field Museum fossil set off the research by post-doctoral researcher Susumu Tomiya, who works at the museum and spends much time taking care of its large collection of fossils. "In my spare time I like to walk around the aisles in the collections and open up drawers," he said. "One day I just stumbled on these interesting-looking jaws of a little carnivore." The fossil was discovered in Texas in 1946 and 30 years ago was loosely classified as some type of carnivore. But no one knew where it fit into the carnivore family, said Tomiya, who authored the paper with Jack Tseng of the State University of New York at Buffalo. The teeth stood out to Tomiya. They had flatter surfaces for crushing that suggested their owners ate more than meat - maybe berries and bugs, too, like present-day foxes. The teeth reminded Tomiya of beardogs he was familiar with, he said. But the types of beardogs he knew were much larger predators that were the size of a bear and once roamed parts of North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The researchers also compared the fossil with one written about in an earlier paper at the University of Texas. Tomiya and Tseng concluded both belonged in what had essentially been a blank spot in the branch of the mammalian tree that includes dogs, raccoons, weasels and similar animals. Beardogs evolved alongside the ancient cousins of present-day dogs, cats, bears and other carnivores. The evolution of beardogs from the small varieties classified by Tomiya and Tseng to the much larger animals that needed more food and habitat seems to match evolutionary paths of other animals that led to extinction, Tomiya said. Beardogs were extinct by 5 million to 10 million years ago, he said. Studying how the diversity of beardogs waxed and waned over time could tell us about larger patterns in carnivore evolution," he said. The two genera of small beardogs also lived at a time of climate transition in North America, from subtropical to cooler and relatively dry. Further study could help answer questions about what kinds of animals adapted well to that change, Tomiya said. The new research is interesting in part because the fossils were found in North America, said Steven Wallace, a geosciences professor at East Tennessee State University and curator at the East Tennessee Natural History Museum. Beyond that, Tomiya and Tseng's work is a reminder to scientists that discoveries don't just come from fresh digs in far-flung locales. "It's almost like they feel that once a specimen's been described, they've learned everything they can from it," Wallace said. "Sometimes the coolest discoveries come right out of a museum." Volume 7 - 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2019.00066 This article is part of the Research TopicSubaqueous Volcanism, from Ancient Successions to Modern Volcanoes and ModellingView all 9 articles Cryptodomes are shallow-level intrusions that cause updoming of overlying sediments or other rocks Understanding the formation of cryptodomes is important for hazard assessment as cryptodome-forming eruptions are one of the major triggering factors in sector collapse This paper describes internal structures of a Quaternary subaerial rhyodacite cryptodome at Ogariyama and examines the textural differences between subaerial and subaqueous cryptodomes to extend our knowledge of these phenomenon which is one of the youngest subaerial cryptodomes in the world (<0.4 ka) can be viewed in cross-section because a vertical fault formed during the 1977–1978 eruption and cut through the center of the cryptodome The morphology of the cryptodome is scalene triangular in shape The internal structure of the dome is concentrically zoned feldspar-phyric rhyodacite (SiO2 = 71–72 wt.%) The massive core (130 m across) consists of coherent rhyodacite that has indistinct large-scale flow banding and rectangular joints that are spaced 50–200 cm apart The jointed rim (8–12 m wide) surrounds the massive core and consists of coherent rhyodacite that is characterized by distinct rectangular joints that are 30–80 cm apart and radiate outward The outermost brecciated border (7–10 m wide) comprises monolithological breccia consisting of angular rhyodacite clasts (5–30 cm across) and a cogenetic matrix These internal structures suggest that the Ogariyama dome was formed by endogenous growth involving continuous magma supply during a single intrusive event and simple expansion from its interior The massive core formed by slow cooling of homogeneous rhyodacite magma The jointed rim formed by fracturing of solidifying rhyodacite magma in response to cooling–contraction and dynamic stress driven by continued movement of the less viscous core The brecciated border formed by fragmentation of the solidified rim of the dome in response to dynamic stress The growth style of the Ogariyama dome closely resembles that of subaqueous cryptodomes the morphology and internal structures of the Ogariyama dome differ from those of subaqueous cryptodomes given its asymmetric morphology and absence of radial columnar joints and large-scale flow banding These differences might reflect the well-consolidated and inhomogeneous physical properties of the host sediment and the slow cooling rate and high viscosity of the Ogariyama dome The Ogariyama dome is probably the best cross-sectional example of a subaerial cryptodome in the world Our descriptive study of the cryptodome provides invaluable information for hazard assessment suggest the presence of cryptodomes beneath the sea floor A Quaternary subaerial cryptodome at Ogariyama, Usu volcano, southwestern Hokkaido, Japan, displays well-preserved primary internal structures in a cross-sectional exposure. The Ogariyama dome was emplaced within the amphitheater at the summit of the volcano during a historic eruption that occurred after AD 1663 (probably AD 1769 or 1822; Soya et al., 2007; Matsumoto and Nakagawa, 2011) The cross-section of this young cryptodome is visible because a vertical fault formed during the 1977–1978 eruption and cut through the center of the cryptodome A detailed description of the internal structures of the Ogariyama dome and comparison with previously reported well-studied subaqueous cryptodomes might significantly extend our understanding of cryptodomes as our knowledge of these structures is based mainly on subaqueous examples The objectives of this research are to: (1) describe in detail the morphology and internal structures of the Ogariyama dome based on field mapping; (2) interpret the formation of the internal structures; (3) constrain the growth mode of the dome; and (4) compare the Ogariyama dome with subaqueous examples Usu is a post-caldera volcano of Toya caldera that is located at the junction between the Kuril and NE Japan arcs (Figures 1A,B). The edifice of Usu volcano rises 733 m above sea level and the volcano has a basal diameter of ∼6 km. It consists mainly of a basaltic to andesitic stratovolcano that is overlain by many silicic domes (Figure 1C; Yokoyama et al., 1973; Soya et al., 2007) (A) Tectonic setting of Usu volcano in southwestern Hokkaido The volcano is located at the junction between the Kuril and NE Japan arcs which is a post-caldera volcano of Toya caldera showing the location of the Ogariyama dome Usu volcano comprises a basaltic to andesitic stratovolcano with an amphitheater at its summit and contains many silicic cryptodomes and lava domes The base maps were produced by topographic data issued by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan and the intrusion of high-viscosity silicic magma during eruption volcaniclastic deposits on the amphitheater floor around the Ogariyama dome (“host sediment” of the Ogariyama dome) were also uplifted The host sediment is presently exposed on the western side of the Ogariyama dome and is >50 m thick It comprises rhyolitic to dacitic pyroclastic flow deposits consisting of lithic clasts that are <50 cm in size set in a coarse-grained matrix (A) Aerial photograph of the Ogariyama dome The photograph was provided by Toyako Town Office (B) Aerial photograph of the Ogariyama dome taken from the southeast on 13 August 1977 (during the initial phase of the 1977–1978 eruption) Note that the Ogariyama dome is cut by several east–west-trending faults The photograph (original black-and-white) was taken by Hokkaido Shinbun Note that the Ogariyama dome is cut by a fault (B) Topographic map of the summit area of Usu volcano after the 1977–1978 eruption and its northern part was uplifted by the growth of the Usu-Shinzan cryptodome The base map was taken from a 1:25,000 scale topographic map issued in 2008 by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (A) Photograph of a cross-section of the Ogariyama dome This cross-section is exposed on a fault scarp that formed in response to growth of the Usu-Shinzan cryptodome The Ogariyama dome has a scalene triangular shape The Ogariyama dome is concentrically zoned The massive core comprises coherent rhyodacite that has indistinct large-scale flow banding and poorly developed rectangular joints that are 50–200 cm apart The jointed rim is characterized by many rectangular joints and irregular fractures The brecciated border comprises monolithological breccia Our geological survey of the Ogariyama dome focused on the morphology, internal structure, and lithology of the dome. A detailed field survey of the Ogariyama dome was undertaken in 2017 and 2018 at the outcrop along the fault scarp along the southern perimeter of the Usu-Shinzan dome (Figure 4) and extends horizontally in an east–west direction for >1 km The survey locations of the Ogariyama dome were dependent on accessibility only the base of the outcrop was accessible (i.e. the middle to upper parts of the outcrop were inaccessible) Detailed descriptions and rock sampling of the Ogariyama dome were therefore carried out along its base We collected more than 50 rock samples from the outcrop and lithology of the Ogariyama dome are described below based on our field surveys and laboratory analyses The Ogariyama dome has a scalene triangular shape with rounded corners in an east–west cross-section (Figure 4). The dome has a pointed top on its western side and a steep western slope that dips at 70°–80° and a gentle eastern slope that dips at 20°–30°. Therefore, the Ogariyama dome has an asymmetric (anisotropic) shape. The exposed dome is 150 m wide and 80 m high (Figure 4) which might largely represent the original size of the intrusive body of the cryptodome because the fault cut the dome through its center The contact between the Ogariyama dome and its host sediment is not exposed The internal structure of the Ogariyama dome is concentrically zoned parallel to the dome margin (Figure 4) and comprises: (1) a massive core; (2) a jointed rim; and (3) a brecciated border prismatic joints with hexagonal or pentagonal outlines in cross-section) are present in the core (A) Photograph of the massive core of the Ogariyama dome The location of (B) is indicated by the red rectangle (B) Close-up view of the massive core of uniform rhyodacite The boundary between the core and jointed rim is distinct but gradual (Figure 6A) The core grades outward into the jointed rim and is marked by the appearance of a number of rectangular joints Some joints in the core continue into the jointed rim (A) Photograph of the jointed rim of the Ogariyama dome which occurs between the massive core and brecciated border which contains numerous rectangular and parallel joints The irregular fractures have developed in random directions with a spacing of 10–30 cm The surfaces of the irregular fractures are rough The boundary between the rim and brecciated border is distinct but gradual (Figure 6A) There is no glassy chilled contact between the rim and border Compared with the boundary between the core and rim the boundary between the rim and border is more distinct suggesting that the host sediment was not fluidized during emplacement of the dome (A) Photograph of the brecciated border of the Ogariyama dome which comprises monolithological breccia consisting of angular rhyodacite clasts and a cogenetic matrix (B) Close-up view of rhyodacite fragments in the matrix of the brecciated border Some rhyodacite fragments have a flaky morphology with sharp edges (solid arrows) The photograph was taken with a digital microscope Photomicrograph of rhyodacites from the (A) massive core and (C) brecciated border (cross-polarized light) Note that a phenocryst-rich zone occurs in the brecciated border set in volcanic glass that has been partly devitrified No or few cavities were visible in the groundmass The rhyodacite of the brecciated border differs in texture from those of the massive core and jointed rim (Figure 8C) The rhyodacite has a micro-banded texture that is characterized by numerous Each phenocryst-rich zone is 1–2 mm wide and they are spaced at 2–5 mm intervals The phenocryst-rich zone consists of phenocrysts of plagioclase (<2 mm long) and opaque minerals (<0.3 mm across) The total phenocryst proportion of this rhyodacite is almost identical to those of the massive core and fractured rim The groundmass of the rhyodacite has a hyalopilitic texture consisting of sub-parallel laths of plagioclase and hypersthene granular opaque minerals (all <0.1 mm across) Although no spherical vesicles are visible in the groundmass irregularly shaped cavities up to 0.5 mm across occur sporadically in the phenocryst-rich zone Bulk densities were determined for rhyodacite samples collected from the massive core, jointed rim, and brecciated border. Samples locations are shown in Figure 9. A total of 75 rhyodacite samples were analyzed. The bulk density of the Ogariyama dome ranges from 2.0 to 2.6 g/cm3 (Figure 9), which is consistent with the macroscopically non-vesicular texture of the three zones (cf. Zorn et al., 2018) The bulk densities of each zone are different The massive core has the lowest bulk density (2.0–2.3 g/cm3) the brecciated border has an intermediate density (2.1–2.5 g/cm3) and the jointed rim has the highest density (2.4–2.6 g/cm3) Bulk densities of the rhyodacites from the (A) brecciated border Sampling positions (A–D) are shown in the sketch Whole-rock major element data for rhyodacites from the massive core and brecciated border of the Ogariyama dome All analytical data were recalculated to 100% on an H2O (or loss on ignition) free basis meaning it could not push away the surrounding host sediment in all directions This intrusion behavior can be attributed to the relatively hard (and non-homogeneous) physical properties of the host sediment in a subaerial environment (A) Schematic model of the growth of the Ogariyama dome Internal inflation and marginal shear occurred simultaneously during dome growth The location of the region shown in (B) is indicated by the rectangle (B) Schematic model of the formation of the massive core The jointed rim and brecciated border formed in response to cooling–contraction and dynamic stress in a brittle zone The Ogariyama dome is characterized by a concentrically zoned structure comprising a massive core, jointed rim, and brecciated border (Figure 4) These three zones are inferred to be genetically related internal structures that developed within a single intrusion They do not represent three discrete injections of magma as the contacts between the zones are gradual and geochemical compositions are identical in all three zones indicating the zones were produced from the same rhyodacite magma The massive core comprises mainly textually uniform (or weakly flow-banded) rhyodacite that has the widest joint intervals (<2 m apart) and highest groundmass crystallinity of the three zones. The spacing of cooling joints depends mainly on the rate of cooling (e.g., Grossenbacher and McDuffie, 1995) with slow cooling favoring more widely spaced joints Groundmass crystallinity is also related to the rate of cooling with slow cooling resulting in more complete crystallization We thus infer that the massive core was formed by the slow cooling of relatively homogeneous rhyodacite magma The growth style of volcanic domes is thought to be either endogenous, when a dome grows by internal inflation in response to the injection of new lava into the dome interior, or exogenous, when new lava is added to the outer surface of a dome (Fink et al., 1990; Fink, 1993; Calder et al., 2015) We infer that the growth style of the Ogariyama dome was endogenous The joint systems in the Ogariyama dome are consistent with endogenous growth. The rectangular joints in the massive core are spaced at intervals of 0.5–2.0 m, and those in the jointed rim at 0.3–0.8 m, suggesting that the isotherms (Spry, 1962) within the dome during cooling were concentric which is consistent with endogenous inflation of the dome Exogenous growth or multiple discrete injections of magma would have resulted in highly variable isotherms and more complicated joint patterns Endogenous growth is a common growth style of subaqueous cryptodomes (Goto and McPhie, 1998; Stewart and McPhie, 2003; White et al., 2015) Both subaerial and subaqueous cryptodomes favor endogenous growth because they form by the emplacement of silicic magma into poorly consolidated sediment The Kalogeros dome has a flattened hemispheric morphology with a diameter of 800–1300 m and height of 120 m The internal structure of the dome is concentric The brecciated border comprises various types of breccias Well-developed columnar joints occur from core to rim Subaqueous cryptodomes typically have a simple and hemispherical morphology because they are emplaced into water-saturated which is easily deformed and pushed away during the emplacement of a cryptodome Comparison between (A) a subaerial cryptodome and (B) a subaqueous cryptodome The morphology and internal structures of the subaerial cryptodome differ from those of the subaqueous cryptodome The subaerial cryptodome is characterized by an asymmetrical (anisotropic) morphology The subaqueous cryptodome is characterized by a symmetrical morphology Peperite is only found in subaqueous cryptodomes The high cooling rate of subaqueous cryptodomes results in well-developed columnar joints We propose that subaerial domes generally have higher viscosities than subaqueous domes because: (1) volcanic rocks in mature (continental) arcs have higher SiO2 than those in immature (oceanic) arcs (e.g., Miyashiro, 1973); and (2) subaerial domes experience more complete degassing resulting in a lower water content than subaqueous domes as the confining pressure of subaerial domes is much lower than for subaqueous domes The morphological and textural differences between the Ogariyama dome and subaqueous examples (i.e. the asymmetric morphology and the absence of well-developed radial columnar joints and large-scale flow banding in the Ogariyama dome) might reflect a combination of a harder host sediment and higher viscosity of the Ogariyama dome the Ogariyama dome is the only example of a cross-sectional exposure of a Quaternary subaerial cryptodome worldwide The dome provides a rare opportunity to study the primary internal structure of a subaerial cryptodome Further case studies are required to better understand the textural differences between subaerial and subaqueous cryptodomes The subaerial Ogariyama cryptodome on Usu volcano has a scalene triangular shape in cross-section and is 150 m across and 80 m high The cryptodome has a concentric internal structure The jointed rim formed by fracturing of solidifying rhyodacite magma in response to cooling–contraction and dynamic stress due to continued movement of the less-viscous core The brecciated border formed by dynamic stress the Ogariyama dome is characterized by an asymmetric morphology and absence of radial columnar joints and large-scale flow bands These morphological and textural differences might reflect the harder host sediment YG contributed to the conception and design of this work and led the writing of the manuscript iteratively with AT YG and AT discussed and contributed to the final manuscript This work was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Education Science and Technology of Japan (KAKENHI No 16K05616 to AT) and the Muroran Institute of Technology (YG) The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest Abe (Toya-Usu Geopark) for assistance with the geological field surveys Toyako Town Office is thanked for providing a historic photograph Hokkaido-Shinbun is thanked for allowing the use of an aerial photograph Acocella significantly improved the manuscript Google Scholar volcanic and sedimentary setting of strongly deformed Zn-Cu massive sulfide deposits at Benambra CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Setting of Zn-Cu-Au-Ag massive sulfide deposits in the evolution and facies architecture of a 1.9 Ga marine volcanic arc Google Scholar Deposits of the 30 March 1956 directed blast at Bezymianny volcano CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Origin and metamorphism of peperite and associated rocks in the Devonian Elwell formation doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1982)93<1208:OAMOPA>2.0.CO;2 CrossRef Full Text “Lava domes eruptions,” in Encyclopedia of Volcanoes CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar rhyolitic dome-top tuff cones: a model based on the Devonian Bunga beds southeastern Australia and a modern analogue CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Facies architecture of a silicic intrusion-dominated volcanic centre at Highway-Reward CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar “The emplacement of silicic lava flows and associated hazards,” in Active Lavas Luongo (London: University College London Press) Google Scholar Intrusive and extrusive growth of the Mount St CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar and timing of the catastrophic sector collapse at Usu volcano Google Scholar Internal structure of a subaerial dacite cryptodome at Usu volcano Google Scholar Resistivity structure of the Showa-Shinzan dome at Usu volcano CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Endogenous growth of a Miocene submarine dacite cryptodome CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar The 18–19 ka andesitic explosive eruption at Usu volcano Effects of surface cooling on the spreading of lava flows and domes CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Conductive cooling of lava: columnar joint diameter and stria width as functions of cooling rate and thermal gradient The internal structure of a rhyolite intrusion and the process of emplacement; 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Yoshihiko Goto, eWdvdG9AbW1tLm11cm9yYW4taXQuYWMuanA= Akihiko Tomiya, YS50b21peWFAYWlzdC5nby5qcA== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish Extinct ancestor of modern dogs once roamed Texas Of the prehistoric creatures that once roamed the land now defined as Texas one that might seem suited for modern times is the bear dog closely related to the common ancestor of bears and dogs represents a major group of carnivores with a rich evolutionary history of more than 30 million years extending from the Middle Eocene to the Late Miocene,” write Susumu Tomiya a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago “During the course of their evolution bear dogs spread to all northern continents as well as Africa and included not only bear-like forms but also small fox-sized animals and wolf-like pursuit animals.” Although Tomiya came across an odd fossil in a dusty drawer in Chicago’s Field Museum the Chihuahua-sized jaw had been unearthed near El Paso in 1966 so Tomiya and Tseng decided to take a closer look “The teeth reminded me of some of the later and much larger carnivores known as bear dogs,” Tomiya said The best-known types of bear dogs were as big as modern-day brown bears however the Texas variety was diminutive by comparison To be certain of the identity of the skull Tomiya and Tseng studied a micro-CT scan of the rock-encrusted fossil which they used to create 3D reconstructions of the skulls “These scans,” Tseng explained “helped to unlock important anatomical features on the inside of the specimens and that information allowed us to determine the true identity of these very old fossil skulls as amphicyonids.” “What’s remarkable about this discovery,” Tomiya added “is that it gives us a new understanding of where these incredibly successful hunters evolved.” Earlier research suggested that bear dogs crossed from Eurasia into North America which also compared the fossils to similar discoveries housed at the University of Texas suggests that the bear dog could have arisen first in North America It also pinpoints Southwest Texas as a key location for this in-credibly successful group of predators Bear dogs were ferocious hunters with huge jaws and crushing teeth The enormous bear dogs of the Miocene may have resembled modern bears they had a heavier build and walked with their feet flat on the ground (like bears) instead of off the ground with the foot bone serving as an extension of the legs as is the case with modern dogs Tomiya estimates that the Texas bear dogs may have weighed about 5 pounds and had molars that allowed it to feast on small mammals “Bear dogs and true dogs shared a common ancestor,” Tseng pointed out “but there is little evidence that true dogs are direct descendants of bear dogs.” At some point the family Amphicyonidae was gradually displaced by more modern forms of bears and dogs Although bear dogs roamed Texas for more than 30 million years increasing aridity and changing landscapes made hunting tougher Early forms of pack-hunting wolves and dogs likely outman-euvered bear dogs “Bear dogs happen to be extinct today,” Tomiya reported “but their history is relevant to understanding where living bears and dogs come from and how their diversity has been shaped over millions of years while they coexisted.” bear dogs were variants of nature’s evolutionary experiments on the predatory lifestyle,” Tseng added “making them helpful in putting modern predator adaptations into context.” 2018 The second sentence in this story was edited for accuracy Martha Deeringer, a member of Heart of Texas EC, lives near McGregor. Her new book, Elephant Dreams This article appeared in the June 2018 issue Texas Co-op Power Magazine and TexasCoopPower.com are produced by Texas Electric Cooperatives Terms of Use. © 2018, Texas Electric Cooperatives. All rights reserved. Site by White Lion The best of Texas delivered to your inbox every month Inside the archival depths of The Field Museum primitive members of a ‘beardog’ family have been laying in wait Their recent resurrection made headlines in the Royal Society Open Science publication and has paleontologists excited and on the run rounding up a new family for the pack of grizzly canine carnivores turned out to be a happy accident for The Field’s post-doctoral scholar “We’ve known about these curious little critters for 30 years but couldn’t tell exactly what kind of carnivores they were,” explains lead author Susumu Tomiya a postdoctoral scholar at The Field Museum Tomiya recently re-identified the 38-million-year-old descendants of the Chihuahua sized ‘amphicyonids’ in the Museum’s collections Subtle dental feature differences in the jaw bones of these former what-is-now-known-as-Texas-natives gave Tomiya reason to track down their real family branch Sometime after the dawn of ‘beardog,’evolution, early stages of the dog branch diversified. Tomiya and co-author, Jack Tseng of the University of Buffalo digitized a reconstruction of a largely intact skull of what was originally named ‘Miacis australis.’ Flat surfaces on some of these beardogs teeth indicated it wasn’t just a meat eater this beardog most likely also ate berries and insects which led Tomiya and Tseng down a new path of nomenclature Finding a new family name for this branch of beardogs turned into a 3-D experience for the team A CT scan revealed useful characteristics for reconstructing carnivore species relationships New light shed by the results inspired Tomiya and Tseng to believe that the southern region of North America may have played a more vital role in mammalian history than was previously thought “Studying how the diversity of beardogs waxed and waned over time could tell us about larger patterns in carnivore evolution,” noted Tomiya Beardogs ranged in size from larger than modern day lions to bite-sized carnivores The larger the beardog the more space it took up the more food it needed to survive and produced fewer offspring Smaller beardogs had to deal with ‘size matters’ when it came to finding food and keeping it Larger animals face extinction sooner which means smaller might be better when it comes to living large and evolving forests and climate meant big changes in carnivore evolution to adapt Beardog evolution gives us a broader view of how climate effects evolution and what kinds of animals thrived in a changing environmental context Current relatives and cousins evolving from the beardog branch include dogs The importance of museum collections and studies like Tomiya’s reminds us how much history is embedded in their fossilized dens As he notes ‘all biodiversity research is contingent on good understanding of what species lived where and when in the past Museum collections are vital to building and continually refining such fundamental data sets.” Susumu Tomiya is a postdoctoral scholar at The Field Museum in Chicago; he did his graduate work at the University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley Jack Tseng is an assistant professor at the University at Buffalo and was previously at the American Museum of Natural History are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system Copyright © 2025 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) One travel writer tucks in and finds the best spots Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design builds a four-deck house spreading over sloping land at the foot of a mountain in Sapporo City, Japan the design team identifies the ideal location with a focus on its proximity to the workplace and a preference for a ‘skip floor’ layout presenting a height difference of approximately two meters guides a design that harmoniously incorporates the natural slope within the building’s structure shaping the foundation for cross-sectional planning A flat exposed beam roof encompasses the space allowing users to immerse themselves in the distinct textures and atmospheres of each area the design aims to blend the outdoors with the indoors granting panoramic vistas of the landscape and the cityscape below through strategically placed windows highlighted by the roof’s form and exterior colors reinforcing the connection between interior and exterior This arrangement of elements ensures that the skip floor’s interior is visually conveyed from the outside The first floor features a spacious hall with an earthen floor that bridges the gap between the garden and the interior. The architects at Yosuke Tomiya assemble several versatile spaces scattered throughout the building This spatial versatility affirms the design’s commitment to accommodating a family’s diverse lifestyle the four-deck house spreads over sloping land at the foot of a mountain in Sapporo City the design harmoniously incorporates the natural slope within the building’s structure strategically placed windows offer panoramic vistas of the landscape and the cityscape below the spatial versatility affirms the design’s commitment to accommodating a family’s lifestyle architect:  Yosuke Tomiya Architectural Design | @yosuke_tomiya_design_office location: Sapporo City designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style but 5-year-old cancer patient Esai Valadez climbed aboard his father's shoulders Tuesday morning and was carried out onto the driveway of the family's Palatine home for a sneak peek at his bedroom of the future With Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" playing about 25 Special Spaces volunteers cheered as Esai and parents Eric Enderle and Tomiya Valadez-Enderle feasted their eyes on the setup featuring elements from Spider-Man and the online gaming platform Roblox "I'm giving everybody virtual hugs," a grateful Valadez-Enderle told the volunteers Nonprofit Special Spaces creates dream bedroom makeovers for children ages 2 to 19 diagnosed with cancer and within one year of treatment volunteers no longer are working inside homes and instead have shifted to what they're calling "bedroom in a box." Families now wait in their homes while volunteers work outside The family then assembles everything inside for the remodeled bedroom with donated materials and detailed instructions Esai's parents were ready to go to work immediately Tuesday Enderle said Esai's leukemia is in remission who was reluctant to exit his home until he was carried by his dad "He has to go get spinal taps every three months and then every day he has to take medicine and steroids," Enderle said Valadez-Enderle said the themed bedroom will be a morale booster for her son who was diagnosed with cancer in late 2018 Volunteers decorated the front lawn with a sign reading "Reveal In Progress," wrote messages in chalk on the driveway and hung cheerful posters Special Spaces' national director of development and Naperville-based leader of its Illinois chapter said the volunteers and donations for Esai's room came from Assurance in Schaumburg She said Special Spaces has been in Illinois since 2013 and crafts new bedrooms across the Chicago area Knox said 13-year-old Palatine cancer survivor Kennedy Khalimsky nominated Esai for the bedroom makeover Kennedy is a previous dream bedroom recipient Valadez-Enderle said the connection for the nomination came from David Morris principal of Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Palatine Esai is expected to join his brother for the new school year at Pleasant Hill which is part of Palatine Township Elementary District 15 1 Patrick Enok/Silver Simm (Ford Fiesta Rally3) 2 Ville Vatanen/Jarno Ottman (Renault Clio Rally3) 3 Pekka Keski-Korsu/Antti Haapala (Renault Clio Rally3) 4 Takumi Matsushita/Pekka Kelander (Renault Clio Rally3) 5 Shotaro Goto/Jussi Lindberg (Renault Clio Rally3) 6 Jari Kuikka/Tomi Ikonen (Ford Fiesta Rally3) 1 Joni Korhonen/Miro Iljina (Peugeot 208 Rally4) 2 Vili Hakala/Tero Korhonen (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 3 Niko Kalmi/Patric Öhman (Ford Fiesta Rally4) 4 Aatu Hakalehto/Joonas Ojala (Ford Fiesta Rally4) Retired Jarkko Nikara/Tomiya Maekawa (Renault Clio Rally4) Mikko Hirvonen (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRC Challenge Program chief instructor)“It was a good weekend for all our crews at Arctic Rally Takumi and Shotaro both did a good job with quite a solid performance in what was a longer rally than they’re used to Like everybody they were limited to a maximum of 12 tyres each for the rally and with over 200 kilometres of stages it was something you had to pay attention to They both went smoothly through with no big problems – just one small spin for Shotaro – and controlled their speed and their heads well So it was good preparation for their next event at Rally Sweden which will again be one more step up in terms of how demanding it is for them That will also be their first experience competing with Hankook tyres but hopefully they can have a good performance and a clean rally This was also a great first rally for Tomiya There is so much for a co-driver to handle with the timing but there were no problems with any of that and Jarkko was really happy with how Tomiya was managing everything.” Shotaro Goto“I had missed most of my previous two rallies because of a crash and an electrical issue so I’m really happy to be able to finish this rally this was really my first chance to drive competitively with four-wheel drive so my focus was on completing the full event and gaining lots of experience It was challenging but I’m happy with how it went and the experience I gained Rally Sweden will be my first WRC event and I’m really excited for that.” The Arctic Rally is a very traditional rally and also a very long rally and I’ve never experienced such a rally before but my main priority for such a long rally was to be consistent and finish the rally On the first day I was struggling a bit with the car behaviour but on the second day I had more confidence with the car and I could push a little bit more Hopefully next time I can push even more and aim for a better result.” Tomiya Maekawa“This was my first rally with Jarkko and we had a good feeling through the week Although we unfortunately had to retire due to a technical issue we were in second place until then and we will keep pushing to make the podium but thanks to the strong support from the team I could concentrate on my job and I could gain a lot of experience It was also good to compete on the same rally as Jussi and Pekka so I could compare my plans and so on with theirs and could find many ideas Now I’m looking forward to doing the recce at Rally Sweden which will be my first time at a WRC event outside of Japan.” FRC Kuopio: Matsushita wins on Rally3 debut published today in Royal Society Open Science is a great example of why the fossils you don't see at a museum may be some of its most important Researcher Susumu Tomiya was a recent arrival to The Field just poking around the mammal collection to learn what was where when he noticed something odd about a set of jaws When it had been unearthed decades earlier at a site in Texas the roughly 38 million-year-old specimen was assigned to the genus Miacis: primitive carnivorous mammals with the size and low-slung build of Tomiya thought the teeth weren't quite right for Miacis He tracked down a second specimen originally found at the same location and currently held in the collections of the University of Texas at Austin It had been classified as another species within Miacis but its teeth had similar adaptations to those on the jaws at The Field The teeth from both Miacis specimens were shaped in a way that suggested they were used for crushing That points to an animal with a diet that was more than just meat An omnivore rather than a strict carnivore Tomiya and study coauthor Jack Tseng of the University of Buffalo used HD x-ray CT scans to digitally reconstruct the Texas specimen's skull Data generated from peering inside a braincase gives researchers a ton of information about the animal's general intelligence as well as how advanced (or not) its senses are It's particularly helpful for understanding carnivores and how they may have hunted or scavenged was that both fossils had been mis-Miacised They actually belonged to two new members of the amphicyonid family Newly renamed Gustafsonia cognita and Angelarctocyon australis the reclassified species are notably smaller than other beardogs which ranged in size from fox-ish to a plus-sized Papa Bear the extinct mammals known as beardogs are related to The typical beardog was heavily built and in some cases larger than a lion with teeth adapted for crushing bones and other badassery The beardogs were all over North America and Eurasia (a few made it to Africa) at around 40 million years old just a little older than today's finds beardogs are not ancestral to either dogs or bears australis (left) is petite compared with that of a more typical beardog australis evolutionarily-speaking is particularly important Their age makes them two of the earliest amphicyonids right at the base of that branch of the tree which until now was pretty lacking in fossil evidence it could indicate that today's southcentral U.S was a hotbed of carnivore diversity and species radiation Having these little guys — or at least some of their parts — helps paleontologists understand where the amphicyonids came from Not bad for an animal that could have fit in a handbag Register or Log In Want more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99 Subscribe Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine If you've ever wondered why rabbits and hares never evolved to be the size of horses but it gets to an important part of evolutionary science: What is it that causes some animal taxonomies to have such a wide variation in size "The largest living wild lagomorphs weigh only about 5 kg (11 lbs) on average, a tenth of the largest living rodent, the capybara," says vertebrate paleontologist Susumu Tomiya from Kyoto University in Japan "But some breeds of domestic rabbits and other extinct species can weigh up to 8 kg We were surprised by this and so began to investigate what sort of external forces keep wild lagomorphs across the world from evolving larger body sizes." The researchers analyzed lagomorph sizes past and present, looking at the fossil record and evolutionary history of the mammals, before turning their attention to other ecological factors. It turns out that the presence of ungulates the team looked at energy use across different sizes of lagomorphs and ungulates They found that once lagomorphs reach around 6 kilograms (about 14 lbs) in mass they're at a competitive disadvantage to ungulates A return to the fossil record for North America backed up the idea that the smallest contemporaneous ungulate in an area was a big factor in determining the largest lagomorph – anything larger had a lower chance of survival with the bigger "We see this pattern today across numerous eco-regions, suggesting that there is an evolutionary ceiling placed on lagomorphs by their ungulate competitors," says Tomiya The researchers point out that there are other factors that come into play once lagomorphs become too big to operate at optimum capacity: competition from other animals from the same clade and increased danger from predators However, it's the ungulate comparison that seems to have had the most effect in this case. The research feeds into two contrasting ideas about how species evolve: the 'red queen' hypothesis, which ascribes most importance to species competition, and the 'court jester' hypothesis which says abiotic forces like climate changes have the most impact it seems that the red queen model is the one that's most significant here against the backdrop of abiotic forces that aren't anything to do with animal competition "An ongoing debate in evolutionary biology concerns whether biological or environmental processes are more important in shaping biological diversity," says Tomiya the court jester model – ascribing diversity to abiotic forces such as the climate – has been dominant due to the difficulty of studying biological interactions in the fossil record." These results serve as a reminder that we can't ignore the effects of ignore species competition as it seems to be the main reason we don't have horse-sized rabbits and hares The research has been published in Evolution Today's print edition Home Delivery The practice of stores and facilities offering “quiet hours” — dimming the lighting and reducing sounds to provide an environment with less sensory stimulation for people with developmental and other disabilities — has started to attract nationwide attention The trend has recently reached Miyagi Prefecture and those involved hope such efforts will spread further so that environments are created that make it easier for people of all abilities to visit stores and venues.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); a drugstore located in the city of Tomiya in Miyagi Prefecture started offering quiet hours in the summer of 2020 In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Credit: zcy/Gabi Moisa/Adobe Stock/Big Think Rabbits are, of course, adorable. We kvell over awww-inducing pictures of the little cuties who look like they couldn’t hurt a fly. (Fun fact: Male rabbits are incredibly fierce when they fight each other and will actually fight to the death.) Researchers at Kyoto University’s Primate Research Institute wondered why there are no horse-sized — or for that matter, tiny — lagomorphs The curious scientists recently published a paper titled “Why aren’t rabbits and hares larger?” in the journal Evolution It suggests the answer to this question may say something about the factors that most profoundly influence a species’ evolution First author Susumu Tomiyasays “The largest living wild lagomorphs weigh only about 5 kg on average There are breeds of domestic rabbits that can be somewhat large Tomiya notes “some breeds of domestic rabbits and other extinct species can weigh up to 8 kg [about 17.63 pounds] and so began to investigate what sort of external forces keep wild lagomorphs across the world from evolving larger body sizes.” After analyzing the available fossil record to explore how lagomorphs have fared through time the team came to suspect that their size tended to be constrained by competition for food with larger herbivores As the researchers investigated the ecosystems in which lagomorphs lived, creatures of a different order, ungulates, came to their attention. Ungulates are an order of hoofed mammals including horses It also includes cloven-hoofed animals like cows and sheep It seems that ungulates were more than mere neighbors of rabbits Similarly sized ungulates probably were their competitors The researchers calculated that large lagomorphs would require an excessive amount of energy — food considerably more than smaller rabbits and hares Tomiya says that when they compared “how much energy is used by populations of lagomorphs and ungulates relative to their body sizes,” they found “that lagomorphs weighing more than six kilograms are energetically at a competitive disadvantage to ungulates of the same size.” the researchers next looked at the fossil record of North America They found that the smallest hoofed animals predicted the size of the largest bunnies “We see this pattern today across numerous eco-regions suggesting that there is an evolutionary ‘ceiling’ placed on lagomorphs by their ungulate competitors.” Tomiya says the study may help resolve biologists’ ongoing “red queen” vs “court jester” debate over the type of forces that most affect a species’ evolution “the court jester model — ascribing diversity to abiotic forces such as the climate — has been dominant due to the difficulty of studying biological interactions in the fossil record.” He says the study’s findings show that the red queen shouldn’t be counted out when it comes to influencing evolution Two mysterious skulls sat in storage at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for 30 years they changed our understanding of how one of America's fiercest predators evolved are a diverse group of mammals who emerged on the tree of life during the mid-Eocene period roughly 40 million years ago they had spread to most northern continents Their signature bulky jaw and flat teeth (for crushing) are a common sight for paleontologists excavating fossils from the Eocene and Miocene Paleontologist Susuma Tomiya was working on a postdoc at The Field Museum when he came across two oddly labeled fossils Based on their skulls and age (38-37 million years old) the fossils had been assigned to the genus Miacis which Tomiya's colleague Jack Tseng described in a release as "a kind of 'trashbin' genus" for unidentified carnivores "I thought it looked odd and too advanced for what it had been claimed to be—a more primitive carnivore It reminded me of some much larger beardogs Tomiya and Tseng reclassify the unknown skulls as the early beardog ancestors Angelarctocyon australis and Gustafsonia cognita "Our research pinpoints the southwestern US as a key region in understanding the diversification and proliferation of this once successful group of predators prior to their extinction millions of years ago," Tseng said "We're not saying we've solved where they fit on the tree of life but it's the most progress that's been made in quite a while Our work provides a clearer connection between the rest of the beardog family and their evolutionary roots." We also have more evidence that the ferocious beardog Though the enormous beardogs of the Miocene probably looked and acted like modern bears the predator's earliest ancestors looked like tiny dogs or foxes the beardog became an ancestor of today's dogs Its large size is probably what consigned it to extinction in the end Though a hefty frame makes predators tough opponents their build also means they need more food to survive as the icy mid-Pliocene made hunting tougher it's likely the beardog was unable to compete with early wolves and dogs that hunted in packs beardogs had a good reign for more than 30 million years across the northern continents ruling with all the mass of bears and all the cunning of canines Royal Society Open Science, 2016. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160518