France 2008 – Animaux de la Préhistoire (Prehistoric animals)

      

1)   Photo

 

2)   Links

 Official web page

3)   Name

Animaux de la Préhistoire 

4)   Informations

Bloc

Ref:1108090 – Bloc Animaux de la Préhistoire  (link)

Data d’emissione: 21.04.08

Formato: 110 x 160 mm – Bloc de 2 timbre à 0.55 euro, 1 timbre à 0.65 euro et 1 timbre à 0.88 euro.

Tecnica di stampa: Héliogravure

Autore: Christian Broutin
Tematica : Natura

Stamps

Ref:1108062 – Le Phorusrhacos (link)

Ref:1108063 – Le Smilodon (link)

Ref:1108061 – Le Megaloceros (link)

Ref:1108060 – Le Mammouth (link)

Data d’emissione: 21.04.08

Formato: 30 x 40.85 mm – Feuille de 48 timbres

Tecnica di stampa: Héliogravure

Autore: Christian Broutin
Tematica : Natura

5)   Description

  Les enfants s’intéressent depuis longtemps à ces animaux disparus il y a 150 millions d’années. Doit-on mettre cet intérêt sur leurs dimensions hors normes, sur leur apparence terrifiante ou sur les raisons de leur disparition ? La préhistoire regorgeait en effet d’une vaste faune inquiétante dont ce bloc vous propose quelques exemples remarquables : le smilodon, le phorusrhacos, le mégaloceros et le mammouth. Car après tout, il n’y a pas que les dinosaures dans la vie !

6)   Additional links and info

 no

 

 

 

 

China 2007 ? – Microraptor gui

Delcampe (seller – winner): Beijing2008 –

Price (start-end bid): € 10.00

Info links:

Niuafo’ou 1989 – “The Planet Earth” – overprinted

Delcampe (seller – winner): Tonga2 –

Price (start-end bid): $ 24.00

Info links:

Czech Rep. 1999 – 8th International Symposium on Ordovician System

Delcampe (seller – winner): Vancura  –

Price (start-end bid): £ 2.50

Info links: 

Mexico 2006 – Dinosaurios de México

  

1)   Photo

   

2)   Links

 Official web page

3)   Name

Dinosaurios de México

 

4)   Informations

 

Nombre: Dinosaurios de México

Precio:  $24.50 Pesos     $2.32 USD

Fecha de Emisión: 29/09/2006

Papel: Couché blanco brillante, una cara engomado de 100gms./m2

Diseñador: Ernesto Castellanos Castellanos

Temática: FLORA Y FAUNA

 

5)   Description

  From Ton van Eijden web site:

 Three values in sheet;
$ 6,50, ‘Muzzy’ ,
$ 7,50, ‘Sabinosaurio’,
$ 10,50 ‘Monstruo de Aramberri’.
 
Issue date: 29-th of September.
 
‘Muzzy’ is Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis,
Sabinosaurus is an hadrosaur,
the ‘Aramberri monster’ is a pliosaur, possibly Liopleurodon.
 
Only Sabinosaurus is a dinosaur.

  

6)   Additional links and info

 

·         Muzquizopteryx coahuilensis

A – info

C – publication link

B – Wikipedia

 

 

·         ‘Aramberri monster’  (pliosaur, possibly Liopleurodon)

A – info

B – publication link

C – Wikipedia ENG ITA 

 

Korea, Southern 2006 – Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo 2006

1)   Photo

 

2)   Links

 Official web page

3)   Name

Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo 2006

4)   Informations

 

Title	Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo 2006
Types	2
Date of Issue	April 14, 2006
Quantity	1.28 million stamps each
Denomination	220 won
Design	Iguanodon, Megaraptor
Stamp No.	2487¡­2488
Printing Process and Colors	Photogravure, four colors (Self-adhesive stamp)
Size of Stamp	36mm x 26mm
Image Area	33mm x 23mm
Perforation	13
Sheet Composition	4 x 4(two stamps setenant, 216mm x 140mm)
Paper	White Unwatermarked
Designer	Shin Jaeyong
Printer	Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation

 

5)   Description

 

·         Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo 2006 is being held in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province, where multitudes of dinosaurs lived about 100 million years ago.

·         In January 1982, the fossil footprints of dinosaurs of the Cretaceous Period, Mesozoic Age were discovered in Goseong, South Gyeongsang Province. As many as a total of 10,000 dinosaur fossil footprints have been identified in the vicinity of the Goseong area, particularly in the region of Sangjokam beach: the world’s largest (115 cm) and smallest (9 cm) fossil footprints of sauropodus dinosaurs, fossils of dinosaur eggs and that of Cretaceous period birds, to name a few. These fossil findings make Goseong a site of high academic value in the study of the Cretaceous Period, Mesozoic Age. Currently, Goseong is recognized as one of 3 sites in the world with the largest number of dinosaur footprint fossils, together with Colorado of the U.S. and the Western Beach of Argentina.

·         The 52-day Expo will run from April 14 to July 4 under the theme of “the mysteries of dinosaurs, the earth and life”. It will provide a valuable opportunity to encounter, in virtual reality, various dinosaur bones and fossils and to experience the lives of dinosaurs that lived a hundred million years ago. Numerous other events will be held as well including an international academic symposium on dinosaurs and international fossil/mineral exhibit, etc.

·         In anticipating that the Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo 2006 will be a resounding success, a new stamp will be issued featuring Iguanodon, a grass-eating dinosaur, and Megaraptor, a meat-eating dinosaur, both of which are assumed to have lived in Goseong a long, long time ago.

 

Cyprus 2007 – Cyprus through the ages

 

   1)   Photo

  

2)   Links

 Official web page

3)   Name

Cyprus through the ages

4)   Informations

 Issue Date: 2/10/2007

5)   Description

 

There is not an official description on the web site of Cyprus post, however the figured fossil is a specimen of:

Hippopotamus minor Desmarest, 1822, (Cyprus, Pleistocene).

Additional info about this fossil can be find at these links:

• Wikipedia – Eng
• Google scholar
• Faune insulari del Mediterraneo orientale (ITA)

 

Gibraltar 2007 – Prehistoric life of Gibraltar

1)   Photo

 

2)   Links

 http://www.gibraltar-stamps.com/gibraltar-stamps.aspx?cat=36&pro=176

3)   Name

 Prehistoric Wildlife of Gibraltar  

4)   Informations

 Technical Description
Illustration: Christian Hook
Design: Stephen Perera
Printer: Cartor
Process: Offset Lithography
No. of Colours: 4
Stamp Size: 40mm x 52mm
Min Sheet Size: 156 x 100mm
Values: 8p, 40p, 42p, 55p, 78p, £2
Issue Date: 26th September 2007

Set £2.23Miniature Sheet £2.00Prestige Booklet £8.46FDC set £2.FDC Miniature Sheet £2.40Pack Set £2.68Pack Min. Sheet £2.45

5)   Description

 The excavations that the Gibraltar Museum has been conducting in Gorham’s and Vanguard Caves since 1991 have revealed the richness of the flora and fauna of Gibraltar in prehistory. These caves hold a unique fossil, pollen and charcoal record of the last 120 thousand years on the Rock and its surroundings. For 90% of the time global climate was cooler than today and sea levels were lower by as much as 120 metres. A large sandy plain, with lakes and savannahs, surrounded the Rock. This was the time of the Neanderthals who brought back animals to the caves for food. The information obtained from these caves allows us a unique vision into Gibraltar’s prehistory and its animals and plants. The set of six images depicts Gibraltar’s prehistoric landscapes, at times of lowered sea level and also during periods of global warming when the sea reached up to 8 metres above present levels, making the Rock an island. Most of the species in the fossil record still exist but many are restricted to reserves in Africa or the more remote parts of Europe. Others are now extinct. The particular climatic conditions of Gibraltar meant that, even in the coldest moments when Europe was engulfed in ice, many species survived in this refugium. Olives grew and tortoises lived here at the height of the last Ice Age showing that the climate was mild. Animals of the Ice Age, like Woolly Mammoth, never reached this far south either. The Neanderthals themselves lasted here much longer than anywhere else on the planet. This set gives an impression of the ecology and landscape of this Eden in the Mediterranean.

South Africa 2006 – Origin of Human Kind

1)   Photo

2)   Links 

http://www.sapo.co.za/philately/humankin.htm 

3)   Name 

Origin of Humankind 

4)   Informations

Stamp issue date: 10 November 2006
Artwork: François Durand
Stamp size: 30.45 x 48 mm
Stamp sheet size: 182.25 x 126 mm
Paper: Stamp96/S200/HF80
Gum: Self Adhesive
Quantity printed: 40.000 sheets of 4 stamps
Colour: CMYK
Phosphor: 4 mm in L shape, on 2 stamps left and top of stamp + on 2 stamps right and top of stamp.
Printing process: Offset Lithography
Printed by: Enschedé Security Printers, The Netherlands

List of products:

Stamp set mint
PHL061916
R15.20 Stamp set cancelled
PHL061917
R15.20Control block mint
PHL061918
R15.20Control block cancelled
PHL061919
R15.20Full sheet mint
PHL061920
R15.20

Full sheet cancelled
PHL061921
R15.20Envelope No 7.116
PHL061922
R18.20Handling Fee: R5.00 

5)   Description 

Of the thousands of hominin fossils discovered in South Africa, four extinct fossil species have been identified: Australopithecus africanus, Paranthropus robustus, Homo ergaster and Homo heidelbergensis. To commemorate the Origin of Humankind, the South African Post Office issued this set of stamps on 10 November 2006. Dr Francois Durand created the artwork for this stamp issue.

The juvenile ape-man skull depicted on the envelope and canceller was discovered in 1924 by M. de Bruyn while working at the limestone mine near Taung in the Northwest Province. Fossils collected by De Bruyn were sent to Prof. Raymond Dart of the Medical School of the University of the Witwatersrand who found amongst these an endocast of a braincase and the rock from which it came. He then proceeded to extract the face of a baby hominin from the rock. This skull, known as the Taung Child, was the first ape-man to be discovered thereby vindicating Charles Darwin’s prophecy that the fossils of human ancestors would be found in Africa. Dart named it Australopithecus africanus – the “southern ape of Africa” and claimed it to be the Missing Link because of its mixture of ape and human features such as a brain cavity similar in size to that of a chimpanzee, but with more human-like teeth and an upright posture.

Mrs. Ples, the first complete adult ape-man skull discovered, was selected as representative of Australopithecus africanus for the first stamp. Robert Broom discovered it on 18 April 1947 at Sterkfontein in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site (COHWHS). Originally he called this find Plesianthropus transvaalensis, from which the nickname Ples was derived. His co-worker John Robinson later synonimised it with Australopithecus africanus. Due to the difference in size between this new fossil and fragments of a larger one, discovered in 1936, Broom concluded that it might be the skull of a female and dubbed it Mrs. Ples. Australopithecus africanus is estimated to have lived 3.1- 2.1 million years ago. To date the remains of over 600 A. africanus individuals have been discovered at Sterkfontein alone.

The first robust ape-man or Paranthropus robustus fossil was discovered by a schoolboy Gert Terblanche, at Kromdraai in the COHWHS. Robert Broom bought the fossil from him for a few shillings and made Gert show him where he found the fossil. The Paranthropus robustus skull shown was found by André Keyser at Drimolen in the COHWHS. Paranthropus lived approximately 2.2 -1.2 million years ago and was a contemporary of the first members of the genus Homo from which we are descended. Fossils of more than 200 Paranthropus individuals have been found in the COHWHS. Both Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus are unique to South Africa.

The fragmentary Homo ergaster skull shown was discovered by Robert Broom and John Robinson at Swartkrans in the COHWHS. Hundreds of stone tools and the oldest evidence in the world for the use of fire have been discovered here. Homo ergaster lived between 2-1.6 million years ago. Many Homo ergaster specimens, including beautifully preserved skulls and a virtually complete skeleton, are known from East Africa.

Homo heidelbergensis is known from fossils of more than 50 individuals discovered in Eurasia, East Africa and Elandsfontein, 13 km south west of Hopefield in the Western Cape. Keith Jolly discovered the Elandsfontein hominid, also known as “Saldanha Man” in 1953. Although Homo heidelbergensis had heavy skulls adorned with massive eyebrow ridges, they had the stature and brain capacity equivalent to that of modern humans. These hominids who lived approximately 600 000 to 200 000 years ago, were ancestral to both Homo neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens. In the illustration on the stamp the Saldanha Man cranium was superimposed on the complete Kabwe (or Broken Hill) skull discovered in Zambia.

Some of the oldest Homo sapiens fossils were discovered at Klasiesrivier, in the Huisklip Nature Reserve near Oyster Bay in the Eastern Cape by R. Singer and J. Wymer in 1967-1968. These fossils, dated at 90 000 – 120 000 years show clear affinities with the skulls of anatomically modern human beings. The archaeological excavations under supervision of C. Henshilwood at Blombos in the Western Cape yielded tools and other artifacts such as drilled shells which were used as beads and a piece of ochre marked with a cross-hatch pattern which at 77 000 years, is the oldest art object ever discovered.

The hominid fossils of South Africa which span a period of approximately 3 million years and include several hominid species from the Missing Link to the first true human beings, in addition to some of the oldest stone tools and oldest evidence of the use of fire and art earned South Africa the title of the Cradle of Humankind