In Depth A little known oviraptorid, Elmisaurus is based upon very few remains. Initially cited as a species of the North American Chirostenotes, it was quickly named as a distinct genus. Still, the Chirostenotes connection did not end there as in 1989 the palaeontologist Philip Currie established a second species, Elmisaurus elegans based upon oviraptorid … Read more
In Depth Lukousaurus is a little known reptile that is probably a theropod dinosaur, possibly of the Ceratosauria. The overall lack of fossil remains for the genus however makes it very difficult to be certain about exactly what kind of creature Lukousaurus was. Further Reading – Preliminary notes on the Lufeng vertebrate fossils. – Bulletin … Read more
In Depth Cathayornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. While the type species of Cathayornis, C. yandica is valid, two further species C. aberransis and C. chabuensis have also been named but are questionable as they consist of partial body parts that are not preserved in with … Read more
In Depth Niebla is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Though only known from partial remains, Niebla seems to have actually been quite a small abelisaurid dinosaur, perhaps only about half of the size of some of the larger abelisaurid dinosaurs that were also roaming around South … Read more
In Depth During the earliest portion of its taxonomic history Megapnosaurus was known as Syntarsus after the initial description by Raath in 1969. Later a trio of other palaeontologists (Ivie, Slipinski and Węgrzynowicz) discovered that the name Syntarsus had already been given to a beetle in 1869. In 2001 they renamed the dinosaur Syntarsus remains … Read more
In Depth As an enantiornithine was very close to being a bird without technically being one. Dalingheornis lived in what is now North-East China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - The first Mesozoic heterodactyl bird from China. - Acta Geologica Sinica 80(5):631-635. - Z. Zhang, L. Hou, Y. Hasegawa, J. O’Connor, L. D. Martin … Read more
In Depth Named early in 2016, Fukuivenator has quickly become recognised as one of the more bizarre dinosaurs. We know that Fukuivenator is what is termed a coelurosaur, though the genus displays not only a mix of primitive and advanced features, but also a combination of characteristics of maniraptoran and ornithomimid dinosaurs. It is quite … Read more
In Depth Itemirus is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that so far is only known from very incomplete fossil remains. Further Reading - Brain-case structure in the carnosaur Itemirus n. gen. and some aspects of the cranial anatomy of dinosaurs. - Paleontological Journal 1976(3):361-369. - S. M. Kurzanov - 1976. - Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from … Read more
In Depth For a long time Caenagnathasia has been known from only jaw material, and even with the subsequent discovery of an upper leg bone and vertebrae, not much is known about this dinosaur. Two facts can however be established about Caenagnathasia. First, Caenagnathasia is one of if not the smallest oviraptosaur currently known. Second, … Read more
In Depth Remarkably when Troodon was first ‘discovered’ it was only known from a tooth, and it was the description of this tooth that gave rise to the genus. Although naming a creature after only discovering its teeth is hard to imagine today, it was a common place practice in the nineteenth century, and … Read more