In Depth Sinocephale fossils originally started as being assigned as a species of Troodon back in 1953 when similarity between the teeth of Troodon and other pachycephalosaurs. When the pachycephalosaurs and troodonts were realised to be very different kinds of dinosaurs, material of Sinocephale was then associated with the pachycephalosaur Stegoceras in 1964. The validity … Read more
In Depth The original 2012 paper of the plesiosaur Spitrasaurus included the description of not one but two species for the genus. The type species, S. wensaasi (PMO 219 718) is described from sixty articulated cervical vertebrae believed to have come from a juvenile individual. S. larseni (SVB 1450) is also known from cervical vertebrae, … Read more
Velociraptor: Research Database Dromaeosauridae (Theropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~75-71 MYA) · Asia — Mongolia, China Research Note: Velociraptor is one of the most famous dinosaurs — a small dromaeosaurid theropod made iconic by Jurassic Park. But real Velociraptor was about the size of a turkey, not the film’s wolf-sized monster. It was a feathered, agile … Read more
Zygomaturus: Research Database Theropoda · Cretaceous · Unknown Research Note: Zygomaturus was a theropoda from the Cretaceous of Unknown, providing important data on prehistoric life and ecosystem dynamics. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Guerin Winslow Piboule 1981: Zygomaturus and related taxa Geobios Confirmed B 1981 Fossil Guerin Winslow Piboule, Geobios … Read more
Akidolestes: Research Database Mammalia · Early Cretaceous (~125 MYA) · Asia — China Research Note: Akidolestes was a mammal from the Early Cretaceous of China — significant for understanding early mammal diversity and evolution during the Cretaceous period in Asia. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Chen & Luo 2012: Akidolestes … Read more
In Depth Riabininohadros is a genus of large ornithischian dinosaur that lived on Europe towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Further Reading - Riabininohadros, a New Genus for the Ornithischian Dinosaur Orthomerus weberae (Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia) from the Late Cretaceous of Crimea. - Paleontological Journal. 54 (3): 112–114. - A. V. Lopatin & A. O. … Read more
In Depth Initially described as a species of Melanorosaurus, M. thabanensis was elevated to its oven genus level and named Meroktenos in 2016. Meroktenos is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur that once lived in Africa during the late Triassic. Further Reading - New material and revision of Melanorosaurus thabanensis, a basal sauropodomorph from the Upper … Read more
In Depth Although first discovered in Angola, it’s entirely plausible that Angolasaurus had a wider distribution since it was a marine creature and had the freedom of the ocean to travel. As a plioplatecarpine mosasaur, Angolasaurus is considered to be related to Platecarpus, Plioplatecarpus and Selmasaurus amongst others. Further Reading – O Neocretacio e o … Read more
Pneumatoraptor: Research Database Pterosauria (Archosauromorpha) · Late Cretaceous (~85 MYA) · Europe — Hungary (Csehbánya Formation) Research Note: Pneumatoraptor was a pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary — an important taxon for understanding pterosaur diversity in the Late Cretaceous of Europe. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Labita & Martill … Read more
In Depth Dapingfangornis is a genus of enantiornithe bird that lived in China during the Cretaceous. Further Reading - New Eoenantiornithid Bird from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning, China. - Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 80(1):38-41. - L. Li, Y. Duan, D. Hu, L. Wang, S. Cheng and L. Hou - 2006.