Edmontonia: Research Database Nodosauridae (Thyreophora) · Late Cretaceous (~76-73 MYA) · North America — Canada, Alberta (Dinosaur Park Formation) Research Note: Edmontonia was a nodosaurid ankylosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada — one of the best-known nodosaurids. As a member of the Nodosauridae, it provides data on ankylosaur diversity and the Cretaceous … Read more
Jaxartosaurus: Research Database Mesozoic · Fossil Record Research Note: Jaxartosaurus was a significant fossil species providing important data on vertebrate evolution during the Mesozoic era. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Gates & Farke 2009: Jaxartosaurus and hadrosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous Cretaceous Research Confirmed A 2009 Fossil Gates & Farke, … Read more
Rukwatitan: Research Database Titanosauria (Sauropoda) · Late Cretaceous (~100 MYA) · Africa — Tanzania (Rukwa Rift Basin) Research Note: Rukwatitan was a titanosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Tanzania — an important taxon for understanding titanosaur evolution and diversity in Africa during the Cretaceous. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact García … Read more
In Depth Laosaurus is today considered to be a dubious genus of dinosaur. Though previously considered to be a hypsilophodont (relative of Hypsilophodon), most of the fossil remains once attributed to Laosaurus have ended up being considered to be other genera such as Orodromeus, Dryosaurus and Othnielosaurus. What few fossils that are still assigned to … Read more
In Depth Although only known from partial remains, Tataouinea has been identified as a rebbachisaurid sauropod, and one that is closely related to genera such as Nigersaurus, which are also known to have been present in North Africa during the early Cretaceous. The fossils of Tataouinea have revealed in life the bones of Tataouinea would … Read more
Mamenchisaurus: Research Database Euhelopodidae (Somphospondyli) · Late Jurassic (~160–150 MYA) · Asia — China (Upper Shaximiao Formation, Sichuan Basin) Research Note: Mamenchisaurus was a giant sauropod from the Late Jurassic of China — famous for having the longest neck relative to body size of any known dinosaur, with a neck that could reach up … Read more
In Depth Itapeuasaurus is a genus of rebachisaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the early portion of the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea) from the middle Cretaceous of northern Brazil. - Cretaceous Research. - R. M. Lindoso, M. A. A. Medeiros, I. S. Carvalho, A. A. Pereira, … Read more
In Depth Nodocephalosaurus was described in 1999 from a partial skull but still managed to make news amongst palaeontologists because it was unlike other North American ankylosaurs. In fact the shape of the skull of Nodocephalosaurus is actually more like the skulls of the ankylosaurs Saichania and Tarchia, both currently only known from central Asia. … Read more
In Depth Bissektipelta was first named as a species of Amtosaurus in 2002, however a subsequent evaluation of that genus found the type species, A. magnus to be indeterminate and possibly be those of a hadrosaur and not an ankylosaur. As such, the braincase that represented the second species, A. archibaldi was moved to its … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Schleitheimia were originally recovered in the early 1950s by Emil Schutz, then in 1986 named as belonging to Plateosaurus. A subsequent study of the fossils in 2020 (Rauhut et al) found them different enough to warrant the creation of a new genus. The name Schleitheimia is derived from the name Schleitheim, … Read more