Parasaurolophus: Research Database Hadrosauridae · Late Cretaceous (~77-73 MYA) · Alberta, Canada & New Mexico, USA Research Note: Parasaurolophus is among the most recognizable dinosaurs thanks to its distinctive hollow crest. Direct peer-reviewed studies specifically on Parasaurolophus are fewer than its fame suggests — much of the anatomical understanding comes from a limited number of … Read more
Epidexipteryx: Research Database Maniraptora (Theropoda) · Middle–Late Jurassic (~165–161 MYA) · Asia — China (Liaoning) Research Note: Epidexipteryx was a small maniraptoran theropod from the Middle–Late Jurassic of Liaoning, China — known for its remarkable preservation of feather-like structures and the earliest known example of a tail bearing four ribbon-like display feathers. Its name … Read more
Torosaurus: Research Database Chasmosaurinae (Ceratopsia) · Late Cretaceous (~68 MYA) · North America Research Note: Torosaurus was a chasmosaurine ceratopsian from the Late Cretaceous of North America — one of the largest known ceratopsians with a massive frill and an important taxon for understanding ceratopsian evolution in the Latest Cretaceous. Research Finding Status … Read more
In Depth Pentaceratops is one of the better known ceratopsian dinosaurs, yet some people still mistakingly think that it have five horns, based upon the literal translation of its name. In actual fact the nasal and brow (over the eye) horns make up number one to three, with horns four and five actually being the … Read more
Spinophorosaurus: Research Database Sauropoda (Dinosauria) · Middle Jurassic (~167 MYA) ·> Africa — Namibia (Namib Desert) Research Note: Spinophorosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Namibia. As one of the earliest known diplodocoid sauropods, it provides critical data on the early diversification and evolutionary relationships of sauropod dinosaurs in Gondwana. … Read more
In Depth Named from a partial braincase, Vahiny is the second genus of titanosaurid dinosaur to be discovered in the Maevarano Formation of Madagascar, with the first being Rapetosaurus. The titanosaur Rapetosaurus has attained almost legendary status since it was named due to the fact that it is the most complete titanosaur discovered and represented … Read more
Ischioceratops: Research Database Ceratopsia (Ornithischia) · Late Cretaceous (~70 MYA) · Asia — China (Shandong) Research Note: Ischioceratops was a ceratopsian dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China — a region that has yielded a remarkable diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs. As a ceratopsian, it would have been a horned, frilled herbivore similar … Read more
Nothronychus: Research Database Theropoda · Cretaceous · Unknown Research Note: Nothronychus 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 Smith 2015: Nothronychus and related taxa PLOS ONE Confirmed B 2015 Fossil Smith, PLOS ONE Taxonomy Smith … Read more
In Depth Volgatitan is a genus of titanosaur that lived in Russia during the early Cretaceous period. Further Reading - The oldest titanosaurian sauropod of the Northern Hemisphere. - Biological Communications 63(3):145-162. - A. Averianov & V. Efimov - 2018.
In Depth Orodromeus was a small ornithopod dinosaur of the late Cretaceous that had boss-like growths on the jugals (cheek bones). Orodromeus has been considered to be similar to another small ornithopod named Oryctodromeus, which itself is considered to have been a burrowing dinosaur. It is still not known for certain if Orodromeus burrowed and … Read more