In Depth Rugops, meaning ‘wrinkle face’, is an interesting name for a carnivorous dinosaur. This name comes from the numerous impressions in the skull bone from large blood vessels that once ran across the bone surface leaving a wrinkled appearance. It is thought that these extra vessels were here to provide additional oxygenated blood to … Read more
In Depth Xunmenglong is a genus of compsognathid dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Xunmenglong seems to have been a very small dinosaur, small even for a compsognathid. As such, Xunmenglong was probably a small predator, feeding upon insects and very small vertebrates. Further Reading - A new compsognathid theropod dinosaur from … Read more
In Depth An interesting little dinosaur, Dracoraptor was a small theropod dinosaur that roamed around what is now Wales during the early Jurassic. The holotype (first found) individual of Dracoraptor has been reconstructed at just over two meters in length, however, the holotype was a juvenile animal, and adults would have been larger. Dracoraptor was … Read more
In Depth Abydosaurus is the first early Cretaceous era sauropod from the USA to have an identifiable skull. This skull and other post cranial elements confirm its identity as a brachiosaurid sauropod, though one with unusually thin teeth for its kind. Remains of at least four individuals of Abydosaurus have been recovered and it seems … Read more
In Depth Discovered in 2009 and described in 2012, Eoabelisaurus was a ground breaking discovery in our understanding of the abelisaurid theropods. So far most abelisaurids are known from the later stages of the Cretaceous period, yet the holotype Eoabelisaurus has been confidently assigned to the early stages of the Mid Jurassic. Also at around … Read more
In Depth Texasetes was the first armoured nodosaurid dinosaur to be named from the Paw Paw Formation of Texas. However a year later a second genus of nodosaur called Pawpawsaurus was named, though only represented by a skull. There has now been suggestions that these two are the same genus, and if proven true, then … Read more
In Depth Huaxiagnathus is one of the larger members of the compsognathid group of dinosaurs, although it is smaller than the related Sinocalliopteryx which is also from the Yixian Formation. The fore limbs of Huaxiagnathus are proportionately larger and more developed than other related dinosaurs suggesting that they had a greater role in prey capture … Read more
In Depth Magnirostris was a protoceratopsid dinosaur that would have been similar to the much more famous Protoceratops. Magnirostris was named after the unusually large beak that can be clearly appreciated in the holotype specimen. There has been suggestion that the Magnirostris holotype may in fact belong to the Bagaceratops genus. The thinking behind this … Read more
In Depth Glacialisaurus is the first genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur known from Antarctica. Though only known from a few hind limb bones, these are enough to identify Glacialisaurus as a massospondylid sauropodomorph dinosaur, as well as possible close relative of Lufengosaurus from China. From the same fossil formation that the Glacialisaurus holotype remains are known … Read more
In Depth Afrovenator is one of the most complete theropod dinosaurs so far discovered in Africa, the harsh environmental conditions of which can quickly erode fossils exposed to the elements. Since this time Afrovenator has had a muddled taxonomic history with it being described as a relative of Spinosaurus, Eustreptospondylus, Dubreuillosaurus, Megalosaurus and even Allosaurus. … Read more