In Depth The large number of well-preserved Shunosaurus individuals that have been recovered has revealed much about Shunosaurus making it perhaps the most complete sauropod genus known. This material has also allowed palaeontologist to confirm as well as speculate upon new theories for other sauropods that are not as well represented as Shunosaurus. However, despite … Read more
In Depth Dicraeosaurus was relatively small by sauropod standards, but was still a bit larger than Amargasaurus, so far the only other known member of its group. Dicraeosaurus sported a double row of spines down its back that are similar to those seen on the back of Amargasaurus. We cannot be certain what these spike … Read more
In Depth Plesiohadros is a genus of hadrosaur that lived in Asia during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new hadrosaurid (Plesiohadros djadokhtaensis) from the Late Cretaceous Djadokhtan Fauna of southern Mongolia. - Hadrosaurs 108-135. - K. Tsogtbaatar, D. B. Weishampel, D. C. Evans & M. Watabe - 2014.
In Depth Originally thought to be a juvenile of a species of Megalosaurus, Nuthetes was later established as a distinct genus. Today Nuthetes is thought to represent a possible dromaeosaurid dinosaur, but the key word here is ‘possible’. So far Nuthetes is only known from teeth and a fragment of jawbone, making such things as … Read more
In Depth Once again the term ‘wastebasket taxon’ looms like a spectre over another dinosaur. Many of the fossils that were once attributed to Camptosaurus have since been found to represent other dinosaurs, and this is especially true for the European species that were once assigned to Camptosaurus. Despite this reduction in species and geographic … Read more
In Depth There is not a lot of information about Sarcosaurus due to the relatively incomplete remains from only the pelvic region of the body. This makes it impossible to ascertain the form and structure of other body parts such as the head, hands and feet, something that makes exact classification of this dinosaur near … Read more
In Depth Albertavenator is a genus of troodontid dinosaur that lived in Canada towards the end of the Cretaceous period. The genus name translates as ‘Alberta hunter’, a reference to where and how it lived. The type species name, P. curriei is in honour of paleontologist Philip J. Currie. Further Reading - A new species … Read more
In Depth The Introduction of Megalosaurus to Science Megalosaurus was the dinosaur that started a great many things including the science of palaeontology, the debate about if dinosaurs should be called names that end with ‘saurus’ because they are not ‘lizards’, to lifetimes of fascination about the creatures that once walked the Earth when we … Read more
In Depth Acristavus was a late surviving hadrosaurid that stood out from amongst the others of its kind because it had no head ornamentation. Although not strictly unique, many of the other better known hadrosaurids such as Parasaurolophus and Lambeosaurus had very elaborate and impressive head crests. The fact Acristavus did not have one suggests … Read more
In Depth When Ornithopsis was named by Harry Govier Seeley in 1870, Seeley noted the pneumaticised vertebrae and considered Ornithopsis to represent a link between pterosaurs and birds. Richard Owen however said that he was wrong, the vertebra actually represented a kind of large marine reptile, though one that probably had a well-developed respiratory system. … Read more