In Depth The holotype specimen of Spinops was first discovered in 1916 by Charles H. and Levi Sternberg. However when the material was sent to the London Natural History Museum (the institution that financed the dig) the keeper of Geology, one Arthur Smith Woodward (today best remembered for declaring the ‘Piltdown Man’ as a genuine … Read more
In Depth As far as individuals go, Silesaurus is one of the most commonly found dinosauriforms in Europe and at the moment anywhere else for that matter. Silesaurus is not thought to be a true dinosaur, but it was a member of the group of archosaurs that were ancestral to them. Silesaurus was a fairly … Read more
In Depth A significantly larger relative to the more famous Euparkeria, Vjushkovia was a mid-sized Triassic aged archosauromorph that hunted in ecosystems in what is now Russia. One former species of Vjushkovia named V. sinensia has now been renamed as Youngosuchus. Further Reading - Ein grosser Pseudosuchier aus der Orenburger Trias [A large pseudosuchian … Read more
In Depth Dinosaurs and other extinct prehistoric animals often have complicated histories regarding classification and Chirostenotes is no exception to this. First only the hands were found by George Fryer Sternberg in 1914. First to study them were Lawrence Morris Lambe who unfortunately died before he had chance to finish the description of them. Charles … Read more
In Depth Initially thought to be a tiny abelisauroid at the time of discovery, the lack of fusing in the vertebrae is now seen as proof that the individual which makes up the holotype is actually a juvenile. Unfortunately, because the remains of Ligabueino are so incomplete, it is hard to ascertain exactly what kind … Read more
In Depth Gryposuchus was initially known as Ramphostoma neogaues until the addition of the second species in 1912 when it was realised that Ramphostoma was already used and actually a synonym for a genus of blind snakes called Leptotyphlops. Although a synonym, Ramphostoma could not be applied as it was first used in 1860 and … Read more
In Depth Originally named as a species of Protoceratops, P. kozlowskii, Breviceratops was established as a distinct genus of ceratopsian dinosaur in 1990. There has been much speculation that Breviceratops may actually be synonymous with the genus Bagaceratops, though some researchers have pointed out notable differences between the holotype of Breviceratops and the known specimens … Read more
In Depth Redondasaurus was a large phytosaur that is known to have lived in the USA during the late Triassic period. The largest known skull at the time of writing is about eighty centimetres long, and is very robustly formed. This alone indicates that Redondasaurus was a predator of large vertebrates, perhaps lurking in Late … Read more
In Depth Muttaburrasaurus is one of the best known dinosaurs to come from Australia, though it was the inclusion of Muttaburrasaurus in an episode of the TV series Walking with Dinosaurs that brought it to the attention of a worldwide audience. Muttaburrasaurus is named after the town Muttaburra situated in Queensland, Australia where the holotype … Read more
In Depth Originally named as Lisboasaurus mitracostatus, L. mitracostatus was renamed as Lusitanisuchus in 2004. Lusitanisuchus is a genus of crocodylomorph that lived in Portugal during the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Upper Jurassic lizards from central Portugal. Contribui��o para o conhecimento da Fauna do Kimerridgiano da Mina de Lignito Guimarota (Leiria, … Read more