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 The deep skull of Dakosaurus has led to this marine reptile being nicknamed ‘Godzilla’ in the popular media. However unlike the famous Japanese daikaiju, Dakosaurus was actually a four to five meter long crocodile that was specially adapted for a life at sea. It’s tall and deep skull meant that Dakosaurus was actually … 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
In Depth Silvisaurus is to date only known by a partial skeleton, and this is in a poor state of preservation that was weathered and trampled by cattle for a long time before it was discovered. Despite the poor state of preservation, Silvisaurus is considered to have been a primitive form of nodosaur that maybe … Read more
In Depth Not a lot is known about Anarosaurus due to the very fragmentary remains that are all we currently have. What can be ascertained from the remains however is that Anarosaurus was a pachypleurosaur, small reptiles that in appearance looked somewhere between terrestrial lizards and fully aquatic plesiosaurs. With this in mind Anarosaurus would … Read more
In Depth Belodon is an often quoted yet surprisingly obscure genus of phytosaurs. The phytosaurs were physically and presumably ecologically similar to crocodiles, and Belodon seems to have grown to a size approaching smaller crocodiles that we know today. However, not all are convinced about the validity of Belodon, with some palaeontologists regarding it as … Read more
In Depth Like with its probable relative Hupehsuchus, Nanchangosaurus looked like an ichthyosaur crossed with an archosaur. For this reason Nanchangosaurus is regarded as being analogous to an ichthyosaur though at best only distantly related to them, even though it is sometimes listed as one. Unfortunately we can only guess to this exact relationship since … Read more