In Depth Daanosaurus is based upon the description of a partial skeleton with some skull bones that have been confirmed to be those of a juvenile. This has been confirmed by the complete lack of fusion in the holotypes vertebrae. Daanosaurus has been identified as a member of the Brachiosauridae sauropods, and may be a … Read more
In Depth Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus were the first major sauropod discoveries in Australia since the discovery of Austrosaurus seventy-five years earlier. In fact when the first fossils of Wintonotitan where recovered they were actually taken to be further remains of Austrosaurus. Although Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus are of comparable size and from the same area, Wintonotitan … Read more
In Depth Gryponyx was first named by Robert Broom in 1911who when he described this dinosaur thought that he was naming a theropod dinosaur. This assessment was seconded in 1932 when Friedrich von Huene classified Gryponyx in with the Carnosauria. By 1976 Gryponyx was realised to actually be a sauropodomorph dinosaur (the group ancestral to … Read more
In Depth Malawania is a genus of ichthyosaur that lived around the Middle East during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A basal thunnosaurian from Iraq reveals disparate phylogenetic origins for Cretaceous ichthyosaurs. - Biology Letters 98(4). - V. Fischer, R. M. Appleby, D. Naish, J. Liston, J. B. Riding, S. Brindley & P. Godefroit … Read more
In Depth It was once thought that Herbstosaurus represented one of the first pterosaurs of the more advanced Pterodactyloidea, however it is now realised that it recovered from a Vaca Muerta Formation which dated as being from the Tithonian. Herbstosaurus has continued to cause some disagreement between palaeontologists as to its exact position within the … Read more
In Depth Eunotosaurus was long considered the ancestor to turtles. This theory came from the specially enlarged and curved vertebrae and ribs that balloon outwards that would have created the appearance of a skin covered shell. It is now thought however that the vertebrae and rib adaptation of Eunotosaurus and the evolution of turtles are … Read more
In Depth Since the naming of the genus in 1893, Microcoelus has become something of a dubious genus of titanosaur. This is because at the time if writing only a single dorsal (back) vertebra is known. A humerus (upper arm bone) that was once assigned to the genus has now been moved to the genus … Read more
In Depth Yangchuanosaurus is often likened to fulfilling the same ecological niche as Allosaurus, except in Asia instead of North America. Not only does Yangchuanosaurus have a similar morphology to Allosaurus it also had access to similar prey items such as stegosaurs and sauropods. Yangchuanosaurus had a characteristic growth on top of its nose as … Read more
In Depth Tacuadactylus is a genus of ctenochasmatid pterosaur that lived in South America during the late Jurassic. As a ctenochasmatid, Tacuadactylus would have probably been a filter feeder, using its teeth which faced out to the sides to filter out small invertebrates from soft silt and mud. Further reading - A new ctenochasmatid (Pterosauria, … Read more
In Depth Dineobellator is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America during the last stage of the Cretaceous. When compared to other dinosaurs, Dineobellator seems to have been on the way to developing some advanced specialisations, and shows greater range of motion in both hands and feet. Additionally there also seems to … Read more