In Depth Siamosaurus is a little known and often considered dubious genus of spinosaurid dinosaur since it has so far only been described from teeth. Siamosaurus was the first and only known genus of spinosaurid dinosaur known from Asia until the 2012 description of Ichthyovenator from partial post cranial bones. Like other spinosaurids, Siamosaurus was … Read more
In Depth Initially thought to be a juvenile Megaraptor, Unenlagia was found to not only be a separate species but one that would challenge the notions for the origins of flight. Unenlagia fits into the Unenlagiinae group, which is also considered by some to be the rightful home of the dromaeosaur Rahonavis. If correct, that … Read more
In Depth One of the more popular hadrosaurids, Tsintaosaurus is actually not known by many individuals. The popularity of Tsintaosaurus is all down to the forward pointing crest that adorns the top of the skull. There was one widespread speculation that this crest was simply a product of the fossilisation process, and that the bone … Read more
In Depth The dinosaur Oviraptor has a very unfortunate name as it was given to it on the presumption that it stole other dinosaur’s eggs. When the first dinosaur eggs were discovered in Mongolia, they were thought to belong to the herbivorous Protoceratops due to the large number of their remains in the vicinity. Also … Read more
In Depth Named in 2007, Mahakala has been widely accepted as one of the most primitive formed dromaeosaurids so far discovered. Key to this idea is the observation that the third metatarsal is not compressed, whereas in more advanced dromaeosaurids and troodonts it is. However another fact to consider is that Mahakala lived during the … Read more
In Depth Perhaps the most striking feature of Tenontosaurus is the tail which actually takes up more than half the total body length. This tail was supported by a network of strong tendons which ensured it was always carried erect off the ground. It is in reference to these tendons that Tenontosaurus was given its … Read more
In Depth Homalocephale possessed broad hips, which has led to two theories about its lifestyle. One is that the wide pelvis was a sign that Homalocephale gave birth to live young, the extra space between the hips allowing for gestation of the foetus. However such an idea without further proof is considered purely speculation. The … Read more
In Depth Temnodontosaurus is one of the oldest and largest ichthyosaurs known to science, and while there are a few species associated with the genus, the most obvious differences between these are the size and proportions of the jaws. Temnodontosaurus fossils have been so well preserved that they reveal stomach contents of ammonites and cephalopods … Read more
In Depth Labidosaurus is a genus of captorhinid reptile that lived in the USA in the last half of the early Permian. The upper jaw of Labidosaurus had a pronounced downwards hook that would have fitted around the end of the lower jaw, and unlike previously known captorhinids had a single row of conical teeth. … Read more
In Depth When first described in 1982 Dianchungosaurus was thought to represent a small Jurassic dinosaur, and until the early years of the twenty-first century was listed as a heterodontosaurid dinosaur. In 2005 however a study by Barret and Xu discovered that the original description of Dianchungosaurus was actually based upon a fossil chimera, described … Read more