In Depth Out of all the hadrosaurs (also known as the duck-billed dinosaurs) Parasaurolophus is one of the most widely recognised thanks to its very distinctive skull crest. The name Parasaurolophus is a bit of a mouthful, but this is based around the early interpretation that Parasaurolophus was similar to another genus names Saurolophus … Read more
In Depth Nundasuchus is a genus of archosaurian predator that lived in Tanzania during the mid Triassic. Nundasuchus superficially resembles a rauisuchian, however the exact phylogenetic position of Nundasuchus is still uncertain at the time of writing. Currently most prefer to consider it a member of the Pseudosuchia, the same group that also includes the … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately Saurosuchus is only known from incomplete remains, but those that are known indicate that it was big. Key to identifying the fossils as being those of a predator is the skull that has several classic predatory characteristics. One is the fact that the skull is wider at the back than at the … Read more
In Depth Eobrontosaurus was initially described as a new species of Apatosaurus called A. yahnahpin by James Filla and Patrick Redman in 1994. However when the material was re-examined by Robert Bakker in 1998 he found that it represented a similar but more primitive sauropod dinosaur to Apatosaurus. The second species of Apatosaurus, A. excelsus, … Read more
In Depth Ctenosauriscus is the type specimen of the Ctenosauriscidae, a group of sail backed rauisuchian archosaurs that also include others such as Arizonasaurus. Ctenosauriscidae however is only known from post cranial remains that reveal it had a large sail on its back. Like in related reptiles, this sail was supported by the enlarged neural … Read more
In Depth When discovered, Domeykodactylus was mistaken for the filter feeding pterosaur Pterodaustro because the remains of its head crest were thought to be specialised teeth for straining water. In actuality Domeykodactylus had teeth in raised sockets, and although not preserved, they would probably have been relatively small. This adaptation has seen Domeykodactylus placed within … Read more
In Depth Spectrovenator is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in South America during the early Cretaceous period. Spectrovenator is considered to be intermediate between the most primitive abelisaurid dinosaurs of the late Jurassic and the more advanced members of the abelisauridae of the late Cretaceous. Analysis of the skull reveals that Spectrovenator probably … Read more
In Depth Torosaurus was first named upon the description of two partial skulls by Othniel Charles Marsh all the way back in 1891, two years after he had named the much more famous Triceratops. The most common mistake regarding the name Torosaurus is the meaning, with many people misquoting it as meaning ‘bull lizard’ after … Read more
In Depth Skybalonyx is a genus of drepanosaur that lived in North America during the late Triassic. Drepanosaurs are sometimes referred to as ‘monkey lizards’ for their commonly perceived lifestyle of climbing amongst trees with their enlarged ungual claws gripping branches. However the describers of Skybalonyx have a different interpretation for this genus, instead suggesting … Read more
In Depth Pentaceratops is one of the better known ceratopsian dinosaurs, yet some people still mistakingly think that it have five horns, based upon the literal translation of its name. In actual fact the nasal and brow (over the eye) horns make up number one to three, with horns four and five actually being the … Read more