In Depth Hypsognathus is regarded as one of the last of the procolophonids, a group of parareptiles that became common during the Permian and Triassic periods. The earliest members of this group are believed to have been insectivores due to the form of their teeth. The teeth of Hypsognathus however were quite different to those … Read more
In Depth The discovery of three Oryctodromeus individuals at the bottom of a two meter long burrow that was filled with sediment was proof that some dinosaurs had adapted to burrowing. There are several advantages to burrowing, including safer rearing of young, having a retreat to escape to from predators, to being more able to … Read more
In Depth The largest species of Captorhinus approaching eighty centimetres long is C. magnus, with other species around forty centimetres long. The other difference between the species is C. aguti which has more than one row of teeth. The arrangement of the teeth at the back of the mouth suggest that Captorhinus mashed plant leaves … Read more
In Depth When first described from fossil skulls, Meiolania was first thought to have been a lizard, hence the name which means ‘small roamer’. This is a reflection to the earlier description of Megalania (today known as Varanus priscus) which means great roamer and was also named by Owen in 1859. In time however it … Read more
In Depth With a rib that is three meters long, Huanghetitan is thought to have had one of the deepest bodies of any known animal. This is but a hint of the size of this sauropod dinosaur which is considered to have been one of the largest sauropods (and by extension vertebrates) to ever walk … Read more
In Depth Eolambia was established after the remains of several individuals were found in the Carol Quarry of the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain formation, so named after Carol Jones who first discovered the remains with her husband Ramal in 1992. The name Eolambia means ‘dawn Lambe’, a reference to the last name of … Read more
In Depth Named in 2014, Laquintasaura is officially the first ever dinosaur genus to be named as coming from Venezeula. Laquintasaura was a small plant eating dinosaur, roughly estimated to have been about one meter long. When the first fossils of Laquintasaura were recovered, small theropod dinosaur teeth were discovered near them, hinting at a … Read more
In Depth Embasaurus is a dubious genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in Kazakhstan during the Early Cretaceous. For a long time Embasaurus has been considered to be a basal tyrannosauroid, but a later study by George Olshevsky raised the idea that Embasaurus might have been a megalosauroid. Further Reading - Two dinosaurian vertebrae from … Read more
In Depth Megalochelys is one of the largest tortoises ever to walk the earth. Individuals of Megalochelys can vary greatly in size, though the largest species M. atlas, (formerly a distinct genus known as Colossochelys), is known to have had an upper shell size approaching just over two meters in length. This large size meant … Read more
In Depth Platyceratops is a genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that has a noted similarity to the genus Bagaceratops, with some researchers even considering that the two genera may actually be synonymous with one another. However, the skull of Platyceratops is noted as being quite a bit larger than what is known for Bagaceratops, so it … Read more