In Depth Banji is a genus of small oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in China During the late Cretaceous. The name Banji translates as (striped crest), and is a reference to the striations that run vertically along the crest. Another feature seen in the holotype skull is that the nasal opening is by proportion unusually large … Read more
In Depth A little known oviraptorid, Elmisaurus is based upon very few remains. Initially cited as a species of the North American Chirostenotes, it was quickly named as a distinct genus. Still, the Chirostenotes connection did not end there as in 1989 the palaeontologist Philip Currie established a second species, Elmisaurus elegans based upon oviraptorid … Read more
In Depth The name Leinkupal means ‘vanishing family’, and this is a reference to the observation that the diplodocid sauropods seemed to have died out during the early Cretaceous. Indeed, at the time of its description, Leinkupal seems to have been one of the last diplodocid sauropods known to live, though other types of sauropods, … Read more
In Depth Lukousaurus is a little known reptile that is probably a theropod dinosaur, possibly of the Ceratosauria. The overall lack of fossil remains for the genus however makes it very difficult to be certain about exactly what kind of creature Lukousaurus was. Further Reading – Preliminary notes on the Lufeng vertebrate fossils. – Bulletin … Read more
In Depth Cathayornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. While the type species of Cathayornis, C. yandica is valid, two further species C. aberransis and C. chabuensis have also been named but are questionable as they consist of partial body parts that are not preserved in with … Read more
In Depth Discovered in the increasingly famous Hațeg basin of Romania, Paludititan was a genus of titanosaurian dinosaur that lived in Eastern Europe towards the end of the Cretaceous period. Paludititan is not the first titanosaur to be named from this part of the world, the dwarf titanosaur Magyarosaurus was named earlier and seems to … Read more
In Depth Chiayusaurus is a highly dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur because the type species is based upon the description of a tooth crown. The problem with such tooth taxons is that unless in exceptionally rare cases (like with Troodon), it is next to impossible to assign further remains. Even a second species named C. … Read more
In Depth Niebla is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Though only known from partial remains, Niebla seems to have actually been quite a small abelisaurid dinosaur, perhaps only about half of the size of some of the larger abelisaurid dinosaurs that were also roaming around South … Read more
In Depth Rhoetosaurus was the first sauropod dinosaur discovered in Australia, and for a long time it was one of only two sauropods, the other being Austrosaurus, known to have come from there. In 2009 two other sauropods called Diamantinasaurus and Wintonotitan were named, although all four are only represented by partial remains. Although it … Read more
In Depth During the earliest portion of its taxonomic history Megapnosaurus was known as Syntarsus after the initial description by Raath in 1969. Later a trio of other palaeontologists (Ivie, Slipinski and Węgrzynowicz) discovered that the name Syntarsus had already been given to a beetle in 1869. In 2001 they renamed the dinosaur Syntarsus remains … Read more