In Depth Based upon fossil remains first discovered in 1980, Xenotarsosaurus was named because of the complete fusion between the astragalus and calcaneum bones of the ankle, something that is quite unusual for a theropod dinosaur. At the time of the original description, the rear leg of Xenotarsosaurus was shown to share some similarities with … Read more
In Depth Borogovia is a genus of troodontid dinosaur that lived in Mongolia during the late Cretaceous. As a troodont, Borogovia would have been a predator, certainly capable of taking down smaller prey animals by itself. Also like other troodonts, Borogovia had a specialised second toe, but unlike them, the claw was not sickle shaped … Read more
In Depth One of the most common European sauropods of the Jurassic, Cetiosaurus is actually one of the most primitive. In more advanced sauropods the vertebrae are hollow as a weight saving feature, however Cetiosaurus has solid vertebrae which hint at its basal position in the evolution of sauropods. These solid vertebrae are similar to … Read more
In Depth Fossils of this titanosaur were found near lake Rukwa in the Rukwa Valley of Tanzania, so the eventual name of Rukwatitan was really just a foregone conclusion. At about nine meters long, the holotype appears to indicate that Rukwatitan was a fairly small genus of titanosaur. One area of note is that the … Read more
In Depth Although only known from partial remains, Tataouinea has been identified as a rebbachisaurid sauropod, and one that is closely related to genera such as Nigersaurus, which are also known to have been present in North Africa during the early Cretaceous. The fossils of Tataouinea have revealed in life the bones of Tataouinea would … Read more
In Depth When first discovered only the top part of the skull of Majungasaurus was known. This fragment revealed a dome like structure which was taken to be indicative of a pachycephalosaur. Further fossil material would reveal the truth about Majungasaurus being a carnivorous theropod, although this was not the first time that a carnivorous … Read more
In Depth Itapeuasaurus is a genus of rebachisaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the early portion of the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea) from the middle Cretaceous of northern Brazil. - Cretaceous Research. - R. M. Lindoso, M. A. A. Medeiros, I. S. Carvalho, A. A. Pereira, … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Schleitheimia were originally recovered in the early 1950s by Emil Schutz, then in 1986 named as belonging to Plateosaurus. A subsequent study of the fossils in 2020 (Rauhut et al) found them different enough to warrant the creation of a new genus. The name Schleitheimia is derived from the name Schleitheim, … Read more
In Depth Although known from very well preserved remains, there is still quite a bit of mystery surrounding Limusaurus. Study of the bones has revealed that it is a member of the Ceratosauria (the first one known from Asia), a group of theropods defined by the type genus Ceratosaurus. However the one specimen where the … Read more
In Depth The holotype fossils of Kayentavenator were originally described as Syntarsus kayentakatae until later study declared them to represent a distinct genus of theropods (additionally Syntarsus has now been declared a synonym of Megapnosaurus). Not a lot can be said for Kayentavenator because the skeletal remains are incomplete and of a juvenile dinosaur; combined … Read more