In Depth At just over half a meter in length, Shuvuuia is not just one of the smallest alvarezsaurs, it is among the smallest known dinosaurs. It is thanks to this small size that the Shuvuuia holotype was so well preserved because it could be buried much more quickly than a larger dinosaur (larger dinosaurs … Read more
In Depth Coelophysis is frequently used as an example of the early dinosaurs. Its bipedal stance from two legs that supported its body from underneath as opposed to sticking out to the sides, smaller arms and head mounted on an ‘S curved’ neck give it the distinctive theropod look. Coelophysis also had sharp recurved teeth … Read more
In Depth At the time of writing the only parts of the dinosaur Pycnonemosaurus that have been recovered include some legs and hip bones as well as caudal (tail) vertebrae and teeth. These parts however are enough to identify Pycnonemosaurus as an abelisaurid theropod dinosaur. Like with other abelisaurs, Pycnonemosaurus would be expected to have … Read more
In Depth The one thing that immediately stands out about Dakotaraptor at first glance is simply the large size of this dromaeosaurid dinosaur. Most dromaeosaurid dinosaurs measure in at under two meters in length, with a few genera ranging between two and three meters long. The Holotype individual of Dakotaraptor however has a reconstructed length … Read more
In Depth Although discovered in a joint Mongolian and Russian dig in 1989, Achillobator did not get named until 1999. These remains are very fragmentary but do suggest that Achillobator was a particularly large dromaeosaurid dinosaur. The achilles tendons seem to have been particularly well developed, probably to account for the extra size and weight … Read more
In Depth Alxasaurus was a very significant discovery since study of the bones of this dinosaur reveal both specialised therizinosaur morphs as well as more standard’ theropod features. Combined with its appearance in the early Cretaceous, Alxasaurus is firmly established as a transitory form that shows a stage of development between general theropods and the … Read more
In Depth Zupaysaurus is often reconstructed with a pair of crests rising from the top of its skull like the more famous Dilophosaurus. Indeed, Zupaysaurus also has a similar upper jaw arrangement to Dilophosaurus with a notable gap between the teeth of the maxilla and premaxilla forming a small notch. However if a 2005 presentation … Read more
In Depth With only the end of the tail missing, Aucasaurus has the most complete single abelisaurid skeleton currently known. This has allowed for more accurate general features which are thought to be common to the group such as the famously underdeveloped arms that are even more puny than those that appear upon Tyrannosaurus, to … Read more
In Depth At the time of its description Haplocheirus was the oldest known alvarezsaur by an impressive sixty-three million years before the previous record holder. This places Haplocheirus firmly within the Oxfordian stage of the Jurassic revealing that the alvarezsaurs began at least this far back rather than the early Cretaceous period as previously thought. … Read more
In Depth Gobiraptor is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Mongolia towards the end of the Late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new baby oviraptorid dinosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. - PLOS ONE. 14 (2). - Sungjin Lee, Yuong-Nam Lee, Anusuya Chinsamy, Junchang L�, Rinchen Barsbold & … Read more