In Depth The maximum adult size of Dryosaurus is difficult to estimate as all of the known specimens seem to represent animals that were still growing. What is known is that Dryosaurus was a bipedal dinosaur of the bird hipped group. It had a light build with long legs, long neck and a stiff tail, … Read more
In Depth Because to fossils were discovered in close proximity to one another it’s thought that Gasparinisaura lived in herds. It is one of the few dinosaurs of its kind known from South America. Gasparinisaura is named in honour of the Argentine paleontologist, Dr Zulma B. de Gasparini. Further Reading – A basal iguanodontian (Ornithischia: … Read more
In Depth Leptoceratops is similar in form to the earlier ceratopsian dinosaurs that would evolve into the larger members of the group such as Chasmosaurus and Anchiceratops. However Leptoceratops lived much later than these ancestral forms as indicated by its entry into the fossil record at a time which would have seen Leptoceratops living in … Read more
In Depth Homalocephale possessed broad hips, which has led to two theories about its lifestyle. One is that the wide pelvis was a sign that Homalocephale gave birth to live young, the extra space between the hips allowing for gestation of the foetus. However such an idea without further proof is considered purely speculation. The … Read more
In Depth The discovery of Jeholosaurus raised some eyebrows as even though it is an ornithiscian dinosaur with distinctively herbivorous teeth towards the back of its mouth, the frontal teeth look that those of a carnivore. This has brought forth the hypothesis that Jeholosaurus was an omnivore, either hunting smaller animals or scavenging carrion to … Read more
In Depth Little is known about Wannanosaurus, but the skull specimen found appears to have been from a fully grown adult as the bones that make up the skull show signs of being fused together. Wannanosaurus is considered a primitive member of the pachycephalosaurs because it has a flat skull roof and enlarged openings when … 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 When first discovered, Protoceratops was heralded as the ancestor to the massive North American ceratopsian dinosaurs such as Triceratops. However with the advent of new and continuing studies of the group, Protoceratops is now considered to be more representative of the type of dinosaur that led to the larger North American species as … Read more
In Depth Originally named as a species of Protoceratops, P. kozlowskii, Breviceratops was established as a distinct genus of ceratopsian dinosaur in 1990. There has been much speculation that Breviceratops may actually be synonymous with the genus Bagaceratops, though some researchers have pointed out notable differences between the holotype of Breviceratops and the known specimens … Read more
In Depth With the exception of Triceratops, Styracosaurus is the ceratopsian dinosaur that most people are familiar with. In fact it could even be argued that Styracosaurus has had even greater exposure in popular media such as films, books and games. This popularity is all down to the very distinctive arrangement of horns that extend … Read more