Magyarosaurus

magyarosaurus

In Depth        Magyarosaurus is considered the smallest titanosaur,‭ ‬and is regarded as a fine example of insular dwarfism.‭ ‬This is where animals that live in an area of limited size,‭ ‬such as an island,‭ ‬grow smaller so as not to use up the available food supply.‭ ‬Although some have made the suggestion that Magyarosaurus specimens … Read more

Oksoko

In Depth        Oksoko is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the late Cretaceous. Further reading -‭ ‬A new two-fingered dinosaur sheds light on the radiation of Oviraptorosauria.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Royal Society Open Science.‭ ‬7‭ (‬10‭)‬:‭ ‬201184.‭ ‬-‭ ‬G.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Funston,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Tsogtbaatar,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬Tsogtbaatar,‭ ‬Y.‭ ‬Kobayashi,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Sullivan‭ & ‬P.‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Currie‭ … Read more

Ahshislepelta

In Depth        Ahshislepelta is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬Unfortunately the partial remains of Ahshislepelta which include a shoulder girdle,‭ ‬partial left forelimb,‭ ‬vertebrae and osteoderms‭ (‬the bony armour‭) ‬are not enough to identify‭ ‬the genus‭ ‬as‭ ‬either‭ ‬a general ankylosaurid or a more derived ankylosaurine. … Read more

Valdosaurus

In Depth        The Valdosaurus holotype fossils of two thigh bones‭ (‬femurs‭) ‬were first recovered in‭ ‬1848‭ ‬but thought to represent Iguanodon,‭ ‬and‭ ‬eventually being thought to be fossils of Hypsilophodon.‭ ‬Skip forward over a hundred years later and palaeontologist Peter M.‭ ‬Galton used the two thigh bones to establish a new species of Dryosaurus,‭ ‬D.‭ … Read more

Nebulasaurus

In Depth        Although based only upon the description of the braincase,‭ ‬it has been enough to not only identify Nebulasaurus as a‭ ‬new eusauropod dinosaur,‭ ‬but also further hints that during the middle Jurassic Asia had a very diverse range of sauropod dinosaurs.‭ ‬By the late Jurassic this diverse range seems to‭ ‬have thinned out … Read more

Philovenator

In Depth        Originally attributed as juvenile Saurornithoides mongoliensis,‭ ‬the partial left hind limb of this troodontid was firmly established as being of a different genus thanks to an osteohistological analysis of the bone.‭ ‬This revealed that the fossils were closer to Linhevenator tani,‭ ‬yet the team studying the remains concluded that while similar,‭ ‬the remains … Read more

Arkansaurus

In Depth        First discovered in‭ ‬1973,‭ ‬Arkansaurus was due to be formally named in‭ ‬1977,‭ ‬tragically however the papers author Dr.‭ ‬James H.‭ ‬Quinn was killed in a fall while searching for fossils.‭ ‬Because the paper was not formally published,‭ ‬the name Arkansaurus was technically not valid.‭ ‬The name Arkansaurus however was not unknown and … Read more

Rahiolisaurus

In Depth        Named after a village near the location of the fossil site,‭ ‬Rahiolisaurus is still a surprisingly little known abelisaurid at the time of writing,‭ ‬despite it being around eight meters long.‭ ‬The fossils of this abelisaurid were originally considered to be remains of another abelisaurid named Indosuchus.‭ ‬As a large abelisaurid,‭ ‬Rahiolisaurus would … Read more

Augustynolophus

In Depth        First described as a species of Saurolophus in‭ ‬2013,‭ ‬the species was re-described as a distinct genus,‭ ‬Augustynolophus only a year later.‭ ‬Not much can be said about Augustynolophus,‭ ‬though we do know that it was among the last hadrosaurid genera to live,‭ ‬and may have been around to see the asteroid strike … Read more

Aquilops

In Depth        Initially thought to represent a new specimen of Zephyrosaurus,‭ ‬the small partial skull of the holotype was soon realised to be a whole new genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur.‭ ‬Like most primitive ceratopsian dinosaurs,‭ ‬Aquilops was a fairly small dinosaur measuring just over half a meter in length.‭ ‬The name Aquilops means‭ ‘‬eagle … Read more