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 Nodocephalosaurus was described in 1999 from a partial skull but still managed to make news amongst palaeontologists because it was unlike other North American ankylosaurs. In fact the shape of the skull of Nodocephalosaurus is actually more like the skulls of the ankylosaurs Saichania and Tarchia, both currently only known from central Asia. … Read more
In Depth Bissektipelta was first named as a species of Amtosaurus in 2002, however a subsequent evaluation of that genus found the type species, A. magnus to be indeterminate and possibly be those of a hadrosaur and not an ankylosaur. As such, the braincase that represented the second species, A. archibaldi was moved to its … 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
In Depth Although so far only known from partial remains, Qiupalong has been identified as a distinct ornithomimid genus on the basis of differences in the tibia from other known genera of this group. Further analysis has led the team that described Qiupalong to consider it to be similar to Struthiomimus altus and Ornithomimus edmontonicus, … Read more
In Depth Riojasaurus was and still often is credited as being related to Melanorosaurus, though detailed study of the two genera does turn up some key differences. These two genera are both significant in the development of the sauropodomorphs into the large sauropods common by the late Jurassic in that they are both large and … Read more