In Depth The dinosaur Oviraptor has a very unfortunate name as it was given to it on the presumption that it stole other dinosaur’s eggs. When the first dinosaur eggs were discovered in Mongolia, they were thought to belong to the herbivorous Protoceratops due to the large number of their remains in the vicinity. Also … Read more
In Depth Named in 2007, Mahakala has been widely accepted as one of the most primitive formed dromaeosaurids so far discovered. Key to this idea is the observation that the third metatarsal is not compressed, whereas in more advanced dromaeosaurids and troodonts it is. However another fact to consider is that Mahakala lived during the … Read more
In Depth Perhaps the most striking feature of Tenontosaurus is the tail which actually takes up more than half the total body length. This tail was supported by a network of strong tendons which ensured it was always carried erect off the ground. It is in reference to these tendons that Tenontosaurus was given its … 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 Zapalasaurus is another example of an early cretaceous era diplodocoid sauropod, a find significant in itself since many diplodocid genera are dated to the Late Jurassic. Further to its inclusion within the Diplodocoidea, Zapalasaurus has been included as a member of the Rebbachisauridae, a sub group of the Diplodocoidea that includes other Cretaceous … Read more
In Depth Pandoravenator is a genus of predatory dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Jurassic. Further Reading - A theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Ca�ad�n Calc�reo Formation of central Patagonia, and the evolution of the theropod tarsus. - Ameghiniana 54:506-538. - O. W. M. Rauhut & D. Pol - 2017.
In Depth Brachyceratops is regarded as a highly dubious genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that may represent the juvenile form of another already named genus, and indeed one specimen of Brachyceratops (USNM 14765, a sub adult referred to the original five juveniles) has already been moved to the Rubeosaurus genus. This would normally raise speculation that … Read more
In Depth When this genus was first discovered, only the posterior portion of an individual ankylosaur remained to be studied. It is thought the anterior half had been previously exposed by erosion and was now lost, though part of the skull and teeth were found. The rear half of the dinosaur, including the tail and … Read more
In Depth Although very little fossil material has been found, Helioceratops has been identified as a basal (or primitive) form of ceratopsian dinosaur. This means that it is unlikely that Helioceratops sported the elaborate frill and horns of the larger quadrupedal ceratopsians that most people know. Although primitive, Helioceratops seems to have had a body … Read more
In Depth Dilophosaurus is a very distinctive dinosaur that is instantly recognisable by the two crests that are on top of its neck. It must be remembered however that Dilophosaurus never had a neck frill or spat venom, as was depicted in the 1993 film Jurassic Park. Those were the creations of artistic licence, not … Read more