In Depth The Tatankaceratops type specimen was pieced together from partial remains before it was named in 2010, and soon after there were murmurings that it was actually a juvenile Triceratops. This stems down to a 2011 study by Nicholas R. Longrich which noted a mix of juvenile and adult characteristics in the skull. Since … Read more
In Depth Kulceratops is a very interesting genus of ceratopsian dinosaur as the holotype has been dated to coming from a fossil deposit Albian of the Early Cretaceous in age. This makes Kulceratops a candidate for being one of the first ceratopsian dinosaurs to appear. Unfortunately Kulceratops is only known from a partial maxilla (upper … Read more
In Depth Xuanhuaceratops represents the early ceratopsian form that was a small probably bipedal dinosaur that had developed the sharp cropping beak as well as the rudimentary beginnnings of the neck frill that would become so characteristic of the ceratopsians. Because of its small size Xuanhuaceratops probably had to rely upon speed and agility to … Read more
In Depth Bolong is a genus of hadrosauroid dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Early Cretaceous. The holotype individual is known from a partial skull and jaws, but a second specimen of a juvenile shows more of the post cranial skeleton. Further Reading – Bolong yixianensis gen. et sp. nov.: A … Read more
In Depth Ziapelta is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now the USA during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. At the time of the genus description Ziapelta is only known from a single partial skull and some osteoderms, the bony plates that grew within the skin as a form … Read more
In Depth A close relative of the better known ceratopsian dinosaur Leptoceratops, Prenoceratops can be told apart by the skull which has a greater slope to the skull than that seen in Leptoceratops. Further Reading - Description of Prenoceratops pieganensis gen et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Two Medicine Formation of Montana. - Journal … Read more
In Depth A very interesting find, Yinlong represents the earliest identifiable ceratopsian dinosaur. Despite its small size and bipedal stance, the descendants of Yinlong would evolve into the huge quadrupedal herbivores like Triceratops that lived at the end of the Cretaceous. Study of the skull has revealed a small rostral bone, or more commonly called … Read more
In Depth Even though it did not have the elaborate horns of some ceratopsians like Einiosaurus, Pachyrhinosaurus has become a favourite amongst ceratopsian dinosaur enthusiasts because of the large bony growth called a boss that is present on top of its snout. A second smaller boss was also present over the eyes and is sometimes … Read more
In Depth Tanius is one of the many known Asian hadrosauroid dinosaurs, but one that is not very well represented. The initial description was based upon the back of the skull which seems to be that of a flat headed hadrosauroid dinosaur, the kind roughly between the earlier iguanodonts and the more advanced hadrosaurids. However … Read more
In Depth Originally named as a species of Camptosaurus 1909 (Gilmore), and then later Planicoxa in 2008 (Carpenter & Wilson), Osmakasaurus was established as a new genus for partial post cranial remains that establish this genus. The species name ‘depressus’ has been retained to create the type species, which is standard procedure when naming a … Read more