In Depth Fossils of Platypelta have for a long time been associated with the genus Euoplocephalus, yet in 2018, some of these fossils were given their own distinct genus by Penkalski in 2018. Platypelta was a medium sized ankylosaurine dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - Revised systematics … Read more
In Depth Hypselospinus was a genus of ornithopod that was similar to Iguanodon, so similar in fact that the holotype remains of the genus were originally named as a species of Iguanodon, I. fittoni. These remains were re-described as a new genus by Norman in 2010, but not long after another name for the remains … Read more
In Depth Not a lot of information is currently available about Delapparentia, though as a relative to herbivorous dinosaurs like Iguanodon, a few things can be inferred. Delapparentia would have been a fairly large ornithopod dinosaur that would have balanced most of its body weight upon its rear legs, while the fore legs were reduced … Read more
In Depth It is something of a paradox that one of the most popular dinosaurs of all time is understood by some of the most incomplete fossil remains. What can be gleaned from the available fossil material is that Ankylosaurus was one of if not the largest of the group. The incomplete fossil evidence however … Read more
In Depth Once considered a possible nodosaurid, Aletopelta was confirmed as an ankylosaurid when it was formally described in 2001. This interpretation came about mainly from study of the osteoderm armour which is more like the armour of known ankylosaurs and less like that of nodosaurs. By extension Aletopelta would be assumed to have had … Read more
In Depth The original bones of Mochlodon were first discovered in 1859, but were not formerly identified until 1870. When named by Emanuel Bunzel, the remains were identified as those of a new species of Iguanodon. However, by this time Iguanodon was being treated as a ‘wastebasket taxon’ for any remains that had a superficial … Read more
In Depth One of many small ornithopod dinosaurs from the Jurassic of China, there has been some speculation that Hexinlusaurus may actually represent a juvenile form of another ornithopod. Similar small ornithopods from the same formation as Hexinlusaurus include Agilisaurus, Yandusaurus and Xiaosaurus. Other herbivorous dinosaurs may have come across include stegosaurs Tuojiangosaurus and Huayangosaurus … Read more
In Depth Zhuchengceratops was on the larger average size for known leptoceratopsid dinosaurs, and one of the most impressive features were the mandibles (lower jaw bones), which at fifty centimetres long and eighteen centimetres deep at the mid-point, were simply huge for a dinosaur of this size. These mandibles were about one and a half … Read more
In Depth A medium sized iguanodontid, dinosaur from the early Cretaceous of the USA, Planicoxa is established upon the partial remains of several individuals. As an iguanodontid, Planicoxa would have been a primarily quadrupedal dinosaur, though one with the capability to rear up and walk on just its hind legs when it needed to. Planicoxa … Read more
In Depth There is some confusion about Turanoceratops, given that we know that it was a ceratopsian dinosaur, but not all palaeontologists agree upon exactly what kind. Papers published by Sues and Averianov in 2009 support the idea that Turanoceratops was a transitional form that linked primitive ceratopsians of the Ceratopsoidea, with the more advanced … Read more