In Depth Hualianceratops is a genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in China during the Late Jurassic. Identified as a member of the Chaoyangsauridae group of ceratopsians, Hualianceratops would have been a small and bipedal herbivore. Further Reading - A new taxon of basal ceratopsian from China and the early evolution of Ceratopsia. – … Read more
In Depth Sinankylosaurus is a genus of ankylosaur that lived in Asia during the late Cretaceous. Though only known from partial remains, the presence of Sinankylosaurus again illustrates the similarity of animal fauna between Asia and North America during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new ankylosaurian from the Late Cretaceous strata of Zhucheng, … Read more
In Depth Clevosaurus is a genus of small lepidosaurian lizard that as a genus had a near global dsitribution during the Triassic and early Jurassic. Further Reading – A new Triassic rhynchocephalian from Gloucestershire. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Zoology, Botany, and Geology 4:591-594. – W. E. Swinton – 1939. – The Osteology and … Read more
In Depth Dromaeosauroides is what is called a ‘tooth taxon’ as so far this dinosaur only has fossil teeth attributed to it. These teeth seem to come from a dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur, and this is reason why for the name which means Dromaeosaurus-like. Comparison of these teeth to those of other dromaeosaurids suggests that Dromaeosauroides … Read more
In Depth Fossils pertaining to Tatenectes were originally assigned as a species of Cimoliasaurus (C. laramiensis) by W. C. Knight in 1900. Then in 1912 they were moved over to Tricliedus (as T. laramiensis) by Mehl. Then in 2003 fossils pertaining to this species were established as a new genus by O’Keefe and Wahl. However … Read more
In Depth Venenosaurus, meaning ‘poison lizard’ acquired its name from being discovered in the Poison Strip Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation, while the type species, V. dicrocei, is in honour of Tony DiCroce, the person who first discovered the remains. Other sauropod dinosaurs from the Cedar Mountain Formation, albeit from different Members, include Abydosaurus, … Read more
In Depth Although only described from a skull Zarafasaura was one of the last surviving elasmosaurid plesiosaurs active around North Africa, a region that in the past has yielded very little in the way of plesiosaur remains. Part of this problem is Africa’s harsh climate that can quickly erode and damage exposed fossils. The discovery … Read more
In Depth With a tough hide and powerful jaws, the rauisuchian genus Postosuchus was one of the apex predators of its time. First discovered in the US state of Texas, Postsuchus had a wide distribution that stretched all the way to the Eastern seaboard. The head was deep with many fenestrae, adaptations that point towards … Read more
In Depth Smaller velociraptorine dromaeosaurs seem to have been one of the most important types of dinosaur in Asia during the Late Cretaceous as evidenced by the ever growing number of remains and genera. Linheraptor was similar in form to most others such as Velociraptor and it may have lived and hunted in pretty much … Read more
In Depth Edmontosaurus is without a doubt one of if not the most intensively studied hadrosaurid dinosaur. Not only are there many Edmontosaurus specimens known, but those that have been recovered include some of the best preserved hadrosaurid material so far found.Classification history Edmontosaurus has one of the longest and most complicated taxonomic histories of … Read more