In Depth The fragmentary nature of Shaochilong resulted in it being included into the Chilantaisaurus genus, a theropod dinosaur also from the Ulansuhai Formation. However while fragmentary, the fossil remains for C. maortuensis were much larger that the estimated length of two and a half meters for other Chilantaisaurus material. Questions were first raised about … Read more
In Depth Thalassomedon is regarded as a mid-sized elasmosaurid plesiosaur, especially when compared with larger genera like Mauisaurus. The distribution of Thalassomedon remains show that it swam in the Western Interior Seaway, a Cretaceous sea that divided North America into two halves. Thalassomedon is so far only known from the early stages of the Late … Read more
In Depth Rhamphosuchus is thought to have looked like a modern day false gharial, crocodiles that have proportionately thin and long snouts compared to other crocodiles.Rhamphosuchus itself however was much larger, although to what extent remains uncertain. This is because Rhamphosuchus is currently only known from very fragmentary material that makes reconstruction of the skull … Read more
In Depth When fossils of this dinosaur were originally described as Lambeosaurus laticaudus, the estimated size of the species was given as between fifteen and sixteen and a half meters long, something that causes inaccurate size quotations for Lambeosaurus to this day even though larger individuals of this genus are around the nine meter mark. … Read more
In Depth Certainly one of the more difficult dinosaur names to pronounce, Mnyamawamtuka is a genus of titanosaur that lived in Africa during the Cretaceous. The holotype of Mnyamawamtuka is recognised as one of the most complete titanosaurs ever discovered. The high level of completeness may be down to the fact that this creature was … Read more
In Depth Chromogisaurus is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Triassic. At only about two meters long, Chromogisaurus was small for its kind, though certainly not unique. The main predators of Chromogisaurus would have mainly been the emerging theropod dinosaurs, though late surviving rauisuchians would have been potential … Read more
In Depth Weewarrasaurus is a genus of ornithischian dinosaur that lived in Australia during the late Cretaceous. At the time of writing, Weewarrasaurus is known from only two dentaries’ (lower jaws), so precise details about this dinosaur are otherwise unknown. Further Reading - Ornithopod diversity in the Griman Creek Formation (Cenomanian), New South Wales, Australia. … Read more
In Depth Gongpoquansaurus is a genus of hadrosauroid dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Gongpoquansaurus mazongshanensis (L�, 1997) comb. nov. (Ornithischia: Hadrosauroidea) from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, northwestern China. - Hadrosaurs 73-76. - H.-l. You, D.-Q. Li & P. Dodson - 2014.
In Depth Iguanacolossus acquired its name from its similarity to another dinosaur named Iguanodon. Although Iguanacolossus might not actually have been any bigger than the largest examples of Iguanodon, it might still have been the largest ornithopod plant eating dinosaur alive in North America at this stage of the Cretaceous, with the only plant eaters … Read more
In Depth Although many of the placodonts had shells only a few like Henodus and Placochelys had single shells that covered the entire body, while others like Cyamodus had two shells. Henodus has one of the most well developed single shells of all placodonts made up by a fusion of a large number of scutes … Read more