In Depth Alioramus has stirred a lot of interest and controversy since its discovery, and even though Alioramus has earned worldwide popularity it was for a long time only known from a partial skull and three metatarsals (foot bones). Another problem was the fact that when reconstructed, the skull was narrow and low like in … Read more
Discovery & Reconstruction Spinosaurus as we know it today did not begin to come into existence until the 1990’s, something that is quite surprising when you think that it was first described in 1915. The reason for this is that there has been no choice but to study only the most partial of remains, a … Read more
In Depth At 1.4 meters long, Tylocephale was towards the smaller end of the size scale for a pachycephalosaur. Despite this, Tylocephale managed to evolve the tallest head dome of any currently known pachycephalosaur genera. Tylocephale also likely shared its habitat with the larger pachycephalosaur Prenocephale. Further Reading - Pachycephalosauria, a new suborder of ornithischian … Read more
In Depth Fluvionectes is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. The first fossils of this genus were recovered from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Canada, a location that has yielded numerous though fragmentary and scattered plesiosaur fossil for some time. Perhaps the most stand out fact about … Read more
In Depth Although discovered in mainland Mexico, it needs to be remembered that back in the late Cretaceous this area was actually underwater. The problem with Amphekepubis is that it has been described upon very incomplete remains, leading to speculation that Amphekepubis may actually be another mosasaur (Possibly Mosasaurus). Additionally there is further speculation that … Read more
In Depth With its distinctive back plates, Stegosaurus is one of the best represented dinosaurs in popular culture today. Initially thought to just live in the USA, a partial skeleton discovered in 2006 places Stegosaurus in Portugal. This has significantly increased the known range of this animal and further reinforced the theory that North America … Read more
In Depth The elongated frill of Chasmosaurus had two large fenestra in the middle which would have had a skin covering in life giving the appearance of a ‘solid’ frill. As a display device the frill may have been brightly coloured with an elaborate display. Also since the frill in these parts was soft tissue, … Read more
In Depth A very large prehistoric crocodile Sarcosuchus was initially only known from teeth and osteoderms. In 1964 the first skull was discovered and the type species could then be established. However it was not until the closing years of the twentieth century that more complete material including vertebra, ribs and other parts of the … Read more
In Depth Pitekunsaurus was a titanosaurian dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. At the time of writing Pitekunsaurus is usually considered to be an aeolosaurine titanosaur, and as such a relative of such genera as Aeolosaurus, Panamericansaurus and Gondwanatitan. The type species name P. macayai is in honour of Luis Macaya … Read more
In Depth Lurdusaurus is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived in North Africa during the Early Cretaceous, and one that helped reveal that some ornithopods at least were growing to large sizes. Lurdusaurus is noted for being approximately nine meters long featuring a neck that is longer than most other ornithopods of its kind … Read more