In Depth With most of the skeleton known and represented by several individuals, Utahceratops is one of the better known ceratopsian dinosaurs, which often are named only from partial skulls. At about five meters long Utahceratops was roughly mid-sized for a quadrupedal ceratopsian, dinosaur, but the skull seems to be oversized with a length of … Read more
In Depth Protohadros is a genus of medium to large ornithopod dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. Protohadros means ‘first hadrosaur)’, and reflects the idea at the time of its description that the genus may represent the earliest true hadrosaur in North America. However, since Protohadros has been named, several new … Read more
In Depth Rukwasuchus is a genus of crocodile that lived in Tanzania during the Cretaceous. Rukwasuchus was named after Lake Rukwa, something the genus has in common with the titanosaur genus Rukwatitan. Further Reading - A new crocodyliform from the middle Cretaceous Galula Formation, southwestern Tanzania. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(3):576-596. - Jospeh J. … Read more
In Depth Aside from being the first tapejarid pterosaur discovered outside of Brazil, Sinopterus also represents one of the earliest and most complete. Sinopterus had a toothless bony beak and bony crest that runs from the premaxilla to the middle of the skull. The crest is then thought to extend upwards. Sinopterus is thought to … Read more
In Depth Paranthodon remains were first described when they were incorrectly included with the remains of a parieasaur named Anthodon. The inclusion of these remains also gave the incorrect identification for Anthodon as a dinosaur instead of a parieasaur until 1912 when Robert Broom separated an upper jaw from the genus. While Broom correctly identified … Read more
In Depth Aphrosaurus seems to have been a middle sized lightweight elasmosaurid plesiosaur. Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs (those similar to Elasmosaurus) are known for having proportionately long legs, and like with others, half of the total length of Aphrosaurus was neck. This neck was one of the primary feeding adaptations that would have allowed it to reach … Read more
In Depth Protarchaeopteryx was so named because of a superficial similarity to the genus Archaeopteryx. However today, Protarchaeopteryx is seen as a very primitive member of the Oviraptosauria, and one that bears a strong resemblance to the genus Incisivosaurus. Protarchaeopteryx was a small dinosaur, and one that probably specialised in hunting small animals like lizards … Read more
In Depth Rileyasuchus was originally named as Rileyia, but was changed to Rileyasuchus when it was realised that Rileyia had been used to name a genus of hymenopteran insect. Aside from this Rileyasuchus has had a problematic taxonomic history with speculation that fossils of the dinosaur Thecodontosaurus may be mixed in with it. In addition … Read more
In Depth Triunfosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the early Cretaceous. Described only from an ischium and tail vertebra, Triunfosaurus was originally described as a titanosaur. Further Reading - A new basal titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil. - Journal of South American Earth Sciences … Read more
In Depth A little known theropod dinosaur from China, a 2010 study by Benson et al found Chuandongocoelurus to probably be related to the more complete Monolophosaurus. The partial remains of Chuandongocoelurus are thought to be from a juvenile/subadult individual, and coupled with the overall incomplete nature of them, it is impossible to establish an … Read more