In Depth Saturnalia is today considered to be a sauropodomorph, albeit a very primitive one at that. The fossil record concerning the evolution of dinosaurs is still very incomplete and quite possibly will never be known as a whole, but as soon as dinosaurs appeared in the Triassic period it seems that it was only … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - A new phytosaur (Archosauriformes, Phytosauria) from the Lot’s Wife beds (Sonsela Member) within the Chinle Formation (Upper Triassic) of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 32 (3): 573–586. - M. R. Stocker - 2012.
In Depth Giraffatitan was originally named as an African species of Brachiosaurus. First named in 1914 by Werner Janensch as Brachiosaurus brancai, subsequent study of the fossil material would reveal several morphological differences between B. brancai and the Brachiosaurus type species B. altithorax. This has led to the modern name of Giraffatitan, a play on … Read more
In Depth Tanytrachelos is a genus of tanystropheiid reptile (relative of Tanystropheus) that lived during the Late Triassic. There is speculation that Tanytrachelos may be synonymous with the genus Gwyneddosaurus, and usually this would mean Tanytrachelos would be renamed as Gwyneddosaurus since this genus was named before Tanytrachelos. However since Gwyneddosaurus is based upon very … Read more
In Depth Zhejiangopterus belongs to the Azhdarchidae group of pterosuars, the same group that includes the huge Quetzalcoatlus. With the large number of fossils of Zhejiangopterus discovered, it is one of the better represented of all the azhdarchids. Initially thought to have had a 5 meter wingspan, study of available fossil material has called for … Read more
In Depth Perhaps the most note worthy things about Tianyulong is the presence of a row of large filament structures about 6 centimetres tall and believed to have been protofeathers that ran along the neck and back. These were likely for display, but here the function of the feathers is not as important as the … Read more
In Depth Achillesaurus has been identified as a basal alvarezsaur that lived in Argentina during the late Cretaceous, but there is now some question to its validity. Achillesaurus was thought to have lived alongside the type genus of the alvarezsauridae, Alvarezsaurus. A 2012 study by Makovicky et al. however has raised the notion that Achillesaurus … Read more
In Depth Shuangmiaosaurus is a genus of iguanodont dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new hadrosauroid dinosaur from the mid-Cretaceous of Liaoning, China. - Acta Geologica Sinica 77(2):148-154. - H. You, Q. Ji, J. Li & Y. Li - 2003.
In Depth Although very little is known about this dinosaur, the dentary which has been used to establish the genus is noted as having a flat ramus. Ratchasimasaurus is thought to been an igaunodont, which in the loosest terms means that it was related to dinosaurs like Igaunodon. Further Reading - A New Iguanodontian Dinosaur … Read more
In Depth Although only described from very incomplete remains, the relatively good state of preservation of them has allowed for the description of a new genus, Albertadromeus. Albertadromeus is believed to have been a small cursorial (ground dwelling) ornithopod that roamed around on just its two rear legs. The preserved limb elements known show that … Read more