In Depth In terms of size, Anchiornis was a very small dinosaur indeed, though this is not the claim to fame for the genus. Anchiornis is known to have been feathered and one specimen is so well preserved that palaeontologists have been able to determine what colour and pattern these feathers were in life. Anchiornis … Read more
In Depth Hainosaurus is usually considered to be one of the largest known mosasaurs; however its actual size is a subject of on-going study. Early length estimates placed Hainosaurus at seventeen meters, while later study towards the end of the twentieth century revised this down to fifteen. A Hainosaurus specimen from Sweden that was described … Read more
In Depth Adasaurus is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous. Like with its relatives, Adasaurus was a hunter of other animals, quite possibly including other dinosaurs. The primary killing weapons for Adasaurus would have been the two enlarged sickle claws on its feet, which may have been used … Read more
In Depth Gladocephaloideus was a very exciting discovery as it was the first gallodactylid pterosaur to be discovered in Asia. As such Gladocephaloideus is thought to be related to Cycnorhamphus which itself is known from Germany. The jaws of Gladocephaloideus are filled with numerous small and thin teeth which were probably used to filter invertebrates … Read more
In Depth Changmiania is a genus of small ornithopod dinosaur that lived in Asia during the early Cretaceous. The genus was described in 2020 upon the description of two individuals whose level of preservation can only be described as exceptional. The describers speculated that these individuals may have been buried alive in their own burrows, … Read more
In Depth Known mostly from skulls, Prenocephale seems to have been a fairly large pachycephalosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia. The snout of Prenocephale is narrower than that of many other pachycephalosaur genera, suggesting that it was more of a selective browser. While Prenocephale is considered to be a valid genus, two others … Read more
In Depth Invictarx is a genus of nodosaurid dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. Fossils so far associated with Invictarx are partial bones and osteoderms (bony plates of the skin that would have served as armour), so details as to a precise size are elusive. But the size of these remains … Read more
In Depth Luanchuanraptor can go down in palaeontological history as the first Asian dromaeosaurid found outside of the Gobi Desert. Beyond this however the partial remains of the holotype make it hard to establish details about this genus. Luanchuanraptor was a dromaeosaurid meaning that it was a relatively small theropod dinosaur similar to others such … Read more
In Depth Alanqa was a significant find as pterosaurs are not especially well known from Africa. This is not to say that Africa did not have many pterosaurs living there, just that the conditions were not conducive for mass preservation given the fragile nature of pterosaur bones (even when well preserved they often get crushed … Read more
In Depth Ninjatitan is a genus of titanosaurid dinosaur that lived in South America during the Early Cretaceous. A very interesting thing about the Ninjatitan genus is that the holotype fossil remains were recovered from a Berriasian/Valanginian aged fossil deposit, which indicates that Ninjatitan may have been amongst the first definitive titanosaurs to walk the … Read more