In Depth Caihong is a genus of anchiornithid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the late Jurassic. Caihong was a very small dinosaur, roughly about forty centimetres long in life. Caihong is noted for having feathers covering the entire body except for the snout and claws. Study of melanosome associated with Caihong show that in … Read more
In Depth Mei was named because it was found in a sleeping pose, not unlike birds today. Study of the bones has revealed they were not totally fused, meaning that the animal was a juvenile. Analysis of the stone the fossil was discovered in shows it to have been buried by volcanic ash. A second … Read more
In Depth At fifteen meters long it could be said that Datousaurus was a lower average in terms of sauropod sizes of the Jurassic era. The skull of Datousaurus is noted as being deep with ‘spoon-shaped’ teeth for processing plants. Datousaurus is also noted for having a higher reach than some other sauropods that lived … Read more
In Depth Alwalkeria was originally named in 1986 as Walkeria, however the genus name Walkeria was later found to be as preoccupied as it had already been used to name a bryozoan (a kind of tiny aquatic invertebrate). This necessited a revision to the name since naming priority is always given to the first creature … Read more
In Depth Corythoraptor is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in China during the late Cretaceous. Corythoraptor has been described as having a head crest similar to that of a modern day cassowary. The beak of Corythoraptor was also more pointed towards the end, suggesting feeding specialisation. Corythoraptor is one of many oviraptorid dinosaurs … Read more
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 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 Traukutitan is a genus of titanosaurian dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Traukutitan was named after Trauku, an Araucanian mountain spirit. The species name T. eocaudata is a reference to the primitive appearing form of the caudal vertebrae. There is speculation that Traukutitan was a lognkosaurian titanosaur, and this … Read more
In Depth Khaan is a genus of small oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous. Studies into Khaan individuals may have revealed differences between males and females. On some specimens, the caudal (tail) vertebrae have reduced chevrons, and this has been seen as a sign of a female. The reduced chevrons at … Read more