In Depth Though only named from a leg and foot, Velocisaurus seems to have been a particularly fast running dinosaur given that the leg shows clear adaptations for running, hence the name which means ‘swift lizard’. When the dinosaur Velocisaurus was first described by Jos� Bonaparte in 1991 he speculated that Velocisaurus might have been … Read more
In Depth about Tyrannotitan With a name like Tyrannotitan you could be forgiven for thinking that this huge theropod was a tyrannosaurid, but in fact it was a carcharodontosaurid Giganotosaurus and Mapusaurus, both also from South America. Tyrannotitan seems to differ from other discovered carcharodontosaurids in that it has proportionately tiny forearms, something that is similar to the tyrannosaurids. Palaeontologists are confident … 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 Eustreptospondylus was first described in 1841, but the original fossil material has since been lost. A second set of remains was discovered in 1964 and is surmised to be Eustreptospondylus based upon the description of the original material. The new material features vertebra that are lacking development of the upper parts, indicating that … Read more
In Depth This large abelisaurid roamed ancient Patagonia where it may have competed with other predatory dinosaurs like the contempory carcharodontosaurid Mapusaurus. Skorpiovenator shares the same characteristic short but high skull morphology, and may not have had a large bite force, as has been suggested for some other abelisaurids. Skorpiovenator may have used its deep … Read more
In Depth Aerosteon was a member of Megaraptora, a group of lightly built theropod dinosaurs that are notable for having enlarged claws upon their hands. The name of this group is derived from the misidentification of first member of the group, Megaraptor being misdentified as a dromaeosaurid ‘raptor’ based upon the presence of a single … Read more
In Depth Much of Australovenator is missing but the parts which are known show a lightweight and fast carnivore that could run down its prey. Study of the fossils have also brought similarities and comparisons between Fukuiraptor from Japan, and Megaraptor from South America, and for this reasons Australovenator is usually termed as a megaraptoran … Read more
In Depth Eodromaeus is a very exciting find as it may well represent one of the earliest theropods. First thought to have been more fossils of Eoraptor, study by Paul Sereno revealed features not present in Eoraptor. With the fossils realised as a new dinosaur, the fossil description was published with the name Eodromaeus, a … Read more
In Depth A small alvarezsaur, one of the notable things about Albinykus is that even though it is only known by its hind quarters, these were found in a crouching position. Oviraptosaurs and troodonts are also known to have crouched, so the discovery that alvarezsaurs like Albinykus could also enter this position indicates that crouching … Read more
In Depth Powellvenator is a genus of coelophysoid dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Triassic. Further Reading - A New Early Coelophysoid Neotheropod from the Late Triassic of Northwestern Argentina. - Gondwanan Perspectives 54(5):506-538. - M. D. Ezcurra - 2017.