Anchiornis

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

Luanchuanraptor

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

Compsognathus

compsognathus

In Depth        Despite its diminutive size Compsognathus is one of the dinosaurs that are best known to science.‭ ‬Not only was the skeleton well persevered but the remains of its last meal,‭ ‬a small lizard named Bavarisaurus were also found inside the specimen proving without doubt that Compsognathus was a carnivore.‭ ‬At the time of … Read more

Patagonykus

In Depth        Although only known from partial remains,‭ ‬Patagonykus is confirmed to have been an alvarezsaur,‭ ‬small bipedal dinosaurs that are thought to have specialised in hunting insects.‭ ‬Dinosaurs like Patagonykus were once thought to have been restricted to the lower stages of the upper Cretaceous,‭ ‬however the discovery of Bonapartenykus in‭ ‬2012‭ ‬has revealed … Read more

Daliansaurus

In Depth        Daliansaurus is a genus of small troodontid dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous.‭ ‬Many trrodontid dinosaurs are known to‭ ‬have been living in the same approximate time and location as Daliansaurus,‭ ‬but the describing paleontologists identified several features that differentiate this genus from others.‭ ‬Some of the clearer differences are … Read more

Ornithomimus

ornithomimus

In Depth        Named in‭ ‬1890‭ ‬from a partial hand and foot,‭ ‬Ornithomimus became the first known ornithomimid,‭ ‬which is why it is considered the type genus of the Ornithomimidae.‭ ‬The ornithomimds‭ (‬also sometimes called‭ ‘‬ostrich dinosaurs‭’) ‬were small dinosaurs that usually ranged between three and four meters long,‭ ‬although some were slightly larger.‭ ‬During the … Read more

Koparion

In Depth        The name Koparion is based upon the comparison of the serrated teeth‭ (‬currently the only known parts of this dinosaur‭) ‬to ancient versions of scalpels.‭ ‬Despite the lack of overall remains,‭ ‬Koparion is widely regarded as being a troodontid and if this is correct,‭ ‬it would be one of the if not the … Read more

Sinotyrannus

In Depth        Although Sinotyrannus has been described from very incomplete material,‭ ‬the palaeontologists who described this dinosaur have managed to conclude that it is a close relative of the primitive tyrannosaurs.‭ ‬Additionally they have also compared the remains to similar dinosaurs and come up with a rough length estimate of up to ten meters long … Read more

Orthogoniosaurus

In Depth        The first genus of theropod dinosaur to ever be named from India’s Lameta Formation,‭ ‬Orthogoniosaurus has often been considered to be a senior synonym for other theropod genera that were later discovered.‭ ‬However the holotype of Orthogoniosaurus is only a tooth,‭ ‬and because of this no other fossil remains have been attributed to … Read more

Archaeornithoides

In Depth        Archaeornithoides has proven to be a problematic genus since it has been very difficult to ascertain exactly what it was.‭ ‬Only known from partial paired maxilla and dentaries,‭ ‬Archaeornithoides was first considered to be a primitive bird because of what were considered distinct bird-like features.‭ ‬Later discoveries however proved that these distinct bird … Read more