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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 3, 2020 3:05:11 GMT -8
Today's entry is the first dinosaur to be discovered in Venezuela: Laquintasaura
Pronunciation: Lah-kwin-tah-sor-rah Meaning of name: "La Quinta lizard", after the rock formation where its fossils were discovered. Species: L. venezuelae Size: Estimated to have measured around 1 metre long, 25cm tall and weighing around 5kgs. Family: Uncertain. Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton discovered in the La Quinta Formation of western Venezuela in 2014. Named in the same year by P. M. Barrett, R. J. Butler, R. Mundil, T. M. Scheyer, R. B. Irmis and M. R. Sánchez-Villagra. Lived: 201.3 to 199.3 million years ago during the Hettangian stage of the Early Jurassic in what is now western Venezuela.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 4, 2020 3:05:35 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day!": Daxiatitan
Pronunciation: Dax-e-ah-tie-tan Meaning of name: "Daxia giant", after a tributary of the Yellow River in China. Species: D. binglingi. Size: Estimated to have measured between 23 and 30 metres long, 8 metres tall and weighing 35 metric tonnes. Family: Titanosauroidea. Diet: Herbivore. Fed on both high and low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton discovered in the Lanzhou Basin of Gansu Province, northwestern China (date of discovery uncertain). Named by H. L. You, D. Q. Li, L. Q. Zhou and Q. Ji in 2008. Lived: 125 to 113 million years ago during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northwestern China.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 5, 2020 4:11:31 GMT -8
"Dino of the Day:" Teratophoneus
Pronunciation: Teh-rat-oh-foe-nee-us Meaning of name: "Monstrous murderer." Species: T. curriei Size: Estimated to have measured between 6.5 and 8 metres long, between 2 and 3 metres tall and weighing between 1.1 and 2.5 metric tonnes. Family: Tyrannosauridae. Diet: Carnivore. First fossils found: Known only from two partial skeletons, the first of which, believed to belong to a sub-adult, was discovered in the Kaiparowits Formation of Utah in 1981. Named by Thomas D. Carr, Thomas E. Williamson, Brooks B. Britt and Ken Stadtman in 2011. A second specimen was discovered in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in 2017. Lived: 77 to 76 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now the western United States.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 6, 2020 3:30:20 GMT -8
Today's entry is a marine reptile from Cuba: Gallardosaurus
Pronunciation: Gal-lard-o-sore-us Meaning of name: "Gallard's lizard", after the farmer who discovered its fossils. Species: G. iturraldei Size: Unknown due to a lack of fossils. Family: Pliosauridae. Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from the partial skull of what's believed to be a juvenile discovered by Juan Gallardo in the Jagua Formation of northwestern Cuba in 1946. Named by Zulma Gasparini in 2009. Lived: 163.5 to 157.3 million years ago during the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic in the warm oceans that once covered what is now northwestern Cuba.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 7, 2020 3:01:50 GMT -8
"Dino of the Day!": Pakisaurus
Pronunciation: Pak-e-sore-us Meaning of name: "Pakistan lizard" Species: P. balochistani Size: Unknown due to a lack of fossils. Family: Pakisauridae. Diet: Herbivore. Likely fed on both high and low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known only from a handful of vertebrae discovered in the Pab Formation of western Pakistan (date of discovery uncertain). Named by M. Sadiq Malkani in 2006. Lived: 72.1 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Pakistan.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 8, 2020 3:20:51 GMT -8
Here's today's "Dino of the Day!": Malawisaurus.
Pronunciation: Ma-la-wee-sore-us Meaning of name: "Malawi lizard". Species: M. dixeyi Size: Estimated to have measured between 11 and 16 metres long, 4 metres tall and weighing between 3 and 10 metric tonnes. Family: Antarctosauridae Diet: Herbivore. Fed on both high and low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several partial skeletons, the first of which was discovered in the Dinosaur Beds Formation of Malawi, East Africa, in 1923. Was named in the same as a species of Gigantosaurus by Sidney Hughton. Was re-named Malawisaurus by L. L. Jacobs, D. A. Winkler, W. R. Downs and E. M. Gomani in 1993. Lived: 125 to 113 million years ago during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now East Africa.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Dec 12, 2020 3:06:50 GMT -8
Here's another dino for you: Kayentavenator
Pronunciation: Kay-en-ta-ven-ah-tor Meaning of name: "Kayenta hunter". Species: K. elysiae Size: Unknown due to a lack of fossils. Family: Unknown. Diet: Carnivore. First fossils found: Known only from the single, partial skeleton of a juvenile discovered in the Kayenta Formation of northeastern Arizona some time during the early 2000s. Named by Robert Gay in 2010. Lived: 199 to 182 million years ago during the Sinemurian and Pliensbachian stages of the Early Jurassic in what is now the southwestern United States.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 17, 2024 22:55:25 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day" looks like a living pin-cushion: Struthiosaurus
Pronunciation: Stru-thee-oh-sore-us Meaning of name: "Ostrich lizard", in reference to the birdlike morphology of the braincase. Species: S. austriacus, S. languedocensis, S. transylvanicusSize: Depending on species, estimated to have measured between 2 and 3 metres long and weighing between 300 and 400kgs. Family: Struthiosaurinae (a subfamily of Nodosauridae) Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens discovered in Romania, Austria, France and Hungary. First discovered by Austrian geologist, Eduard Suess, in northeastern Austria, in 1859. S. austriacus named by Austrian palaeontologist, Emanuel Bunzel, in 1871. S. transylvanicus named in 1915. S. languedocensis named in 2003. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 85 and 66 million years ago from the Santonian stage through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now Romania, Austria, France and Hungary.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 18, 2024 23:22:56 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day": PapiliovenatorName: PapiliovenatorPronunciation: Pah-pe-le-oh-ven-ah-tor Meaning of name: "Butterfly hunter", in reference to the butterfly-shaped feature on its first two dorsal vertebrae. Species: P. neimengguensisSize: Full adult size uncertain as the only known fossils belong to a subadult. Family: Troodontidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from a partial skull and partial skeleton belonging to a subadult, discovered in the Bayan Mandahu Formation of Inner Mongolia, northern China. Named by Rui Pei, Yuying Qin, Aishu Wen, Qi Zhao, Zhe Wang, Zhanmin Liu, Weilesi Guo, Po Liu, Weiming Ye, Lanyun Wang, Zhigang Yin, Ruiming Dai and Xu Xing in 2022. Lived: 83.6 to 72.1 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now Inner Mongolia, northern China.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 19, 2024 22:48:45 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day": Hortalotarsus
Pronunciation: Hor-tah-low-tar-sus Meaning of name: "Tarsus of a young bird" Species: H. skirtopodusSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils, but is estimated to have measured around 3 metres. Family: Massospondylidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Originally known from a partial skeleton discovered in the Clarens Formation of South Africa. However, most of the skeleton was destroyed by a failed attempt to free it from the rock using gunpowder, so the only fossils that exist today are some partial foot and leg bones. Was originally named as a species of Thecodontosaurus by British palaeontologist, Harry Govier Seeley, in 1892, before being renamed Hortalotarsus in 1894. Lived: 199.5 to 192.9 million years ago during the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic in what is now South Africa. Drawing of the original Hortalotarsus fossils.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 20, 2024 23:36:38 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day": Linheraptor
Pronunciation: Lin-he-rap-tor Meaning of name: "Linhe thief" or "Linhe hunter", in reference to the district of Inner Mongolia, northern China, where its fossils were discovered. Species: L. exquisitusSize: 1.8 metres long and weighing around 25kgs. Family: Velociraptorinae (a subfamily of Dromaeosauridae) Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost complete skeleton discovered by Jonah N. Choiniere and Michael Pittman in the Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, northern China, in 2008. Named by Chinese palaeontologist, Xu Xing, in 2010. Lived: 83.6 to 72.1 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now Inner Mongolia, northern China.
Artist's impression of Linheraptor
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 21, 2024 23:18:33 GMT -8
Today's "Dino of the Day": Centrosaurus
Pronunciation: Sen-tro-sore-us Meaning of name: "Pointed lizard", in reference to the small spikes lining the edge of the neck shield. Species: C. apertusSize: Measured between 5 and 6 metres long and weighing between 2 and 3 metric tonnes. Family: Centrosaurinae (a subfamily of Ceratopsidae) Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from thousands of individuals of various ages discovered in the Dinosaur Park and Oldman Formations of Alberta, western Canada. First discovered by Canadian palaeontologist, Lawrence Morris Lambe. Named by Mr. Lambe in 1904. Lived: 76.5 to 75.5 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Canada. Centrosaurus skull on display at the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 22, 2024 22:42:00 GMT -8
Today's 'Dino of the Day': Wulagasaurus
Pronunciation: Woo-lag-ah-sore-us Meaning of name: "Wulaga lizard", after the place where its fossils were discovered. Species: W. dongiSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Saurolophinae (a subfamily of Hadrosauridae) Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known only from partial fossils discovered in the Yuliangze Formation of Heilongjiang Province, northeastern China. Named by palaeontologists Pascal Godefroit, Shulin Hai, Tingxiang Yu and Pascaline Lauters in 2008. Lived: 69 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now northeastern China.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 23, 2024 23:35:04 GMT -8
Today's 'Dino of the Day': Ostromia
Pronunciation: Os-tro-me-ah Meaning of name: Named after American palaeontologist, John Harold Ostrom. Species: O. crassipesSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Anchiornithidae Diet: Carnivore/insectivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton discovered in the Painten Formation of southern Germany in 1855. Originally named as a species of Pterodactylus in 1857, before being renamed as a species of Archaeopteryx in 1970. Eventually recognized as a new genus and named Ostromia by Christian Foth and Oliver Rauhut in 2017. Lived: 150.8 to 145.5 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the Late Jurassic in what is now southern Germany.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jan 24, 2024 23:16:35 GMT -8
Today's 'Dino of the Day': MahuidacursorPronunciation: Mah-hwe-dah-kur-sor Meaning of name: "Mountain runner" Species: M. lipanglefSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Uncertain Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known only from partial fossils discovered in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Named by P. Cruzado Caballero, J. M. Gasca, L. S. Filippi, I. Cerda and A. C. Garrido in 2019. Lived: 86 to 83.6 million years ago during the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now northern Patagonia, Argentina.
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