Microvenator Was an Oviraptorosaurian Theropod This “small hunter” is a genus of reptilian dinosaur, or oviraptorosaurian theropod. Microvenator is one of the smallest Theropods to exist. Like other oviraptorosaurs, Microvenator was a feathered maniraptoran dinosaur from the Cretaceous Period. They both have the characteristic short beaked snout and bird-like skull. The size of oviraptorosaurs could […]
Carnivorous Dinosaurs
Indosuchus
Indosuchus is an Abelisaurid Indosuchus is a prehistoric Theropod dinosaur that roamed the earth 70—65 million years ago. The name Indosuchus is taken from the Greek Indos and soukhos, respectively meaning “Indian crocodile”. Indosuchus is a genus of Abelisaurid dinosaur (a family of Ceratosaurian Theropod dinosaurs), and lived during Earth’s Late Cretaceous Period during the […]
Cryolophosaurus
The Theropod With The Elvis Pompadour Relatively little is known about this prehistoric dinosaur, found in the frigid climate of Antarctica and named as a “frozen crested lizard”, or Cryolophosaurus, pronounced CRY-oh-LOAF-oh-SORE-us. The species type is Cryolophosaurus elliotti, or C. elliotti (Greek for “cold crested lizard”). The prehistoric species existed around 190-185 million years ago. […]
Plesiosaurus — the First Discovered Marine Reptile
P. dolichodeirus, or Plesiosaurus, was not a dinosaur, but a plesiosaur—a marine reptile (Greek—near to lizard) from the Mesozoic Era of the Early Jurassic period. Plesiosaurus was the first species of its kind to be discovered. Though much has been learned about its anatomy and evolution, there are still many topics of debate over the […]
Megalodon
C megalodon was a Chondrichthyes of controversial genus Megalodon (Greek- big tooth), pronounced Meg-ah-low-don, is a prehistoric species which possessed traits mirrored by the Great White shark of today. C. megalodon is the common abbreviated acknowledgement of the scientific name for this controversially classified sea creature of the Cenozoic era, from the late Oligocene to […]
Herrerasaurus
Herrerasaurus Ischigualastensis- The One and Only Herrerasaurus Herrerasaurus, pronounced huh-Rare-uh-Sore-us, is classified to the family of Herrerasauridae, designated as the oldest known dinosaurs. The genus species type, Ischigualastensis, was marked by Osvaldo Reig in 1963, and named after the person credited with finding the first fossilized traces of this species. Herrera was the name of […]
Compsognathus
Compsognathus Habitat: A Jurassic Archipelago Compsognathus, affectionately known as ‘Compy’ or ‘Compies’, was a carnivorous theropod that lived 150 million years ago in the Jurassic period and one of the smallest dinosaurs on record. The species may have carried over into the early Cretaceous as well. Two specimens recovered over 100 years apart from each other are […]
Carnotaurus
Carnotaurus Was a Cretaceous Period Carnivore Carnotaurus may not have been as large nor as heavy as Tyrannosaurus Rex, but this carnivore would have made a formidable sight. From it’s bull like horns to it’s quite incredible speed on land Carnotaurus was a force to be reckoned with. Quick Facts Name Carnotaurus Prehistoric Era Late […]
Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus Was a Cretaceous Theropod Giganotosaurus was a theropod dinosaur that lived during the early Cenomanian stage during the mid to late Cretaceous period, about 97 million years ago. A member of the Carnosaur family Carcharodontosauridae, Giganotosaurus belonged to the subfamily Giganotosaurinae. Giganotosaurus is the largest meat-eating dinosaur to have been discovered in South America […]
Pteranodon
Pteranodon Wasn’t a Dinosaur at All Pteranodon, pronounced “ter-AN-o-DON”, was a flying carnivorous reptile that lived during the Late Cretaceous period about 75-85 million years ago. Its name means “Winged and Toothless”, referring to its toothless beak, which was like that of modern birds, and its huge wingspan, which was much larger than any modern […]
Ornitholestes
Ornitholestes is a Small Bipedal Carnivore Ornitholestes, pronounced “or-NITH-o-less-teez”, was a small but fast bipedal dinosaur that lived in the areas of modern day Wyoming and Utah. It was a hunter of small game, like lizards, and its name comes from the Greek words meaning “bird robber”. This theropod lived in the late Jurassic period, […]
Dromaeosaurus
Dromaeosaurus was a Small, Cretaceous Theropod Dromaeosaurus, pronounced “DRO-me-uh-SAWR-us”, was a small theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period, about 76 to 75 million years ago. Its name comes from the Greek words “dromeos” meaning “runner” and “saurus” meaning lizard. The meaning behind the name refers to its long legs which were obviously built for […]
Was Tyrannosaurus Rex a Hunter or Scavenger?
People Want to Know: Was Tyrannosaurus Rex a Hunter or Scavenger? One of the questions most commonly asked about one of the world’s most beloved dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, is whether or not it was a hunter or scavenger. While there are a number of different viewpoints on the issue, the general consensus when answering the […]
Allosaurus
Allosaurus – The Commonly Overlooked Carnivore Named with the Grecian term meaning “different lizard,” Allosaurus perplexed archeologists with a unique bone structure and vertebrae pattern. It’s for this difference and the debate those differences provoked that many paleontologists opted out of further discovery and discussion of this particular dinosaur. Classified as simply “a huge carnivore,” […]
Ceratosaurus
Ceratosaurus was a Horned Jurassic Predatory Theropod Ceratosaurus (pronounced sayr-AT-oh-sawr-us) means “horned lizard”. It’s from the Greek keratos, meaning “horn”, and sauros meaning “lizard”. It was a fearful predator that lived during the late Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago, with a huge tail, strong and stocky body, and heavy bones. The biggest rival […]
Utahraptor
Utahraptor, which means “Utah’s predator”, is a theropod dinosaur that lived about 125 million years ago in the early Cretaceous era. It’s thought to have been the largest raptor that ever lived (ironically, the two ton “Gigantoraptor” from central Asia isn’t even in the running because it was just a large theropod dinosaur, not a […]
Quetzalcoatlus
Quetzalcoatlus is the Largest Flying Pterosaur Quetzalcoatlus, pronounced “KWET-zal-koh-AT-lus” was a huge pterosaur which lived about 65-68 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period in North America. It had the distinguishing honor of being the biggest known flying animal to have ever lived. Douglas A. Lawson named it in 1975 after a god in […]
Carcharodontosaurus
Carcharodontosaurus Lived over 93 million years ago Carcharodontosaurus (pronounced Car-kah-roe-don-to sore-us ) was one of the biggest carnivorous dinosaurs of the North African region where it called home. It lived 93 to 100 million years ago and was found to be second in size for predatory dinosaurs. Carcharodontosaurus was larger than Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus, although […]
Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx was a Bird-Like Theropod Dinosaur Archaeopteryx lived around 150 million years ago during the Jurassic era, in what is now southern Germany. It lived before the continental shift and, at the time, Europe was a group of tropical islands much closer to the equator. Archaeopteryx (pronounced AR-kee-OP-ter-iks) comes from the Ancient Greek: archaios, meaning […]
Troodon
Troodon Was The Most Intelligent Dinosaur To Ever Live Troodon was an eye-opener for palentologists and scientists who believed dinosaurs had been destined to be dumb creatures. When this dino was dug up, the Dromaeosaurids reigned supreme in the brains department as the smartest dinosaur ever found — however, Troodon was soon confirmed to have […]
Velociraptor
Velociraptor is Mostly Known By Fictional Portrayals The little information that most people know about the Velociraptor can usually be traced to the 1993 film Jurassic Park, but there is more fiction to the film than most realize. One of the most frequently cited inaccuracies is the size of the depicted Velociraptor. Although the film […]
Albertosaurus
Albertosaurus Was a Smaller Tyrannosaurus Rex A relative of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, Albertosaurus was named after the place where the first fossil was found in Alberta, Canada. Since then, this dinosaur has been compared and confused with its larger predatory cousin. With the same physical attributes only in lesser sizes, the Albertosaurus is commonly misrepresented […]
Coelophysis
Coelophysis was a Nine Foot Long Carnivore Some 216.5 to 203.6 million years ago during the late Triassic period Coelophysis walked the Earth. As one of the earliest known genera of dinosaurs this nine foot long carnivore can teach us a lot about the evolution of dinosaurs. Below we will take a look at everything […]
Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus is a Commonly Misrepresented Dinosaur Dilophosaurus is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented dinosaur species to have lived. As one of the earliest Jurassic theropods this dinosaur has suffered from poor fossil representation and imaginative Hollywood depictions. Below we will take a look at just what we do know about this bipedal carnivore. […]
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus Rex is a Giant Cretaceous Carnivore The Tyrannosaurus Rex or “tyrant lizard” is one of the better known dinosaurs of all prehistory. While many believe that this seven ton carnivore was a creature of the Jurassic age, this theropod did not come along until much later during the cretaceous era. When it comes […]