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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2021 1:41:47 GMT
Sinosauropteryx, a small Theropod from China, was the first non-avian dino to be discovered with evidence of feathers. Preserved in some of the feathers are structures that indicate colour which makes Sinosauropteryx the first non-avian dino where colouration has been determined.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2021 4:40:39 GMT
My favourite Hadrosaur
Name: Parasaurolophus
Pronunciation: Pah-rah-sore-o-loe-fus.
Meaning of name: "Near lizard crest".
Species: P. walkeri, P. tubicen, P. cyrtocristatus.
Size: Estimated to have measured around 10 metres long, 3 metres tall (up to 5 metres when standing upright) and weighing between 2 and 3 metric tonnes.
Family: Lambeosaurinae (a sub-family of Hadrosauridae).
Diet: Herbivore. Fed on both high and low-growing vegetation.
First fossils found: Known from several skulls and partial skeletons. First discovered in Alberta, Canada, in 1920. P. walkeri named by Canadian palaeontologist, William Parks, in 1922. P. tubicen named by Swedish palaeontologist, Carl Wiman, in 1931. P. cyrtocristatus named by American palaeontologist, John Harold Ostrom, in 1961. This dino's most striking feature is the curved crest on the head. Skulls with different sized crests have been found and it's been suggested that the skulls with large crests belong to adult males and those with smaller crests belong either to adult females or juveniles. Currently, we don't know the function of the crest, but it may have been used to amplify the animal's calls or for a sexual display. The nasal passages run through the crest and this may have helped improve the sense of smell.
Lived: 76.5 to 73 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Canada and the western and southwestern United States.
Just heard some very exciting news. It appears that a new Sauropod species may have just been discovered in western Queensland.
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Post by Joey12 on May 26, 2021 6:53:23 GMT
Looked it up and like that crest. Pretty good size too.
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Post by Joey12 on May 26, 2021 6:57:22 GMT
Those with feathers were tiny little guys about the size of my chihuahua but with longer tails.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2021 8:29:13 GMT
Parasaurolophus and Sinosauropteryx compared to a 6-foot man   What Sinosauropteryx may have looked like based on evidence of its colour: 
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Post by Joey12 on May 26, 2021 10:15:32 GMT
Yeah those pictures really help you see the size. Thanks.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2021 12:38:17 GMT
Yeah those pictures really help you see the size. Thanks. That's what I like best about dinosaurs, their huge variety of sizes. Some were as tiny as a Hummingbird while others stood more than ten metres tall. |
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trixtress
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[TI24] Go for it!
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Post by trixtress on May 26, 2021 13:00:01 GMT
Thanks to some persistent researchers, we know much more about dinosaurs now than just a few decades ago. And new discoveries are being made all the time to fill in the blanks and correct earlier misconceptions.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2021 13:33:10 GMT
The first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century and since then mounted skeletons have become major attractions at museums worldwide. In 1821, Megalosaurus became the very first dinosaur to be scientifically described and named and twenty years later, in 1841, English palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, coined the word 'dinosaur' which means "terrible lizard".
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Tix Mascot
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Post by Tix Mascot on May 26, 2021 15:41:19 GMT
Great to have a guide in this exciting scenery. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Talira Greycrest!  |
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 27, 2021 1:46:49 GMT
Later this year, my local museum will become home to the most complete skeleton of this icon of the Late Cretaceous (can't wait to see it).
Name: Triceratops
Pronunciation: Tri-seh-rah-tops.
Meaning of name: "Three horned face", in reference to the horns on its head (a 1-metre-long horn above each eye and a shorter horn on the snout).
Species: T. horridus, T. prorsus.
Size: 9 metres long, 3.5 metres high and weighing between 6 and 12 metric tonnes.
Family: Centrosaurinae (a sub-family of Ceratopsidae).
Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation.
First fossils found: Known from several specimens, some of which are almost complete. The first specimen, a pair of brow horns attached to a skull roof, was discovered by George Lyman Cannon in Colorado in 1887. Was originally thought to be a prehistoric bison until a much more complete skull was discovered by American palaeontologist, John Bell Hatcher, in the Lance Formation of Wyoming, in 1888. T. horridus named by American palaeontologist, Othniel Charles Marsh, in 1889. T. prorsus named by Mr. Marsh in 1890. It's been suggested that Torosaurus may be a growth stage of Triceratops. There's also evidence that Triceratops was prey for T-Rex.
Lived: 68 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Canada and the western, northwestern and mid-western United States.
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Post by Joey12 on May 27, 2021 5:18:47 GMT
Meal time.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 27, 2021 10:37:41 GMT
The largest known Triceratops skull is estimated to have measured around 2.5 metres long. It's believed that the horns and neck shield were primarily used for display.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 27, 2021 13:15:37 GMT
This small dino from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia was named for a crime it never committed:
Name: Oviraptor
Pronunciation: Oh-vee-rap-tor
Meaning of name: "Egg thief", because palaeontologists originally believed that it fed on the eggs of other dinosaurs.
Species: O. philoceratops
Size: 1.5 metres long, between 1 and 1.5 metres tall and weighing up to 34kgs.
Family: Oviraptoridae.
Diet: Unknown. Possible carnivore. May also have fed on nuts or shellfish.
First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton and 15 eggs. First discovered by George Olsen in the Djadochta Formation during a 1923 expedition to Mongolia's Gobi Desert led by American naturalist, Roy Chapman Andrews. Named by American palaeontologist, Henry Fairfield Osborn, in 1924. This dino's name refers to the fact that the very first specimen was found lying on a pile of what were thought to be Protoceratops eggs. During the mid-1990s, the discovery of nesting Oviraptorids has shown that the original eggs probably belonged to Oviraptor.
Lived: 75 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now southern Mongolia.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 28, 2021 8:12:22 GMT
Here's a very speedy dino:
Name: Struthiomimus
Pronunciation: Stru-thee-oh-my-mus.
Meaning of name: "Ostrich mimic", due to its resemblance to an ostrich.
Species: S. altus, S. sedens
Size: Depending on species, measured between 4 and 6 metres long, 2 metres tall and weighing between 150kg and 420kg.
Family: Ornithomimidae.
Diet: Unknown. Possible omnivore.
First fossils found: Known from several individuals. First discovered by Canadian palaeontologist, Lawrence Lambe, in 1901. Named as a species of Ornithomimus by Mr. Lambe in 1902. Almost-complete skeleton discovered by American palaeontologist, Barnum Brown, in Alberta, Canada, in 1914. Re-named Struthiomimus by American palaeontologist, Henry Fairfield Osborne, in 1917. S. sedens named in 2015. It's believed Struthiomimus could sprint at speeds of between 50 and 80km/h, around the same speed as a modern ostrich.
Lived: Depending on species, lived between 78 to 67 million years ago during the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Canada and the western United States.
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