191 replies to this topic

[frogfish]

The Dinosaur of the Day is:

    
       

    
Achelousaurus
Achelousaurus horneri
  
  
Pronounced:
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: Achelous Lizard
Length: 20 feet (6 m)
Height: 8 feet (2.7 m)
Weight: unknown
Time: Late Cretaceous - 75 MYA
Location: N. America  

  
  Achelousaurus is a relative of another frilled ceratopsian dinosaur, Pachyrhinosaurus. They shared the same strange lump of bone on their nose, called a boss. This bony lump was positioned where other frilled dinosaurs, like , had their nose horns.

Achelousaurus was a fairly large plant-eating dinosaur that looked similar in body type to the other larger members of its North American family. There is ongoing discussion as to whether this dinosaur warrants its own genus. There seems to be ongoing speculation that it is a species of Pachyrhinosaurus, perhaps showing gender differentiation. Most likely, it will take a more complete specimen to settle the debate. It is at present considered by many to be somewhere between the Pachyrhinosaurus and Einiosaurus.

Link

Edited by frogfish, 14 April 2006 - 02:00 AM.

[Raptor]

Good idea for a thread, .

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Acanthopholis
Acanthopholis horridus
  
Pronounced: a-kan-THOF-o-liss
Diet: Herbivore
Name Means: "Thorn Scale"
Length: 6 feet
Height: 8 feet
Weight: Unknown
Time: Middle Cretaceous - 120 MYA
Location: Europe

Acanthopholis was an armored dinosaur discovered in England in 1867. Acanthopholis was a plant eater whose head, neck, back, and tail were covered with armored plates, called scutes. The scutes on this dinosaur were pointy and would have protected the animal from meat-eating predators.

Named by Thomas Huxley, one of the most prominent scientists and thinkers of 19th century Europe, Acanthopholis has had a somewhat controversial history. It was probably slightly smaller and lighter than its North American nodosaur relatives.

[frogfish]

Not to be rude Raptor, but could you be as kind to also post a picture?

Thanks


Rinchenia
Rinchenia mongoliensis
  
  

Pronounced: rin-Chen-ee-uh
Diet: Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means: Rinchens
Length: 8 feet (2.5 m)
Height: 4 feet (1.3 m)
Weight: 300 pounds (136 kilos)
Time: Late Cretaceous - 70 MYA  
Location: Asia  

  
  Rinchenia looked exactly like an Oviraptor. In fact, many scientists believe that it was an Oviraptor. The main difference between the two dinosaurs seems to be the shape of the crest on the top of its head, and how some of the bones that attached to this crest were formed. It was a swift hunter, but there is still debate about what it hunted based on its strange beak and head, and it most likely had feathers.

A bit more lightly built than the other Asian Oviraptors, the debate goes on as to this dinosaur's classification. In recent studies of Oviraptors, it appears that each individual would have had a different crest shape and size. North American members of this family discovered to date are considerably larger than their Asian cousins. It is possible that Rinchenia merely exhibits individual traits and is in fact an Oviraptor. As of this writing, it has not been formally described

Edited by frogfish, 15 April 2006 - 07:58 PM.

[frogfish]

Sauroposeidon
Sauroposeidon proteles

  
  
Pronounced: Saw-row-poe-Si-den
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Lizard Poseidon"
Length: 98 feet (30m)
Height: 60 feet (19 m)
Weight: 70 tons (63,500 kilos)
Time: Late Jurassic - 110 MYA    
Location: Western U.S.  


  Sauroposeidon is possibly the tallest dinosaur ever! Reaching heights as high as a six-story building, this huge plant eater was related to Brachiosaurus. What is interesting is that it lived at a time when there were very few giant sauropods left in North America - most had become extinct by the middle of the Cretaceous period.

The discovery of this huge sauropod has been a great help to scientists, as not much is known about dinosaurs from this period. It is also a bit perplexing, however, as most of the giant North American sauropods had vanished by this time. Their cousins were thriving in South America, but for some reason they had, except for Sauroposeidon, gone extinct in North America and would not be seen again for tens of millions of years until the titanosaurs migrated north.

Very little material of this creature has been found; the genus is based on some cervical vertebrae and rib material.

[frogfish]

The Dinosaur of the Day is:

Giganotosaurus
Giganotosaurus carolinii
  
  

Pronounced: Jig-an-o-toe-Saw-rus
Diet: Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means: "Giant Southern Lizard"
Length: 43 feet (14 m)
Height: 17 feet (5.5 m)
Weight: 7 tons (6,800 kilos)
Time: Late Cretaceous - 100 MYA
Location: South America  
  
  Giganotosaurus was one big meat-eater! It may have been the biggest one of all, even bigger than T. rex. It lived in South America at a time when there were still large sauropods for it to eat. It had a very strong body and a mouth full of teeth like steak knives. Just its head alone was almost 6 feet (2 m) long!

A recent discovery in Argentina suggests that Giganotosaurus may have been as large as 46 feet (15 m). What is interesting is that there is another dinosaur found in North Africa, called Carcharodontosaurus that is almost identical - in fact, it may be the same genus. Since South America and Africa were still connected back then, it is possible they are very close relations.

Like T. rex, this dinosaur hunted in warm and swampy areas. Some of the sauropods of that time had armor on their backs in order to protect them from an attack from above and that kind of attack could only have come from a predator as large as Giganotosaurus.

[Raptor]

Compsognathus
Compsognathus longipes



Pronounced: Komp-so-Nath-us
Diet: Carnivore (meat-eater)
Name Means: "Elegant Jaw"
Length: 3 feet (1 m)
Height: 1 foot (.3 m)
Weight: 6 pounds (3 kilos)
Time: Jurassic
Location: Germany

Compsognathus became well known from being featured in "Lost World: Jurassic Park 2." It was one of the smallest dinosaurs we know about. This little hunter probably ate bugs and small lizards. In fact, the first fossil skeleton of this dinosaur had the remains of its last meal, a lizard, still in its stomach.

Compsognathus is one of those dinosaurs around which some controversy swirls. Some paleontologists feel that, like the much larger Tyrannosaurus, the little Compy had only two fingers. Others feel strongly that it had three. Since there are only two known fossils, and the bones are not perfectly preserved in an articulated (as they were in life) manner, it may take more discoveries to solve this issue.

Compsognathus is considered an important link in the study of bird evolution. The original fossil of this dinosaur was found in the same place as Archeopteryx, the early feathered reptile. Compy shares a number of characteristics with this creature, but Compys do not appear to have feathers. This is one of those interesting dinosaurs where scientists hope to find more specimens to learn the answers to many questions.

Edited by Raptor X7, 16 April 2006 - 04:09 PM.

[Conspiracy]

nice idea frogfish

Edited by Conspiracy, 16 April 2006 - 11:15 PM.

[frogfish]

Saurophaganax
Saurophaganax maximus
  
  

Pronounced: saw-Rof-a-Gan-ax
Diet: Carnivore (meat-eater)
Name Means: "Lizard-Eater Master"
Length: 50 ft.(15 meters)
Height: 17 ft.(5 meters)
Weight: 6 tons (5,400 kilos)
Time: Late Jurassic - 153 MYA
Location: N. America  

  
  Saurophaganax may be a really big Allosaurus. This dinosaur would have been a huge meat-eater, possibly reaching 50 feet (15 m) long. Very little of its fossilized bones have been found so scientists are still deciding what to call this dinosaur. Some think it is a new type of Allosaurus and some think it should have its own name. More of the fossils need to be found in order to settle the debate.

[frogfish]

Ouranosaurus
Ouranosaurus nigeriensis
  
  

Pronounced: Or-an-o-Sore-us
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Valiant Lizard"
Length: 23 feet (7 m)
Height: 10 feet (3 m)
Weight: 3 tons (2,700 kilos)
Time: Early Cretaceous - 110 MYA
Location: Africa  
  
  Ouranosaurus was a cousin to the better known Iguanodon. There was one big difference between the two, however, in the way that these dinosaurs looked. Ouranosaurus had long spines along its back, some up to two feet long. These probably supported a fin that ran all the way down its tail, almost to the tip.

A nearly complete skeleton of Ouranosaurus was discovered in Niger in 1976, providing an excellent look at this unique African dinosaur. Other than its long neural spines, it had similar characteristics to other iguanodontids - thumb spikes, beak, etc.

[frogfish]

Yangchuanosaurus
Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensis



Pronounced: yang-Schwan-o-Saw-rus
Diet: Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means: "Yangchuan Lizard"
Length: 35 feet (11 m)
Height: 14 feet (4.5 m)
Weight: 3.5 tons (3,150 kilos)
Time: Late Jurassic - 150 MYA
Location: Asia  

  This was a very large, ferocious meat-eater from China. Yangchaunosaurus lived at the end of the Jurassic Period and would have been around to hunt some of the large sauropods that lived in Asia at the same time.

There has been some discussion about whether Yangchuanosaurus belongs in the megalosaur family or that of the allosaurs, with which it was more closely associated. Opinion tends to lean towards the allosaur line. To date, there are two, and possibly three, other species assigned to this genus. It may have had a cranial crest.

Edited by frogfish, 19 April 2006 - 09:36 PM.

[frogfish]

Poekilopleuron
Poekilopleuron bucklandi
  
  

Pronounced: poe-Key-low-Pler-on
Diet: Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means: "Various Side"
Length: 30 feet (9 m)
Height: 10 feet (3m)
Weight: 1.5 (1,300 kilos)
Time: Late Jurassic - 165 MYA
Location: Europe  
  
  Poekilopleuron was found in 1838, making it one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered in Europe. Unfortunately, no one will ever see or study the original fossils of this large, ferocious meat-eater, as they were destroyed during WWII when bombs leveled the museum in which they were stored. Some scientists think that it may be the same dinosaur as Megalosaurus, but it will be impossible to know for sure unless other fossils are uncovered that are the same as the originals.

With no specimen available for a reliable evaluation using contemporary analysis techniques, the questions and debates surrounding Poekilopleuron may never be resolved. A specimen from the former Soviet Union was initially described as a species of this dinosaur, but that classification is considered invalid by most scientists.

[frogfish]

Edmontosaurus
Edmontosaurus regalis
  
  

Pronounced: ed-Mon-toe-Saw-rus
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Edmonton Lizard"
Length: 43 feet (13 m)
Height: 16 feet (5 m)
Weight: 3 tons (2,700 kilos)
Time: Cretaceous  
Location: Western North America  
  
  Edmontosaurus was possibly the largest of the duck-billed hadrosaurs. It was a little bigger than a T. rex and was probably a food source for the large meat-eater. It walked on all four legs much of the time, but it could also stand easily on its hind legs, as they were much larger than its front legs. Edmontosaurus had on average over 500 teeth and some had over 1,000! These were all jammed together in what is called a dental battery. This dinosaur could really chew up the tough plants on which it fed.

Edmontosaurus was originally described as Anatosaurus; for many years the species annectens was attributed to the genus Anatosaurus. Now both Anatosaurus and Claosaurus are known as Edmontosaurus. Hadrosaurs were among the most common herbivores of the late Cretaceous. Like other hadrosaurs, it had a beak that was covered with a horny sheath. Excellent mummified specimens of these dinosaurs have been found, adding a great deal to the knowledge of dinosaur skin and musculature.

When first discovered, many researchers thought these dinosaurs would have lived in the water due to the shape of their heads and the fact that one mummified specimen seemed to have webbing on its front feet. Later research has shown, however, that these creatures lived primarily on coastal plains, floodplains and river deltas. Their dental structure also supports a more terrestrial lifestyle, as was perfectly suited for plants that were found in forests near water, and not those that were found in the water. Another interesting Edmontosaurus feature is that the skin seemed to consist, at least partly, of horny plates - good defense against glancing bites and blows from predators.

[frogfish]

Valdosaurus
Valdosaurus canaliculatus
  
  

Pronounced: Val-doe-Saw-rus
Diet: Herbivore (plant-eater)
Name Means: "Wealden Lizard"
Length: 10 ft.(3 meters)
Height: 3 ft.(1 meters)
Weight: unknown
Time: Early Cretaceous - 140 MYA
Location: Europe, Africa  
    
  Valdosaurus was a small plant-eater related to Iguanodon. It is an interesting dinosaur because it has been found both in England and in the middle of Africa. This tells scientists that dinosaurs probably migrated between these two countries over great distances, most likely in large herds. Additionally, this discovery supports the theory that a land bridge connected Africa to Europe during part of the Cretaceous.

Identified incorrectly for several years, Valdosaurus was originally thought to be a Hypsilophodon and then a Dryosaurus.

[SG7]

[attachmentid=25131]

Bambiraptor
Bambiraptor feinbergi
  
  
Pronounced:Bam - bee - Rap - tor
Diet:Carnivore (meat-eater)
Name Means:"Baby Raider"
Length:3 ft.(1 m)
Height:1 ft.(30 cm)
Weight:7 lb.(3 kg)
Time:Late Cretaceous - 80 MYA
  
  
Fact Card: Download a flash card to cut out and quiz your friends  

    
Location:N. America  



  
  Bambiraptor is one of the most important fossils found in North America. This little bird-like dinosaur was a very quick hunter, and it may have been an important step in dinosaurs' evolution into birds. Scientists believe that feathers and fuzz covered its body. The fuzz would have been like the downy covering on baby birds.

Bambiraptor had quite a few features in common with modern birds. It had a wishbone, something all modern birds have that allow them to flap their wings, and its arms and hands were very long for its body size. In fact, the length of its arms and hands approached the lengths needed for flight. It also had an ossified sternum, a bone that is essential for birds to be able to move their wings for flying.

Even with these similarities, however, there is no doubt that Bambiraptor was still a dinosaur from the raptor family. It had the killer claw on its foot like Velociraptor, and it had a mouth full of sharp teeth. Bambiraptor is considered by many to be the North American version of Archaeopteryx. Clearly a short step away from its European relative, this specimen is an exceptionally important piece of the bird/dinosaur puzzle. With more than 90 percent of the animal discovered, along with the remains of what may be a second individual, this specimen will continue to provide insight into the evolution of birds.

Note: Bambiraptor is NOT named after a famous cartoon deer. Bambi is short for the Italian word "Bambino," which means baby.  

Attached Files

•  dino.jpg   28.32K   144 downloads

[frogfish]

Huayangosaurus
Huayangosaurus taibaii
  

  
Pronounced: wah-Yang-o-Saw-rus
Diet: Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Sichuan lizard"
Length: 13 feet (4 m)
Height: 4 feet (1.3 m)
Weight: 1,000 pounds (450 kilos)
Time: Middle Jurassic - 165 MYA
Location: China  
  
  Huayangosaurus is a very important member of the same family to which Stegosaurus belongs. It is the oldest known member of the stegosaur family and it seems to demonstrate how these dinosaurs evolved the plates along their backs. Huayangosaurus was less than half the size of its later family members.

This dinosaur is considered one of the most important fossils to be discovered in China. It is one of only two stegosaurs to be found with an associated skull. Huayangosaurus exhibits many characteristics of an evolutionarily transitional species. The plates along its back become more spike-like the closer they are to the tail. This supports the theory that stegosaur plates evolved from spikes. The skull and teeth are also more primitive than later stegosaurs, as this species still had premaxillary teeth , which disappeared in later stegosaurs.