Dakotaraptor steini

Dakotaraptor steini (DePalma et al., 2015) 

Dinosauria 

Theropoda 

Tetanurae 

Coelurosauria 

Maniraptora 

Paraves 

Dromaeosauridae (Raptors) 

Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) 

Hell Creek Formation 

South Dakota, United States 

Length: 4.5 - 6 m 

If valid*, despite being one of the largest known dromaeosaurs (raptors), Dakotaraptor retains the relatively agile build of smaller dromaeosaurs like Deinonychus rather than the stocky build of similarly sized dromaeosaurs like Utahraptor. 

* Note: Dakotaraptor's taxonomic validity is currently uncertain and may represent a chimaera. 

Sunday, January 8th, 2023 

Pteranodon longiceps (Male)

 

Pteranodon longiceps (Marsh, 1876) 

Pterosauria 

Pterodactyloidea 

Pteranodontoidea 

Pteranodontia 

Pteranodontidae 

Santonian (Late Cretaceous) 

Niobrara Formation, Pierre Shale 

Western Canada, Western United States 

Wingspan: 6.5 m 

Pteranodon was once thought of as a strictly aerial animal, too clumsy to walk much on land and too fragile to dip more than his beak into the water to catch fish. Modern analysis shows that Pteranodon was more than capable of both terrestrial locomotion and diving to catch fish. Distinct variation in pelvis shapes shows that this genus was high sexually dimorphic, with males being twice the size of females and sporting large crests. 

Tuesday, July 19th, 2022 

Stegosaurus stenops

 

Stegosaurus stenops (Marsh, 1887)
Dinosauria
Ornithischia
Thyreophora
Stegosauria
Stegosauridae

Kimmeridgian to Tithonian (Late Jurassic)
Morrison Formation
United States (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming), Portugal?

Length: 7 m (up to 9 m?)

The 2014 reveal of the more complete "Sophie" specimen of Stegosaurus showed that this genus of dinosaur had a proportionally longer leg and less hunched back than previously thought, giving it a profile more similar to that of its relatives.

Monday, February 28th, 2022 

Triceratops prorsus

 

Triceratops prorsus (Marsh, 1890) 
Dinosauria 
Ornithischia 
Cerapoda 
Marginocephalia 
Ceratopsia 
Ceratopsidae 
Chasmosaurinae 
Triceratopsini 

Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) 
Denver, Evanston, Hell Creek, Lance, Laramie, Scollard Formations 
Western Canada and United States 

Length: 9 m 

Exquisitely preserved skin impressions from the "Lane" specimen of Triceratops show that Triceratops was a lot spikier than previously thought. 

Monday, August 23rd, 2021 

Apatosaurus ajax

 

Apatosaurus ajax (Marsh, 1877) 
Dinosauria 
Sauropoda 
Diplodocoidea 
Diplodocidae 
Apatosaurinae 

Kimmeridgian to Tithonian (Late Jurassic) 
Morrison Formation 
Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming; United States 

Length: 21 - 30+ m? 

With some specimens significantly larger than most apatosaurines (e.g. OMNH 1670), Apatosaurus ajax was likely one of the largest animals to have ever walked the Earth. 

Monday, April 19th, 2021 

Apatosaurus louisae

 

Apatosaurus louisae (Holland, 1916) 

Dinosauria 

Sauropoda 

Diplodocoidea 

Diplodocidae 

Apatosaurinae 

Kimmeridgian - Tithonian (Late Jurassic) 

Morrison Formation 

Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming; United States 

Length: 21 - 23 m 

It has been hypothesized that Apatosaurus louisae used their long thick necks in intraspecific combat, similarly to modern day giraffes or elephant seals (Source: http://www.miketaylor.org.uk/dino/pubs/svpca2015/abstract.html#gsc.tab=0). 

Monday, April 5th, 2021 

Tyrannosaurus rex

 

Tyrannosaurus rex (Osborn, 1905) 

Dinosauria 

Theropoda 

Tetanurae 

Coelurosauria 

Tyrannosauroidea 

Tyrannosauridae 

Tyrannosaurinae 

Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) 

Frenchman Formation, Hell Creek Formation, Lance Formation, Scollard Formation 

Western Canada, Western United States 

Length: 13 m 

Due to the overrepresentation of this genus in popular culture, it can be easy to forgot all that makes it unique: Tyrannosaurus had the largest teeth of any known dinosaur, as well as the most powerful bite of any terrestrial creature that has ever lived. Tyrannosaurus was also one of the few dinosaurs with binocular vision and had an excellent sense of smell. 

Thursday, March 4th, 2021