Coelurus is one of my favorite theropod dinosaurs, and has been since I was young. It’s not as well-known as other Jurassic theropods like Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, and Ornitholestes, partly because it is only known from fragmentary evidence. Yet I’m always… Read More ›
Late Jurassic
Hallopus
This is Hallopus victor, a 3-foot long reptile that lived in the Morrison Formation of western North America during the late Jurassic Period approximately 150 million years ago. Hallopus belonged to a group of reptiles called the “sphenosuchians” a group… Read More ›
Camptosaurus
This is Camptosaurus dispar, a 20 foot long plant-eating dinosaur from the Morrison Formation of western North America during the late Jurassic Period. In most paleo-art, it seems that the only purpose in life for this unfortunate animal is to… Read More ›
Macelognathus
This is Macelognathus vagans. This animal lived in the Morrison Formation of western North America during the late Jurassic Period approximately 150 million years ago. Macelognathus belongs to a group of animals called the “sphenosuchians”, which is a group that’s… Read More ›
Dryosaurus
NOTE: This article was originally posted on April 8, 2020. It was substantially updated on December 14, 2022. This is Dryosaurus, a 10 foot long plant-eating ornithopod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation of western North America, and possibly… Read More ›
Ceratosaurus Osteoderms: A Revised Perspective
Ceratosaurus is an iconic dinosaur due to numerous physical attributes that distinguish it from other theropod species: the horn on the end of its nose, the massive teeth, the tiny hands with the four fingers, the wide tail, etc. However,… Read More ›
Haplocanthosaurus: An Enigmatic Sauropod from the Late Jurassic Period
Introduction The sauropods are the definitive image of the dinosaur. Almost always, whenever one hears the word “dinosaur”, the image of the long-necked long-tailed four-legged behemoth is what immediately springs to mind. The sauropods were the dominant land herbivores during… Read More ›
Hybodus, the iconic shark of the dinosaur age
Many people, usually un-informed talking heads that appear on populist nature documentaries who want to make claims that will grab your attention, will say that sharks have remained unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. It’s wrong. The Mesozoic Era,… Read More ›
Othnielia
Othnielia rex was a small ornithopod dinosaur found in the Morrison Formation, a famous geological formation spanning a large chunk of the western United States which is dated to the late Jurassic Period, 155-145 million years ago. It is here… Read More ›
Morrolepis
Note: This article was originally published on August 31, 2019. It has since been substantially updated and re-published on September 19, 2024. The Morrison Formation of the western United States is one of the most famous deposits of late Jurassic… Read More ›