Late Jurassic

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, 157-147 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 ›

Harpactognathus

Harpactognathus was a rhamphorhynchid pterosaur which lived in the Morrison Formation of western North America during the late Jurassic Period. In 1996, the front of a pterosaur’s upper jaw was discovered at Bone Cabin Quarry, a famous fossil site in… Read More ›

Liopleurodon

The middle to late 19th Century can arguably be seen as the glory days of paleontology. While this time frame is often associated with the discovery of dinosaurs and the so-called “Bone Wars” of the American West, discoveries were also… Read More ›

Coelurus

This is a little-known theropod from the Morrison Formation named Coelurus. You don’t see Coelurus very often in Jurassic paleo-art, but I think it’s an interesting creature. It had a much thinner build than its Morrison coelurosaurid counterpart, Ornitholestes, and… Read More ›

Camarasaurus

Camarasaurus, “the chambered lizard”, was a sauropod dinosaur from the Morrison Formation of western North America, dated to the late Jurassic Period about 157 to 147 million years ago. The animal gets its name from the numerous openings within its… Read More ›

Ophthalmosaurus

  Ophthalmosaurus was a 20 foot long ichthyosaur which swam in the oceans around Europe during the middle and late Jurassic Period. It is named after its distinctive large eyes. The coloration in the illustration that you see below is… Read More ›