Charonosaurus

Charonosaurus is one many different Hadrosaur, or "Duck-Billed" species. It was discovered relatively recently, with the first fossils uncovered in 2000.

Charonosaurus is named for Charon of Greek Myth, the ferryman who carried souls across the river Styx. The Fossils were found on the banks of a river, inspiring the name. They lived between 67 and 65 million years ago, going extinct during the event at the end of the Cretaceous.

Only a few bones have been found of this Dinosaur-- most notably a partial skull. Though we don't have a full skeleton, we can use ratios found in relative Hardosaurs and determine Charonosaurus's size. They were one of the largest members of their family, and could grow as long as 33, possibly 40 feet!

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Status : Extinct, Lived 67-65 million years ago
Location : China and Russia
Size : Length up to 33ft (10m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Hadrosauridae -- Genus : †Charonosaurus -- Species : † C. jiayinensis
Image : Carnivora Forum

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Triceratops

Triceratops is one of those iconic Dinosaurs, everyone recognizes it! These four-legged herbivores were discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh during the famous late 19th century "Bone Wars," and their fossils have been found in various deposits in western North America.

Triceratops

Triceratops is a genus name that encompasses three different species, with Triceratops horridus being the most well known. They measured as long as 30 feet from nose to tail tip, and could weigh well over 20,000lbs.

These Dinosaurs were named for the three horns on their skulls. These horns, and the large bony neck frill behind them, were probably used for defense. And Triceratops certainly had a lot to defend against-- these guys lived at the end of the Cretaceous, in about the same time and place that T. Rex and other very large, very powerful predators lived!

Aside from defense, the horns and neck frill may have served a purpose in during mating season. The neck may have even helped to regulate body heat!

Triceratops lived up until the very end of the Cretaceous, and died out along with all of the other Dinosaurs that were around for the K-T Extinction Event.

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Status : Extinct. Lived 72-65 million years ago
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 30ft (9m), Weight up to 26,000lbs (12 tonnes)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Ceratopsidae -- Genus : †Triceratops
Image : Nobu Tamura , Minnesota Jones

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Barosaurus

80 different Dinosaurs were discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh during the "Bone Wars" and Barosaurus was one of them.

This relative to the more famous Diplodocus lived during the Upper Jurassic, between 155 and 145 millions years go. Its fossils were first uncovered by Marsh in 1889, and parts have been found in various western American states.

Barosaurus was a very long Dinosaur-- adults could reach more than 80 feet from head to tail, and weight upwards of 40,000lbs. Their necks alone stretched to 30ft! That's almost two giraffes!

The neck of a Barasaurus raises some questions about how this Dinosaur's circulatory system worked. If they held their neck straight up it would require an abnormally massive heart to pump blood all the way to the brain. There are theories that Barosaurus either had secondary heart-like structures in its neck, to help move the blood upwards, or they kept their necks parallel to the ground. However, it is difficult to prove either theory-- soft tissue does not exist for these creatures, and the fossilized vertebrae suggest that the Sauropod did stand with its neck stretching upwards. Either way, very interesting things to think about!

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Status : Extinct 145 million years
Location : North America
Size : Full length up to 85ft (26m), Weight up to 44,000lbs (20 metric tons)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Suborder : †Sauropodomorpha
Family : †Diplodocidae -- Genus : †Barosaurus -- Species : † B. lentus

Image : Debivort, Ryan Somma

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Carnotaurus

Carnotaurus sastrei

The Carnotaurus is a popular Dinosaur due to its large size (up to 30ft long) and interesting appearance. They had very straight, muscular bodies that allowed them to run quickly, as well as distinctive horns over their eyes.

And yes, that painting is correct-- Carnotarus had tiny arms. Absolutely, minuscule! They make a T. Rex's look huge by comparison! These itty bitty arms were probably function-less, having the same reduced nerve fibers found in the tiny useless wings of flightless birds like Emus.

Carnotaurus lived before the T. Rex, about 72-70 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous. Their fossils have been found in Argentina, and were only discovered back in 1984. Interestingly, Carnotaurus was the very first Theropod Dinosaur to give us fossilized skin impressions. We know that they were covered in scales, as well as knobby bumps that ran down the back. They were also absent of feathers.

There is some disagreement over what Carnotaurus ate. While it is accepted that they were very fast, and could run down prey, there is dispute over what the prey was. Some argue that their bite strength was low, but the movement was quick, and that they probably captured small creatures and swallowed them whole. Others suggest that their bite was actually very strong, and would've been used to repeatedly attack larger prey. Publications have been going back and forth on this topic for over 15 years.

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Status : Extinct for 70 Million Years
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 30ft (9m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Clade : Theropoda
Family : †Abelisauridae -- Genus : †Carnotaurus -- Species : † C. sastrei
Image : Nobu Tamura, Ghedoghedo

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Deinonychus

One of my favorite movies ever, Jurassic Park, came out twenty years ago this month! And though it's not the most scientifically accurate movie ever, it does make some great comments about the Bird-Dinosaur evolutionary relationship.

Today's animal, Deinonychus, is an excellent example of that link, and (fun fact) it is also the inspiration for the Velociraptors in the movie! (Real Velociraptors were much smaller in size-- but have a much easier to pronounce name. At least the two were members of the same subfamily!) They lived during the Cretaceous period, around 115-108 million years ago, and their fossils have been found in western North America.

Deinonychus means "terrible claw," an appropriate name for them since they had massive claws on their feet that they used to slash at their prey. They also hunted in packs, as evidenced by the grouped fossils that have been found. (Sound similar to the movie Raptors?)

Deinonychus may have also had feathers, though that is up for some debate. No skin impressions have been found, but many other close relatives to Deinonychus, including Velociraptor and Microraptor, did most-assuredly have feathers. So it is likely that they did too!

Feathers or not, Deinonychus is incredibly important to our modern theories on Dinosaur-Bird evolution. John Ostrom, the Paleontologist who first extensively studied and named Deinonychus, used his work on the species to propose numbers theories that had never been brought up before. In the late 1960s he proposed that these fast, agile predators had to have been warm-blooded. And in the mid 1970s he compared the feet of Deinonychus to those of Birds, a hypothesis that eventually led to the near-universally accepted theory that Birds evolved from Dinosaurs!

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Status : Extinct for 108 Million Years
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 11ft (3.4m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Saurischia
Family : †Dromaeosauridae -- Genus : †Deinonychus -- Species : † D. antirrhopus

Image : Domser

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Qantassaurus

Qantassaurus

Qantassaurus is one of the more recently discovered Dinosaurs-- it was first unearthed back in 1996. The genus is named after QANTAS, the Queensland and Northern Territory Air Service, which has funded digs and transported fossils for several projects. It should come as no shock then to discover that these DInosaurs were found in Australia.

Qantassaurus was smaller in size-- only about 3ft tall and 6ft long. Scientists have had to estimate these measurements as this particular Dinosaur is only known from jaw fragments. They have been able to come up with those numbers based on the size ratios of other family members. Qantassaurus also had a very blunt face and large eyes.

Interestingly, 115 million years ago when Qantassaurus lived, Australia was even further south than it is now. Conditions were colder, which is why these guys were so small. Larger Dinosaurs would not have been able to live in such climates, as there would not have been enough vegetation.

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Status : Extinct for 115 million years
Location : Australia
Size : Height up to 3ft (.9m), Length up to 6ft (1.8m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Superorder : Dinosauria
Order : Ornithischia -- Family : Hypsilophodontidae -- Genus: Qantassaurus

Image : debivort

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Protoceratops

Protoceratops

Meet the Protoceratops. If the name sounds familiar, it may be because you are already acquainted with the Triceratops-- the two genera were in the same family, and the Protoceratops is an evolutionary ancestor to the more well-known Dinosaur.

Protoceratops was quite small, especially when compared to its more famous descendants. These Late Cretaceous Dinosaurs only grew 2-3ft tall, and around 6ft long. They were still relatively heavy for their height, topping out at around 400lbs, but that is a far cry from the 20,000+lbs Triceratops. Interestingly though, their smaller size and beaked skull may have helped to found the Griffin myth!

The fossils of this Dinosaur were first uncovered in Mongolia back in 1922. So far two different species within the genus have been identified from various Mongolia expeditions-- P. andrewsi and P. hellenikorhinus. One of the most stunning fossils of Protoceratops was unearthed in 1971. It shows the creature fighting a Velociraptor! The two Dinosaurs were probably caught in a sandstorm mid-struggle, and have stayed preserved that way for millions of years.

Other cool Protoceratops finds? Nests! In 2011 a nest containing P. andrewsi young was found. This find suggests that the adults did in fact care for their offspring, at least for a short while.

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Status : Extinct for 70 million years
Location : Mongolia
Size : Height up to 3ft (.9m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Ornithischia
Suborder : †Ceratopsia -- Family : †Protoceratopsidae -- Genus : †Protoceratops

Image : wikidino

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Europasaurus

Europasaurus holgeri

Europasaurus is a recently discovered (2006) Dinosaur that also happens to be an example of insular dwarfism. You see, this creature is a sauropod, related to such giants as the Brachiosaurus. However, Europasaurus was quite small for a member of its family-- it grew to only about 10ft in length.

The reasoning for the small size is most likely isolation. The Europasaurus was found in the Saxony Basin, and most likely evolved in a region that had very limited resources. Because feeding and sustaining massive Sauropods was no feasible in the area of the world, these Dinosaurs grew smaller in size.

Europasaurus is also different because it had a very slow growth rate. Where other Sauropods reached titanic sizes very quickly, the Europasaurus grew at a much, much slower speed. It is possible that very old individuals reached sizes of more than 10ft, but they still would've been dwarfed by their Brachiosaur family members.

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Status : Extinct for 150 million years
Location : Europe
Size : Body length up to 10ft (3m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Saurischia
Family : †Brachiosauridae -- Genus : †Europasaurus -- Species : † E. holgeri

Image : Gerhard Boeggemann

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Eosinopteryx brevipenna

Eosinopteryx brevipenna

Man, I love it when new Dinosaurs get discovered, and this recent one is really, really cool.

First officially described just this past week, Eosinopteryx brevipenna is a creature from the Late Jurassic that lived around 160 and 145 million years ago. It is known from a single skeleton found in China and had a short snout and a short tail. E. brevipenna is interesting because it was very small-- only about 12in long. It also had a body covered in feathers! The species did have wings, but it is very unlikely that it actually flew, based upon the location of the wing bones.

E. brevipenna, along with other feathered Dinosaurs that have been uncovered, are helping scientists to piece together the origin of the flying birds. When Archaeopteryx was first unearthed in 1860, the lineage seemed much more straightforward. The discovery of so many new species is showing a much more complex picture, with multiple lineages contributing to the birds we know today.

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Status : Extinct 145 million years
Location : China
Size : Length around 12in (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Order : Saurischia
Family : †Troodontidae -- Genus : †Eosinopteryx -- Species : E. brevipenna

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Eocursor

Eocursor parvus

Eocursor is the name of a Dinosaur genus whose fossils were first uncovered back in 1993. It took an additional 14 years for the discovery to be properly studied and described, and the result was a creature whose name translates to "Dawn Runner."

Eocursor lived during the Late Triassic, and is an example of an early Ornithischian. In fact, this creature is the oldest found, and has the most complete skeleton of any early member of it's Order, which has helped to bring in information about the origins of the group. Until this discovery, very little was known at all about the rise of the Ornithischians (a group that includes Stegosaurus and Triceratops).

We don't have a full skeleton of Eocursor, but we do have hands, legs, a pelvis, and skull fragments. These pieces are enough to tell us that the Dinosaur walked on two feet, was a very swift runner, and probably had an omnivorous diet (which we can tell from the teeth).

There is still much to be learned about the origin and evolutionary history of all Dinosaurs, and hopefully future finds will help to fill in some of the breaks in our knowledge. Alas, the fickle nature of fossils, and the incredible environmental needs that have to be met to create them, mean that we won't be able to know it all. But even with a few bones, like the handful found for Eocursor, we can still learn a lot!

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Status : Extinct for 210 million years
Location : South Africa
Size : Length around 3ft (1m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Order : †Ornithischia
Genus : †Eocursor -- Species : † E. parvus

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Eoraptor

Eoraptor lunensis

We've been learning a lot about Dinosaurs recently, though most of those lived in the Cretaceous period, not long before the big extinction event that wiped all the Dinosaurs out. Today's Dinosaur comes from the opposite end of the timeline-- it is one of the earliest known Dinosaurs, and lived nearly 230 million years ago.

Eoraptor ("Dawn Theif"), hailed from the Late Triassic. They were small, only about 3ft long in total, and walked on two legs. Their mouths were filled with teeth that could be used for both carnivorous and herbivorous diets, though their other features suggest that they leaned more towards the meat-eating side. Eoraptor also had long legs that suggest a fast moving gait, and five-fingered hands that had three long, clawed fingers, and two fingers that appear to be too small to be useful.

Eoraptor was first discovered in 1991 in Argentina, and was named in 1993. What is a dry badlands today was once a river valley, and it is in that area that the fossils were found  along with fossils of other early Dinosaurs.

We know that Eoraptor was an early Dinosaur because of the fossil location, and also because of the animal's morphology . They lacked the specialized features that appeared in later Dinosaur groups. Some think that because they are so ancient, and so non-specific in their features, that they aren't quite Dinosaurs at all. And if they are in fact Dinosaurs, as the popular opinion states, there is disagreement about whether or not they are truly Saurischian or Theropod.

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Status : Extinct for 230 million years

Location : Argentina
Size : Length up to 3ft (.9m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- clade : Dinosauria
Genus : †Eoraptor-- Species : †E. lunensis

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Ankylosaurus

Ankylosaurus magniventris

About a week ago we learned all about an armored Sauropod, Ampelosaurus. Today we'll learn about one of the most famous armored Dinosaurs of them all- Ankylosaurus. Like Ampelosaurus, Ankylosaurus lived during the late Cretaceous period... though a few million years later and in a different part of the world.

There is only one identified species within the Ankylosaurus genus-- A. magniventris. It was first uncovered in Montana back in 1906, and officially named in 1908. Ankylosaurus translates to "Curved Lizard" or "Stiffened Lizard," while magniventris means "great belly," a reference to the animal's width.

Ankylosaurus was covered by osteoderms of varying sizes, and those plates most likely had keratin on top of them as well. They also had large, clubbed tails-- those clubs were actually osteoderms fused with the last few vertebrae on the tail. Those plates and club (and the horns on their head) made them a difficult animal for predators to take down.

Ankylosaurus was an herbivore, and had a beak and small teeth that were used to browse from trees. They actually lacked molars, so food wasn't really ground up. Overall, we know a lot about the anatomy of the Ankylosaurus... except for what its feet looked like! No foot fossils have ever been found, though based on the feet of closer relatives, they probably had five toes on each foot.

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Status : Extinct for 65 million years

Location : North America
Size : Length up to 30ft (9m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class:  Reptilia -- clade : Dinosauria
Order : †Ornithischia -- Family : †Ankylosauridae
Genus : †Ankylosaurus-- Species : †A. magniventris

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Ampelosaurus

Ampelosaurus atacis

Ampelosaurus is one incredible looking Dinosaur. Not only are they members of the gigantically long Sauropod group, but they also had armor on their backs!

Ampelosaurus wasn't as long, or even as long-necked as some of its Sauropod relatives, but at 50ft in length they were far from tiny. They bony plates on the back are called osteoderms, and they grow from the dermal layers of the skin. Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus are two other Dinosaurs famous for their Osteoderms.

This Dinosaur is also pretty distinct because its fossils have been found more-or-less complete. Typically, Titanosaurs (the very large sauropods that lived in the Late Cretaceous) have to be reconstructed using only a handful of found remains. Ampelosaurus has provided us with dozens of fossils, including a skeleton that is very close to complete! They are one of the best known Dinosaurs in Europe.

Ampelosaurus ("Vineyard Lizard") lived between 70 and 65 million years ago, at the very end of the Dinosaurs' reign. They stomped around what is now Europe, and most of their fossils have been recovered from the Marnes Rouges Inférieures Formation in France. They were first uncovered near a Vineyard, hence the name's translation.

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Status : Extinct for 70 million years

Location : Europe
Size : Length up to 50ft (15m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Superorder : Dinosauria -- Order : Saurischia
Infraorder : Sauropoda -- Genus : Ampelosaurus -- Species : A. atacis

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Sinocalliopteryx

Sinocalliopteryx gigas

Sinocalliopteryx certainly has a mouthful of a name! It actually translates to "Chinese Beautiful Feather," as they had feathers, and their fossils were uncovered in the Yixian Formation in north east China. It is a relatively new species, in terms of discovery, and was only first described in 2007.

Sinocalliopteryx lived around 130-125 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous. They are the largest known members of their entire family, measuring nearly 8ft long. These guys were bipedal, and had powerful hind legs and arms that were longer than most others in their family. They also had "proto-feathers," which were thin, hairlike feathers. (I imagine something that looked similar to the feathers on a Cassowary).

New research has come out that suggests Sinocalliopteryx hunted much like a modern cat does. Fossil evidence shows that they flying creatures, including small aerial Dinosaurs. They probably stalked these animals quietly, hiding in the underbrush. Then, when the right moment hit, they would jump up into the air with their powerful hind legs and snatch on to the prey. This theory is still controversial, as fossils are only able to tell us so much about behavior. However, the leg anatomy, coupled with the presence of flying creatures in the digestive system, makes for a compelling argument.

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Status : Extinct for around 125 million years
Location : China
Size :  Length up to 8ft (2.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- clade : Dinosauria
Family : †Compsognathidae -- Genus : †Sinocalliopteryx -- Species : †S. gigas

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Shuvuuia

Shuvuuia deserti

Meet Shuvuuia, a small Cretaceous Dinosaur that was most likely covered in a coat of feathers! The type fossil of the species was found with many deteriorated structures surrounding it, structures that were similar to the central shafts of modern bird feathers. Further analysis showed that these structures once contained beta-keratin, but not alpha-keratin, which gives further evidence towards a feathery coat (as only bird feathers have beta-keratin, but not alpha).

Aside from the feathers, Shuvuuia had a few other bird-like traits. Their skulls, legs, and feet were all very similar to those on birds, but their arms are not, leaving them still within the realm of the Dinosaurs.

Shuvuuia even has a bird name, literally! Their genus is named for the Mongolia word for bird, shuvuu, as the fossils were found in Mongolia. Shuvuuia dates back between 85 and 75 million years, putting it in the Late Cretaceous period.

These Dinosaurs were very small, standing only a foot or so high and having a full body length of 2-3ft. They probably ate insects and small mammals, and were most likely very quick on their feet. All that we know about Shuvuuia comes from only a few fossils, so there is still very much to be learned and uncovered!

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Status : Extinct for around 75 million years
Location : Mongolia
Size : Length up to 2ft (60cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- clade : Dinosauria
Family : †Alvarezsauridae -- Genus : †Shuvuuia-- Species : †S. deserti

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Kentrosaurus

Kentrosaurus aethiopicus

Meet the Kentrosaurus, a member of the Stegosaurus family whose fossils have been found exclusively in the African country of Tanzania.

Kentrosaurus lived during the Late Jurassic, between 155 and 150 million years ago. They were smaller members of the Stegosauridae family, and only measured around 15ft from head to tail. Kentrosaurus had hind legs that were longer than their front legs, which means they fed primarily on low lying vegetation. These Dinosaurs were herbivores, possibly traveled in herds, and were most likely not very intelligent (very small brain size compared to body size).

This Dinosaur had a double row of bony plates that ran from the head to the mid back. No one is especially sure what the plates were used for-- temperature control and for mating displays are two theories. Where the plates end, a double row of long spikes begins. There were most likely used for defensive purposes. The name "Kentrosaurus" is actually inspired by those spikes-- Kentron is Greek for "point" or "prickle."

I can't talk about Kentrosaurus without mentioning some of the history surrounding their discovery. The first fossils were uncovered by a German team in 1909, and over the following years around 1,200 bones were dug up and sent back to Germany. Unfortunately, many of these bones (around 70%!) were destroyed during World War II. All of the remaining material is located in Berlin and Tubingen, so if you are interested in checking out some Kentrosaurus fossils, you know where to go!

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Status : Extinct since the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years
Location : Found in Tanzania
Size : Length around 15ft (4.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Stegosauridae -- Genus : †Kentrosaurus -- Species : †K. aethiopicus

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Fruitadens

Fruitadens haagarorum

Allow me to introduce you to a tiny little Dinosaur named Fruitadens. They are the smallest discovered members of the entire Ornithischian (bird-hipped) Order. These tiny guys only measured 2ft in length, and weighed less than 2lbs!

Fruitadens are not, in fact, named "Fruit Tooth." The moniker actually comes from the Fruita region of Colorado, which is where their fossils were discovered. Confusing the issue even more is the fact that they little guys probably did eat fruit... but they also ate small critters, insects, and other plants as well. It seems that they were very opportunistic feeders.

Fruitadens was first described only 2 years ago, but the bones where uncovered back in the 1970s and 1980s! They sat stored at the Los Angeles County Museum for decades until a more exact study could be done. The resulting analysis turned up one species, Fruitadens haagarorum (named for the President of the Museum's Board of Trustees), which lived during the Late Jurassic.

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Status : Extinct since the Late Jurassic - 150 million years ago
Location : Colorado
Size : Length up to 30in (76cm), Weight up to 1.7lbs (.7kg

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Heterodontosauridae -- Genus : †Fruitadens -- Species : †F. haagarorum

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Ornithomimus

Ornithomimus

Ornithomimus means "bird mimic," and what an appropriate name that is! This genus of Cretaceous Dinosaur had long slender legs, a log neck, and a toothless beak. Think of it as an ancient Ostrich- they had similar omnivorous diets, similar body-types, and could even run at comparable speeds. They may have also been covered with feathers, but the evidence doesn't prove anything 100%.

The fist Ornithomimus fossils were uncovered in Colorado back in 1889. Who found them? Why none other than one of our Bone Wars buddies, Othniel C. Marsh! He named the genus in 1890, and since then more fossils have been located in other spots of North America, as well as in Mongolia.

Ornithomimus fed on plants, fruits, seeds, and small creatures like insects and tiny mammals. They had no teeth and very small heads so it is unlikely that they ate anything very large. Even though their heads were small, they had large brain cases. This suggests either a greater level of intelligence, or a larger brain devoted to movement and kinesthetic pursuits.

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Status : Extinct for 65 million years
Location : North America, Mongolia
Size : Height up to 8ft (2.4m), length up to 20ft (6m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Superorder : Dinosauria
Order : Saurischia -- Family : †Ornithomimidae -- Genus : †Ornithomimus

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Amphicoelias fragilis

We all know that the Blue Whale is the longest (and largest) living vertebrate. But is it the longest one to have ever lived? What about Dinosaurs? And what are "The Bone Wars?" Time for a story!

The year is 1877, the place- Colorado. Two paleontologists, Othniel C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, had been embroiled in a paleontological battle of one-up-manship for nearly a decade. These "Bone Wars" stem back to 1868 when Marsh publicly humiliated Cope for reconstructing an Elasmosaurus incorrectly. The battle then intensified when Marsh tossed scientific decorum to the wind and bribed excavators to exclusively send him fossils from a site in New Jersey.

These underhanded actions went on well into the 1890s, as both men resorted to theft, bribery, and destruction of property in attempts to come out on top. They also strove to ruin the other's credibility and get their funding cut off. In the end, both men were ruined financially, and gave American Paleontology some pretty bad PR in the eyes of their European counterparts.

Cope's A. fragilis vertebrae drawing

However, the competition was pretty good for discovery, as they did end up identifying almost 140 new species of Dinosaur in the process. (If you  had to pick a winner, it would probably be Marsh. In the end he simply had more money and was able to hire larger crews, thus enabling him to discover 80 new species, compared to Cope's 56) These two rivals were responsible for the discovery of some of the most famous Dinosaur types. Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Diplodocus were all finds that can be attributed to the Bone Wars.

But.... they were also responsible for some pretty big screw ups. The whole Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus confusion? Marsh. And what about today's animal? Amphicoelias fragilis? That one is all Cope.

You see, back in 1877 there were some huge digs going on in the American west. Rich fossil sites with dozens of undiscovered species were being fought over by the two men. During this time an absolutely massive vertebrae was uncovered, measuring 5 feet by 9 feet. A creature would have had to measure nearly 200ft long in order to have a bone that size! That would make this Sauropod the longest vertebrate to have ever lived!

...But Cope screwed up somewhere. Because the bone was lost not long after it's uncovering. The only evidence we have are notes and drawings made by Cope. Did he exaggerate? Was there a clerical error? No one really knows, and so Amphicoelias fragilis remains an asterisk on the "Longest-Creatures" list, pending additional fossil evidence.

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Status : Extinct
Location : United States
Size : Length up to 200ft? (61m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Saurischia
Superfamily : †Diplodocoidea -- Genus : †Amphicoelias -- Species : A fragilis

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Albertosaurus

Albertosaurus

Albertosaurus is a Cretaceous carnivore named for the Canadian province of its discovery It was first discovered by J.B. Tyrell  in 1884, and was officially identified as a species in 1905.

As a member of the family Tyrannosauridae, Albertosaurus is a relative to the T. Rex. They share many physical similarities, including a large skull, small forelimbs, and powerful hind legs. Albertosaurus, however, was smaller than the T. Rex, and predated it by a few million years. They were probably very fast runners, and could recovered from stumbles and falls easier than their larger relatives.

Skull Cast

Albertosaurus had quite a few teeth. 14-16 on the lower jaw, and 17-19 on the upper. Though they had only one row of teeth at a given time, there was always a replacement growing in the jaw in case a tooth fell out!

We actually know quite a bit about the Albertosaurus, as there have been fossils of over 30 different individuals discovered. Not only are there numerous fossils, but the individuals that they represent span a large age range. That, combined with the fact that many of the fossils were found on one site, suggests that the Albertosaurus lived in large pack groups.

There is a little bit of confusion surrounding the species within the Albertosaurus genus. A. sarcophagus has long been considered the type species, but for a long time a second species A. libratus was also classified with the genus. Studies have been done to determine whether these two Dinosaurs belong so closely related, and now there are many who have changed A. libratus  to Gorgosaurus libratus.

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Status : Extinct for 70 million years

Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 33ft (10m), Weight up to 5,500lbs (2,500kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Saurischia
Family : †Tyrannosauridae -- Genus : †Albertosaurus -- Species : A. sarcophagus

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