The Dinosaur Museum News

The fossil vertebra of a giant pterosaur with a wingspan in excess of 16 metres has been found in Romania.  Despite being such a large creature the pterosaur was fairly light, only 100 kilograms, otherwise it would not have been able to fly. The fossil bone was discovered in a nature reserve near to where the discovery of dinosaur remains was Continue Reading…

A new predatory dinosaur has been discovered in Romania. It has been named Balaur bondoc meaning “stocky dragon’ and would have lived about 70 million years ago. The dinosaur was like a large Velociraptor. However it had two large claws on each foot instead of the one in Velociraptor’s case. Continue Reading…

Local fossilist Chris Pamplin has discovered a dinosaur bone on Charmouth beach. Chris leads fossil walks at both Charmouth and Lyme Regis and this bone was found lying on the sand at Charmouth on the east beach. The bone was subsequently identified at Lyme Regis Museum to belong to a Scelidosaurus. There have been 10 discoveries of Scelidosaurus in Continue Reading…

A new study by renowned dinosaur expect Jack Horner and John Scannella, an earth sciences student, has come to the conclusion that Triceratops and Torosaurus are the same dinosaur but in different developmental stages. Triceratops is seen as a juvenile of the larger Torosaurus. The scientists believe that as Triceratops matured its characteristic neck-frill and horns changed shape and position to that commonly seen with Torosaurus. Continue Reading…

New research from a joint Belgian and German team is revealing new ideas into how some bipedal dinosaurs moved. By studying ostriches and then computer modelling their movement, comparisons can be made with dinosaurs. Ostriches are flightless but their feathered forelimbs are not solely for display. The limbs are used in movement to help the giant bird break quickly, turn and zig-zag. Birds are descended from dinosaurs, and the dinosaurs’ small forelimbs could have been used in a similar way.

It had always been supposed that the short forelimbs of dinosaurs were used for ripping flesh from prey or for catching small prey such as insects and small mammals. This new research suggests that the forelimbs were also used to assist with balance, speed and agility.

A new report details how researchers have found gnawing teeth marks on the bones of Cretaceous dinosaurs and marine reptiles. The dinosaur femur and rib bones demonstrate opposing pairs of teeth marks which would indicate that they belonged to a group of rodent-like mammals. Continue Reading…

The skull and horns of a new species of ceratopsian dinosaur has been discovered in Mexico. The complete horns have not been found but scientists estimate they would be over 1.2 metres in length, that is longer than any other dinosaur horns known. The dinosaur has been named Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna, and would have been similar to Triceratops with a horn above each eye, and a much shorter snout horn.  Continue Reading…

The new predator, a relative of the crocodile, lived 238 million years ago in the Triassic period at the dawn of the age of the dinosaurs. It roamed what is now Brazil and was up to 6.6 metres long and weighed 400kg. The animal has been named Pretosuchus chiniquensis. It was a plant eater and its remains were discovered in sedimentary rock which many millions of years ago was a lake. Continue Reading…

The dinosaur that lived 185 million years ago during the Jurassic period has been named Seitaad ruessi, which is derived from a Navajo word. It was a plant-eating prosauropod and could have been buried alive by a sand dune. The skeleton was first discovered in 2004 and subsequently excavated in 2005. Seitaad would have been about 1 metre tall at the hips and up to 4.5 metres long. Continue Reading…

Scientists studying fossils and minerals from the Artic Svalbard of Norway believe that a sudden drop in sea temperatures during the Cretaceous period was a contributory factor to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Around 137 million years ago sea temperatures dropped by an amazing 9C (16F). Continue Reading…