Tag Jurassic

Massive Pliosaur skull is an ancient sea reptile

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David Attenborough’s new BBC documentary “Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster” reveals information about a massive Pliosaur skull, which is an ancient sea reptile, announced the New Scientist magazine in January 2024.

The Pliosaur was a predator from the Jurassic period. A fossil skull was found in a cliff in Dorset, United Kingdom, and studied by research scientists – palaeontologists – at the University of Bristol. Scientist Judyth Sassoon says that it is likely to be a new species that has not been found before. The scientists hope that more of the skeleton may be found in the cliff. 

The skull was in excellent condition, enabling scientists to see that its sensory pits (holes) in its nose were connected to blood vessels and nerves. This means that the Pliosaur could detect changes in water pressure as it lived in the sea. 

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Dinosaur Series: Stegosaurus

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The Stegosaurus (Stegosaurus stenops) is a large, four-legged, herbivorous armoured dinosaur in the Stegosauridae family. Its name means roof lizard. 

It lived about 155-150 million years ago in the Late Jurassic period.

The Stegosaurus is easily recognizable. It had a small head, short neck, and rounded back. It had large knife-shaped, upright plaques along its back and spikes on its tail. It walked on four legs, with its front legs shorter than its hind (back) legs. It had small, triangular, flat teeth.  

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Dinosaur Series: Rhamphorhynchus

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The Rhamphorhynchus (Rhamphorhynchus muensteri) is a pterosaur in the Rhamphorhynchidae family of long-tailed pterosaurs in the Jurassic period. Rhamphorhynchus means beak snout. It is a cousin of the dinosaurs, and it is believed to be among the first flying vertebrates.

It had a long tail that ended with a soft tail vane. It had needle-like teeth that were angled forward. It also had a curved, sharp, beak-like tip that lacked teeth. From a study of its teeth and stomach contents, palaeontologists think that its diet was mainly fish and cuttlefish.

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Dinosaur Series: Giraffatitan

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The Giraffatitan (Giraffatitan brancai) is a large, four-legged sauropod dinosaur in the Brachiosauridae family. Its name means titanic giraffe. It was found in the country that is now Tanzania in Africa.

It lived about 150 million years ago in the Late Jurassic period.

The Giraffatitan walked on four legs, with its front legs longer than its hind (back) legs. The first toe on its front feet, and the first three toes on its hind feet, were clawed. It had a long neck, like a giraffe’s neck. Its tail was also long. It had spatulate, or chisel-shaped, teeth.  

It was a herbivore, because it ate plants.

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Dinosaur Series: Epidexipteryx

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The Epidexipteryx (Epidexipteryx hui) is a small pterosaur, a cousin of the dinosaur, in the Scansorioptergidae family. 

Palaeontologists found a partial skeleton, which was from the Middle Jurassic or Upper Jurassic period.

It had four long tail feathers with central, unbranched rachis (spines) and vanes. Modern birds have branched vanes. It also had simpler body feathers than modern-day birds. It had teeth, but only in the front of the jaw, with long front teeth angled forward.

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