Diplotomodon: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Diplotomodon Diplotomodon (die-PLOH-toh-mo-don; “double cutting tooth”) is a dubious genus of archosaur, possibly a dinosaur or marine reptile, known only from a single tooth discovered in Late Cretaceous formations of New Jersey, USA. The tooth was first described by the American paleontologist Joseph Leidy in 1868. Due to the […]
Diracodon: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Diracodon Diracodon (DIE-rack-oh-don; “Double-ridged tooth”) is a genus of stegosaurian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period, approximately 155 to 150 million years ago. Its fossils, primarily jaw fragments and teeth, were discovered in the Morrison Formation of Wyoming, USA. The history of Diracodon is complex, as the name was
Dolichosuchus: Profile of a Mysterious Triassic Reptile Dolichosuchus Dolichosuchus (DOH-lick-oh-SOOK-us; “long crocodile”) is a genus of archosaur known from the Late Triassic period, specifically the Norian age, around 216 to 208 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Löwenstein Formation of Germany. The name Dolichosuchus is derived from Greek, meaning “long crocodile,” though
Dongbeititan: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Dongbeititan Dongbeititan (DONG-bay-TY-tan; “Titan from Dongbei”) is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 130 to 125 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, a region also known as Dongbei. Dongbeititan was a
Dongyangopelta: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Dongyangopelta Dongyangopelta (DONG-yang-oh-PEL-tah; “Dongyang shield”) is a genus of nodosaurid ankylosaurian dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 100 million years ago, in what is now Zhejiang Province, China. The name refers to Dongyang City, near where its fossils were discovered, and the Greek word “pelta,” meaning
Dongyangosaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Dongyangosaurus Dongyangosaurus (Dong-yang-oh-SAWR-us; “Dongyang lizard”) is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 113 to 100 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Fangyan Formation near Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, China, which is how it got its name. Dongyangosaurus was
Draconyx: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Draconyx Draconyx (DRAK-oh-nix; “dragon claw”) is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 152 to 150 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in Portugal, specifically in the Lourinhã Formation. Draconyx was first named and described in 2001 by paleontologists Octávio Mateus and
Dracopelta: Profile of the ‘Dragon Shield’ Dinosaur Dracopelta Dracopelta (DRAK-oh-PEL-tah; “dragon shield”) is a genus of ankylosaurian dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, around 157 to 152 million years ago (Kimmeridgian stage), in what is now Portugal. The name reflects its armored nature, with “drako” meaning dragon and “pelta” meaning shield in Greek.
Dracorex: Profile of the Dragon Dinosaur Dracorex Dracorex (DRAK-o-reks; “dragon king”) Dracorex is a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur that lived during the very end of the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota, North America. The name Dracorex hogwartsia, meaning “dragon king
Dracovenator: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Dracovenator Dracovenator (DRAK-oh-ven-AH-tor; “Dragon hunter”) is a genus of neotheropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic period, approximately 201 to 199 million years ago. Its name comes from the Latin words “draco” (dragon) and “venator” (hunter), reflecting its presumed predatory lifestyle. Fossils of Dracovenator were discovered in the
