The anatotitan was a flat-headed species of dinosaur that, along with others such as the trachodon, hadrosaurus, and anatosaurus has been placed into a grouping known as the Edmontosaurus annectens. They were believed to have existed during the Late Cretaceous period and part of the last three million years prior to the extinction of dinosaurs.
There have been at least twenty partial skulls found in various US states, including Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. They have also been found in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Based on reconstruction of the findings, they resembled a modern day duck, with short front legs and large hind legs.
They had many teeth, believed to be used for stripping vegetation rather than chewing.
2. First hadrosaur
Answer: Protohadros
The protohadros was a species of herbivore dinosaurs found in the Woodbine geological formation near Texas, USA. It is believed that this dinosaur was able to walk on all fours, but could also run using its back two legs. Initial remains of this species of dinosaur were considerably scarce and reconstruction of the protohadros was hypothetical.
The holotype of the protohadros, also known as "SMU 74582", consisted only of a partial skull, some ribs, a hand, and the vertebral arch. Based on these findings that began in 1994, the protohadros is believed to have been one of the first duck-billed dinosaurs and would have measured roughly six meters in length.
3. Good-leg or true-limbed lizard
Answer: Euskelosaurus
The euskelosaurus was first written about by geologist Thomas Henry Huxley in 1866 following the discovery of bones by paleontologist Alfred Brown in 1863. They were discovered in the geographical region of Africa now occupied by the countries of Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa. Based on these findings, a holotype was made that estimated that the euskelosaurus was roughly ten meters in length and that it may have been a bow-legged creature.
4. Well-curved vertebra
Answer: Eustreptospondylus
In 1870, a group of workers at the Summertown Brick Pit, near Oxford in England, found the remains of a theropod skeleton. These remains were referred to Oxford University geology professor John Phillips in 1871. Much confusion arose from these findings as some paleontologists, such as Baron Franz Nopcsa and Friedrich von Huene, believed that they were the exact same species as the streptospondylus findings in France.
As a result, a holotype of the eustreptospondylus was actually not developed and displayed until 1924.
In 1964, British paleontologist Alick Walker confirmed that the eustreptospondylus was a unique species and reclassified and renamed it. It is now believed that this species of dinosaur survived by scavenging on marine life and animal carcasses near the shores of seabeds near the various islands (through plate tectonics, it was believed the United Kingdom was a series of islands 160 million years ago) of what has now become known as the United Kingdom.
Some theories have also suggested that the eustreptospondylus was able to swim short distances due to fossils found on different islands within the United Kingdom.
5. Tiny plunderer
Answer: Microraptor
The microraptor was discovered near Liaoning, China in 2000 and named by paleontologists Xing Xu, Qi Zhao, and X.L. Wang. The microraptor was one of the smallest non-avian dinosaurs. Through reconstruction of bones and impressions, paleontologists have estimated that the microraptor was merely 2.5 feet in length and is one of the lightest known dinosaurs weighing only 2.5 lbs.
This species of dinosaur had four wings, unlike most others that only had two, and it is believed that one species even had black colored feathers.
6. Hopping foot
Answer: Saltopus
The saltopus was discovered in the Moray region of Scotland by William Taylor and then officially named by paleontologist Friedrich von Huene in 1910. Remains of this dinosaur species have been so sparse that even seasoned veterans in the industry have been cautious when officially coming up with its taxonomy. Based on impressions found in sandstone and limited remains, paleontologists have suggested however, that the saltopus was roughly the size of the modern day domestic cat and had bones consistent with those of many birds.
It is believed to have weighed roughly two lbs, had two long hind legs and two shorter frontal legs, and five fingers on each hand.
7. One claw
Answer: Mononykus
An unusually small dinosaur, the mononykus was only one meter in length. They are classified as a "therapod" dinosaur, meaning that they have three-toed limbs and hollow bones. Initial discovery of the mononykus lead to a single holotype as paleontologists were only able to find a partial skeleton, brain case, and no tail.
When forming the holotype, they determined that the mononykus had stubby arms with one claw on each. The purpose of these singular claws has baffled scientists and paleontologists for many years, but it has been suggested that they were possibly used to break open termite mounds, thus suggesting that this species fed on insects to survive.
8. Volcano tooth
Answer: Vulcanodon
The first findings of the vulcanodon were discovered in 1969 by B.A. Gibson on an unnamed island near Lake Kariba, Rhodesia, Africa. These findings included a sacrum, pelvis, left limb and foot, a right thigh bone, and an anterior tail vertebrae and were later named and described in 1972 by paleontologist Michael Raath.
It was given its name due to knife-shaped teeth found with the remains. At the time of the discovery they were believed to be omnivores due to the presence of nine tooth fragments also discovered with the remains.
These teeth would have been suitable for processing both meat and vegetation. In 1984, Michael R. Cooper proved that these teeth did not belong to the vulcanodon but to another dinosaur scavenging on the remains.
The vulcanodon is classified as a sauropod (lizard footed dinosaur) and is believed to have been at least 6.5 meters in length. Initially it was thought to have survived in a primarily aquatic environment, but Cooper, during his 1984 reassessment of the vulcanodon, noted that it was more likely that it lived in a desert environment in the Southern African region.
9. Three-horned face
Answer: Triceratops
One of the most commonly recognized dinosaurs, the triceratops was first discovered in 1887 and sent to renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh for observation. It was first named and described in 1889. Through years of research, it is known that triceratops was a four-legged herbivores that roamed the Northern United States and Southern Canada in locations such as Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Saskatchewan.
Initially believed to have been used a as a defense mechanism, the three facial horns seen on the skull are now believed to have been used for courtship and dominance much like the antlers on reindeer and mountain goats.
10. Digging runner
Answer: Oryctodromeus
The oryctodromeus was first discovered in 2007 in the Blackleaf Formation in the mid-Western region of the United States. Three individual skeletons were found at the bottom of a two meter burrow in southwestern Montana, but they are also believed to have existed in Idaho.
In a study put out by Emery University in 2007, the oryctodromeus and the discovery of these houses represented the first scientific proof that some dinosaurs dug burrows and also cared for their young in dens. The study also noted that, due to the small dimensions of the burrow, it would have been difficult for large predators to have attacked indicating that burrows were used as a defense mechanism. Through analysis of the specimens, these dinosaurs were estimated as being around 2 meters in length and to have weighed between 22-32 kilograms.
This study also suggested that the fate of the oryctodromeus was drowning due to flooding that ultimately breached the burrows.
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