Latest articles by Julio Lacerda

fossils
over 4 years ago by Vasika Udurawane

Giant hyena versus tusked rhino

Dinocrocuta gigantea, a hyena-like predator was one of the biggest and strongest carnivores to stalk the ancient grasslands of China. Its bite was strong enough to crush bones and it dominated its contemporary herbivores. One fossil shows us that it was clearly unafraid to take on animals much bigger than itself: Tooth marks in the skull of a massive tusked rhinoceros.
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fossils
over 4 years ago by Vasika Udurawane

Quetzalcoatlus, the largest flying animal of all time

Quetzalcoatlus dominated the skies of North America at the end of the Dinosaur Age and flew high over such famous creatures as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. As tall as a giraffe, the biggest Quetzalcoatlus species were also the largest of all flying creatures. They were the ultimate in pterosaur evolution.
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fossils
over 4 years ago by Vasika Udurawane

The powerful bite of super-croc Purussaurus

Purussaurus is one of the biggest, yet most poorly understood of all massive crocodilians. For a while not much was known about it besides its size and strength. Recently though, new scientific research is uncovering its most lethal secret: Its monstrous seven-ton bite.
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fossils
over 4 years ago by Pete Buchholz

Heterodontosaurid remains show features suggesting tree-dwelling habits

A newly described specimen of a tiny plant-eating dinosaur shows features indicating that it may have been able to climb around in branches -- an ability so far unknown in any dinosaurs except birds.
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fossils
over 4 years ago by Pete Buchholz

Gualicho - A tyrannosaur mimic from Patagonia

Scientists have discovered a new two-fingered theropod from Upper Cretaceous rocks of Patagonia. Despite superficial similarities to tyrannosaurs, a detailed comparison to many other meat-eaters has shown that Gualicho's relationships are more complex.
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Julio
Lacerda

Staff Artist and Writer