There is always room at the table for more T-Rex Tea ;p

Accessed via wiki commons December 2024. Created by Marcus Donivan

It should be no surprise that Norse Mythology and Marvel have influenced paleontology, with a Ceratopsian Dinosaur being named the "Lokiceratops" in 2024. Which Marvel character do you think would most appreciate this new addition to science?

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Its teeth, some over 12 inches long, were perfectly designed for ripping flesh and pulverizing bone, earning it the nickname "Bone Crusher." After delivering a crushing bite, it would toss its head back and swallow you whole, like a very unlucky jellybean.

Truly nature’s ultimate predator!

Our specimen is a basal brachiosaurid (a very early species that set the stage for later giants) or perhaps even a new species! Thankfully our skilled technicians will solve that mystery as they continue to work their magic on the rock.

Weighing up to 100,000lbs. (as much as 20 African Elephants), they would have towered (at a whopping 40-45ft) above even the largest meat eaters.

As the top of the aquatic food chain, Mosasaurs hunted fish, turtles, ammonites, and other marine reptiles. Their teeth took on a variety of shapes depending on the prey they favored, and they also developed extra teeth near their throats to get better purchase on prey as it was being swallowed.

After the extinction of earlier marine reptiles such as Ichthyosaurs and Pliosaurs, Mosasaurs spread around the globe. Fossils of numerous Mosasaur species have been found from Morocco to Manitoba, and they may have cruised bodies of fresh water as well as oceans.

All dinosaurs hatched from eggs and some species likely lived in family groups. Evidence also suggests that certain species of dinosaurs offered some form of parental care, with the hadrosaur Maiasaura being the most famous example.

The name Hatzegopteryx means “Hateg Basin Wing,” named after the region where its fossils were discovered. Its discovery changed the way we think about pterosaur evolution, particularly the role of giant flyers in their ecosystems.

Cretaceous Superstar: Belonging to the Azhdarchidae family (the last and largest of the pterosaurs), Hatzegopteryx is often compared to Quetzalcoatlus, another gigantic flying reptile. Both exemplify the extraordinary biodiversity of the prehistoric world. 🌟

Engineering Marvel: Despite its immense size, Hatzegopteryx had a surprisingly light skeleton. Its bones were hollow and specially adapted for flight, combining strength and lightweight engineering—a hallmark of pterosaurs. ✈️

Island Ecosystem: It lived on Hateg Island, part of the Tethys Sea, a region famous for its “island dwarfism.” Interestingly, many of the animals on Hateg Island were smaller than their relatives elsewhere—except for Hatzegopteryx, which was a towering exception! 🌴

Terrifying Predator: With a beak like a guillotine and a robust skull over 3 meters (10 feet) long, this pterosaur wasn’t just a sky-dweller. Scientists believe it might have been a scavenger and a ground predator, hunting small dinosaurs and other creatures in its island habitat. 🦕