Top 10 Dinosaurs of 2015: Top 10 Dinosaurs

By Sabrina Ricci

The golden age of dinosaur discoveries continues, with 35 named dinosaurs coming out in 2015.

Blending fiction with fact, Top 10 Dinosaurs of 2015 reimagines the way 10 of the newly described Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaurs lived in their natural habitats.

Featuring:

- The platypus dinosaur Chilesaurus diegosuarezi
- The plunderer of Dakota Dakotaraptor steini
- The shield lizard Kunbarrasaurus ieversi
- The Morella tooth Morelladon beltrani
- The superduck Probrachylophosaurus bergi
- The royal horn face Regaliceratops peterhewsi
- The cross lizard Sefapanosaurus zastronensis
- The bird mimic of the Packard Shale Tototlmimus packardensis
- The strange wing Yi qi
- The poodle from hell Zhenyuanlong suni

Also includes a list of fun facts about each dinosaur, plus the other 25 dinosaurs named in 2015, for a total of 35 dinosaurs, and links to more resources!

If you want to hear more about your favorite dinosaurs, download the I Know Dino podcast.

• Language: English
• Publisher: I Know Dino
• Release date: Apr 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781622000203

Book preview

Introduction

T hank you for purchasing this book. Garret and I really enjoyed putting together the Top 10 Dinosaurs of 2014 last year, and we decided it was worth writing a book for 10 of the dinosaurs described in 2015.

Of course, 34 dinosaurs were named in 2015, and we didn’t want to leave them out. So we gave them honorable mention, along with a list of five facts for each, at the end of the book.

As we mentioned in our last book, we may never know exactly how dinosaurs lived and behaved. But it is fun to imagine scenes of dinosaurs eating, fighting, and playing. And so, as a dinosaur enthusiast inspired by dinosaur fiction such as Raptor Red by Dr. Robert T. Bakker and scenes in Dr. Anthony J. Martin’s Dinosaurs Without Bones, I wrote Top 10 Dinosaurs of 2014.

Like the Top 10 Dinosaurs of 2014, this book is a mix of imagination and research, combining fictitious scenes of 10 of the dinosaurs that made headlines in 2015 with a list of facts about each one to help paint a broader picture. And, if you are interested in learning more about the dinosaurs in this book, check out the I Know Dino podcast.

Please enjoy.

—Sabrina

Chilesaurus diegosuarezi: Chile lizard a.k.a. the platypus dinosaur

Chilesaurus

Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, courtesy of Arcovenator via Wikimedia Commons

W ater flows everywhere. The area is green and lush, with many rivers crisscrossing the land. Chilesaurus diegosuarezi licks his lips, happy to have so many choices.

Chilesaurus looks like a mishmash of dinosaurs: a theropod with a small head and a blunt, rounded skull; a slender neck; and stocky forelimbs, with two stumpy fingers and two claws. His arms and hands look a lot like his relative Allosaurus, but, unlike Allosaurus, Chilesaurus is a plant-eater.

He sets his broad, four-toed feet onto the ground, preparing to stay in one spot for a good long while. The first toes of each of his feet help to bear his weight, like many other herbivorous dinosaurs. At 9 ft (3 m) long, he is not too large, but he does have a wide gut—perfect for digesting his favorite tough plants. In front of him are bushes full of tasty, tender leaves.

Chilesaurus opens his mouth, revealing long, spatula-shaped teeth. With his horny beak, he snips at the fronds of plants. Because he is not a fast runner, Chilesaurus keeps an eye on his surroundings for any potential threats. No other predators are around, but Chilesaurus flexes his claws instinctively. If he needs to, he can use his strong arms and claws, the same way sauropodomorphs defend themselves.

Two Chilesaurus juveniles scamper around him. They are much smaller, about the size of a turkey. And they are loud. Chilesaurus glares at them, but they pay him no mind. They play-fight with one another and end up rolling around in the bushes, right next to Chilesaurus.

Annoyed, Chilesaurus takes a couple of steps to the side and returns his focus to his dinner of succulent vegetation.

The sun is starting to set, and Chilesaurus chews faster. Although he has large, wide eyes, he needs to soon settle in for the night. With the darkness comes new dangers.

Chilesaurus’ stomach grumbles.