Thursday, January 28, 2016

The New Year of January. Tanycolagreus

 Tanycolagreus has been dubbed a run of the mill kind of Jurassic predator.‭ ‬Small and lightweight,‭ ‬Tanycolagreus probably focused its attentions on hunting smaller dinosaurs that were too difficult for larger predators to live on.‭ ‬However the holotype specimen is of a three meter subadult,‭ ‬with further referred material indicating a size approaching at least four meters long.‭ ‬With this in mind it may be that Tanycolagreus was not restricted to hunting just smaller dinosaurs.
       A premaxilla that was originally referred to Stokesosaurus has since been attributed to Tanycolagreus,‭ ‬although some palaeontologists have drawn comparisons between these two dinosaurs with the suggestion that they may be synonymous.‭ ‬Both are of similar size and build,‭ ‬and since the holotype and most complete specimen is of a sub‭ ‬adult,‭ ‬the true adult form may in fact be closer.‭ ‬Also Stokesosaurus is known from incomplete material making proper comparison between it and Tanycolagreus difficult.

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