Pegomastax Africanus

So today's post will be on pegomastax. Enjoy!
        Pegomastax was an early jurassic herbivore with one heck of a face.  It had two large fangs on its lower jaw, which many scientists believe were used to dig up roots and tubers.  It is also possible they could have used these fangs in territorial fights and disputes with mating rivals. This animal was just 2 feet long and weighed only 15 pounds, and in body shape looked pretty much like a little theropod.  Another surprising feature of pegomastax was its great number of porcupine-style quills, which some scientists believe would've been used to make the animal look larger to predators. In my opinion, it seems more likely that these quills, with proper coloration, could have functioned as some kind of camouflage, helping it blend into the Jurassic ferns.  All the pictures I found of pegomastax pictured the animal with an incredibly belligerent look on its face. Maybe that was just the fangs.

How could Quetz pass her up with a head of hair like that?

Nah, it wasn't just the fangs. Needless to say this little herbivore would probably put up quite the fight if you tried to take her roots and tubers.

Next one will be about another dinosaur methinks.

-Athos

Information I got for this one:

Speedy cat-sized mini dinosaur Pegomastax africanus discovered

Quetzalcoatlus

So it's not a dinosaur exactly, it's a flying reptile, and I haven't heard any news about one for a while, but this thing is one of my favorite ancient animals of all time, so it seemed to deserve a post.
        Quetzalcoatlus was a late cretaceous pterosaur, and it was enormous. Sources I found didn't usually seem to agree with each other on the exact wingspan, but mostly they seemed to average around 37ft, or 11m. That's a pretty huge animal. You could use its wings to make carpets. Chances are they would be pretty stylish carpets as well, seeing as (like most pterosaurs) old Quetz would probably have been adorned with vibrant colors. Especially on the crest. Here's a picture I found of what is apparently an accurate portrayal of a quetzalcoatlus on the ground.

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Personally, I don't really buy it. With the size of that head, it would need some really strong neck muscles to hold it up. The problem with that is muscles are weight, and weight is not the friend of an already possibly 100kg animal who is trying to fly. In my opinion, a quetzalcoatlus on the ground probably wouldn't move much, since moving would probably also be difficult, and it would probably need it's front legs angled more forward than in this picture. If it could keep its body in the air with little effort, it might spend incredibly long amounts of time in the air. But hey, what do I know. I think the best part of that picture is the unemployed hipster who's just standing there checking out the quetzacoatlus' chest. He wants it.

Above: An artist's interpretation of a quetzalcoatlus on a flight break

Above: Uncle Quetzalcoatlus' vexatious wife

Annyways. Next time we'll probably talk about Aunt Pegomastax. Or whatever. I'll decide later.

Athos

The sites I used for this:

http://www.abc.net.au/dinosaurs/fact_files/volcanic/quetzalcoatlus.htm

It could look a giraffe in the eyes

Thanks for the Uncle Quetzalcoatlus picture goes to Miss Emma from A Pinch of Pixie Dust.

Albertadromeus Syntarsus

So, for the first dinosaur discussed here, and the most recent dinosaur discovery I could find, let's talk about Albertadromeus. Al Dromeus was discovered recently in Canada, which is, if you don't know, one of the hottest dinosaur sites on the planet. Anywhere with a troodon is a cool place in my book. This new dinosaur has been named from a leg bone, and according to this femur, it was an herbivore and an incredibly fast runner. Several scientists believe it would have been a highly maneuverable animal, so it would probably have been good at dodging bullets.

The beast was about 15 feet long and weighted 16 kilograms, "comparable to a turkey" says the article. So if you wanted, you could duct tape some knives to it's feet and watch it duke it out against a velociraptor. But that might count as some kind of prehistoric animal abuse. If laws like that exist. This find makes Albertadromeus the smallest currently known herbivore in Canada, so I guess that's interesting.

Here's the article if you want to check it out.

Small, speedy plant-eater extends knowledge of dinosaur ecosystems

Next time it will be some other kind of dinosaur. I'll have to decide.

Athos

Introduction

Hey hey hey hey everyone!
        My name is Athos the incredible and enigmatic, and I will hopefully be your guide in the wonderful world of dinosaurs. I've been reading articles about our prehistoric friends for a while, and I was thinking "Huh, there's no hilarious yet educational provider of dinosaur knowledge. Someone like that could really make my day." So that's what I'm here for. To make YOUR day. Because I'm a fantastic person. And I love you. So sit back, laugh, and learn. But mostly learn. I hate laughter.
        Athos

Next post will be about Albertadromeus!