Australia’s Titan

The discovery of Australotitan cooperensis by paleontologists from the Queensland and Eromanga Natural History Museum in June was particularly thrilling. This enormous sauropod is notable for its long neck, tail, and massive body, which is estimated to have reached lengths of 25 to 30 meters (82 to 98 feet) and weighed around 74 tonnes—equivalent to roughly nine African elephants. Officially recognized as the largest dinosaur ever found in Australia, Australotitan is among the largest globally!

To learn more about this significant finding, click below:

The Terror of Uzbekistan

In early September, paleontologists Kohei Tanaka from the University of Tsukuba and Darla Zelenitsky from the University of Calgary announced the discovery of a new carnivorous theropod from Uzbekistan. Named Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis, this dinosaur measured approximately 7 meters (23 feet) in length and weighed about 1,000 kilograms (2,205 pounds). Living around 92 to 90 million years ago, it belonged to the carcharodontosaur family, known for their impressive size.

The presence of Ulughbegsaurus alongside an ancestor of T. rex, Timurlengia, offers valuable insights into the timeline of apex predators.

For further details on Ulughbegsaurus, see below:

The Discovery of Australia’s Largest Dinosaur

Australotitan is among the largest dinosaurs to have ever existed worldwide...

Africa’s First Ankylosaur

The year 2021 also marked the discovery of Africa's first ankylosaur. Spicomellus afer, unearthed in Morocco's Middle Atlas Mountains and dating back to the Middle Jurassic Period (approximately 168 million years ago), fills a crucial gap in our understanding of dinosaur evolution.

This small herbivore, measuring about 3 meters (9.8 feet) in length, featured unique body armor with spikes that were likely covered by a keratin layer. Dr. Susannah Maidment described this remarkable armor as “completely unprecedented and unlike anything else in the animal kingdom.”

Two Hell Herons from the UK

In September, paleontologists from the University of Southampton revealed two new dinosaur specimens from the Isle of Wight, classified into distinct spinosaurid genera. These predatory dinosaurs, characterized by their elongated snouts and unique skull shapes, include Ceratosuchops inferodios and Riparovenator milnerae, both believed to have reached lengths of about 9 meters (29.5 feet).

These discoveries suggest diverse hunting strategies, allowing these species to coexist and thrive in ancient floodplain environments.

A Toothless Ceratosaur from Brazil

In November, an exceptionally complete skeleton from Brazil was identified as the first toothless non-avian theropod from the nation. Named Berthasaura leopoldinae, this species belongs to the Noasauridae family and is estimated to have been 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, dating back to the Early Cretaceous epoch.

This discovery marks the most complete noasaurid species known from Brazil, offering insights into the diversity of theropods in the region.

A Weird Tail from Chile

Lastly, paleontologists introduced Stegouros elengassen, a peculiar ankylosaur from southern Chile with a unique weaponized tail. This late Cretaceous dinosaur exhibited a bizarre structure with pairs of flattened, bony deposits, resembling the tail of a rattlesnake.

The discovery of Stegouros enhances our understanding of ankylosaurs, particularly those from the southern hemisphere, which are less understood.

Epilogue

Despite the challenges faced, 2021 proved to be a significant year for paleontology, marked by numerous new studies and discoveries. As we look forward to 2022, we eagerly anticipate even more captivating finds in the world of dinosaurs.

Relevant Reads

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<h2>All Dinosaur Species Described in 2021</h2>

<h3>A quick recap of all the dinosaurs found in 2021…</h3>

<p>medium.com</p>

</div>

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<h2>Awesome Prehistoric Creatures Named in 2021</h2>

<h3>Among them a marine reptile with shark-like teeth…</h3>

<p>medium.com</p>

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<h2>Six Awesome New Dinosaurs Named in 2020</h2>

<h3>Among them the ‘death harvester’, a cousin of T. rex from Canada…</h3>

<p>medium.com</p>

</div>

References

Hocknull SA, Wilkinson M, Lawrence RA, Konstantinov V, Mackenzie S, Mackenzie R (2021). “A new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov., from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia”. PeerJ. **9*: e11317. doi:10.7717/peerj.11317*

Tanaka K, Anvarov OU, Zelenitsky DK, Ahmedshaev AS, Kobayashi Y (2021). “A new carcharodontosaurian theropod dinosaur occupies apex predator niche in the early Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan”. Royal Society Open Science. **8* (9): Article ID 210923. doi:10.1098/rsos.210923*

Maidment, Susannah C. R.; Strachan, Sarah J.; Ouarhache, Driss; Scheyer, Torsten M.; Brown, Emily E.; Fernandez, Vincent; Johanson, Zerina; Raven, Thomas J.; Barrett, Paul M. (2021–09–23). “Bizarre dermal armour suggests the first African ankylosaur”. Nature Ecology & Evolution: 1–6. doi:10.1038/s41559–021–01553–6

Barker, C.T.; Hone, D.; Naish, D.; Cau, A.; Lockwood, J.; Foster, B.; Clarkin, C.; Schneider, P.; Gostling, N. (2021). “New spinosaurids from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous, UK) and the European origins of Spinosauridae”. Scientific Reports. **11* (1): 19340. doi:10.1038/s41598–021–97870–8. PMID 34588472*

Soto-Acuña, Sergio; Vargas, Alexander; Kaluza, Jonatan; Leppe, Marcelo; Botelho, Joao; Palma-Liberona, José; Gutstein, Carolina; Fernández, Roy; Ortiz, Hector; Milla, Verónica; Aravena, Bárbara; Manríquez, Leslie M. E.; Alarcón-Muñoz, Jhonatan; Pino, Juan Pablo; Trevisan, Cristine; Mansilla, Héctor; Hinojosa, Luis Felipe; Muñoz-Walther, Vicente; Rubilar-Rogers, David (2021). “Bizarre tail weaponry in a transitional ankylosaur from subantarctic Chile”. Nature. doi:10.1038/s41586–021–04147–1. PMID 34853468.

de Souza GA, Soares MB, Weinschütz LC, Wilner E, Lopes RT, de Araújo OM, Kellner AW (2021). “The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America”. Scientific Reports. **11* (1): Article number 22281. doi:10.1038/s41598–021–01312–4*