Dozens of species of dinosaurs were described by scientists in 2021, ranging from the terrifying Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis with teeth like a Great White Shark, through to the 140ft long Supersaurus.
Scientists also made new discoveries about existing creatures from our ancient past, including finding out an early ancestor of the triceratops, known as Sierraceratops turneri, had five horns on its head.
Despite the fact that 2021 had fewer dinosaur finds than usual, some amazing discoveries were made. MailOnline has compiled some of these remarkable examples.
In 2021, the remains of many bizarre and amazing species of ancient beasts were discovered.
Theropod speed
One species of theropod that existed 100 million years ago was capable of traveling 28 miles an hour. This makes them one of the fastest dinosaurs ever recorded.
This is the conclusion of a team of researchers led by the Universidad de La Rioja, who analysed fossil footprints found on a trackway near the village of Igea, Spain.
Theropods were two-legged, typically predatory dinosaurs with hollow bones and three-legged toes from which modern birds are thought to have evolved.
The investigation was undertaken by palaeontologist Pablo Navarro-Lorbés, who said: ‘Theropod behaviour and biodynamics are intriguing questions that palaeontology has been trying to resolve for a long time.’
Some species of theropods that lived 100 million years ago could reach impressive speeds of 28 miles per hour — making them some of the fastest dinosaurs on record. Pictured: an illustration of a running theropod leaving footprints, just like at the Igea trackway
The Universidad de La Rioja led a team of scientists that analysed fossil footprints on a trackway in the vicinity of Igea (Spain). One of the prints is being measured by a researcher
The investigation was undertaken by palaeontologist Pablo Navarro-Lorbés of Spain’s Universidad de La Rioja and his colleagues. Photographed is one of the fossilised three-toed prints
‘The lack of extant groups with similar bipedalism has made it hard to answer some of the questions on the matter,’ the researcher added.
In their study, Mr Navarro-Lorbés and colleagues analysed two sets of footprints from the Igea site, dating back between 145 and 100 million years.
The footprints had three toes and were wider than they were wide. This suggests that the two species may be the same dinosaur.
The team say the trace-makers were medium-sized and very agile, perhaps hailing from the carcharodontosaurid or spinosaurid families of theropod.
They found that it could quickly change speeds and maneuver as it ran. It was capable of traveling up to 28 miles an hour.
Duck-billed dinosaur
A new dinosaur skeleton was discovered in Missouri at an undisclosed locatio, earlier in 2021 and it was a juvenile when it died.
Guy Darrough (palaeontologist) discovered the Parrosaurus Missouriensis skeleton. It measured in at least 30 feet long.
Missouri’s new dinosaur skull was recently discovered at an unidentified site. This was in 2021, when the dinosaur was still juvenile.
Guy Darrough, palaeontologist, discovered the skeleton for a Parrosaurus Missouriensis. He said that it measured up to 30 feet in length.
Missouri’s secretary to state website states that in 1940 a group of bones belonging to Parrosaurus missedouriensis was discovered. Lula Chronister sold all but one bone to Smithsonian Institute at $50. However, the twelveth bone was reunited with its counterparts.
The duckbilled dinosaur species has only been found in Missouri before, and is considered the state’s official dinosaur.
‘I don’t know of anything better than this. The discovery of a new species genus. Darrough said that it was a world-famous discovery.
Darrough discovered the dinosaur skeleton and had it taken to Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center, later called Chicago’s Field Museum.
Newsweek was informed by the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center that they were ‘thrilled to spread the word’ about the discovery.
Abigail Kern (Sainte Genevieve Manager) stated that while the adult specimen will be transported to Chicago’s Field Museum, the juvenile skull would remain in the Sainte Genevieve Museum Learning Center.
Shark-toothed Monster
The 2021 discovery of a new king among the dinosaurs was based on research that indicated it had roamed central Asia’s plains for 90 million years.
The team who discovered the remains of it in Uzbekistan believes that they would have considered them to be “one the greatest killers” ever known.
Nagoya University experts in Japan discovered that a huge dinosaur was still living in Uzbekistan.
Ulughbegsaurus was identified with its left jawbone and teeth, which were found in the Bissekty Formation.
Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis is the name of this dinosaur. It measured 26 feet in length and weighed nearly a tonne.
This terrifying beast also had razor-like teeth that measured up to 6 inches in length – similar to Great White Sharks’s.
An analysis suggests that Ulughbegsaurus lived at least 90 million years ago – seven million years before T.Rex emerged around 83 million years ago.
The study was led by Dr Kohei Tanaka. He stated that Ulughbegsaurus measured 8m (26ft), and weighed over 1 ton based on its jaw bone size.
The skull was approximately 3ft 3inches in length. It was sharp-toothed and had a knife-like appearance.
This fossil was part of a group called Carcharodontosaurs or “shark-toothed dinosaurs”, and it is now a museum.The Neovenator closely resembles it – although this was in fact discovered in the UK,” Dr Tanaka said.
When Earth’s continents were close together, the frightening creature lived in a plain on the coast of the Asian Landmass.
Toothless carnivore
The fossilised remains of a toothless, two-legged dinosaur, discovered in Brazil, represent a new species that lived 70–80 million years ago, a study has determined.
Researchers led from the National Museum of Brazil called the nearly-complete specimen — which they have named Berthasaura leopoldinae — a ‘very rare find’.
According to a study, the fossilized remains of a toothless and two-legged dinosaur found in Brazil are evidence that a new species existed over 70 million years. Pictured: an artist’s impression of how Berthasaura leopoldinae might have appeared in life
Researchers led from the National Museum of Brazil called the specimen — which they have named Berthasaura leopoldinae — a ‘very rare find’. Photograph of the fossil
The researchers — including palaeontologist Geovane Alves de Souza — said they were puzzled to find that B. leopoldinae sported a toothless, beak-like mouth
It was unearthed in the ‘Cemitério dos Pterossauros’ Quarry in the Cruzeiro do Oeste Municipality of Southern Brazil’s Paraná State during fieldwork from 2011–2015.
According to scientists, it was a small carnivore and measured three feet long. It stood just two and a quarter foot high.
‘That was a real surprise,’ the team said in a statement,’ adding it was ‘one of the most complete dinosaurs found from the Cretaceous period in Brazil’.
‘The toothless part raises doubts about what kind of diet this animal had,’ Mr Alves de Souza, lead researcher on a study of the dinosaur, explained.
However, “It does not necessarily mean it did not eat meat.” Many birds like buzzards and falcons eat meat with their beaks.
“Most likely, it is an omnivore that lived in an inhospitable habitat and needed to eat all it could.
The genus name Berthasaura was given in memory of the revered Brazilian zoologist and politician Bertha Lutz, who died in 1976.
B. leopoldinae’s species name, meanwhile, honours the 19th-century Brazilian empress and patron of the sciences, Maria Leopoldina.
Long diplodocid
An archaeologist has claimed that a diplodocid, from the Jurassic Period, is the longest known dinosaur. It measured nearly 140 feet.
Supersaurus was the name of this gigantic beast that ripped through North America 150 million years ago.
This month, it was awarded the honor because a researcher said that they had fixed a misidentification from half a century ago.
Artist’s rendition of the Supersaurus. It is believed to have been the longest known dinosaur. A reevaulation of bones discovered in 1972 has led one paleontologist to determine the late Jurassic diplodocid streched almost 140 feet long from snout to tail
There have been other contenders for the lengthiest dino from snout to tail, but ‘this is the longest dinosaur based on a decent skeleton,’ according to Brian Curtice, an Arizona Museum of Natural History paleontologist who made the claim.
Supersaurus attributed Skeletal Remains
Other candidates — including Argentinosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and Diplodocus — are based on fragmentary remains, making an accurate assessment difficult.
James Jensen, a Brigham Young University paleontologist, discovered the first Supersaurus bones in Colorado’s Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry.
Jensen discovered an 8-foot scapulocoracoid or shoulder girdle from an adult dinosaurus later called Supersaurus.
He also identified remains as belonging to Ultrasauros, Dystylosaurus and two other sauropods.
Curtice claims that Jensen misunderstood: Instead of three separate sauropods these were all components of the same dinosaur.
He said that Supersaurus was longer than 128 feet (on the conservative side) from end-to-end, and far more than Diplodocus, who is 108 feet.
Curtice suggested that the Dry Mesa Supersaurus could have lived for even more time.
He’s gone back to the quarry and evaluated other bones that were excavated but never seriously analyzed, identifying what he says are vertebrae from the Supersaurus’ neck, back and tail — as well as part of its pubis bone.
Cutrice stated that Supersaurus’ neck was 52 feet in length and the tail extended to 60 feet.
He estimated that the creature would be approximately 137 feet in length.
Spinosaur with long nose
A new species of dinosaur that was four times the size of a king size bed roamed the Isle of Wight 125 million years ago, fossil analysis has revealed.
Brighstoneus simmondsi is the latest in a host of new dinosaur discoveries described by scientists at the Natural History Museum in 2021.
An entirely new type of dinosaur, which was four times larger than a standard king-size bed, roamed the Isle of Wight around 125 million years back. Fossil analysis has shown that this species of dinosaur is now extinct.
Experts believe that the new species is a sign there may have been more iguanodontian dinosaurs in Britain during the Early Cretaceous. This is its jaw.
Brighstoneus simmondsi, which had 28 teeth was photographed. Also, it had a bulbous nose. Mantellisaurus (and the Iguanodon) have straight noses.
A new discovery was made by an iguanodontian. This group also includes Mantellisaurus and Iguanodon.
Until recently, iguanodontian materials found on the Isle of Wight have been associated with one of these dinosaurs. But that all changed after a retired GP locked down and searched through ancient bone boxes.
Dr Jeremy Lockwood, who is studying for a PhD at the University of Portsmouth, wanted to catalogue every iguanodon bone discovered on the Isle of Wight.
But when he examined a fossil specimen found 43 years ago he came across several unique traits distinguishing it from either the Iguanodon and Mantellisaurus.
Dr Lockwood said, “For my, the number was a sign.”
Mantellisaurus had 23 or 24 but this species has 28. Also, it had a bulbous nasal structure. The other species are more straight-nosed.
“All together, these small differences made it very clearly a different species.”
This herbivorous dinosaur measured 26ft (8m) long and weighed approximately 2,000lbs (990kg).
Near Brighstone island, remains of carnivorous reptiles with skulls resembling crocodiles were found.
Ceratosuchops imferodios was the more aggressive of both, and is known as Ceratosuchops inferodios. Its name translates to Ceratosuchops hell-heron, and refers to the series of low-horned bumps and bumps that run across its forehead region, and the heron-like hunting style.
Famously, Herons catch aquatic prey near the waterways margins, but they can also eat terrestrial prey.
Riparovenator minerae was the second, and it was named after Angela Milner (a British paleontologist who recently died).
‘Cold Bone’
Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur, diplodocus ancestor, that measured 13 feet in length, 5 feet tall, and weighed over a ton.
Researchers report the unearthing of two almost complete skull fossils of the plant-eating dinosaur in Jameson Land, east Greenland.
An artist’s impression of the new dinosaur species, called Issi saaneq, otherwise known as Cold Bone
Scans (right) of the recovered Issi saaneq fossils (left), which comprise two almost complete skulls
The new dinosaur species honours the local Inuit language – its scientific name Issi saaneq means ‘Cold Bone’.
Previously mistaken for an already-existing species, Cold Bone lived during the late Triassic period approximately 214 million years ago when East Greenland was connected to Europe.
Cold Bone belongs to a group of long-necked dinosaurs called the sauropodomorphs, which includes the sauropods.
Some of the largest terrestrial animals of all time later evolved from this group, including diplodocus.
An international team of palaeontologists from Brazil, Portugal, Germany and Denmark have detailed the species in a study published in the journal Diversity.
‘Compared to the long-necked dinosaurs that came after, Issi would have been a very small animal,’ said study author Victor Bennari at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.
Horned dinosaur
New Mexico’s University of Bath scientists discovered a new species of Horned Dinosaur that they believe is the long-lost relative of the triceratops.
Sierraceratops, also known as the Sierraceratops dinosaur, was a resident of Sierra County 72 million years ago.
New Mexico’s triceratops-relative, the Horned Dinosaurus has been discovered.
Although the partial skeleton was discovered first in 1990, paleontologists recently found more fossils which allowed them to determine that it’s a new species.
Ted Turner was the founder of CNN and the ranch that the fossils were found on. The fossils show the creature had large, short horns near the skull’s 5ft length. It measured 15 feet in length.
While Sierraceratops may be related to Triceratops it actually lived six millions years earlier than its famous cousin.
According to Dr Nick Longrich, the University of Bath’s Milner Centre for Evolution, “Sierraceratops turneri” is the closest relative of ceratopsids found in Texas or northern Mexico.
These dinosaurs live in Southwest North America. They are different to ceratopsid group which lived farther north.
“This indicates that different and endemic dinosaurs could have lived in various parts of west North America during Late Cretaceous 72 million years ago.