The Big Dinosaur Podcast

Episode 209 is all about Beishanlong, the “North Mountains dragon” from Gansu China.

We also interview Jessie Atterholt, assistant professor at the Western University of Health Sciences. She’s also the lead author of the new paper “The most complete enantiornithine from North America and a phylogenetic analysis of the Avisauridae.” You can follow her on Instagram @theladyanatomica or jessieatterholt.com

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In this episode, we discuss:

News:

• The smallest dinosaur footprints ever were discovered found in South Korea source
• Differences in Dilong and T. rex braincases show how tyrannosaurs changed as they evolved source
• The most complete North American enantiornithine, Mirarce, was found source
• Brian Engh recreated the new enantiornithine on a Utahceratops source
• Our holiday gift guide*
  • Jurassic World Super Colossal T. rex ($50) source
  • Jurassic World Alpha Training Dinosaur ($250) source
  • Red Dead Redemption II (game) (~$60 for standard edition) source
  • Parkasaurus game (~$20) source
  • Cluedo (30 pounds + shipping) source
  • She Found Fossils ($15) source
  • Triceratops footstool (~$114) source
  • Dinosaur succulent planter (~$14) source
  • Cut paper art (Picturing the Past) source
  • Dinosaur mug (~$25) source
  • Wikipedia dinosaur mug ($10) source
  • Our logo slapped on things source
  • Permia t-shirts source
  • Safari Ltd dinosaur toys source
  • TRX sculptures source

The dinosaur of the day: Beishanlong

• Large ornithomimosaurian theropod that lived in the Early Cretaceous in what is now the Gansu Province, China
• Robust, with long arms and legs
• Very large, estimated to be 26 ft (8 m) long, though the holotype was still growing when it died, so probably grew even larger (had 13-14 LAGs, so was probably a subadult, though its growth had slowed down)
• Estimated to weigh 1380 lb (626 kg)
• May have had teeth and a keratinous beak, similar to other dinosaurs such as Harpymimus
• Possibly omnivorous, based on other ornithomimosaurs being omnivores
• Beishanlong is similar to Harpymimus, another ornithomimosaur
• Formally described in 2010 by Peter Makovicky and others
• Type species is Beishanlong grandis
• Name means “North Mountains dragon”
• Refers to Bei Shan, the North Mountains
• Species name means “large” in Latin
• Three fossils found in the early 2000s
• Described and named online in 2009
• Holotype found in 2006, a partial skeleton with no skull
• In 2007, more specimens found, including hindlimbs
• In 1999 foot bones were found, and tentatively referred to Beishanlong
• Other dinosaurs that lived in the same time and place included therizinosauroids, hadrosauroids, and tyrannosauroids

Fun Fact:

Prior to the discovery of Dromaeosauriformipes, Minisauripus was considered to be the smallest known dinosaur track. They are from a theropod and are about 1cm (0.4in) long. However they aren’t all that small. Minisauripus tracks have been reported as large as 20cm (~8in), 20x as large as the presumably juvenile tracks.

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you in part by TRX Dinosaurs, which makes beautiful and realistic dinosaur sculptures, puppets, and animatronics. You can see some amazing examples and works in progress on Instagram @trxdinosaurs

And by Safari Ltd. All of their dinosaur toys are highly detailed, hand-painted, and thoroughly researched to be scientifically accurate. You can get 15% off all toys at safariltd.com by entering the promo code IKNOWDINO.