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Stories from Riley Black

The skeleton of Xiaotingia (head is to the left)

An Ode to Archaeopteryx

The many fuzzy and feathery dinosaurs that have been discovered reveal one of the most magnificent evolutionary transformations in the history of life

Artist Donald E. Davis' depiction of the asteroid impact which played a critical role in the end-Cretaceous extinction.

Pixar Rewrites Dinosaur History

What if the cataclysmic asteroid that forever changed life on Earth actually missed the planet and giant dinosaurs never went extinct?

A skeletal restoration of Smok wawelski. The black parts are missing elements of the skeleton.

The Dinosaur That Wasn’t

Even so, a terrestrial, 16-foot, carnivorous crocodile-like predator is not something I would like to meet in a dark alley (or anywhere else, really)

Sand sculpture dinosaurs, as seen in Albufeira, Portugal

Dinosaur Sighting: Portugal’s Sandy Dinosaurs

The sculpture shows a group of carnivorous dinosaurs chowing down on a sauropod, much like the dinosaurs of the country’s Lourinhã Formation must have done

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The Ghost of Slumber Mountain

Without this film, we might never have seen a giant gorilla hang from the Empire State Building

A hot pink Stegosaurus at the Dinosaur Ridge visitor's center

Dinosaur Sighting: A Stegosaurus of a Different Color

Is this what paleontologists see after having one too many?

A reconstructed Tyrannosaurus rex at the Museum of Ancient Life

Jim Lawson’s Lone Tyrannosaur

He is one hate-filled beast. Our star contemplates devouring the young of a nearby female tyrannosaur for no other reason than to quell his inner turmoil

Visitors walk in the shadow of a reconstructed Tyrannosaurus at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.

Dinosaurs for Experts, or for Everyone?

Mounting a full dinosaur skeleton, some paleontologists believed, had more to do with art and architecture than with science

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Exclusive: A First Look at Dinosaur Revolution

An exclusive look at Discovery’s upcoming miniseries Dinosaur Revolution

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Dinosaurs and Soliders Skirmish in Dino D-Day

Hitler has somehow resurrected dinosaurs and is using them in his plans for world domination

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Victoria’s First Dinosaur Trackway

After moving a few track slabs myself this summer, I can tell you that it’s not easy work!

The Dark Tyrannosaurus - a dinosaur dressed up to celebrate the filming of the third Batman movie in Pittsburgh

The Dark Tyrannosaurus Rises

I can’t imagine a crime-fighting theropod would follow Batman’s strict moral code against killing criminals

A reconstruction of Protoceratops at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, WY

Eaters of the Dinosaur Dead

Over the past few years, paleontologists have reported a growing number of cases of scavenging by insects

Cowboys and dinosaurs, spotted in Natural Bridge, Virginia.

Dinosaur Sighting: Cowboys & Raptors

If you find yourself riding a Deinonychus, you’d better make sure you keep riding it lest you find out how effective those recurved claws can be

A Protoceratops skeleton with an associated track (outlined in a box near the hips).

Protoceratops: The Cinderella of Dinosaurs

Have scientists found “the holy grail of vertebrate ichnology”—a dinosaur dead in its tracks?

Jurassic Park poster

An Open Letter to Steven Spielberg

Something has been troubling me, Steve. I worry what your recent news means for us dinosaur fans

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Dinosaur Office

As bad as your workplace is, at least you don’t have to worry about your tyrannosaur boss eating you for lunch

Part of a sauropod trackway from the Teruel, Spain tracksite

Spain’s Tiny Sauropods Traveled Together

At least six individuals moved in the same direction, nearly parallel to each other—the tracks represent a herd

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Battling the Dinosaurs of Project Blackout

Dinosaurs are handy video game monsters. They’re famous, fearsome and nearly unstoppable

The head of Coelophysis - a close relative of Camposaurus - as restored by John Conway

The Intriguing, Frustrating Camposaurus

Paleontologists have reexamined the paltry bones and affirmed that the creature is an important link to the early days of theropod dinosaurs

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