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Hear about all these cats and more in our latest episode of I Know Paleo! To listen, make sure to join our Patreon at the Triceratops tier or above
October 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Hear about all these cats and more in our latest episode of I Know Paleo! To listen, make sure to join our Patreon at the Triceratops tier or above
Over time, more types of cats appeared, including the cave lion (which didn’t actually live in caves), the saber-toothed tiger that are famous for their long fangs was only distantly related to modern tigers, and the cat that looked more like a bear than a cat
October 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Over time, more types of cats appeared, including the cave lion (which didn’t actually live in caves), the saber-toothed tiger that are famous for their long fangs was only distantly related to modern tigers, and the cat that looked more like a bear than a cat
If you were to see it alive, you might not recognize it as a cat, based on its proportions. But it was roughly the size of a house cat, and it had large eyes, sharp claws, and teeth. And it could climb trees!
October 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM
If you were to see it alive, you might not recognize it as a cat, based on its proportions. But it was roughly the size of a house cat, and it had large eyes, sharp claws, and teeth. And it could climb trees!
This animal first appeared about 30 million years ago, and it was named way back in 1879, by Henri Filhol, when the first fossils of this creature were found in France
October 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM
This animal first appeared about 30 million years ago, and it was named way back in 1879, by Henri Filhol, when the first fossils of this creature were found in France
What’s fascinating is, unlike with dinosaurs, we know about the “first cat”(well, sort of. Like with all fossil animals, it gets complicated)
But there is an animal that is often considered to be the ancestor to all cats: Proailurus
But there is an animal that is often considered to be the ancestor to all cats: Proailurus
October 30, 2025 at 7:02 PM
What’s fascinating is, unlike with dinosaurs, we know about the “first cat”(well, sort of. Like with all fossil animals, it gets complicated)
But there is an animal that is often considered to be the ancestor to all cats: Proailurus
But there is an animal that is often considered to be the ancestor to all cats: Proailurus
All these features would have probably helped Sinosauropteryx stay safe, by throwing off or distracting potential predators
Want to know more about this cool dinosaur? Listen to episode 299 of our podcast, where we feature Sinosauropteryx as our dinosaur of the day!
Want to know more about this cool dinosaur? Listen to episode 299 of our podcast, where we feature Sinosauropteryx as our dinosaur of the day!
October 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
All these features would have probably helped Sinosauropteryx stay safe, by throwing off or distracting potential predators
Want to know more about this cool dinosaur? Listen to episode 299 of our podcast, where we feature Sinosauropteryx as our dinosaur of the day!
Want to know more about this cool dinosaur? Listen to episode 299 of our podcast, where we feature Sinosauropteryx as our dinosaur of the day!
It turns out Sinosauropteryx had a reddish and white banded tail, a raccoon-bandit style mask on its face, and its body was darker on the top and lighter on the bottom. That’s called countershading, and it helps animals blend in to their environment
October 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
It turns out Sinosauropteryx had a reddish and white banded tail, a raccoon-bandit style mask on its face, and its body was darker on the top and lighter on the bottom. That’s called countershading, and it helps animals blend in to their environment
That’s thanks to melanosomes, structures in a cell that determine the color of feathers (and other things). Melanosomes come in different shapes for different colors (we can see them in living animals too), so scientists can tell some dinosaur colors based on the shapes of fossilized melanosomes
October 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
That’s thanks to melanosomes, structures in a cell that determine the color of feathers (and other things). Melanosomes come in different shapes for different colors (we can see them in living animals too), so scientists can tell some dinosaur colors based on the shapes of fossilized melanosomes
All the Sinosauropteryx specimens that have been described have evidence of feathers, and this little dinosaur was about was probably covered in feathers
What’s really exciting about Sinosauropteryx is it’s the first dinosaur where we know its colors
What’s really exciting about Sinosauropteryx is it’s the first dinosaur where we know its colors
October 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
All the Sinosauropteryx specimens that have been described have evidence of feathers, and this little dinosaur was about was probably covered in feathers
What’s really exciting about Sinosauropteryx is it’s the first dinosaur where we know its colors
What’s really exciting about Sinosauropteryx is it’s the first dinosaur where we know its colors
This little dinosaur was about 3.5 ft (over 3 m) long and weighed a little over 1 lb (0.55 kg), although that’s based on the longest known specimen, which wasn’t fully grown
Sinosauropteryx walked on two legs, had a long tail (64 vertebrae!) and short arms, with large claws on its first fingers
Sinosauropteryx walked on two legs, had a long tail (64 vertebrae!) and short arms, with large claws on its first fingers
October 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM
This little dinosaur was about 3.5 ft (over 3 m) long and weighed a little over 1 lb (0.55 kg), although that’s based on the longest known specimen, which wasn’t fully grown
Sinosauropteryx walked on two legs, had a long tail (64 vertebrae!) and short arms, with large claws on its first fingers
Sinosauropteryx walked on two legs, had a long tail (64 vertebrae!) and short arms, with large claws on its first fingers
We talk about all this and a lot more (we get way more into sauropods and sauropodomorphs and how rapidly they grew, when sauropods got big, theropod growth strategies, and even talk about the duck-billed hadrosaurs) in episode 486 of our podcast, “How Dinosaurs Got So Big”
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
We talk about all this and a lot more (we get way more into sauropods and sauropodomorphs and how rapidly they grew, when sauropods got big, theropod growth strategies, and even talk about the duck-billed hadrosaurs) in episode 486 of our podcast, “How Dinosaurs Got So Big”
Still, it’s interesting to think about…how were dinosaurs able to grow so big?
There’s probably a few factors: being egg layers, as well as (many of them) having lighter bones and having efficient respiratory systems
There’s probably a few factors: being egg layers, as well as (many of them) having lighter bones and having efficient respiratory systems
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Still, it’s interesting to think about…how were dinosaurs able to grow so big?
There’s probably a few factors: being egg layers, as well as (many of them) having lighter bones and having efficient respiratory systems
There’s probably a few factors: being egg layers, as well as (many of them) having lighter bones and having efficient respiratory systems
Take Spinosaurus for example, the theropod with the crocodile-like head and the big sail on its back. The largest known specimen is estimated to be upwards of 50 ft (15 m) long
Although we know about some of these big dinosaurs, we’ll never know if we’ve found the biggest individual of any species
Although we know about some of these big dinosaurs, we’ll never know if we’ve found the biggest individual of any species
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Take Spinosaurus for example, the theropod with the crocodile-like head and the big sail on its back. The largest known specimen is estimated to be upwards of 50 ft (15 m) long
Although we know about some of these big dinosaurs, we’ll never know if we’ve found the biggest individual of any species
Although we know about some of these big dinosaurs, we’ll never know if we’ve found the biggest individual of any species
If it’s height, the tallest known sauropod may be Sauroposeidon, because it could probably raise its head up to 59 ft (18 m) above the ground
Now even though the sauropods were the biggest, other dinosaurs grew to be very large too
Now even though the sauropods were the biggest, other dinosaurs grew to be very large too
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
If it’s height, the tallest known sauropod may be Sauroposeidon, because it could probably raise its head up to 59 ft (18 m) above the ground
Now even though the sauropods were the biggest, other dinosaurs grew to be very large too
Now even though the sauropods were the biggest, other dinosaurs grew to be very large too
Maraapunisaurus may not even be the heaviest dinosaur. That award could go to Bruhathkayosaurus, the “huge bodied” titanosaur that one 2023 estimate suggested could weigh up to 190 tons (at the upper end)
But how do you define big? Is it length? Weight? Height?
But how do you define big? Is it length? Weight? Height?
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Maraapunisaurus may not even be the heaviest dinosaur. That award could go to Bruhathkayosaurus, the “huge bodied” titanosaur that one 2023 estimate suggested could weigh up to 190 tons (at the upper end)
But how do you define big? Is it length? Weight? Height?
But how do you define big? Is it length? Weight? Height?
One sauropod, Maraapunisaurus (originally considered Amphicoelias) is estimated by some sources to be 190 ft (58 m) long and weigh 170 tons
For comparison, one of the longest known blue whales was about 110 ft (33.5 m) long and one of the heaviest known blue whales weighed about 210 tons
For comparison, one of the longest known blue whales was about 110 ft (33.5 m) long and one of the heaviest known blue whales weighed about 210 tons
October 17, 2025 at 5:45 PM
One sauropod, Maraapunisaurus (originally considered Amphicoelias) is estimated by some sources to be 190 ft (58 m) long and weigh 170 tons
For comparison, one of the longest known blue whales was about 110 ft (33.5 m) long and one of the heaviest known blue whales weighed about 210 tons
For comparison, one of the longest known blue whales was about 110 ft (33.5 m) long and one of the heaviest known blue whales weighed about 210 tons
oh, thanks for this link! I don't think we have mentioned it
October 15, 2025 at 8:36 PM
oh, thanks for this link! I don't think we have mentioned it
Hear about all these exciting discoveries in a special early access episode of the Dino Download! Just make sure you join our Patreon :)
(eventually we will release this episode on our regular feed, but you’ll probably have to wait a few months…)
(eventually we will release this episode on our regular feed, but you’ll probably have to wait a few months…)
October 10, 2025 at 10:33 PM
Hear about all these exciting discoveries in a special early access episode of the Dino Download! Just make sure you join our Patreon :)
(eventually we will release this episode on our regular feed, but you’ll probably have to wait a few months…)
(eventually we will release this episode on our regular feed, but you’ll probably have to wait a few months…)
One was found with part of its voice box (it’s the second dino ever found with parts of its voicebox, so we’re getting closer to figuring out how some dinos sounded). Another one had an extra strong jaw. And a couple small ones show us there were way more types of dinos than we previously knew about
October 10, 2025 at 10:33 PM
One was found with part of its voice box (it’s the second dino ever found with parts of its voicebox, so we’re getting closer to figuring out how some dinos sounded). Another one had an extra strong jaw. And a couple small ones show us there were way more types of dinos than we previously knew about
We get into all the nitty gritty details of Deinonychus and other raptors in episode 500, “Raptor Renaissance!”, plus we have a special IKD A to Z segment that goes through common dino terminology and explains our inside jokes from the past 10 years
Listen now, wherever you listen to podcasts!
Listen now, wherever you listen to podcasts!
October 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM
We get into all the nitty gritty details of Deinonychus and other raptors in episode 500, “Raptor Renaissance!”, plus we have a special IKD A to Z segment that goes through common dino terminology and explains our inside jokes from the past 10 years
Listen now, wherever you listen to podcasts!
Listen now, wherever you listen to podcasts!
It may have killed prey by jumping on to the animal, gripping tightly with its claws, and starting to eat its prey while it was still alive (then the prey would eventually die from losing blood)
October 3, 2025 at 5:15 PM
It may have killed prey by jumping on to the animal, gripping tightly with its claws, and starting to eat its prey while it was still alive (then the prey would eventually die from losing blood)