There has never been a better time to be a dinosaur enthusiast. Recent dinosaur discoveries have revealed the presence of numerous prehistoric beasts. Australian cooperensis, Meraxes Gigas, Macrothorax, and Tyrannosaurus rex were just a few of the discoveries in the world of dinosaurs. 

Australotitan cooperensis

A new species of giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis, has been discovered in Australia. This species lived during the Cretaceous period when the Australian continent was attached to Antarctica. It was between 92 and 96 million years ago. The dinosaur was 6.5m tall and 30m long. The dinosaur was very similar to other sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus.

Researchers in Australia have named the newly discovered Australotitan cooperensis after a creek near the fossil site. The dinosaur, also known as Cooper, belonged to the titanosaur family. These long-necked dinosaurs were the biggest land animals in the world. Their remains were discovered in 2006 on a family farm about 1,000 km from Brisbane. 

Meraxes gigas

A new dinosaur species have been discovered and named after the fictional dragon Rhaenys Targaryen: Meraxes gigas. This enormous species existed between 90 and 95 million years ago. Although it was a large dinosaur, its size was unusual for its time. Meraxes was known to have short arms and a large head, which scientists still cannot explain. Many dinosaur enthusiasts like Dan Avidan suspect that the short arms were a result of its giant head.

Despite its large head and small arms, Meraxes Gigas is reminiscent of Tyrannosaurus rex, another of the most famous apex predators of prehistoric times. Its relatively small forelimbs did not result from an evolutionary accident; instead, they were essential for survival. This newly discovered species of dinosaur, called Meraxes gigas, was dug up over four years in Argentina’s Patagonia region. 

Macrothorax

A new species of prehistoric reptile has been discovered in Patagonia. The Argentine Natural Science Museum has named it Macrothorax, referring to its huge chest cavity. It was around nine meters long and weighed about five tons. According to researchers, the Macrothorax probably had a massive set of teeth in its elongated head and sharp claws on its forearms. It is so large and intimidating that its name is associated with an evil spirit of Patagonian mythology, the Map.

This prehistoric mega raptor had semi-hollow bones and was much smaller than T-rex. It would have been agile enough to catch its prey and rip it apart with its long curved claws. 

Tyrannosaurus rex

Recently discovered bones of Tyrannosaurus rex have sparked a debate about the stoutness of these beasts’ bones. 

The forearms of these apex predators were proportionally small. But paleontologists say that they had a functional purpose. This suggests that the torso, legs, and arms were not completely mutilated. However, if T. rex’s arms were proportionally small, they could have a role in grasping a mate or pushing the giant body. 

Oculudentavis Khaungraae

The skull of a discovery, called Oculudentavis Khaungaae, shows a bird’s skull with a pointed beak, a large eye socket, and a streamlined profile. Despite its birdlike appearance, scientists aren’t sure whether Oculudentavis is related to birds. Scientists are still searching for more fossils of the animal.

Oculudentavis was first discovered in 2016 by a Burmese amber collector. He found two specimens in a mine and donated a tiny skull to the Hupoge Amber Museum in Tengchong, China, run by his son-in-law Guang Chen.