Paleo Bites

(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/783556035155570299/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Smilodon , the famous saber-toothed tiger, except it wasn't a tiger, but then again a starfish isn't a fish either, so it's all just semantics. From the Pleistocene epoch, this 7-foot cat prowled the prairies of both North and South America as a participant of the Great Americ...

(image source: https://image.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/gigantspinosaurus-3d-illustration-260nw-434607592.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss  Gigantspinosaurus , a dinosaur that unfortunately isn't an even bigger Spinosaurus like its name might suggest. From the Late Jurassic, this 14-foot stegosaurid browsed peacefully in the forests of prehistoric China wh...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/300_lio_albertosaurus_df68.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Albertosaurus , the Canadian tyrannosaur with evidence of pack-hunting, which is pretty terrifying if you ask me. From the Late Cretaceous, this 32-foot theropod utterly demolishes the image of polite Canadian culture, unless those large, sharp teeth were...

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkleosteus#/media/File:Dunkleosteus_terrelli_-_MUSE.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O'Regan discuss  Dunkleosteus , the literally boneheaded fish that haunted the nightmares of early sharks. From the Late Devonian, this 26-foot placoderm not only preyed on anything it could get its plated teeth on, but also might have been an early exa...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/sauroniops_pachytholus_by_malvit-d5knpiu_778a.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss  Sauroniops , servant of Morgoth and conqueror of Middle-Earth, or at least the Middle Cretaceous. From the, well, Mid Cretaceous, this 42-foot carcharodontosaurid was the one lord of the rings, and he does not share power! Well actually, he...

(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dire_Wolf?file=Direwolf1.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss  Canis dirus , the giant wolf ridden by orcs if dorky fantasy stories are to be believed. From the Late Pleistocene, this 5-foot dog hunted mastodons and ground sloths while competing with saber-toothed cats for the rank of dominant predator. Because even in p...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/vulcanodonNT_249c.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Vulcanodon , the dinosaur representative of the United Federation of Planets if the name is any indication. From the Early Jurassic, this 21-foot sauropod was one of the earliest true sauropods and primarily worked in the science division of the U.S.S. Enterprise....

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purussaurus#/media/File:Purussaurus_BW.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Allen Brooks discuss  Purussaurus , a dino-sized croc living smack-dab in the middle of the Age of Mammals. From the Miocene epoch, this 40-foot caiman lurked in the rivers of South America, which makes it really tempting to jump in the ocean instead. Oh, whoops, this is...

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dracorex_BW.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss  Dracorex , the Dragon King of Hogwarts according to its full scientific name  Dracorex hogwartsia , which is pretty damn nerdy. From the Late Cretaceous, this 12-foot herbivore was totally valid and not a young Pachycephalosaurus ; you hear that, Jack Horner?! Huh? You're no...

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anomalocaris#/media/File:Anomalocaris2019.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Anomalocaris , the first super-predator in Earth's history, albeit "super" only compared to everything else at the time. From the Early Cambrian, this 3-foot radiodont ate plenty of delicious things while simultaneously looking delicious itself. S...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/pachycephalosaurus_l_c101.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Pachycephalosaurus , the cueball-headed lizard that had a thick skull and a bad attitude; cue the stock joke of comparing it to some people you know. From the Late Cretaceous, this 15-foot herbivore apparently grew up with big spikes around its head that i...

(image source: https://www.newdinosaurs.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/820_helicoprion_kezrek.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Allen Brooks discuss Helicoprion , the buzzsaw shark-like fish that's seriously metal. From the Early Permian, this 35-foot eugeneodontid sliced through fish and squids with the most hardcore set of pearly whites this side of... well, actual sharks. Also, you ca...

(image source: https://pixels.com/featured/sinraptor... ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O'Regan discuss Sinraptor, Matthew's favorite dinosaur for some reason and the star of his Megazoic books. From the Late Jurassic period, this 22-foot metriacanthosaurid was the most awesome dinosaur ever based on our completely objective and totally non-biased analysis. Sorry, but facts are facts....

(image source: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionosuchus#/media/File:Prionosuchus_BW.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Prionosuchus , a big-ass amphibian that ate sharks. From the Early Permian, this 30-foot temnospondyl was an awesome mix of one of those giant super-crocs and a newt. Seriously, if a witch turned you into a newt like this, you'd never want to g...

(image source: https://cdnph.upi.com/svc/sv/i/361155... ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss C. megalodon, the super-shark star of B-movies everywhere. From the Early Miocene to the Late Pliocene, this 59-foot shark ate whales and terrorized beaches of old, except it was so big there's no way in hell it could get to the shallow waters of a beach. It's totally still alive t...

(image source: https://www.deviantart.com/ewilloughb... ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Utahraptor, the feathered fiend from Wyoming we all love, or was that South Dakota? From the Early Cretaceous, this 22-foot dromaeosaurid prowled the Colorado swamps and forests, or was it Montana? Seriously, I have no idea where this thing comes from. Little help? Want to further...

(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaekelopterus#/media/File:Jaekelopterus_rhenaniae_reconstruction.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Allen Brooks discuss  Jaekelopterus , the giant sea scorpion that might have been the largest arthropod ever, because that's exactly what the world needed. From the Early Devonian, this 10-foot eurypterid snipped at fish and other invertebrates w...

(image source: http://cdn.sci-news.com/images/2019/09/image_7582_1-Cryodrakon-boreas.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Cryodrakon , the most Canadian pterosaur ever to Canada. From the Late Cretaceous, this 35-foot-wingspan azhdarchid pterosaur soared high above the woods while showing off the maple leaf pattern on its back like a true Canuck patriot. Or at least,...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Parasaurolophus014_4de9.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss  Parasaurolophus , probably the most famous dinosaur with a genus name six syllables or more. From the Late Cretaceous, this 30-foot hadrosaur made a lot of ruckus with its crest, riling up dinosaurs with loud noises and music beats. Such a party animal. Also...

(image source: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/dinosaurs/images/23911591/title/eoraptor-photo ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss  Eoraptor , the first dinosaur ever maybe, that was part theropod, part sauropod, part basal archosaur; you name it! From the Late Triassic, this 5-foot dinosaur was a tiny beast but an evolutionary giant. Also it ate bugs and plants. Not a special...

(image source: https://www.deviantart.com/unlobogris/art/Brachytrachelopan-mesai-23241795 ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Brachytrachelopan , the "long"-neck dinosaur with severe anatomical inadequacy issues. From the Late Jurassic period, this 30-foot sauropod has such a short neck that the innuendos write themselves. Make sure this guy doesn't meet  Mamenchisaurus...

(image source: https://www.nps.gov/bela/learn/historyculture/images/WoollyMammoth_1.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss  Mammuthus , the proper genus name of the woolly mammoth. From the Late Pleistocene, this 12-foot-tall fuzzy elephant was the unofficial mascot of the Ice Age and survived beyond the construction of the Pyramids of Giza. For real. Also, you can pu...

(image source: http://images.dinosaurpictures.org/_a922.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Stephen Curro discuss Dreadnoughtus , the titanic lumberer that might have been the biggest dinosaur ever, but who knows really? From the Late Cretaceous, this 100-foot sauropod fear very little. In fact, getting it to dread would be for naught. Ohhhhh, Dreadnoughtus , I get it! Also, you can purcha...

(image source:  http://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Amargasaurus_PC_0445.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Allen Brooks discuss  Amargasaurus , the spiky longneck that would be real fun at New Year's Eve parties. From the Early Cretaceous, this 35-foot sauropod was a real pain in the neck to predators...literally! That is, Amargasaurus 's neck was literally a pain to predators. It makes s...

(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/pcab011_santanaraptor_70b8.jpg ) Merry Christmas! Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss  Santanaraptor , the primitive tyrannosaurid that's named after the Santana region in Brazil but has "Santa" at the beginning so we're doing it for the holidays. From the Early Cretaceous, this 4-foot theropod is sure to be a big help for...