An article published in the journal “Cretaceous Research” reports a study of a fossil skull of Styracosaurus albertensis, a herbivorous dinosaur that lived in today’s North America about 75 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period. A team of researchers led by Professor Robert Holmes of the University of Alberta, Canada, examined this well-preserved fossil noting that its horns were asymmetrical. Previously, no skull attributed to the genus Styracosaurus was complete enough to see that asymmetry. This discovery could lead to various reclassifications of fossils that over time were attributed to other species of the genus Styracosaurus and later even to other genera.

An article published in the journal “PLOS ONE” reports the identification of a new species of dinosaur that lived in today’s Thailand around 120 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period, which was named Siamraptor suwati. It belongs to the group of carcharodontosaurian, in turn part of the larger group of allosaurs, carnivorous dinosaurs that were super-predators in their ecosystems. This new species, like its closest relatives, had teeth similar to those of sharks and can provide information on the global spread of these dinosaurs.

An article published in the journal “The Anatomical Record” reports a study of the anatomy of Tyrannosaurus rex’s skull which offers an explanation of how it could have bite so powerful that it could crush of its prey’s bones without breaking its own bones. A team of researchers led by Ian Cost of Albright College examined the characteristics of the T. Rex skull also using computer simulations concluding that it was as stiff as those of modern hyenas and crocodiles and not as flexible as those of snakes and birds.

An article published in the journal “PeerJ” reports a study on the development of the skull structure of Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis during its growth. A team led by Claire Bullar of the British University of Bristol examined dozens of fossils belonging to this species focusing in particular on their skulls to understand their growth. This also offers more information on their locomotion changes since they were born quadrupeds but were bipeds in adulthood.