Five Incredible Dinosaurs You’ve Probably Never Heard About
A new book makes the perfect reference guide to the prehistoric era
Ever since the very first fossils were uncovered, people in every corner of the globe have been fascinated by dinosaurs.
The long-extinct creatures have seemingly invaded every aspect of our culture, from film and media to toys and textiles. But with this immense popularity can also come confusion: It’s a challenge to separate the fact from the fiction, the real animals from the almost mythological beings they have become.
The world the dinosaurs knew was certainly very different from our own and, over the past two hundred years, scientific research has revealed a stag-gering amount about it. Studies of the evidence the dinosaurs left behind has allowed paleontologists to breathe life back into these prehistoric beasts. Experts have been able to reconstruct how they looked, placing not only the muscle, but fat, skin, and feathers onto the bone. The relationships between dinosaur species have been reconstructed to show their place in the great tree of life, between their reptilian ancestors and their bird descendants. We’ve even been able to examine clues in the rock that reveal glimpses into their behaviors and social interactions.
1. Anchiornis
AN-KEE-OR-NUS
FIRST DISCOVERED: 2009
RANGE: EASTERN CHINA
Covered in feathers, at first glance Anchiornis appears much more bird than dinosaur, and in this way beautifully illustrates how blurry the line between the two groups is. Whereas birds only have wings on their front limbs, however, Anchiornis has them on its hind legs too, making it one of several “four-winged dinosaurs."
Anchiornis, or Anchiornis huxleyi, to give the species its full name, was denominated in honor of Thomas Henry Huxley, a nineteenth-century biologist who was one of the first champions of Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It was also Huxley who, in 1868, became the first to suggest that birds were in fact types of dinosaur, over a hundred years before that theory was truly accepted. One of the most fascinating things about Anchiornis is that, thanks to the exceptional preservation of its feathers and the pigmentary structures within them, paleontologists have been able to reconstruct its color. Anchiornis was predominantly black and white, with patches of red, likely used for display, around the head.
This remarkable preservation means scientists can reconstruct this species of dinosaur more accurately than almost any other.
2. Dracoraptor
DRAY-COE-RAP-TOR
FIRST DISCOVERED: 2014
RANGE: WALES
This theropod discovered on the south coast of Wales was small by many dinosaur standards, around 10 feet from head to tail. As such, it could be easily overlooked compared to its more famous relatives. Despite its size, however, Dracoraptor provides an invaluable record of a very important period of dinosaur history.
Dracoraptor lived about 201 million years ago, at the very start of the Jurassic period, when the dinosaurs were recovering from their first major challenge: the Triassic–Jurassic Extinction event. Fossils of predators of this time are exceptionally rare, so Dracoraptor received a significant amount of attention when remains of its skull were discovered in 2014, simply because they had been found at all.
The small pointed teeth of Dracoraptor were great for a generalist diet of small prey animals; insects, lizards, and early mammal relatives were all options, along with whatever carrion may have washed up on the shores of the tropical islands that made up Jurassic Wales. Being from the land of dragons, Dracoraptor took the first part of its name from the Latin root for these mythical beasts.
3. Spicomellus
SPIC-O-MELL-US
FIRST DISCOVERED: 2019
RANGE: MOROCCO
Dating to the middle of the Jurassic period, Spicomellus is the oldest known of all the armored ankylosaur dinosaurs, though that is not the most intriguing thing about it. The defining feature of Spicomellus is a highly modified rib, with spikes fused to the upper surface.
Usually the armor is embedded within the skin and muscle, rather than directly on the bone. Even among the bizarre world of ankylosaurs, this is a unique bit of anatomy, not seen in any other vertebrate. However, despite the physiological differences, the purpose of the spikes was likely the same. In life, they would have been covered in keratin and acted in defense as a predator deterrent. Any theropod would be taking a huge risk in trying to take on such weaponry, even if, at about 10 feet in length, Spicomellus was hardly a giant among dinosaurs.
Spicomellus lived in the forests of what is now Morocco, where it would have grazed on the low-lying vegetation. This same formation, the El Mers, has previously revealed one of the oldest known stegosaurs, making it an apparent hotspot for dinosaur evolution.
4. Yi
YEE
FIRST DISCOVERED: 2007
RANGE: EASTERN CHINA
Surely a contender for the most bizarre-looking dinosaur of them all is Yi. This small (in size and name) dinosaur from the Jurassic of what is now China had arms that were long and functionally evolved for flight. These arms were not feathered, however, and instead flew with a membrane of skin, like the wings of a bat.
Supporting this membranous wing was a rod of bone, extending with a slight curve down from the wrist. No other dinosaur has such a structure, though it is curiously seen in some mammals (particularly in the ankles of bats). It isn’t known for certain if these wings were capable of flapping flight, though seeing as Yi is missing powerful muscle attachment sites from the forelimbs, it is possible it was more of a glider.
Though the wing was composed of skin, the body of Yi was covered in feathers. Those around the head appear simple, but along the arm show a “paint-brush” style of feather which is much more unique. Being approximately less than 14 ounces in weight and with a mouthful of sharp teeth, Yi most likely survived on insects and other small vertebrates.
5. Heterodontosaurus
HET-ER-ROW-DON-TOE-SAW-RUS
FIRST DISCOVERED: 1961
RANGE: SOUTHERN AFRICA AND LESOTHO
Vampiric-looking tusks set Heterodontosaurus apart. In fact, though dinosaur teeth in general are incredibly diverse and specialized for a wide range of unique functions across different species, unlike mammals, having such variations within the jaws of one individual is not common. Accordingly, the name Heterodontosaurus means “different-toothed lizard.”
These teeth have led to speculation about what Heterodontosaurus likely ate. There is no doubt that the shearing tooth rows at the back of the jaw would help it cut up vegetation, the main portion of its diet. However, questions remain as to whether the lightly serrated tusks (and clawed hands) would have allowed catching small prey to add some protein to an omnivorous diet, or if they would be better suited for grazing and cutting through tough plant materials, like those of the muntjac deer.
From the early Jurassic, in what is now South Africa, Heterodontosaurus is a relative of those first to diverge to the ornithischian side of the dinosaur family tree, and has been an important study in understanding dinosaur breathing. The bizarre paddle-shaped bones associated with the sternum show a step in evolution to a more avian-like lung system.
Read more in Dinosaurus: A Prehistoric Dictionary, which is available from Smithsonian Books. Visit Smithsonian Books’ website to learn more about its publications and a full list of titles.
Excerpt from Dinosaurus © 2025 by UniPress Books Ltd
