At Everything Dinosaur, we try and post up an article on this blog site every single day.  This can be quite a challenge considering all our other activities and projects.  However, as a result of our work on this weblog we have managed to compile a huge amount of information, articles and features chronicling (for the most part), advances in the Earth sciences and new fossil discoveries along with research into prehistoric animals.

We thought it would be interesting to look back at some of our blog posts this year and list the top ten favourite and most popular posts.

Here is part one, numbers ten to six covering January to June.

It was an action-packed January for Everything Dinosaur. The company was awarded Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award once again, there was a cyber incident at Royal Mail, and we discussed Carboniferous suction feeders. However, it was a superb pterosaur fossil from southern Germany that caught the eye.

To read about this discovery (Balaenognathus maeuseri): A New Pterosaur Species is Described.

February Frogspawn

In February a baby Torosaurus model was reunited with its mum, Mojo models took centre stage and the Rebor Deinosuchus figures arrived. We wrote articles about the larynx of Pinacosaurus, how to leave a review and rare dinosaur footsteps. For the first time, frogs spawned in the office pond in February.

An impact of climate change: Frogspawn in the Office Pond.

Dinosaurs Had Lips

At the end of March, we published an article summarising a new scientific paper that postulated that dinosaurs had lips. The lips versus lipless debate has existed for more than a century. Early depictions of dinosaurs gave them lips like extant lizards. When it came to depicting dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex in early films, the lips were ditched so that cinema goers could see their teeth. The teeth on show made the dinosaurs more frightening. Movie monsters bearing their huge teeth became a recurrent theme that is still seen in movies today. However, this new paper came firmly down in support of lips on theropod dinosaurs.

It also gave us the opportunity to display the excellent artwork of Mark Witton.

Find the article here: Tyrannosaurus rex Had Lips!

Top Everything Dinosaur Blog Posts (April to June 2023)

In April we discussed T. rex brain size, took into stock new CollectA figures, new staff training and praised the Wyoming “Jurassic Fest”. One of our highlights was the article that examined newly published research on marine reptiles. The study focused on the wide variety of swimming styles adopted by Mesozoic marine reptiles.

To read this post: Mapping Marine Reptiles.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

Schleich model retirements were discussed in May along with new Nanmu Studio and PNSO model releases. A rare letter penned by Mary Anning finding a home and a New York prehistoric animal exhibit mystery was solved. However, our highlight was the opportunity to visit the new April the Tenontosaurus exhibit at the Manchester Museum.

Here is the article: Amazing Tenontosaurus Fossils On Display.

It seems appropriate to mention April the Tenontosaurus when reviewing our blog posts from May 2023.

A New Armoured Dinosaur – Vectipelta barretti

Dinosaur drawings, new models and rapidly metamorphosising frogs featured in June. Team members got to visit the astonishing Patagotitan exhibition at the London Natural History Museum. This provides an appropriate segway into our favourite post of that month. A new species of armoured dinosaur was named. Vectipelta barretti honours Professor Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum.

The Vectipelta article: Armoured Dinosaur Honours Museum Professor.

Dinosaur fans can expect further new dinosaur announcements from Wealden Group strata.

We hope you enjoyed reading these blog posts as much as we enjoyed researching and writing them. Part two documenting July to December 2023 will be published shortly.

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