Favourite and Most Popular Blogs of 2024 (Part 2)
Today, we conclude our review of the Everything Dinosaur blog in 2024. We look at our favourite and most popular articles posted up between July and December (2024). There are a lot of articles and posts to choose from. Between July 1st and today, we have written one hundred and ninety-one posts. We have tried to cover a wide range of topics. For example, new fossil discoveries, new dinosaurs, model updates, model collecting news, scientific discoveries and of course, information about Everything Dinosaur.
To read our first article in this short series, covering favourite blog posts in the first half of the year: Favourite and Most Popular Blog Posts of 2024 (Part 1).
The Everything Dinosaur Blog (July and August)
In July (2024) we wrote about a new deep-snouted tyrannosaur from China (Asiatyrannus xui). In addition, we examined ancient brachiopods and informed readers about changes to the Everything Dinosaur website. A Stegosaurus skeleton sold for over $44 million USD, and we introduced new PNSO models such as Tyrannotitan and Baryonyx. Moreover, we wrote about a new basal tetrapod named in honour of the late Professor Jenny Clack and a newly described Isle of Wight dinosaur that honours the late Nick Chase. There were prehistoric grapes, a mammalian brain study and Everything Dinosaur videos too.
However, our favourite post of July focused upon a paper published in the journal “Nature” that revealed that mammals in the Middle Jurassic may have lived much longer than their modern relatives.
Picture credit: Duncan Mc Glynn
To read this blog post: Rare Jurassic Mammaliaform Fossils Reveal Details About Ontogeny.
The following month (August 2024), we explored dinosaurs and the autism spectrum, the evolution of cacti, the giant marsupial Diprotodon and our digital training. In addition, we visited “Snowball Earth” examined dinosaur dioramas and encountered a new titanosaur from Patagonia – Titanomachya gimenezi. Furthermore, we received a remarkable abelisaurid illustration and continued our regular reviews of “Prehistoric Times” magazine.
August was a busy time for the model manufacturer Rebor. They made several new model announcements and their remarkable “zombie rexes” came into stock.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
To view the range of Rebor models available from Everything Dinosaur: Rebor Models and Figures.
September and October on the Blog
September was a busy month on the Everything Dinosaur blog. We continued our support for the TetZooCon (the last ever to take place), learned about a troop of monkeys that found a fossil, ghost sharks from New Zealand and how dinosaur models can help with dissertations. We looked at Albertosaurus, introduced a new duck-billed dinosaur from Mexico (Coahuilasaurus lipani) and reflected on the phylogeny of hadrosaurs.
Everything Dinosaur’s customer service record is outstanding. We were asked to take part in a video highlighting how we use digital technology to focus on helping customers. A really good video featuring us was made… but there were also plenty of bloopers.
So, we posted up a short video highlighting our mistakes in front of the camera: Everything Dinosaur and Some Brilliant Bloopers.
With darker nights and Halloween there was plenty to keep us occupied in October. Sadly, Professor Dong Zhiming one of the most influential palaeontologists of the last sixty years passed away. His contribution to the Earth Sciences will not be forgotten. At Everything Dinosaur, we received an “Exceptional” rating for customer service from Feefo. New models came thick and fast, from Haolonggood, PNSO and there were more Beasts of the Mesozoic figures. The giant arthropod Arthropleura was given a face, and we took a close look at the science behind avoiding asteroid impacts. The Pachyrhinosaurus skull “Big Sam” was on the move, and we posted up more videos.
Team members were contacted about the discovery of the smallest non-avian dinosaur eggs to be described to date (Minioolithus ganzhouensis). We were presented with fantastic dinosaur artwork.
Our favourite post revolved around the discovery of one of the oldest dinosauromorphs known. Gondwanax paraisensis is thought to be a silesaurid: Shedding Light on Dinosaur Origins.
Picture credit: Matheus Fernandes Gadelha
November and December on the Everything Dinosaur Blog
New CollectA prehistoric animal models were introduced including an amazing 1:20 scale Phorusrhacos model. The artwork of Richard Bizley was celebrated, and we welcomed the Papo Ampelosaurus dinosaur model. Sue was invited to speak at a conference and a fifty-year German fossil mystery was resolved. We looked at transformational digital technology and debunked dinosaur myths with the very talented Dr Darren Naish. A new oviraptorosaur was announced (Yuanyanglong bainian) and a study was published highlighting global cooling and the rise of the Dinosauria.
The picture (above) shows the new for 2025 CollectA Deluxe Phorusrhacos figure.
To view the range of CollectA Deluxe figures in stock: CollectA Deluxe Prehistoric Life Models.
Our favourite post featured a new scientific paper that concluded that the remarkable vertebrate fossils associated with the Yixian Formation of north-eastern China were not caused by volcanic eruptions.
To read more: Yixian Formation Fossils Not Caused by Pompeii-like Events.
The End of the Year
December was a busy month in our warehouse. We had a record number of Christmas parcels to send out to customers. Our blog was busy too. We introduced the spectacular Rebor “Kiss” island version as well as new Safari Ltd models. Innovative research highlighted the role humans played in prehistoric elephant extinction. We looked at new dinosaur books for the festive season, dinosaur-themed wrapping paper and thanked all our lovely customers for their cards and gifts.
The evolution of the jaw in the Squamata was outlined and we examined the new General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR) and checked our compliance.
Another new dinosaur from China was discussed (Archaeocursor) and we assessed the status of the taxon Saurophaganax. Model retirements from Safari Ltd were announced and we provided information on a new paper that concluded that tyrannosaurs were present in southern England during the Early Cretaceous.
Picture credit: Anthony Hutchings
To read about this new theropod research: Wadhurst Clay Formation Theropods Including Tyrannosaurs.
Mike from Everything Dinosaur commented:
“This concludes our run through of our blog posts for 2024. We had fun looking back at all the articles we had published. In total, we wrote three hundred and seventy-five posts this year. That’s quite an effort. The Everything Dinosaur blog will surpass seven thousand posts in 2025. Wishing everyone a happy new year!”
Happy New Year!
The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Dinosaur Models and Toys.