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These 9 Discovered Species Made 2015 A Dinomite Year

One species has been described as "feathery, fluffy, winged Chickens from Hell."
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By 

Editor, HuffPost Hawaii

Most of us can only name a handful of dinosaur groups and species, namely those that were represented in "The Land Before Time." 

Dinosaurs like the Apatosaurus (aka Little Foot), Triceratops (aka Cera), Stegosaurus (aka Spike) and Tyrannosaurus (aka Chomper) get all the glory, even though scientists have named approximately 700 dinosaur species. 

Making sense of fossils from 100 million years ago, however, is tricky business. Many scientists have a hard time agreeing on distinctions and some studies suggest there isn't enough evidence to fully support the uniqueness of half of the named dinosaur species.

Still, paleontologists think there are least 700 to 900 species still waiting to be discovered -- and 2015 helped us inch toward that enlightenment.

Below, check out nine totally weird species discovered this year, as well as what we imagine their names should have been.

Because dino-love never goes extinct. 

Qijianglong, or The Long-Necked Dragon
Illustration: Lida Xing
Believed to have roamed Asia about 160 million years ago, the Qijianglong was identified by skull and vertebrae fossils unearthed by construction workers in 2006 near Quiang City, China. The dino's neck is extremely long, making up more than half of the creature's 49-foot body.
Yi qi, or The Mysterious Bat Pigeon
Dinostar Co. Ltd./AP
Yi qi is Mandarin for "strange wing," which is appropriate since this tiny dino has totally puzzled scientists. Fossils dating back about 160 million years were discovered in China's Hebei Province and suggest the pigeon-sized creature had wings made of skin, like a bat's, instead of feathers. Scientists can't determine if these creatures flapped, glided or couldn't fly at all.
Saurornitholestes sullivani, or The Even More Lethal Velociraptor
Illustration: MARY P. WILLIAMS
See those smaller dinos harassing a larger -- but helpless -- hadrosaur? That's S. sullivani, a newly identified raptor that is thought to be totally deadly thanks to a powerful sense of smell and its agility. “Although it was not large," one scientist said, "this was not a dinosaur you would want to mess with."
Zhenyuanlong suni, aka The Fluffy Chicken From Hell
The University of Edinburgh
Well-preserved fossils found in China turned out to belong to a close relative of the Velociraptor. They suggest that real Velociraptors (not the "Jurassic Park" versions) were feathery and fluffy -- but just as lethal as they've always been known to be.

"The real Velociraptors," a paleontologist said, "would have been feathery, fluffy, winged Chickens from Hell."

While Zhenyuanlong suni may have had a set of birdlike wings, it was too short to fly and was likely used for show and egg protection.
Lightning Claw, aka T. Rex's Little Cousin
JULIUS CSOTONYI
With 10-inch claws, what else could scientists name this thing? The extraordinary meat-eating dinosaur was discovered in an opal mine in Australia, making its fossils a gorgeous blue color. The 22-foot-long beast was certainly no match for T. rex, but its huge hook-like claws definitely made it ferocious.
Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, aka The Arctic Nightowl
James Havens
Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis were "truly polar," according to scientists. Their fossils were discovered in northern Alaska, which means the large, duck-billed herbivore had the resilience to live in darkness for months at a time and endure the unforgiving environment. Scientists still aren't sure what they did for food during the long, hard winters.
Hualianceratops wucaiwanensis, aka The Big-Headed Dog Dino
Portia Sloan Rollings
Fossils found in China suggest the Triceratops had a super-weird relative. "It was probably about the size of a spaniel dog, with a relatively large head, and walked on its hind legs," a paleontologist told HuffPost. H. wucaiwanensis is thought to be the oldest known member of the ceratopsians genus (which includes the Triceratops) and its remains have helped scientists better understand the early evolution of horned dinosaurs.
Morelladon, aka The Humpback Sail
Carlos de Miguel Chaves
Some 125 million years ago, these strange fellows wandered around what is now Spain. Their sail-like humpback stood about 2 feet tall and was likely used to either help regulate heat or to store fat. Most interesting is that these structures appear in many vertebrates throughout history, even those not closely related to each other.

Also on HuffPost: 

Dinos Dining: Prehistoric Predators
Leviathan(01 of17)
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A 36-foot-long Pliosaurus attacks the plesiosaur Cryptoclidus, a marine reptile from the Late Jurassic Period. Also shown: the fish Pachycormus, a shoal of the belemnite Belemnoteuthis, and the ammonite Pectinatites.Acrylic Painting, 2008. (credit:Robert Nicholls)
Rugops Primus Environmental Scene(02 of17)
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The scavenger Rugops, a dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous that lived in what is now Africa, driving a trio of the pterosaur Tupuxuara from the corpse of the sail-backed iguanadontid Ouranosaurus. The crocodylomorphs, relatives of the modern crocodile, are the 'boar-croc' Kaprosuchus. (credit:© Todd Marshall)
Double Death(03 of17)
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Working together, a pair of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs, steal away a juvenile Paralititan stromeri from its family herd. Paralititans were swamp-dwellers that grew to be one of the largest creatures to ever roam the Earth.Mixed media, 2011. (credit: © Robert Nicholls)
Ammonite Graveyard(04 of17)
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Ammonites, so called after the Egyptian god Ammon, were carnivorous squidlike animals that could be over 3 feet in diameter. Here, several ammonites decay on the sea floor.Material: Gouache, 2011. Based on a prepared slab in Ulster Museum. Courtesy of A. Cowap. (credit: © John Sibbick)
Reaper In Paradise(05 of17)
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The giant crocodile, Deinosuchus riograndensis, attacks an Albertosaurs, a smaller relative of the Tyrannosaurus, in Late Cretaceous North America, 75 million years ago.Acrylic painting, 2003. (credit: © Robert Nicholls)
Mammoths And Saber-Toothed Cats(06 of17)
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A pride of Smilodon fatalis, often called a saber-toothed cat, attacks a calf belonging to a herd of mammoths while the mother moves to protect her offspring. Digital painting (credit: © Mauricio Anton)
Aucasaurus Attacking Titanosaur Nests(07 of17)
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During the Late Cretaceous (85 million years ago) Aucasaurus, a pack-hunting dinosaur, attacks a group of startled titanosaurs in Argentina. Pushing past the adults guarding their nests, the Aucasauruses snap up the babies as they hatch.From National Geographic, March 2003, 'Dinosaurs - Flesh & Bone' (credit: © John Sibbick)
Gallimimus Bullatus & Tarbosaurus Bataarm(08 of17)
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Tarbosaurus, a predatory reptile that lived 70 million years ago in parts of Asia, chases two Gallimimuses, ostrich-like dinosaurs that could grow nearly 30 feet long.Digital Art, 2010. (credit: © John Conway)
One Split Second: Triceratops Vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex(09 of17)
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The T-Rex probably preyed on Triceratops, because their territories overlapped 65 million years ago. While the T-Rex had its famous bite to use for a weapon, triceratops' powerful horns were a formidable defense. Digital Painting/photographic composite. 2011. From the Golden Book of Dinosaurs, by Robert Baker/Rey. (credit: © Luis Rey)
Ambush In The Late Miocene Of Florida(10 of17)
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This scene shows a prehistoric rhino struggling to escape the sharp claws of two saber-toothed cats.From left to right: Aelurodon, Teleoceras (rhino), Barbourofelis (saber-tooth), Neohipparion (horse), Aepycamelus (giraffe-like camels), Synthetoceras. (credit: © Mauricio Anton)
Smilodon & Paramylodon (11 of17)
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A Smilodon, or saber-toothed cat, dispatches a ground sloth trapped in tar during the Ice Age in North America.Digital painting. (credit:© Mauricio Anton)
Beelzebufo Ampinga(12 of17)
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A huge toad from the late Cretaceous of Madagascar that may have grown to over 16 inches long and could have weighed up to 9 pounds. It was certainly big enough to eat baby dinosaurs. Acrylics on illustration board, 2007. (credit:© Todd Marshall)
Cretaceous Rodeo (Aka T-Rex Family Life)(13 of17)
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The Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the most formidable predators of all the dinosaurs. The 40-foot-long carnivore had teeth up to twelve inches long. However, there is a debate among paleontologists over whether the T-Rex was an apex predator or a scavenger.Acrylics & ink on cardboard, 2004. (credit:© Luis Rey)
Devourer Of Giants(14 of17)
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Five million years ago, several Anacus - a straight-tusked member of the elephant family - have been caught in a flash flood and drowned. Washed out to sea, they attract two adult and a juvenile mega-shark named Carcharodon megalodon - at around 60 feet, probably the largest shark known.Acrylic painting, 2000. (credit:© RObert Nicholls)
Pristichampsus Attacking Early Horses(15 of17)
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Pristichampsus is an extinct crocodile relative that could grow up to 10 feet long. The armored reptile lived mostly on land, and fed on land mammals like these early horses.Detail from composite scene for the TV show Animal Planet.Gouache (credit:© John Sibbick)
Megantereon Attacking Bushbuck(16 of17)
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Megantereon, an early saber-toothed cat, may have eaten young rhinos, elephants, and horses. The felines probably bit their prey on the neck to kill them, and then let them bleed to death, like the bushbuck pictured here.Kromdraai A, Early Pleistocene of South Africa. Colored pencils, from Evolving Eden (Columbia University Press) (credit:© Mauricio Anton)
(17 of17)
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Photos courtesy Titan Books

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