Top favourite prehistoric animals

[andrewsaurus rex]

this is like trying to list favourite songs.....how do you choose just one, or ten?   And  like Halichoeres,  it would depend on when you ask me. 

However, while it may sound cliché, obvious and boring, T-rex will probably always top my list.

[Concavenator]

I do have some favorite species, but they're definitely more than 10 and there could be some changes here and there over time. Anyways, I'm going to choose just 10 for the sake of sticking to the title. Very lengthy post incoming:

1. Allosaurus jimmadseni

Allosaurus has always been my favorite genus of dinosaurs. Almost everyone's favorite dinosaur (and the most famous) is always T.rex, and while I like it, I always thought that Jurassic predator some books from my childhood wrongfully called "the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex" was, from my perspective, more interesting than T.rex itself. I just really like it. It looks very cool with those crests and the enlarged thumbclaw. From the good fossil evidence we have, we know this was a dinosaur that lived a very harsh life (though the same can be said for other predators), but still was very successful. I've also visited the MNCN (Madrid, Spain) several times where they have a mounted A.fragilis skeleton (a replica, MNCN 50000) next to the museum shop, and it was always impressive to see. Okay, last time I went there was late 2012 so A.jimmadseni wasn't a thing, those specimens were still called A.fragilis and it was my favorite dinosaur regardless.

2. Deinonychus antirrhopus

While I love allosauroids, if I had to pick a single family of dinosaurs as my favorite, those are the Dromaeosauridae. Similar to the previous point, everyone talks about Velociraptor, and while I know what comes to (average non-informed) people's heads when they think of Velociraptor is very different from the real deal, and despite also liking Velociraptor, I just preferred Deinonychus. It is bigger than Velociraptor but wasn't the biggest dromaeosaurid either, a.k.a. Utahraptor. It's also one of the most relevant discoveries in the history of paleontology, and the animal itself has experienced a drastic change of appearance as our understanding of dinosaurs was advancing. The result is an agile, ~ 3 m long, flightless eagle-like creature with super sharp claws. And while this could be said for other dromaeosaurids as well (for the most part), this combined with the 2 previous points make it my favorite dromaeosaurid and my 2nd favorite prehistoric creature.

3. Yutyrannus huali

I have never been so excited for the discovery of a new dinosaur species. Funnily enough, I didn't learn about Yutyrannus as soon as it was announced, but 5 months later. When it got announced I was still a kid and despite having a computer, my usage of Internet was rather limited. I wasn't a member here yet, nor did I check the DTF regularly. So basically my main way of learning about new paleontological discoveries was my dad telling me about those discoveries (as he stumbled upon them when reading the news). That was not the case with Yutyrannus though. However, in September 2012 he gifted to me a magazine (pretty sure it was a NatGeo one) and it was thanks to that magazine that I learned about it... and I was fascinated. The fossil was surprisingly well-preserved, it beared a superficial resemblance to Allosaurus (due to the nasal crest and having sharp, 3-fingered clawed hands) which is my favorite species, it was a striking new discovery for being a feathered tyrannosaur that big, and I found it interesting that it lived in a relatively cold environment. And the paleoart featured in the magazine was great. I became a big fan of it.

4. Diplodocus carnegii

Diplodocoids are my favorite sauropods. And I tend to like gracile creatures, so Diplodocus is my favorite diplodocoid and my favorite sauropod. I find it quite a fascinating creature, despite being so huge it was, relatively, considerably light. I also saw the mounted skeleton of "Dippy" at the MNCN and (despite being so oudated) it was a sight to see. And then I watched Walking with Dinosaurs and I loved it even more. And after some time, the nostalgia factor enters in... (I wouldn't call myself a nostalgic person but I still have my limits...  )

5. Suchomimus tenerensis

I find it a very elegant and beautiful creature because of the very long snout, low sail around the hips and the big thumbclaw. I remember seeing this resin kit Dan's Dinosaurs was selling and at the time I fell in love with it. I also recently learned it's the spinosaurid with the best fossil remains, so that's a bonus point.

6. Styracosaurus albertensis

It just looks so cool with those impressive horns. Still possibly the flashiest ceratopsid after all these years. Again, Triceratops may be more popular, but this is another case of "the 2nd most popular" being more interesting than the "all-time most popular" for me. I also like especially spiky depictions of it, even if just by pure artistic liberty.

7. Amargasaurus cazaui

A very unique and interesting, moderately sized sauropod. I preferred it when it was thought to be spiky, but I still like it now.

8. Concavenator corcovatus

As I said before, I have a soft spot for allosauroids. Concavenator is easily my country's most famous dinosaur, the announcement of its discovery was quite a shock back in the day here (unlike the Yutyrannus case before, it was my dad who directly informed me this time, he even gave me the physical newspaper that announced the discovery ) and that was justified: the fossil was very well preserved and it was a very unique creature, plus it had those puzzling ulnar knobs. So I have a soft spot for it. I love Asfaltovenator and carcharodontosaurids like Acrocanthosaurus and Meraxes too (and allosauroids in general, unlike some people, I don't find them boring at all).

9. Mosasaurus hoffmannii

I wasn't initially too fond of mosasaurs, but I think it was because the reconstructions I was used to seeing were very outdated and I happened to simply dislike those very depictions. But then as I started to see modern paleoart of them, I started to appreciate them. When I was around 10, I stumbled upon a real mosasaur tooth in a shop and even hold it in my hands!  I was quite surprised. Turns out mosasaur teeth are pretty common though lol. Back in 2014 I visited the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and they had a mosasaur themed exposition that was very cool to see. I like them a lot now, with their scaly skin, forked tongues and elongated bodies.

10. Deinocheirus mirificus

I liked Deinocheirus when it was an oversized generic ornithomimid, but after we got a really good idea of how it looked like, I appreciated it a lot more, naturally. It was at that point when the press called it "the weirdest dinosaur of all time". And I can see why! It was so different from other theropods, not only in physical appearance but also in its ecology. I also appreciate it for starting out as a complete mystery and then turning out to be a very well-known dinosaur. Prior to 2013-2014 we were still in the dark about its true nature, and it's now showing up in documentaries like Prehistoric Planet in all its glory.

Some honorable mentions:

Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis

Even if it's appearance might or might not change due to the new remains, it's always been one of my favorites. I'm just a sucker for spiky creatures.

Dilophosaurus wetherilli

A cool, unique and distinctive early theropod. I really like early theropods and Dilophosaurus is my favorite among them.

Daspletosaurus torosus

My favorite tyrannosaurid (not tyrannosauroid, that's Yutyrannus). I like its head ornamentation and its relatively long arms compared to the rest of its family.

Olorotitan arharensis

My favorite lambeosaurine, I really like it because of its long neck and beautiful head crest, a very elegant creature.

Yi qi

What a weird and fascinating creature! If I were to show it to an average, non-specialised person they would think I'm showing them a fantasy creature from the likes of Harry Potter, but what's surprising is it was real!

Apatosaurus louisae

A classic and chunkier diplodocid. I feel it's very overlooked nowadays, due to Diplodocus and Brontosaurus overshadowing it in popularity.

Diabloceratops eatoni

A ceratopsid with a peculiar head ornamentation. It's an elegant creature.

Utahraptor ostrommaysi

Aside from being the biggest known dromaeosaurid, it was also a fairly weird creature.

Kentrosaurus aethiopicus

I really like stegosaurs and Kentrosaurus was very spiky and relatively lithe, so it's my favorite.

Carnotaurus sastrei

I've always liked Carnotaurus for being an unusual, swift and agile theropod (even if our current understanding of it lends to it not being quite as lanky as before). Plus, it has fairly good remains, even with skin impressions. I really like Majungasaurus too.

Megaraptor namunhuaiquii

Yeah, I know its remains are fragmentary (as happens with all of its relatives, at least so far) and so we don't have a solid picture of what it looked like. But still, considering how we believe it might have looked like, it's a creature I find fascinating. Well, I've always found it interesting. Now even more, being classified as basal tyrannosauroid/coelurosaur. If megaraptorids were tyrannosauroids indeed, it's interesting how they're basically the complete opposite of its more derived relatives, with a slender skull and very strong, well-developed arms with huge claws. I hope we find out more about this intriguing group; clearing up their taxonomic position really is the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to having a robust understanding of theropods as a clade (along with a few other cases, like Deltadromeus, Gualicho, and so on).

[Sim]

I enjoyed reading your post @5aurophaganax, thanks for sharing it!  My top favourites have had some changes, I'll post my new list soon.

[BlueKrono]

My top faves would probably all be marine reptiles, but for the sake of diversity I'll list the critters I have collections built around. In no particular order:

1. Gerrothorax - and other boomerang-headed amphibians
2. Globidens - and other sea lizards
3. Styxosaurus - and other plesiosaurs
4. Andrewsarchus - and other entelodonts
5. Diatryma - and other terror birds
6. Saltasaurus - and other osteoderm-bearing sauropods
7. Platybelodon - and other oddly-tusked prehistoric pachyderms
8. Ichthyovenator - and other sail-finned bipeds
9. Secodontosaurus - and other sail-finned quadrupeds
10. Brachytrachelopan - cuz it's just so weird!

[Halichoeres]

@BlueKrono did you see the 3d-printable Secodontosaurus on the Herd of Beasts Kickstarter?

[BlueKrono]

@BlueKrono did you see the 3d-printable Secodontosaurus on the Herd of Beasts Kickstarter?

I didn't, but files do me little good since I don't have a 3D printer. If they were selling prints of those awesome critters like the Life game did I'd 100% back it.

[Halichoeres]

I've bought STL files and just had them printed by Shapeways for a fee, although now I think I have access to a printer through my employer. But it is an extra step.

[bmathison1972]

Hard to pick 10. Here are some that have fancied me over the years, including childhood:

Deinonychus
Protoceratops
Baryonyx
Lystrosaurus
Longisquama [my number 1 'wished for' in toy form]
Tullimonstrum
Hallucigenia
Rhamphorhynchus
...any trilobite
...any insect in amber

[Halichoeres]

A Longisquama would be really cool. This one isn't cutting it for me:

[Sim]

Below is my current favourite prehistoric animals:

1. Velociraptor mongoliensis
2. Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
3. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis
4. Saurornithoides mongoliensis
5. Styxosaurus snowii
6. Buitreraptor gonzalezorum
7. Baryonyx walkeri
8. Stegosaurus stenops
9. Sinornithosaurus millenii
10. Deinonychus antirrhopus
11. Linheraptor exquisitus
12. Ornitholestes hermanni
13. Dromaeosaurus albertensis
14. Scaphognathus crassirostris
15. Eoraptor lunensis
16. Eudimorphodon ranzii
17. Torvosaurus tanneri

Regarding the new additions...  Ornitholestes is a cool little dinosaur that's charming and I find quite interesting.  Dromaeosaurus is interesting to me because of its short snout that was adapted for a powerful way of preying on other animals.

[Sim]

I've changed the title of this thread to remove the number 10, as some posts were listing more than 10 animals.


My current favourite prehistoric animals are listed below:

1. Velociraptor mongoliensis
2. Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
3. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis
4. Saurornithoides mongoliensis
5. Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
6. Buitreraptor gonzalezorum
7. Baryonyx walkeri
8. Stegosaurus stenops
9. Sinornithosaurus millenii
10. Deinonychus antirrhopus
11. Linheraptor exquisitus
12. Harpactognathus gentryii
13. Ornitholestes hermanni
14. Tuojiangosaurus multispinus
15. Kentrosaurus aethiopicus
16. Denversaurus schlessmani
17. Eoraptor lunensis
18. Utahraptor ostrommaysi
19. Dromaeosaurus albertensis
20. Stegosaurus ungulatus
21. Eudimorphodon ranzii

Reasons why I like the new additions:
Hydrotherosaurus: I've gone through a few long-necked plesiosaurians as favourites of mine and I've settled on Hydrotherosaurus due to its head shape and tooth arrangement with large upper jaw teeth.
Tuojiangosaurus: I find its body shape, its plates in particular, appealing.
Kentrosaurus: This is a seriously cool animal.  Its array of spines is intimidating in spite of its relatively small size.
Denversaurus: I find it combines elegance with toughness, which appeals to me.
Utahraptor: Dromaeosaurids are my favourite type of animal, and Utahraptor is a particularly interesting member of that group with its robustness and large size, and its position as an apex predator.
Stegosaurus ungulatus: The other species of Stegosaurus I like a lot too.  Its different plates and larger size set it apart from the more common Stegosaurus stenops as an equally interesting animal.

[marisaura]

dinosaurs: parasaurolophus, maiasaura, hypacrosaurus, lophorhothon, oryctodromeus, yi qi, mononykus, sinosauropteryx, austroraptor, megaraptor, acrocanthosaurus, appalachiosaurus, alamosaurus, dicraeosaurus, brachytrachelopan

everyone else: scutosaurus, placerias, lystrosaurus, cotylorhynchus, erythrosuchus, lotosaurus, desmatosuchus, koolasuchus, quetzalcoatlus, odobenocetops, steller's sea cow, synthetoceras

[JimoAi]

dinosaur: Ankylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus

others: Quetzalcoatlus, Mosasaurus, Megalodon, Aquilolamna, Simosuchus, Weasel shark

[Splonkadumpocus]

• Stegosaurus (My favorite since I was 5, so adorably awkward with that tiny head and big body and all those plates)
• Tyrannosaurus
• Allosaurus
• Tylosaurus
• Ankylosaurus
• Apatosaurus
• Megacerops
• Utahraptor
• Glyptotherium
• Amebelodon

[Quiversaurus]

I somehow missed this thread too! I enjoyed reading quite a few of these posts.

Here are mine, in order. I like in particular species which have good to extensive fossil remains:

1. Stegosaurus stenops/ungulatus
I've always liked Stegosauruses as a kid, but it was only when I restarted my figure/model collecting that I realised this was my favourite dinosaur. There's just something about its bauplan and proportions that is aesthetically pleasing to me. I particularly like its plates (compared to other stegosaurs).

2. Suchomimus tenerensis
This was a recent realisation too. I like that it was likely a piscivore, different from other mainstream meat-eaters. Its body shape is somehow also pleasing to my eye, and I like the low sail/hump and that it was a large creature as well.

3. Tyrannosaurus rex
A common favourite! This was a species I started liking because of Jurassic Park. It is such a majestic creature, and its sheer bulk and size just struck awe into my heart as a kid. In recent times I've come to appreciate the more scientifically accurate depictions of it (PNSO'S Winter Wilson, Prehistoric Planet, etc), and now I like it even more.

4. Kentrosaurus aethiopicus
Another of my favourite stegosaurians. It's much smaller than Stegosaurus, but likewise its bauplan appeals very much to me. I particularly like its spikes and their arrangement across its back.

5. Iguanodon bernissartensis
The first iguanodontid on this list... I like the way it looks more than other hadrosaurs (which I never before liked as a kid). Its square jaw, that wicked thumb claw and its sheer size are major standouts for me. And of course, the fact that it was one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered.

6. Allosaurus jimmadseni
I read somewhere where someone called the Allosaurus "the wolf of the Jurassic" and that image has never left my mind since. I like the lithe and more nimble body it has (compared to a T. rex)


Here are some other species I like, but which I don't feel able to call favourites, at least for now. In no particular order:

7. Qianzhousaurus sinensis
I like its size, its narrow, elongated snout, and the fact that it's an Asian tyrannosaur. It had longs legs too, which may have meant it was a fast runner.

8. Ouranosaurus nigeriensis
The other iguanodontid I fancy - I like its unique sail, its seemingly peaceful demeanour (at least from reconstructions like HLG's interpretation), and that it was like Iguanodon but distinct.

9. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis
It looks cool! And it occupies and interesting place in history, being one of the earliest dinosaurs from the fossil record.

10. Apatosaurus louisae
Not a big fan of sauropods, but its size is just so majestic and awesome. Not to mention HLG has a good representation of it which I really like as well. Truly a gentle giant.

[Concavenator]

OK, now that I listed my least favorite prehistoric animals, time for me to list my favorite ones! This will also serve as an update to the list I posted last year. There are some slight changes, but in general, it's quite similar, which means that, for me, the concept of favorite is definitely something.

I won't get into detail talking about the species I already mentioned, but I will when it comes to the ones that weren't there before. Anyways, here it goes:

1. Allosaurus jimmadseni
2. Deinonychus antirrhopus
3. Yutyrannus huali
4. Diplodocus carnegii
5. Diabloceratops eatoni
6. Styracosaurus albertensis
7. Suchomimus tenerensis
8. Dilophosaurus wetherilli
9. Basilosaurus cetoides
10. Concavenator corcovatus
11. Apatosaurus louisae
12. Yi qi
13. Austroraptor cabazai
14. Anchiornis huxleyi
15. Amargasaurus cazaui
16. Deinocheirus mirificus
17. Kentrosaurus aethiopicus
18. Shonisaurus popularis
19. Daspletosaurus torosus
20. Edaphosaurus pogonias
21. Megaraptor namunhuaiquii
22. Megatherium americanum
23. Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis

9. Basilosaurus cetoides

The thought that immediately comes into my mind when I see a depiction of this animal or I think about it is: "Wow, that looks amazing!". I generally like elongated animals, so the very serpentine Basilosaurus is clearly right up my alley. I also remember finding it super interesting as a kid when I watched Walking with Beasts, especially during that scene when one Basilosaurus was scrolling through a mangrove swamp. In general, I also love whales (the orca is my favorite extant animal).

13. Austroraptor cabazai

Unenlagiines are extremely overlooked dromaeosaurids. I find them really interesting, considering their adaptations to a more piscivorous lifestyle, and also very elegant. I find Austroraptor to be particularly interesting as it's noticeably bigger than its other fellow unenlagiines, surprisingly close to the (for dromaeosaurid standards) massive Utahraptor.

14. Anchiornis huxleyi

An interesting little feathered dinosaur. I also like its colors, and the fact that we know them is another reason why I find it interesting. I love feathered dinosaurs.

18. Shonisaurus popularis

Ichthyosaurs are probably my favorite group of marine reptiles, because of their resemblance to whales (I love whales, as I said earlier). I find basal ichthyosaurs to be particularly cool, looking fairly different from the smaller, more derived ones. Shonisaurus comes off as that impressive whale-like creature to me. There's also that so many (37) specimens were found together, making the animal very well-known.

20. Edaphosaurus pogonias

My favorite species of this iconic synapsid. Everyone talks about Dimetrodon, but I find Edaphosaurus to be a lot more interesting. Not only as Dimetrodon is so mainstream that I'm a bit tired of it, but because of how pinhead it is, its bumpy scutes on the sail (and also its beautiful wavy shape) and its herbivorous lifestyle, Edaphosaurus is easily the cooler creature for me. I find Edaphosaurus to look picturesque, as if the animal itself was an artwork. For some reason, it also looks inherently retro to me, probably because of Zdenek Burian's and Charles Knight's depictions of it.

22. Megatherium americanum

Ground sloths are fascinating creatures. Essentially, the mammalian equivalent of therizinosaurs. Not only is Megatherium an icon by itself, I also find it a very interesting creature, considering its unusual morphology and lifestyle. I also like ground sloths because of their relationship with Darwin and that they contributed to the creation of the Theory of Evolution.

[Halichoeres]

22. Megatherium americanum

Ground sloths are fascinating creatures. Essentially, the mammalian equivalent of therizinosaurs. Not only is Megatherium an icon by itself, I also find it a very interesting creature, considering its unusual morphology and lifestyle. I also like ground sloths because of their relationship with Darwin and that they contributed to the creation of the Theory of Evolution.

The museum near me has a Megatherium skeleton on display, and I always spend a little longer there than I do with other Cenozoic specimens. The broad, flat thighs, the enormous claws, the bizarrely flared jugal bones (extant sloths have them too, and they look just as strange). If anything, once you put hair on them it obscures how odd they are.

[Newt]

Don't forget that gut-bowl pelvis!

Speaking of neotropical oddballs, my latest obsession is South American native ungulates. They don't get much attention in paleomedia beyond the ubiquitous Macrauchenia and an occasional peak in from Toxodon, but they're actually a very diverse (taxonomically and morphologically) group of animals showing remarkable convergences to elephants, hippos, rhinos, horses, camels, wombats, chalicotheres, etc. as well as all sorts of unique features of their own. They show up in the Paleocene, thrive in the Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene, survive the Great American Biotic Interchange (in reduced diversity, to be sure, but a few groups even invade North America), then go extinct in the Pleistocene. Their relationships with one another and with other ungulate groups remain obscure.

[Sim]

My favourite prehistoric animals currently are:

1. Velociraptor mongoliensis
2. Rhamphorhynchus muensteri
3. Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis
4. Saurornithoides mongoliensis
5. Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae
6. Buitreraptor gonzalezorum
7. Baryonyx walkeri
8. Stegosaurus stenops
9. Sinornithosaurus millenii
10. Deinonychus antirrhopus
11. Linheraptor exquisitus
12. Scaphognathus crassirostris
13. Eoraptor lunensis
14. Tuojiangosaurus multispinus
15. Utahraptor ostrommaysi
16. Ornitholestes hermanni
17. Dromaeosaurus albertensis
18. Stegosaurus ungulatus
19. Eudimorphodon ranzii

[Halichoeres]

Don't forget that gut-bowl pelvis!

Speaking of neotropical oddballs, my latest obsession is South American native ungulates. They don't get much attention in paleomedia beyond the ubiquitous Macrauchenia and an occasional peak in from Toxodon, but they're actually a very diverse (taxonomically and morphologically) group of animals showing remarkable convergences to elephants, hippos, rhinos, horses, camels, wombats, chalicotheres, etc. as well as all sorts of unique features of their own. They show up in the Paleocene, thrive in the Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene, survive the Great American Biotic Interchange (in reduced diversity, to be sure, but a few groups even invade North America), then go extinct in the Pleistocene. Their relationships with one another and with other ungulate groups remain obscure.

I did my thesis on the GABI and I always made sure to have an astrapothere or pyrothere skull in my slides, even though my focus was on freshwater fish.