(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Masiakasaurus-pictures ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O'Regan discuss Masiakasaurus , a serious contender for the dinosaur with the worst teeth. From the Late Cretaceous, this 14-foot noasaurid might have used its teeth for catching fish, small reptiles, and some have even suggested fruit. Because that kind of mouth is what I think of when I think frugivore. Maybe I'll take this guy to the smoothie shop with me on my next trip. Just kiddin...
Jun 15, 2021•21 min•Ep. 86
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muttaburrasaurus by NobuTamura) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Muttaburrasaurus , a relative of Iguanodon from Australia before everything there was trying to kill you. From the Early Cretaceous, this 25-foot rhabdodontid may have migrated to Antarctica in the summer, because the two continents were linked back in Mesozoic times. The calm coldness of Antarctica balanced out the dangerous heat of the Outback. How romantic. ...
Jun 08, 2021•21 min•Ep. 85
(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/706009679067998263/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Shastasaurus , the biggest marine reptile and biggest non-whale animal of all time; jeez, who are you trying to impress? From the Late Triassic, this 70-foot ichthyosaur goes back and forth in being classified as either its own genus or a subspecies of Shonisaurus , but for now it's its own genus, until paleontologists get drunk and write a paper changing it again. Want ...
Jun 01, 2021•20 min•Ep. 84
(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Orkoraptor_a0ab.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Orkoraptor , a dinosaur that has a fantasy race in its genus name and so Matthew managed to get a fantasy nerd to talk about it with him. From the Late Cretaceous, this 24-foot megaraptoran theropod has a confusing taxonomical mess of a history, having been classified before as a dromaeosaur, a tyrannosaur, and even a large compsognathid. Sheesh, scientists, form a con...
May 25, 2021•22 min•Ep. 83
(image source: https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Bullockornis ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Bullockornis , named after Australia's Bullock Creek but colloquially known as the Demon Duck of Doom. For real. I'm not making this up, even though it's totally on brand. From the Miocene epoch, this 8-foot-tall dromornithid was also known as the Thunder Duck, because one ostentatious nickname wasn't good enough for it I suppose. Want to further support the show? Sign up to...
May 18, 2021•23 min•Ep. 82
(image source: https://dinosaurpictures.org/Sauropelta-pictures ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Sauropelta , the spiky armored one with spikes slightly spikier than the other spiky armored ones. From the Early Cretaceous, this 20-foot long nodosaurid would make a very unappetizing meal for any wandering T. rex ... since by the time the rex evolved, Sauropelta had been extinct for forty million years, and no one wants to eat anything that old. Want to further support...
May 11, 2021•23 min•Ep. 81
(image source: https://www.scified.com/topic/32736 ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Dilophosaurus , the first dinosaur super-predator that got done real dirty by its single big movie appearance. From the Early Jurassic, this 19-foot theropod was so awesome that it didn't need any frills or poison spit; it could maim and brutalize with just grit alone! We salute you, Dilophosaurus , as one of the few dinosaurs who's real counterpart is cooler than the Hollywood versio...
May 04, 2021•21 min•Ep. 80
(image source: https://myths-made-real.blogspot.com/2011/11/creature-feature-velociraptors.html ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Velociraptor , the scaly man-sized door-opening movie monster, except it was feathered, it was dog-sized, and there were no doors back then for it to open. From the Late Cretaceous, this 6-foot dromaeosaurid was actually relatively obscure in popular media until its big blockbuster appearance, and now people won't shut up about it. Seriously, i...
Apr 27, 2021•25 min•Ep. 79
(image source: https://artbyphil.blogspot.com/2011/09/ifferocious.html ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O'Regan discuss Majungasaurus , a meat-eating dinosaur from Madagascar that's seriously unpleasant. From the Late Cretaceous, this 25-foot abelisaurid is one of the few dinosaurs with direct evidence of cannibalism, which means this thing is just as ugly on the inside as it is on the outside. Eeesh. This might be a hot take, but I'm glad this thing's dead. Want to further support th...
Apr 20, 2021•20 min•Ep. 78
(image source: https://prehistoricearthblog.wordpress.com/2017/02/15/leedsichthys/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Leedsichthys , a really, really big fish, and that pretty much sums it up. From the Late Jurassic, this 59-foot fish is like, a really big fish. Seriously, imagine a big fish; Leedsichthys is even bigger than that. Whoa! Hey, didn't Tim Burton make a movie about this creature? Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus ...
Apr 13, 2021•22 min•Ep. 77
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Struthiomimus#/media/File:Struthiomimus_BW.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Struthiomimus , the dinosaur with a lot of skulls found due to them sticking their heads in the sand and dying... okay, that's not true, but whatever. From the Late Cretaceous, this 15-foot ornithomimid isn't as famous as it's cousin Gallimimus due to the latter having a big movie appearance in Jurassic Park, but eh, the acting life's not for e...
Apr 06, 2021•21 min•Ep. 76
(image source: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/vP31a ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Denversaurus , the official sponsor dino of the mile-high city when the Rockies baseball team isn't shoving their stupid Triceratops down our throats. From the Late Cretaceous, this 20-foot nodosaurid peacefully browsed the low-lying trees while trying not to get eaten by Tyrannosaurus and the like. We've all been there, haven't we? Want to further support the show? Sign up to our...
Mar 30, 2021•24 min•Ep. 75
(image source: http://aikavaellus.fi/en/timeline/6ma/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Argentavis , the biggest flying bird of all time, unless you think pterosaurs are birds, which if you do, you dumb. From the Late Miocene, this 23-foot-wingspan condor soared across prehistoric Patagonia and terrorized baby ground sloths and hoofed mammals. What a bully. Someone should really do something about this thing! Oh wait, it's extinct. Want to further support the show? Sign u...
Mar 23, 2021•29 min•Ep. 74
(image source: http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-regaliceratops-peterhewsi-02879.html ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Regaliceratops , a horned dinosaur with a very regal-looking frill, almost like it's in the name or something. From the Late Cretaceous, this 17-foot dinosaur hosted elegant garden parties and supported the troops while also being hunted by dinosaurs like Albertosaurus . How dare they disrespect royalty like that?! Want to further support ...
Mar 16, 2021•21 min•Ep. 73
(image source: https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/dinosaurs-and-prehistoric-life/prehistoric-reptiles/ichthyosaurus/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Ichthyosaurus , the reptile trying to be a dolphin trying to be a fish; sheesh, pick a career path already. From the Early Jurassic, this 10-foot marine reptile dominated the early Mesozoic seas only to be replaced by more efficient creatures later on like the mosasaurs. You had your fifteen minutes of fame, Ichthyosaurus , b...
Mar 09, 2021•23 min•Ep. 72
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebufo by Nobu Tamura) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Beelzebufo , a giant frog that preyed on baby dinosaurs, which is pretty messed up if you ask me. From the Late Cretaceous, this 1-foot amphibian terrorized the swamps of Madagascar more than any fossa ever did, or any lemur with a semi-automatic rifle. What documentaries am I watching again? Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonu...
Mar 02, 2021•26 min•Ep. 71
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Island_giant_moa ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Ben O'Regan discuss Dinornis , a giant bird from New Zealand that could probably kick your stomach right out of your mouth like a rugby ball. From the Early Holocene, this 12-foot-tall ratite has the honor of being the most recent creature on this show, having been hunted to extinction only six hundred years ago. Yay, humans? God, we suck. Want to further support the show? Sign up to our P...
Feb 23, 2021•23 min•Ep. 70
(image source: https://i.imgur.com/04g1MHn.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Livyatan , the monster whale eighteenth-century sailors all feared despite it living millions of years ago and only being described in the 2010s. From the Late Miocene, this 60-foot cetacean ate other large whales for breakfast and was a direct rival of the monster shark C. megalodon . What a terrifying ocean. Let's never time-travel there. Want to further support the show? Sign up to our...
Feb 16, 2021•22 min•Ep. 69
(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/295337688043705239/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Pachyrhinosaurus , a horned dinosaur without a horn that lived up in the cold north. From the Late Cretaceous, this 25-foot ceratopsian had a nose not unlike your Uncle Earl and possibly a feathery coat not unlike your Aunt Edna. Possibly. The feather thing, not the aunt thing. You definitely have an aunt that wears feathery coats. Want to further support the show? Sign ...
Feb 09, 2021•27 min•Ep. 68
(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/gasosaurus_b605.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Gasosaurus , a poor schmuck of a dinosaur stuck with a name that'll make third-graders snicker the world over. From the Mid Jurassic, this 12-foot theropod has an unclear placement in the meat-eating dinosaur tree; it could be a carnosaur, a coelurasaur, a metriacanthosaur, or maybe an ancestor of all of them. Sounds lot a load of hot air. (snicker) Want to further ...
Feb 02, 2021•20 min•Ep. 67
(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/793970609285301591/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Jennifer Grossman discuss LUCA, the most recent organism from which all others on Earth have a common descent, which is pretty out-there. From the Precambrian era, this single-celled organism had nothing noteworthy about it whatsoever other than all its descendants, so have hope, all you losers! You might not be special, but your great-grandkids could be! Emphasis on "could." Want to further ...
Jan 26, 2021•26 min•Ep. 66
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesohippus ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Mesohippus , an early form of horse that's just a pink recolor and tramp-stamp away from being on a little girls' merchandise-based cartoon show. From the Eocene epoch, this 2-foot-tall horse wasn't quite Eohippus the early horse, nor like modern late horses, but just in the middle. A middle horse, if you will. Hey, I get it now! Want to further support the show? Sign up to our P...
Jan 19, 2021•21 min•Ep. 65
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liopleurodon by DiGbd) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Liopleurodon , an infamous sea monster whose size was heavily exaggerated by a certain British documentary, to the disappointment of kaiju fans everywhere. From the Late Jurassic, this 28-foot pliosaurid was still the top predator in its oceanic environment, but that can only offset so much of an overall letdown. Sure, it was big, but I want bigger! BIGGER!!! Eh, whatever. ...
Jan 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 64
(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Irritator-Andrey-Atuchin_efcd.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Irritator , a dinosaur with a hilarious name and a not-so-hilarious backstory on how it got it. From the Early Cretaceous, this 25-foot spinosaurid shares a kindred spirit with little brothers everywhere, or at least this particular little brother. I have three older sisters, okay? They can all verify just how irritating I was. Want to further support ...
Jan 05, 2021•21 min•Ep. 63
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilops by Nobu Tamura) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Aquilops , an absolutely adorable little critter and one of the best candidates for a dinosaur that would make a great pet. From the Mid Cretaceous, this 2-foot ceratopsian was a transitionary fossil between the more basal members of its family like Psittacosaurus and the slightly more derived members like Protoceratops . But I guess that's just how evolution works...
Dec 29, 2020•26 min•Ep. 62
(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Styracosaurus0001_0e99.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lawrence Mack discuss Styracosaurus , a dinosaur who spikes unsuspecting predators just as people at New Year's Eve parties spike unsuspecting drinks. From the Late Cretaceous, this 18-foot centrosaurine ceratopsian was the most famous horned dinosaur other than Triceratops , which is a good place to be. It's always good to have that one friend to count on when the more popular o...
Dec 22, 2020•26 min•Ep. 61
(image source: https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/Amphicoelias_3a81.jpg ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Lexi Ryan discuss Amphicoelias , a dinosaur once thought to have reached absolutely godly sizes but then science had to be all lame and progress. From the Late Jurassic, this 90-foot diplodocid sauropod is the biggest anticlimax in paleontological history, having been downgraded from a nigh-mythical titan to a large-ish commonfolk. Wah-waaah. Want to further support the show? Sign up ...
Dec 15, 2020•19 min•Ep. 60
(image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantopithecus ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Natasha Krech discuss Gigantopithecus , the closest nature has come to King Kong. From the Late Pleistocene, this 12-foot-tall ape lived in the few jungles that weathered the dry Ice Age climate and tore people's arms off if they beat them at space chess. Oh wait, that's Chewbacca. My mistake. Want to further support the show? Sign up to our Patreon for exclusive bonus content here. Also, you can...
Dec 08, 2020•19 min•Ep. 59
(image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/744642119611063504/ ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Laura Owsley discuss Zby , a longneck dinosaur with a name so unfathomably silly there's no way in hell it should be real. From the Late Jurassic, this 59-foot turiasaurian sauropod roamed in great herds across the Portuguese coastline... sorry, I can't help but snicker. "A herd of Zby roams across the coastline." Try hearing Kenneth Branagh say that in a documentary! Want to further support ...
Dec 01, 2020•21 min
(image source: https://www.deviantart.com/sanciusart/art/Nuralagus-rex-recon-808748972 ) Host Matthew Donald and guest co-host Christina Eilert discuss Nuralagus rex , a large relative of rabbits that's maybe overcompensating a bit by having rex as a species name. From the Pliocene epoch, this 3-foot lagomorph lived on a remote island in the Mediterranean where it promptly became an evolutionary dead-end and went extinct as soon as there were any changes to its ecosystem. Lame. Want to further s...
Nov 24, 2020•20 min•Ep. 57
