00) A look at some of the oddball species that paleontologists have recently discovered.
Newest dinosaur species discovered have smashed previous records. Top left: Michael Skrepnick/Dinosaurs in Art/Nature Publishing Group via AP; center: Chuang Zhao; bottom left: Julius T. Csotonyi/Courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum; bottom center: Julius T. Csotonyi/North Carolina State University; top right: Dinostar Co. Ltd.; top center: Gabriel Lio/University of Birmingham via Reuters; center right: James Havens 


01) ‘Pinocchio rex’ Sporting a narrow beak-like snout, the Qianzhousaurus sinensis also goes by the nickname “Pinocchio rex.” A cousin of the T. rex, the species stalked Asia shortly before the dinosaurs’ extinction. (Chuang Zhao)

02)  Record-setting arms First, they found the enorrmous arms. At nearly eight feet long, they set the record for the longest arms on a two-legged creature. When scientists found two more partial skeletons, a more complete picture of this odd dinosaur emerged. The Deinocheirus mirificus features a duck-like snout and a flared spine. (Michael Skrepnick/Dinosaurs in Art/Nature Publishing Group/via AP)

03) The Dreadnoughtus Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara spotted a six-foot-long femur in Argentina poking out of the ground. That led to the discovery of Dreadnoughtus schrani, one of the most massive dinosaurs of all time. (Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural History via AFP/Getty Images 

04) The ‘Chicken From Hell’ Scientists found three specimens of a beaked 11-foot-long dinosaur, the Anzu wyliei , with a shock of feathers and a bony crest. Matthew Lamanna spent nearly a decade studying the bones, found in North and South Dakota. (Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum of Natural History 

05) Wendiceratops Discovered by a fossil hunter in Canada, the Wendiceratops pinhornensis sported a frilly headpiece and an unusually long nose horn for its time period. (Danielle Dufault ) 

06) Four-winged dinosaur This dinosaur, with its array of teeth and claws, was found in Liaoning, China. The Changyuraptor yangyi also sported the longest feathers ever discovered on a dinosaur; its name references this characteristic. (S. Abramowicz/Courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County)

07)  A turkey-sized dinosaur The Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, an herbivore with tiny forearms, is named for the boy who at age 7 found the first bone of the species. (Gabriel Lio/University of Birmingham via Reuters )

08)  ‘Hellboy’ The discovery of the triceratops relative Regaliceratops peterhewsi was crucial in determining that the two groups of horned dinosaurs evolved their features independently. (Julius T. Csotonyi/Courtesy of the Royal Tyrrell Museum )

09)  Alaskan dinosaur Researchers discovered thousands of bones of the duck-billed dinosaur, Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis, in Alaska. Evidence of the species thriving in cold latitudes added to the discussion about whether dinosaurs were coldblooded. (James Havens)

10)  Wings, but not for flying The Zhenyuanlong suni , a bird-like dinosaur discovered in China, is believed to have evolved from a flying species. Scientists say the short forelimbs would have prevented it from flying, but may have still been used in courtship displays. (Chuang Zhao)

11)  Rhinorex The four-ton Rhinorex condrupus features an unmistakable crested nose, potentially meant for impressing the opposite sex or even smashing plants for sustenance. (Julius T. Csotonyi/North Carolina State University)

12) Shortest dinosaur name ever The Yi qi ’s unusually long bone on each arm led scientists to believe that this tiny dinosaur may have had bat-like wings. (Dinostar Co. )

13) ‘The little dinosaur that could’ The diminutive Aquilops americanus is the oldest horned dinosaur ever found in North America. (Brian Engh/Courtesy of Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology)


14)  ‘Dragon’ dinosaur Construction workers in central China stumbled upon fossils of the Qijianglong, which clocked in at 45 feet long. Many of the dinosaurs with the longest necks recorded were found in China. (Xing Lida)

15)  First swimming dinosaur The Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was not only nearly 10 feet longer than the largest Tyrannosaurus rex found, but it is the first swimming dinosaur discovered. Plus, it loved to snack on sharks. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post)

16)  Velociraptor's cousin This species combines the velociraptor's agile design and pack-hunting mentality with a powerful nose. Believed to have been a fearsome predator, the Saurornitholestes sullivani was three feet tall and six feet long. (Mary P. Williams/University of Pennsylvania)