Riley Black

Riley Black

 

Riley Black is the author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs and many other books. She is a science correspondent for Smithsonian magazine covering fossils and natural history, and she writes about the prehistoric past for a variety of publications. 

Triceratops was one of the last dinosaurs. What would the descendents of this ceratopsid look like if they were alive today?

The Dinosaurs That Never Were

If the non-avian dinosaurs hadn't died out 65 million years ago, what would they look like today?

Tyrannosaurus faces off against Triceratops at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. Some early 20th century paleontologists thought the size and weapons of these creatures indicated that dinosaurs were degenerates due for extinction.

The Way of the Dinosaur

"Going the way of the dinosaur" is a popular phrase, but one drawn from bizarre 20th century ideas that dinosaurs were due for an extinction

A Parasaurolophus at the Natural History Museum of Utah

Dinosaurian Snorkels, Air Tanks and Tubas

Parasaurolophus is one of the most perplexing dinosaurs - what did it use its huge crest for?

A Corythosaurus with skin impressions--similar to this one on display at the American Museum of Natural History--was lost when a German military vessel sank the SS Mount Temple on December 6, 1916.

Charles H. Sternberg’s Lost Dinosaurs

On December 6, 1916, a German military vessel sunk a highly-valued shipment of Canadian dinosaurs

Richard Milner's 'Charles R. Knight: The Artist Who Saw Through Time.'

Charles R. Knight’s Prehistoric Visions

Charles R. Knight, one of the greatest paleoartists ever, battled his boss, artistic society and his own eyesight to bring prehistoric creatures to life

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The Littlest Dinosaur Expert

This has to be the most adorable dinosaur correction I have ever seen

Theropod dinosaur tracks along Potash Road in Moab, Utah. Tracks like these have inspired myths about giant birds at locations all over the world.

China’s Dinosaur Folklore

Dinosaur tracks aren't just scientific curiosities--they have also inspired many legends in China

The reconstructed skeleton of a Deinonychus, representing the modern image of dinosaurs, in front of Rudolph Zallinger's 'Age of Reptiles' mural in Yale's Peabody Museum of Natural History.

Creating the Age of Reptiles

Why is an image of the Garden of Eden considered art, while an exquisitely detailed depiction of Jurassic life is derided as juvenile junk?

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The Greatest Dinosaur Hits of 2011

This was a big year for dinosaur discoveries and debates. Here are a few highlights

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How to Turn a Dinosaur Into a Bird

Two classic bits of animation beautifully visualized the evolution of birds from dinosaurs

An articulated Iguanodon hand on display at London’s Natural History Museum

A Mysterious Thumb

What did Iguanodon use its big thumb spikes for—stabbing attackers, breaking into seeds, or possibly stripping foliage from branches?

When it came time to pick a 2011 Christmas tree ornament, the choice was clear - I needed a dinosaur.

Deck the Halls With Dinosaurs

Given their probable diet of conifers, I'm surprised there aren't even more holiday sauropods in the Christmas tree mix

An early 19th century representation of Megalosaurus at the Crystal Palace gardens. Thomas Henry Huxley's work gave dinosaurs a much more bird-like look.

Huxley’s Apocryphal Dinosaur Dinner

Fossil lore says 19th century naturalist T.H. Huxley realized that birds were dinosaurs when he carved into a Christmas turkey, but what really happened?

A reconstruction of Patagonykus. The newly-described Bonapartenykus was a close relative of this dinosaur.

Eggs and Enigmatic Dinosaurs

Paleontologists have found the bones of a new dinosaur with eggs nearby, but how do we know whether the bones and eggs go together?

An Allosaurus threatens a Stegosaurus at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Where the Dinosaurs Are

Ready for a dinosaur road trip? We have a list of top dinosaur "evotourism" destinations just for you

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Hitchcock’s Primeval Birds

Paleontologist Edward Hitchcock was one of the first dinosaur track experts, but why did he insist that birds left the footprints?

A Suarophaganax (left) harries an enormous Diplodocus at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

A Comedy of Dinosaur Errors

If any dinosaur has a tortured history, it's the giant predator Saurophaganax

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Nedoceratops: To Be, or Not to Be?

Should Nedoceratops and Torosaurus be sunk into Triceratops? The debate continues, and it's not just a bit of paleontological arcana

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December Dinosaur Digest

From guarding cars to stomping around New Jersey, dinosaurs have been prominent in this week's headlines

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The Dinosaur Family Foodchain

You Are Umasou has to be one of the cutest dinosaur films ever, and one of the strangest

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