Enigmacursor: Small Dinosaurs, Big Impact

About this episode

This episode explores the significance of small dinosaurs, particularly focusing on the recently named species Enigmacursor and its role in the evolutionary history of herbivorous dinosaurs.

https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/giB-id1iEZE When people think of dinosaurs, it's usually the giants that come to mind—but most dinosaur groups began with much smaller, often overlooked species. Among them are the small ornithopods: fragmentary, tricky to classify, and frequently lost in a tangle of confusing names and incomplete fossils. Yet these modest dinosaurs are hugely important. They paved the way for the later success of major groups like iguanodontids and hadrosaurs, shaping the evolutionary story of herbivorous dinosaurs. In this episode, Paul Barrett from the Natural History Museum joins hosts Dave Hone and Iszi Lawrence to explore these fascinating underdogs—focusing on Enigmacursor, a recently named species that helps shed light on this often-neglected corner of dinosaur history. Settle in for an hour of small dinosaurs, big questions, and the challenges of working with fossils that are incomplete, confusing—and surprisingly revealing. Prof Paul Barrett | Natural History Museum: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/people/paul-barrett.html To support the show and get extra content: https://www.patreon.com/terriblelizards

People in this episode

Hosts: Iszi Lawrence, David Hone

Guest: Paul Barrett

Topics covered

• small dinosaurs
• ornithopods
• evolution
• fossils
• dinosaur history

Keywords

• Enigmacursor
• small dinosaurs
• ornithopods
• evolutionary history
• fossils

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Natural History Museum