The Most Popular Web Log Articles of 2008 (Part 1)

By | December 26th, 2008|Everything Dinosaur News and Updates, Main Page|0 Comments

The Most Popular Web Log Articles of 2008 (Part 1)

As 2008 draws to a close we have the chance to review the past year and to consider which of the web log articles and items featured on the Everything Dinosaur blog have been the most popular.  We have certainly covered a lot of topics, new palaeontological developments, obituaries, discoveries, new resarch, product developments, reviews, in fact all sorts of subjects as our blog now has in excess of 500 published articles.

Web Log Articles

Over the next couple of days we will put together a list of the ten most popular articles, in terms of the ones with the greatest number of page visits.  The list contains a diverse number of articles, covering a broad subject range, which in itself reflects the eclectic nature of the Everything Dinosaur blog.

10.  Young Boy finds Dinosaur Tooth on First Fossil Hunting Expedition

This article published in early June, epitomises the science of palaeontology, where simply by going for a walk and finding a fossil you can change the view of the world around us.

For seven year old Josef Banbala, his first fossil hunting trip turned out to be a very important event for palaeontologists on the Isle of Wight.  His keen eyes spotted a two-inch long dinosaur tooth, one of the largest ever found on the island.  The tooth, believed to belong to a predatory dinosaur, possibly Baryonyx has opened up a lively debate over the size and scale of these particular dinosaurs.  Josef’s find just goes to show that you never know what amazing discoveries a walk on the beach might reveal.

To read the article in full: Young Boy Finds Dinosaur Tooth on First Fossil Hunting Expedition.

9.  Getting Stalked by a Flock of Quetzalcoatlus

Number 9 on our list of the most popular web log articles of 2008, is an article on some new research published in May, suggesting that the large flying reptiles of the late Cretaceous were more stalkers than flyers.

A team of scientists led by the likes of the brilliant illustrator/palaeontologist Mark Witton, from the University of Portsmouth, published a paper suggesting that large pterosaurs such as the biggest azhdarchids, (large toothless pterosaurs from the very end of the Age of Reptiles), had a different lifestyle than previously thought.  It was suggested that they may have stalked the plains of the Late Cretaceous like giant cranes or storks snatching up prey with their long, pointed beaks.

A Giant Pterosaur

The likes of Quetzalcoatlus with its huge 11 metre plus wingspan, may have been more of a walker than a glider.

To read the article: Large Pterosaurs Stalkers not Gliders.

8.  Colour Variations on Dinosaur Models – Dilophosaurus

Back in January, the team members at Everything Dinosaur wrote an article providing further information on how colours are chosen for certain dinosaur models.  The article focused on the Early Jurassic theropod – Dilophosaurus.  The introduction of a bright red Dilophosaurus model from Bullyland of Germany was used to explain some of the thought processes that go into deciding what colour a new model dinosaur should be.

To read the article in full: Colour Variations in Dinosaur Models – A new Dilophosaurus.

7.  Review of the Pop-Up Dinosaurs Fact Book

One of our product reviews makes the top ten most popular articles, coming in at number seven.  The review of one of our new books, introduced into the Everything Dinosaur range in April 2008 makes our chart.  The book was the “Pop-Up Book of Dinosaur Facts”, a novel and interesting addition to our shop.  The book written by Richard Dunworth and produced by Templar publishing, combines the fun and novelty of a pop-up book with a factual account of the rise and fall of the dinosaur dynasty.

To view dinosaur gifts and toys in stock at Everything Dinosaur: Dinosaur Gifts and Dinosaur Toys.

An Illustration from the Pop-Up Facts Book

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

A hardback book that is beautifully illustrated contains lots and lots of facts and information about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals.  Young readers can wonder at the huge plant-eating sauropods that pop out of the page at you, examine fossil evidence of the colossal meat-eating dinosaurs and study marine reptiles as well as pterosaurs.  Page after page of truly impressive pop-ups, packed with fascinating facts, tabs to pull, flaps to lift and wheels to turn.  Even the front cover which depicts a Theropod dinosaur in 3-D relief has a dinosaur eye that looks straight back at the reader.

To see the book review: Dinosaur Pop-Up Facts.

6. The Introduction of the Nothronychus Model

A picture of one of the very latest introductions to our Dinosaur Collection range (Procon/CollectA) entered into the top ten most popular items on our web log in 2008.  Although this information was only published recently, the addition of a therizinosaur dinosaur model, a Nothronychus did attract a lot of attention, especially from keen dinosaur model collectors.

This Nothronychus model can claim two achievements this year, not only did information and a picture of the new model enter this list, but sales of this dinosaur model led to it being included in our list of top selling dinosaur models in 2008.

A fascinating addition to any dinosaur toy or dinosaur model collector’s catalogue, this beautiful, hand-painted model of this bizarre prehistoric animal represents the best known therizinosaur to date, with the most complete fossil skeleton of any therizinosaur found.

To see the Nothronychus information: A Dinosaur Designed by a Committee.

The Nothronychus Dinosaur Model

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To view the model and other replicas of strange and bizarre prehistoric animals: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Models.

This concludes our countdown from numbers ten to six of our most popular web log articles of 2008.  We will shortly be continuing this list, counting down to the most popular web log article published on the Everything Dinosaur blog this year.