Finally, a normal episode that both has a guest an is actually on dinosaurs. This time out we are on to the second dinosaur ever named – Iguanodon. Despite being one of the absolute originals and being known from numerous good specimens, Iguanodon (and its relatives) really doesn't get much of a look in when it comes to artworks and documentaries and even books – it's not a carnivore, not huge like sauropods, and doesn't rock the funky headgear of so many other ornithischians. But it's an important animal, both historically and now and also (inevitably) has a complicated history that means it is well worth talking about. So we do.

This week artist, writer and cartoonist Andy Riley joins us and he wants to know specifically about the function of the famous spiky thumb of Iguanodon – just what did they do with it?

Links:

A piece from the Natural History Museum in London about the Maidstone slab and the initial discovery of Iguanodon - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/the-discovery-of-iguanodon.html

And another by the NHM on the naming of Mantellisaurus and the work to put their skeleton on display - https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/search-for-the-real-iguanodon.html

A gallery view of the wonderful collection of Iguanodon in Belgium https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-bernissart-iguanodons/fQJiRgnsYJgwIA

Andy Riley has a new book in the works and you can find out more about him here: https://misterandyriley.com/