In Depth In modern times Szechuanosaurus is widely regarded as a dubious genus because it has only been described from a collection of isolated teeth. Also, because these teeth do not really have any specifically characteristic features, it is highly unlikely that skeletal remains could be later attributed to these teeth (like what happened with … Read more
In Depth Forfexopterus is a genus of pterosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new archaeopterodactyloid pterosaur from the Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China, with a comparison of sterna in Pterodactylomorpha. - Journal of Vertebrate Palaeontology. - S. Jiang, X. Cheng, Y. Ma & X. Wang - 2016.
In Depth Although only described from very incomplete remains, a number of things can be inferred about Barreirosuchus. Comparison to other notosuchian genera indicates that in life Barreirosuchus may have been up to four meters long. The discovery of a nearby turtle rib is also taken as an indication that Barreirosuchus was at least semi-aquatic. … Read more
In Depth Madygenerpeton is a genus of reptilomorph that lived in Kyrgyzstan during the Triassic. Like relative genera, Madygenerpeton had a row of bony plates that ran down the length of its spine. Further Reading - A chroniosuchid from the Triassic of Kyrgyzstan and analysis of chroniosuchian relationships. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 160:515-530. … Read more
In Depth When Willinakaqe was first described it was from a collection of fossils from various different individual dinosaurs. With the holotype bones of Willinakaqe weathered, the other fossil bones were used as stand in to get a more complete picture of this dinosaur. This involved establishing what is known as a paratype, a more … Read more
In Depth Elaphrosaurus has been something of an enigma for palaeontologists as while it is generally regarded as a ceratosaur, its proportions are similar to some other kinds of theropods. The overall appearance of Elaphrosaurus is that of a lightweight hunter that relied more upon speed rather than strength to take down prey. The tibia … Read more
In Depth Although often labelled as a duck billed dinosaur, Saurolophus is more technically defined as a hadrosaurid due to its placement within the Hadrosauroidea. Even more specifically, Saurolophus is defined as the type genus of the Saurolophinae, the group of solid crested to crestless hadrosaurids that were previously known as hadrosaurines before the then … Read more
In Depth Morawanocetus is a genus of whale that is known to have lived in the waters around what is now Japan as well as California in the USA during the Oligocene. These discoveries indicate that Morawanocetus was widespread across the Pacific Ocean. As a member of the Aetiocetidae, Morawanocetus, would have been a relative … Read more
In Depth Woolungasaurus was an elasmosaurid plesiosaur, the group that are noted for having particularly long necks typified by the type genus Elasmosaurus. Out of this large sub group of plesiosaurs, Hydralmosaurus from North America is thought to be one of the most similar to Woolungasaurus. Another elasmosaurid plesiosaur that Woolungasaurus would have shared its … Read more
In Depth Talenkauen is a genus of small to medium sized ornithopod dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Noted for being similar in overall build to the much older Dryosaurus from North America, some of the most notable features of Talenkauen include an arrangement of oval plates that run alongside the … Read more