In Depth Although not as famous as Smilodon, Xenosmilus was nonetheless an exceptionally powerful Pleistocene era big cat that is estimated to have weighed between 230-400 kg. This estimate puts Xenosmilus within the same weight class as the largest species of Smilodon, and even though it was smaller, Xenosmilus would have been proportionately stronger for … Read more
In Depth Named in 2015 alongside Kuttanacaiman and Caiman wannlangstoni, Gnatusuchus was a small genus of caiman crocodile that lived in what is now Peru during the Miocene. The part of Peru that Gnatusuchus is known from would have been an expanse of freshwater swamp at this time, and in this swamp there seems to … Read more
In Depth Pengornis is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Insight into diversity, body size and morphological evolution from the largest Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird. - Journal of Anatomy 212(5):565-577. - Z. Zhou, J. Clarke & F. Zhang - 2008. – A subadult specimen of … Read more
In Depth Nanolestes is a genus of amphitheriid mammal that lived during the Jurassic. Further Reading - New stem-lineage representatives of Zatheria (Mammalia) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22(2):332-348. - T. Martin - 2002.
In Depth Though most people have never heard of it, Hyotherium may well be the genus that modern day boar and domestic pigs are descended from. Unfortunately the only fossils that are usually found of Hyotherium are teeth with occasional skulls and lower jaws, so it is difficult to ascertain an exact size range for … Read more
In Depth Yuxisaurus is a genus of armoured dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Jurassic. Quadrupedal and a browser of low growing vegetation, Yuxisaurusis considered to be a basal member of the thyreophoran dinosaurs. Further reading - A new early-branching armoured thyreophoran dinosaur from the Lower Jurassic of southwestern China. - bioRxiv: 1–43. - … Read more
In Depth Although it did not have the large sail supporting spines that other pelycosaurs like Dimetrodon, Secodontosaurus, Ctenospondylus and Edaphosaurus had, Sphenacodon still possessed enlarged neural spines rising from its vertebrae. These are considered to have been the supports for powerful dorsal muscles that would allow Sphenacodon to undertake powerful strikes towards is prey, … Read more
In Depth Gueragama is a genus of iguanian lizard that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A stem acrodontan lizard in the Cretaceous of Brazil revises early lizard evolution in Gondwana. - Nature Communications 6:8149:1-8. - T. R. Sim�es, E. Wilner, M. W. Caldwell, L. C. Weinsch�tz & A. W. … Read more
In Depth Kamagorgon is still only known by a partial skull, which is noted as having a short snout and greatly enlarged canine teeth. Initially the skull was thought to be that of a biarmosuchian (a creature similar to Biarmosuchus), but more recent thinking is that it may be that of a gorgonopsid. Further Reading … Read more
In Depth Enaliarctos has been commonly included in books about prehistoric animals where it is credited as being the first pinniped, the groups that seals, sea lions and walruses all belong to. The 2009 description of Puijila however has taken some of the limelight away since this is even more primitive pinneped in form that … Read more