In Depth Borealosaurus is a genus of titanosaurid dinosaur that lived in China around the boundary of the early/late Cretaceous. Though only known from partial remains, Borealosaurus has been interpreted as being potentially related to the better known Opisthocoelicaudia. In addition to this the Japanese titanosaur Fukuititan has also been interpreted as a close relation … Read more
In Depth Many people often think that Sinraptor will be another dromaeosaurid dinosaur, when in actual fact it was a medium sized theropod of a similar build to Allosaurus. This is not the first instance that a non dromaeosaurid dinosaur has been given the inclusion of ‘raptor’ in its name with others such as Fukuiraptor … Read more
In Depth Polesinesuchus is one of a growing number of aetosaur genera that are steadily being discovered from Triassic aged rock formations in South America. Polesinesuchus is a stagonolepid aetosaur, meaning that it was more similar to genera such as Stagonolepis. Further Reading - A new aetosaur from the Upper Triassic of the Santa Maria … Read more
In Depth The almost complete specimen of Monolophosaurus was first discovered in 1984. This exciting find was initially named ‘Jiangjunmiaosaurus’ after Jiangjunmiao, an abandoned inn near where the skeleton was found, but it was never an official name hence the lack of italics and its description as a nomen nudum (a name that is not … Read more
In Depth Xibalbaonyx is a genus of ground sloth that lived in Mexico during the Pleistocene, Many fossils of this ground sloth have been recovered from underwater caves. Further Reading - Xibalbaonyx oviceps, a new megalonychid ground sloth (Folivora, Xenarthra) from the Late Pleistocene of the Yucat�n Peninsula, Mexico, and its paleobiogeographic significance. - PalZ. … Read more
In Depth Unaysaurus is the first confirmed sauropodomorph dinosaur to be named from Brazil, though there is speculation that another genus named in 1999 called Teyuwasu might also be a sauropodomorph. The closest relative to Unaysaurus is thought to be the famous Plateosaurus from Germany. Further Reading - A new early dinosaur (Sauropodomorpha) from the … Read more
In Depth Originally described as a species of the polycotylid plesiosaur Trinacomerum, T. lafquenianum was later re-described as a distinct genus of short necked elasmosaurid plesiosaur. Kawanectes is similar to the larger Vegasaurus. Because the bones in Kawanectes have complete fusion in them, we can tell that Kawanectes was fully grown at the time of … Read more
In Depth Despite its long history and broad geographic range, Simolestes surprisingly remains a little known pliosaur, certainly no way near as famous as the often over exaggerated Liopleurodon. Simolestes does not have the best fossil representation, but comparison to other pliosaurs has yielded estimates of up to six meters long for the living animal. … Read more
In Depth Hispaniasaurus is a genus of possible nothosaur that lived in Spain during the mid Triassic. Further Reading - An enigmatic marine reptile, Hispaniasaurus cranioelongatus (gen. et sp. nov.) with nothosauroid affinities from the Ladinian of the Iberian Range (Spain). - Historical Biology 1-11. - A. Marquez-Aliaga, N. Klein, M. Reolid, P. Plasencia, J. … Read more
In Depth Jiangjunosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur that lived in China during the earlier part of late Jurassic. Though Jiangjunosaurus is far from complete, this stegosaur is known to have had a skull that was elongated in proportion to its width. Jiangjunosaurus was found by itself, and because generals are buried in temples … Read more