In Depth Gunakadeit is a genus of thalattosaur that lived in waters around what is now North America during the late Triassic. Gunakadeit is a thalattosaur genus of contrasts. In one respect Gunakadeit appear to have been quite primitive in form when compared to other thalattosaurs. In another, Gunakadeit lived towards the end of the … Read more
In Depth Limaysaurus was a medium sized rebbachisaurid sauropod that lived in Argentina during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading – Rebbachisaurus tessonei sp. nov. A new sauropod from the Albian-Cenomanian of Argentina; new evidence on the origin of the Diplodocidae. – Gaia, 11: 13-33. – J. O. Calvo & L Salgado – 1995. – Lower … Read more
In Depth Centrosaurus acquired its named from the numerous bony projections that run along the edges of its frill. Aside from these a large nasal horn extends upwards from the top of the snout, and a pair of small horns project from the eyebrow. Two more hornlets hook down from the top of the frill, … Read more
In Depth The holotype individual of Microvenator was first discovered by the famed American palaeontologist Barnum Brown in 1933. Brown noted that the holotype individual had what he thought was a disproportionately large head, and so came up with the name Megadontosaurus. A reference to the large head, but also the teeth found near it. … Read more
In Depth Because nothing is known about Kimmerosaurus from below the neck vertebrae it is impossible to say exactly how the body of Kimmerosaurus looked. However another plesiosaur from the same formation called Colymbosaurus is known only from its post cranial skeleton. Together these two separate genera may in fact represent the same plesiosaur, but … Read more
In Depth When first described in 1988 by Zhang Yihun this sauropod dinosaur genus was named as Protognathus. However it was soon realised that the name Protognathus had already been used to name a genus of beetle, so the dinosaur was renamed buy George Olshevsky to become Protognathosaurus in order to make it distinct from … Read more
In Depth Named after Erlik, the demon king in Mongolian mythology, Erlikosaurus was a ground breaking discovery as it was the first therizinosaurid skull known to science. Despite the overall lack of other skeletal material, this skull made Erlikosaurus a model for other therizinosaurids, which at the time were only known from their post cranial … Read more
In Depth Driveria is a genus of tapinocephalid dinocephalian synapsid that lived in what is now Texas during the mid Permian. Driveria was named in honour of O. W. Driver, the owner of the ranch where the type remains of Driveria were found. Further Reading - Late Permian terrestrial vertebrates, U.S.A. and U.S.S.R. - Transactions … Read more
In Depth Oryctorhynchus is a genus of rhynchosaur that lived in North America during the late Triassic. Oryctorhynchus would have fed upon low growing plants. Further reading - A new rhynchosaur (Reptilia, Archosauromorpha) from the Upper Triassic of eastern North America. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. - Hans-Dieter Sues, Adam J. Fitch & Robin L. … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Deinogalerix are known from the Gargano region of Italy, but it’s important to remember that back in the Miocene Sea levels were much higher resulting in Gargano being an island that was cut off from the mainland. Deinogalerix grew to its large size due to a process called insular gigantism. This … Read more