In Depth A limbless amphibian (aistopod), Ophiderpeton is believed to have lived in burrows from where it would hunt invertebrates. Ophiderpeton is well represented with specimens having up to 230 vertebrae. The skull has a reduced number of bones and the eyes face forward. Further Reading Further reading- On a Collection of Fossil Vertebrata, from … Read more
In Depth The toothless beak of Shenzhoupterus is quite characteristic of the azdarchid line of pterosaurs and indicates a potentially carnivorous diet not restricted to fish. The skull of Shenzhoupterus is proportionately deep and the antorbital fenestra is especially large to accomodate this morphology. A convex shaped crest also rose up from the top of … Read more
In Depth Platyhystrix stands out from the other amphibians of its group by possessing a sail on its back similar to the pelycosaurs Dimetrodon and Edaphosaurus. It is uncertain why Platyhystrix developed this sail, but the genus may have been adapting to a similar reason as the aforementioned pelycosaurs, indeed, their fossils and those of … Read more
In Depth The holotype fossils of Altirhinus were originally classified as a species of Iguanodon, I. orientalis back in 1952. However Iguanodon has long suffered from the wastebasket taxon effect where remains of superficially similar dinosaurs have been attributed to the genus, in part due to its long history and seemingly wide distribution of fossils … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – Pleistocene remains of the lion-like cat (Panthera atrox) from the Yukon Territory and northern Alaska – Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 6(5) C. R. Harrington – 1969. – Mandibular and dental abnormalities of two Pleistocene American lions (Panthera leo atrox) from Yukon Territory. – B. F. Beebe & T. J. … Read more
In Depth Megamastax was named in 2014 and described upon the basis of jaw material from three different individuals. The largest of these jaws has been established as being up to sixteen centimetres long, and by scaling to similar sarcopterygiian fish yielded an estimate of a full body length around the one meter mark. This … Read more
In Depth Although best known from the Sivalik Hills, Sivapithecus seems to have had a much broader geographical distribution. This is in part down to fossils of other genera such as Ankarapithecus and Palaeopithecus being reassigned to Sivapithecus. One genus in particular called Ramapithecus was previously heralded as an ancestor of humans, but as more … Read more
In Depth Archaeodobenus is an ancient relative of the walrus. Unlike the walrus however, Archaeodobenus did not have the large tusks that are the most familiar feature of the walrus. Instead, Archaeodobenus simply had slightly enlarged canine teeth, and an overall appearance more similar to that of a sea lion. Further Reading - A New … Read more
In Depth Pakicetus may well be the oldest known ancestor to modern whales, and along with other animals such as Ambulocetus, represent the group of terrestrial carnivores that began developing adaptations for a wholly aquatic lifestyle. Due to its transitional nature, it is hard to say with certainty how Pakicetus lived. Its ear structure is … Read more
In Depth Athabascasaurus is a member of the Platypterygiinae, a wide ranging group of ichthyosaurs that were active in both hemispheres. Other similar ichthyosaurs include Sveltonectes, Aegirosaurus, Platypterygius and Caypullisaurus amongst others. Further Reading – A new Lower Cretaceous (lower Albian) ichthyosaur genus from the Clearwater Formation, Alberta, Canada. – Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences … Read more