In Depth Originally attributed as juvenile Saurornithoides mongoliensis, the partial left hind limb of this troodontid was firmly established as being of a different genus thanks to an osteohistological analysis of the bone. This revealed that the fossils were closer to Linhevenator tani, yet the team studying the remains concluded that while similar, the remains … Read more
In Depth Campylognathoides was much like the other basal pterosaurs that flew in the skies of Jurassic Europe. It is also probably that Campylognathoides shared the skies with the well-known pterosaur Dorygnathus as evidenced by the presence of both pterosaurs in the same fossil beds. However, although usually depicted as a fish hunting piscivore, Campylognathoides … Read more
In Depth Once described as a new species of Protocetus, the holotype remains were elevated to genus level in 1975. Although a different genus, Andrewsiphius would have still been a primitive toothed whale form similar to the more famous Protocetus. The rear limbs would still have been visible on the outside of the body, while … Read more
In Depth Archaeothyris is currently enjoying recognition as the oldest confirmed synapsid in the fossil record. Although there is some evidence that the synapsids evolved earlier, the fragmentary state of these fossils has made their classification impossible to determine with certainty. This means that Archaeothyris continues to represent the branch of the evolutionary line that … Read more
In Depth Notharctus is easily the best known of the arboreal primates of the Eocene, a popularity thanks largely to the number of fossil specimens for this genus as well as its frequent inclusion in books about prehistoric animals. Notharctus was a small lightly built and flexible primate that is often described as lemur-like. The … Read more
In Depth Abajudon is a genus of dicynodont that lived in Tanzania during the Permian. Further Reading - New dicynodonts (Therapsida, Anomodontia) and updated tetrapod stratigraphy of the Permian Ruhuhu Formation (Songea Group, Ruhuhu Basin) of southern Tanzania. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Volume 34, Issue 6. - Kenneth D. Angielczyk, S�bastien Huertas, Roger M. … Read more
In Depth First discovered in 1973, Arkansaurus was due to be formally named in 1977, tragically however the papers author Dr. James H. Quinn was killed in a fall while searching for fossils. Because the paper was not formally published, the name Arkansaurus was technically not valid. The name Arkansaurus however was not unknown and … Read more
In Depth The discovery of the pterosaur Kepodactylus was actually a by-product of the recovery of a Stegosaurus in Garden Park, Colorado. This is how Kepodactylus got a name meaning ‘garden finger’. The species name insperatus is referenced to the discovery of Kepodactylus being a pleasant surprise to the dig team. Further Reading – A … Read more
In Depth Described from very partial remains, Vitakridrinda is a difficult dinosaur to talk about other than it seems to have been an abelisaurid. Abelisaurs were the dominant type of theropods in the southern continents during the late Cretaceous while the tyrannosaurs dominated the North. Because of the abundance of late Cretaceous rocks in Asia, … Read more
In Depth Named after a village near the location of the fossil site, Rahiolisaurus is still a surprisingly little known abelisaurid at the time of writing, despite it being around eight meters long. The fossils of this abelisaurid were originally considered to be remains of another abelisaurid named Indosuchus. As a large abelisaurid, Rahiolisaurus would … Read more