In Depth Acratophorus is a genus of dicynodont therapsid that lived in South America during the Triassic. Further reading - Sobre nuevos terapsidos Triasicos hallados en el centro de la Provincia de Mendoza, Argentina. - Acta Geologica Lilloana (8): 91–100. - J. F. Bonaparte - 1966. - Una nueva “fauna” Triasica de Argentina (Therapsida: Cynodontia … Read more
In Depth Arctops was a South African gorgonopsid of the late Permian, but there is now a question over the validity of the genus. It has been considered that Arctops may be the adult form of Scylacognathus, another gorgonopsid that was named a year earlier than Arctops. Further Reading – Notes on some carnivorous reptiles. … Read more
In Depth Akainacephalus is a genus of ankylosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. During this time, the central portion of North America was submerged by the Western Interior Seaway, carving North America into two landmasses; Appalacia to the East, and Laramidia to the West. Akainacephalus hails from the southern portion of … Read more
In Depth Aeolosaurus is one of the better known South American titanosaurs of the late Cretaceous period. The name is derived from the mythical figure of Aeolus who was dubbed the ‘keeper of the winds’ in Homer’s Odyssey. It might seem rather obscure to name a dinosaur after this figure, but it is actually in … Read more
In Depth Archaeoceratops is yet another of the increasingly large number of basal ceratopsian dinosaur remains that are coming from Asia. These remains point to an Asian ancestral origin for all ceratopsians from Protoceratops of Mongolia, to huge and horned Triceratops and Styracosaurus of North America. Archaeoceratops however was very different to these larger later … Read more
In Depth Aegyptosaurus was a mid-sized sauropod dinosaur that is known to have lived in what is now Egypt from both sides of the early/late Cretaceous boundary. Unfortunately we only have the original descriptions of this dinosaur for study as the original fossils were destroyed along with the Munich museum during an allied bombing raid … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately still only known from very incomplete remains, Ashorocetus was an early baleen whale. Relatives of Ashorocetus include Aetiocetus and Willungacetus. Further Reading - Classification and distribution of Oligocene Aetiocetidae (Mammalia; Cetacea; Mysticeti) from western North America and Japan - L. G. Barnes, M. Kimura, H. Furusawa & H. Sawamura - 1995.
In Depth Aquilarhinus named for the perceived appearance of the snout which in life is thought to resemble the hooked bend of an eagles beak, suggesting Aquilarhinus may have had a specialised feeding method. Study of the lower jaw has led to a postulated reconstruction of front of the jaws having a rounded shovel-like structure. … Read more
In Depth Apatoraptor is a genus of caenagnathid oviraptosaur that lived in Canada during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new caenagnathid (Dinosauria: Oviraptorosauria) from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation of Alberta, Canada, and a reevaluation of the relationships of Caenagnathidae. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(4):e1160910:1-18. - G. F. Funston & P. J. Currie … Read more
In Depth Ammosaurus has a long taxonomic relationship with Anchisaurus. The holotype fossils of Ammosaurus were originally described as a large species of Anchisaurus by Othniel Charles Marsh before they were erected as a distinct genus. Marsh then named a new species of Anchisaurus, A. solus, but then attributed that to Ammosaurus. Later palaeontologists found … Read more