In Depth Galadi is a genus of bandicoot that lived in Australia during the Miocene. Further Reading Further reading - An exceptionally well-preserved short-snouted bandicoot (Marsupialia; Peramelemorphia) from Riversleigh’s Oligo-Miocene deposits, northwestern Queensland, Australia. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(5):1528-1546. - K. J. Travouillion, Y. Gurovich, R. M. D. Beck & J. Muirhead - 2010. … Read more
In Depth Although giant crocodiles like Sarcosuchus usually steal the limelight, the little ones such as Bernissartia can prove just as interesting. Aside from being one of the smallest crocodiles in the fossil record, Bernissartia had two distinct types of teeth. The front teeth are sharp and pointed, and are thought to have been for … Read more
In Depth Concavenator is certainly different from the other known theropod dinosaurs that came before it. Its most striking feature is the protrusion above its hips that is caused by the extension of two presacral vertebrae. Its speculated that these vertebrae would have supported either a sail or hump structure. Theories as to its purpose … Read more
In Depth Lonchognathosaurus had jaws that were typical of the dsungaripterid pterosaurs in that they were pointed and lacked teeth towards the front of the snout. It’s thought that pterosaurs like Lonchognathosaurus used this design to dig out invertebrates so that they can be crushed with the stout teeth towards the rear of the mouth. … Read more
In Depth As a genus Sclerosaurus is considered to be a close relative of the pareiasaurs. Further Reading - Anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Sclerosaurus armatus (Amniota: Parareptilia) from the Buntsandstein (Triassic) of Europe. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology vol28, issue 4 - Hans-Dieter Sues & Robert R. Reisz - 2008.
In Depth Fossils of Sibirotitan were first found in Russia during the 1950s, but not named until the disarticulated bones were put together and finally given a name in 2018. At the time of the genus description, Sibirotitan was regarded as one of the oldest titanisauriform sauropod dinosaurs on the Asian continent. Further detail than … Read more
In Depth Protuberum is a genus of cynodont that lived in South America during the Triassic. Further Reading - A new traversodontid cynodont (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Middle Triassic Santa Maria Formation of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Palaeontology 52:229-250. - M. Reichel, C. L. Schultz & M. B. Soares - 2009. – The specific … Read more
In Depth Doswellia was a two meter long reptile that had an elongated body that was protected by a covering of bony scutes in a similar manner to a crocodile. Doswellia had a triangular shaped skull when viewed from above, the snout being much narrower than the posterior regions of the skull. The skull of … Read more
In Depth Zalambdalestes has been interpreted as a Eutherian mammal, though it has also been considered to have been an early placental mammal. Zalambdalestes would have been similar to shrews today, hunting for insects while trying to avoid predatory dinosaurs such as the dromaeosaurid Mahakala and the troodont Byronosaurus. Further Reading - Cretaceous mammal skulls … Read more
In Depth The name Litorosuchus means ‘littoral crocodile’, reference to the littoral (coastal) habitat that Litorosuchus is thought to have lived in. Litorosuchus measured about two meters long, though just over half of this was tail. The vertebrae of the tail had strongly developed and enlarged neural arches, and these combined with the proportionate length … Read more