In Depth Cargninia is a genus of lepidosaur that lived in South America during the late Triassic. Further Reading - La fauna local de Faxinal do Soturno, Tri�sico Tard�o de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Paleontolog�a 13(3):233-246. - J. F. Bonaparte, C. L. Schultz, M. B. Soares & A. G. Martinelli - … Read more
In Depth Although Effigia resembles and ornithomimid dinosaur, it is thought that this is just a case of convergent evolution. Later studies have suggested that Effigia is the same creature as the archosaur Chatterjeea and that both are synonymous with the archosaur Shuvosaurus. The type specimen is named after the renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe, whose … Read more
In Depth Phyllodontosuchus is a genus of sphenosuchian crocodile that lived in Asia during the early Jurassic. Phyllodontosuchus had a heterodont dentition, meaning that the shape of the teeth differed according to their position in the mouth. The first few teeth in the mouth were conical in a similar fashion to most other crocodylomorphs, but … Read more
In Depth Parahupehsuchus is a genus of hupehsuchian marine reptile that lived in waters that receded over what is now China. Parahupehsuchus would have been a small aquatic predator that is named for its similarity to the type genus of the Hupehsuchidae, Hupehsuchus. Further Reading - A carapace-like bony ‘body tube’ in an Early Triassic … Read more
In Depth Kranosaura is a genus of archosauromorph that is thought to have been similar to the genus Triopticus in that Kranosaura also had a skull formed to create a dome shape. This dome structure would have been similar in form to the pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs that lived much later during the Cretaceous. Unfortunately at the … Read more
In Depth Teraterpeton was an archosauromorph that much is certain. Beyond this however Teraterpeton was so unlike any other archosauromorph seen at that time that the genus had to have its own family group named, the Teraterpetidae. The jaws of Teraterpeton are notably elongated and thin, kind of like what you might see in a … Read more
In Depth Godavarisaurus is a genus of lepidosaur that lived in India during the early Jurassic, and may have resembled a modern day Tuatara. Further Reading - Rhynchocephalians (Diapsida: Lepidosauria) from the Jurassic Kota Formation of India. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 133:309-334. - S. E. Evans, G. V. R. Prasad, and B. K. … Read more
In Depth There are some fossil animals that just seem to be born to confuse us, and Longisquama is certainly one of these. The partial post cranial remains of this diapsid reptile seem to belong to a fairly small lizard. What really makes this creature bizarre however are the long appendages that seem to attach … Read more
In Depth At various times Proaigialosaurus has been considered to be a pleurosaur, a sphenodont to even a primitive member of the Aigialosauridae, hence the name Proaigialosaurus which means ‘before Aigialosaurus’, a reference to the type genus of this group. However the Aigialosauridae contains some of the primitive mosasaurs, and most of the genera from … Read more
In Depth The deep skull of Dakosaurus has led to this marine reptile being nicknamed ‘Godzilla’ in the popular media. However unlike the famous Japanese daikaiju, Dakosaurus was actually a four to five meter long crocodile that was specially adapted for a life at sea. It’s tall and deep skull meant that Dakosaurus was actually … Read more