In Depth Yuanchuavis is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in Asia during the early Cretaceous. Yuanchuavis is confirmed to have had two elongated retrices (flight feathers) in the tail. Melanosome sampling of the holotype fossil suggests that the elongated retrices would have been black in life, while the remaining tail feathers either iridescent … Read more
In Depth Khulsanurus is a genus of alvarezsaurid dinosaur that lived in East Asia during the late Cretaceous. Further reading - The second taxon of alvarezsaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Khulsan locality in Gobi Desert, Mongolia. - Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. in press: 1–12.. - A. O. Averianov & A. … Read more
In Depth Eoconfuciusornis named for its earlier appearance to the related Confuciusornis, the most notable difference about Eoconfuciusornis at the time of writing are that the genus has longer legs than Eoconfuciusornis. Further Reading - A primitive confuciusornithid bird from China and its implications for early avian flight. - Science in China Series D: Earth … Read more
In Depth Longipteryx is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in China during the later stages of the early Cretaceous, and when compared to other enantiornithine birds living at the time, Longipteryx had exceptionally good adaptations for flying and perching. Further Reading - Early diversification of birds: evidence from a new opposite bird. - … Read more
In Depth The naming history of this dinosaur is somewhat convoluted. The fossils that would go on to establish this genus were originally described in 1984, but as a species of Kritosaurus, K. australis. As you may have inferred front the species name, it was thought that a southern population of Kritosaurus had been discovered, … Read more
In Depth Llukalkan is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. As with other dinosaurs of its kind, Llukalkan would have been a predator. Though the holotype skull of Llukalkan is fragmentary, analysis of the inner ear has revealed that Llukalkan might have had better hearing than … Read more
In Depth Suzhousaurus is a medium sized genus of therizinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. There is some speculation that Suzhousaurus may be the same genus as another therizinosaur named Nanshiungosaurus. However, because there is little if any overlapping fossil material, it is at the time of writing impossible to say for … Read more
In Depth Enantiophoenix is genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in what is now Lebanon during the early part of the Late Cretaceous. Further Reading - Enantiophoenix electrophyla gen. et sp. nov. (Aves, Enantiornithes) from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Lebanon and its phylogenetic relationships. - Atti della Societa Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del … Read more
In Depth Caieiria is a genus of titanosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. At the time of its naming, Caieiria was only known from tail vertebrae. These vertebrae however show strongly developed side process as well as vertical spines about half the height of the centra (the round disc part of … Read more
In Depth Kuszholia is a genus of primitive bird that lived in Uzbekistan during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading – Record of the Localities of Mesozoic and Paleogene with Avian Remains in the USSR, and the description of New Findings. Russian Journal of Ornithology, 1: 7-50. - L. A. Nesov - 1992.