In Depth Isthminia is a genus of river dolphin that lived in Central America during the Miocene. Further Reading - Isthminia panamensis, a new fossil inioid (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Chagres Formation of Panama and the evolution of ‘river dolphins’ in the Americas. - PeerJ 3:e1227. - N. D. Pyenson, J. Velez-Juarbe, C. S. Gutstein, … Read more
In Depth Though commonly stated to be mammal, the evolutionary placement of Yanoconodon amongst mammals is uncertain due to the fact that Yanoconodon shows a development of an inner ear. This is an advanced feature upon what otherwise might be interpreted as a more primitive mammaliaform body. Further Reading - A new eutriconodont mammal and … Read more
In Depth Ankylorhiza is a genus of dolphin known to have lived in waters around eastern North America during the Oligocene. Ankylorhiza was one of the larger toothed whales for its time and would have likely been a predator of everything from fish to other large marine creatures, possibly even whales. The incisor teeth of … Read more
In Depth The discovery of Morotopithecus has necessitated a rethink in our understanding of primate and ape evolution. The confusion here all stems down to the fact that fossils of Morotopithecus indicate that it was more advanced than forms such as Afropithecus and Kenyapithecus and yet it appeared well before these other genera in the … Read more
In Depth Archaeodobenus is an ancient relative of the walrus. Unlike the walrus however, Archaeodobenus did not have the large tusks that are the most familiar feature of the walrus. Instead, Archaeodobenus simply had slightly enlarged canine teeth, and an overall appearance more similar to that of a sea lion. Further Reading - A New … Read more