In Depth Kabirmys is a genus of rodent that lived in Egypt during the Eocene. Further Reading - A large-bodied anomaluroid rodent from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt: phylogenetic and biogeographic implications. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(5):1579-1593. - H. M. Sallam, E. R. Seiffert, E. L. Simons & C. Brindley - 2010.
In Depth A relative to other gomphothere elephants like Gomphotherium and Ambelodon, Platybelodon also had a pair of forward facing tusks in the lower jaw that were shaped into a form of shovel-like structure. Like with its relatives, it is believed that Platybelodon used these tusks as feeding aids for uprooting plants and stripping bark. … Read more
In Depth Shenshou is a genus of possibly arboreal mammal that lived in China during the Jurassic. As a genus Shenshou shows a strong resemblance to modern squirrels, however it is thought that Shenshou is not a direct ancestor, but merely a case of looking similar through convergent evolution. Further Reading - Three new Jurassic … Read more
In Depth Spinolestes is a genus of small mammal that lived in Spain during the early Cretaceous, and one that has told us more about Mesozoic mammals that most other genera combined. This is all down to the truly exceptional level of preservation in the xenarthrosus type specimen that not only contains the skeleton, but … Read more
In Depth Cookeroo is a genus of kangaroo that lived in Australia during the Miocene. Further Reading - Cookeroo, a new genus of fossil kangaroo (Marsupialia, Macropodidae) from the Oligo-Miocene of Riversleigh, Northwestern Queensland, Australia. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(3):e1083029 - K. Butler, K. J. Travouillon, G. J. Price, M. Archer & S. J. … Read more
In Depth Originally known as Drepanodon, fossils of this mammal were renamed Hoplophoneus by Edward Drinker Cope in 1874. Although resembling a big cat, Hoplophoneus was actually one of the nimravids, more popularly known as the ‘false sabre-toothed cats’. Nimravids were descended from an early off shoot of the carnivora and were actively hunting long … Read more
In Depth A large relative of the more famous Hyaenodon, Megistotherium was clearly one of the main predators of its day. The skull of Megistotherium alone measured up to sixty-six centimetres long, almost as long as the average person’s arm and hand. It is likely that Megistotherium also scavenged carcasses, though in what ratio Megistotherium … Read more
In Depth Proconsul is a primate that seems to be stuck in transition between monkeys and apes. So far no tail has ever been found and the hands are more dexterous than monkeys, together suggesting a primitive ape lineage. The metacarpals however are curved and the postures of reconstructed individuals are more like those of … Read more
In Depth At one meter long Hapalops is not even close to the later giant ground sloths such as Glossotherium and Megatherium, but then groups of large mammals usually have their origins in smaller ancestors. Although not as awe inspiring in terms of size, Hapalops probably could do something that was impossible for its later … Read more
In Depth Makaracetus is a genus of protocetid whale that lived in Pakistan during the Eocene. The most notable feature of Makaracetus is the strange shaped snout which dips down, and may be a sign that Makaracetus had a proboscis, alternatively known as a trunk, that may have been similar to a tapirs. This was … Read more