In Depth Theosodon was probably a lot like a llama in appearance, however it was not actually related to this group of mammals (the Camelidae) but instead was a litoptern mammal, the dominant group of mammals in South America before it became joined to North America. This is a case of convergent evolution where even … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately we cannot bring much information on this bear dog. Further Reading Further reading- �ber tertia?re Spaltenf�llungen im Fr�nkischen und Schw�bischen Jura [On Tertiary fissure fillings in the Franconian and Swabian Jura]. – Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche Abteilung, Neue Folge 29:1-86. – R. Dehm – 1935.
In Depth Tohoraata is a genus of whale that lived in the waters around New Zealand during the Oligocene. A former species of Mauicetus, M. waitakiensis, has now been named as a second species of Tohoraata. Further Reading - A new eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ … Read more
In Depth Although not a very well-known prehistoric ape, Khoratpithecus has been regarded as being intermediate in form between Sivapithecus and the modern day genus Pongo, better known as the orangutan. For this reason there has been suggestion that Khoratpithecus might actually be the direct ancestor of orangutans. The species Khoratpithecus chiangmuanensis was established from … Read more
In Depth Elasmotherium is one of the a typical animals that represents Pleistocene era fauna, though there has been a lot of debate over not only how it lived but what it really looked like One problematic area concerning the study of Elasmotherium is the actual morphology of the genus. Some reconstructions consider Elasmotherium to … Read more
In Depth Further Reading -Nuevas aportaciones al conocimiento de Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799) de Brown Bank, Mar del Norte [New contributions to the knowledge of Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799) Brown Bank, North Sea] – Bulletin Centre d’Est. Natura B-N. VII 13): 309-329 Sta. Coloma de Gramenet – David Garcia Fern�ndez & Juan Vicente i Castells … Read more
In Depth Like with Pliopithecus, the genus after which it was named, Propliopithecus was a gibbon-like ape that lived in Northeast Africa during the early Oligocene (back in this time Egypt had an extensive covering of vegetation unlike the arid desert conditions that we know today). Propliopithecus would have lived in the tree canopy where … Read more
In Depth Dilophodelphis is a genus of river dolphin that lived during the Miocene. The genus name means two crested delphis (delphis being a reference to the dolphin family). This is because the skull of Dilophodelphis has two crests of bone. Further Reading - A new fossil dolphin Dilophodelphis fordycei provides insight into the evolution … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – A new record of giant short-faced bear, Arctodus simus, from western North America with a re-evaluation of its paleobiology. – Contributions in Science, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 371:1-12. – S. D. Emslie & N. J. Czaplewski – 1985. – The short-faced bear Arctodus simus from the late … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - Nachweis des Jaguars (Panthera onca gombaszoegensis) aus dem sp�ten Unter- oder fr�hen Mittelpleistoz�n der Niederlande. - Deinsea, Annual of the Natural History Museum Rotterdam. P. 47-57. - H. Hemmer & R.-D Kahlke - 2005. - New record of the European jaguar, Panthera onca gombaszoegensis (Kretzoi, 1938), from the Plio-Pleistocene of … Read more