In Depth The one thing about Basilosaurus that instantly causes confusion is its name. When first studied and named by Richard Harlan, he came to the conclusion that it was most likely a marine reptile, and so named it Basilosaurus, or ‘King lizard’. It was not until the remains were studied by Richard Owen that … Read more
In Depth Chriacus has a curious mix of features since it was a plantigrade quadruped that had hind legs suitable to climbing and fore legs suitable for digging. This has led to Chriacus being described as a raccoon-like animal, a generalist that could adapt its foraging behaviour to search for whatever food was available. This … Read more
In Depth Zygorhiza belongs to the same group of primitive prehistoric whales as Dorudon and both of these whales are more distantly related to the massive Basilosaurus which was quite possibly a predator of both of these whales. Although similar in form to Basilosaurus, Zygorhiza had a much smaller body that was actually more in … Read more
In Depth Zhangheotherium was the first symmetrodont known by a complete specimen. Zhangheotherium had pointed multicusped (up to five) teeth towards the rear of the mouth, something which is reflected in the species name Z. quinquecuspidens. Despite the fact that Zhangheotherium was a mammal, the limbs sprawled out to the sides like a lizard rather … Read more
In Depth Dorudon is a good example of some of the many primitive whales that were swimming in the world’s oceans during the Eocene period. As an early cetacean, Dorudon was a dedicated predator of other marine creatures that may have included everything from fish to other marine mammals. Dorudon itself does bear a strong … Read more
In Depth With confirmed fossils of Daphoenodon stretching all the way from California and Oregon on the west coast to Florida on the east, and between Wyoming and Nebraska in the North and Texas in the South, Daphoenodon had a very broad range across most of the United States. This distribution could have also brought … Read more
In Depth Xibalbaonyx is a genus of ground sloth that lived in Mexico during the Pleistocene, Many fossils of this ground sloth have been recovered from underwater caves. Further Reading - Xibalbaonyx oviceps, a new megalonychid ground sloth (Folivora, Xenarthra) from the Late Pleistocene of the Yucat�n Peninsula, Mexico, and its paleobiogeographic significance. - PalZ. … Read more
In Depth The description of the whale genus Basiloterus was only based upon the description of two lumber vertebrae. These vertebrae have been described as being close to the form of the vertebrae of Basilosaurus, though not as long. This may indicate that although similar in form, Basiloterus was quite a bit smaller than the … Read more
In Depth At first glance the large teeth of Janjucetus could lead you to think that it is one of the toothed whales but in fact closer analysis of the skull has revealed it to actually be one of the baleen whales. Since the earliest ancestor of the baleen whales predates Janjucetus by many millions … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Deinogalerix are known from the Gargano region of Italy, but it’s important to remember that back in the Miocene Sea levels were much higher resulting in Gargano being an island that was cut off from the mainland. Deinogalerix grew to its large size due to a process called insular gigantism. This … Read more