In Depth Borophagus is the last of the known line of ‘bone-crunching dogs’ (also known as ‘hyena dogs’) that roamed the plains of North America. Although Borophagus was smaller than its ancestors such as Epicyon, its skull was considerably better adapted to crushing bones. This seems to be a trait of a creature that relied … Read more
In Depth Telicomys is a genus of very large rodent that lived in Brazil during the Miocene. At a glance, Telicomys looks very similar to genera such as Phoberomys, Josephoartigasia which also lived in South America, though a little bit after Telicomys disappeared. All of these genera are perceived to have had a similar ecological … Read more
In Depth Smilodectes is another example of an early Eocene era primate, and one of the better known from North America. As a notharctine primate, Smilodectes was similar to the type genus of the group, Notharctus. Like its relatives, Smilodectes was a small and lightly built primate that spent most of its time up in … Read more
In Depth Galadi is a genus of bandicoot that lived in Australia during the Miocene. Further Reading Further reading - An exceptionally well-preserved short-snouted bandicoot (Marsupialia; Peramelemorphia) from Riversleigh’s Oligo-Miocene deposits, northwestern Queensland, Australia. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(5):1528-1546. - K. J. Travouillion, Y. Gurovich, R. M. D. Beck & J. Muirhead - 2010. … Read more
In Depth Zalambdalestes has been interpreted as a Eutherian mammal, though it has also been considered to have been an early placental mammal. Zalambdalestes would have been similar to shrews today, hunting for insects while trying to avoid predatory dinosaurs such as the dromaeosaurid Mahakala and the troodont Byronosaurus. Further Reading - Cretaceous mammal skulls … Read more
In Depth Proticia is a genus of mammal that lived in Venezuela during the early Eocene. Further Reading - A primitive pyrothere (Mammalia, Notoungulata) from the early Tertiary of Northwestern Venezuela. Fieldiana (Geology) 33:397–422. - B. Patterson - 1977.
In Depth One of the creodont mammals that were most common from the Paleocene to Oligocene periods, Pterodon seems to have been most numerous around Europe and North Africa. An odd set of remains from Pakistan however not only increases the geographic range of this creodont, but also the temporal range as well. Being interpreted … Read more
In Depth Described from a skull, Hypercoryphodon was a pantodont mammal that is considered to be a potential descendent of the better represented Coryphodon. As such Hypercoryphodon is also envisioned to be a quadrupedal hippopotamus-like herbivore that may have been able to adapt its feeding to suit different situations. Other than this Hypercoryphodon is thought … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – An Account of Elephants Teeth and Bones Found under Ground. – Philosophical Transactions 35 (399–406): 457–471. – H. Sloane – 1727-1728. Of Fossile Teeth and Bones of Elephants. Part the Second. – Philosophical Transactions 35 – (399–406): 497–514. – H. Sloane – 1727-1728. – A Letter from John Phil. Breyne, … Read more
In Depth A relative of the more famous Leptictidium, Megaleptictis is perceived to have been a small insectivorous mammal that roamed around the forest floors of Eocene North America. Further Reading - New large leptictid insectivore from the Late Paleogene of South Dakota, USA. - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica - Tj Meehan & Larry D. Martin … Read more