In Depth The almost complete specimen of Monolophosaurus was first discovered in 1984. This exciting find was initially named ‘Jiangjunmiaosaurus’ after Jiangjunmiao, an abandoned inn near where the skeleton was found, but it was never an official name hence the lack of italics and its description as a nomen nudum (a name that is not … Read more
In Depth Unaysaurus is the first confirmed sauropodomorph dinosaur to be named from Brazil, though there is speculation that another genus named in 1999 called Teyuwasu might also be a sauropodomorph. The closest relative to Unaysaurus is thought to be the famous Plateosaurus from Germany. Further Reading - A new early dinosaur (Sauropodomorpha) from the … Read more
In Depth Originally described as a species of the polycotylid plesiosaur Trinacomerum, T. lafquenianum was later re-described as a distinct genus of short necked elasmosaurid plesiosaur. Kawanectes is similar to the larger Vegasaurus. Because the bones in Kawanectes have complete fusion in them, we can tell that Kawanectes was fully grown at the time of … Read more
In Depth Despite its long history and broad geographic range, Simolestes surprisingly remains a little known pliosaur, certainly no way near as famous as the often over exaggerated Liopleurodon. Simolestes does not have the best fossil representation, but comparison to other pliosaurs has yielded estimates of up to six meters long for the living animal. … Read more
In Depth Hispaniasaurus is a genus of possible nothosaur that lived in Spain during the mid Triassic. Further Reading - An enigmatic marine reptile, Hispaniasaurus cranioelongatus (gen. et sp. nov.) with nothosauroid affinities from the Ladinian of the Iberian Range (Spain). - Historical Biology 1-11. - A. Marquez-Aliaga, N. Klein, M. Reolid, P. Plasencia, J. … Read more
In Depth Jiangjunosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur that lived in China during the earlier part of late Jurassic. Though Jiangjunosaurus is far from complete, this stegosaur is known to have had a skull that was elongated in proportion to its width. Jiangjunosaurus was found by itself, and because generals are buried in temples … Read more
In Depth Platypterygius was a medium sized ichthyosaur that lived towards the end of the reign of this group of marine reptiles. The name which means ‘flat wing’ seems to have been in reference to the arrangement of the bones inside the front flippers which were tightly bound to produce the flat form. This feature … Read more
In Depth When Carinodens was first named it was as Compressidens, however it was later realised that this name had already been used to name a genus of mollusc. Because a name cannot be used more than once, a new name had to be chosen and so Carinodens came into being. Carinodens means ‘keel teeth’, … Read more
In Depth Yimenosaurus is one of the more popular sauropodomorph dinosaurs thanks to the large number of fossils from several individuals that make up the genus. At the time of writing the only uncertainty concerning Yimenosaurus are the limbs, which have a distinct lack of representation. Yimenosaurus is also known to have easily attained sizes … Read more
In Depth Notoemys is a genus of side necked turtle that lived in South America from the Jurassic to the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Nuevo hallazgo de Chelonia extinguidos en la Republica Argentina - Physis 22. - N. Cattoi & M. A. Freiberg - 1961. - Notoemys zapatocaensis, a new side-necked turtle (Pleurodira, Platychelyidae) … Read more