In Depth Although named from only relatively few bones, the fossil remains of Vectidraco are still enough to clearly identify it as a new distinct genus from other known pterosaur genera. The fossils of Vectidraco also show that in life the bones were pneumatised, a weight saving adaptation which meant that the bones of the … Read more
In Depth Acuetzpalin is a genus of ichthyosaur that lived in waters around what is now central America during the late Jurassic. Further Reading - Acuetzpalin carranzai gen et sp. nov. A new ophthalmosauridae (Ichthyosauria) from the Upper Jurassic of Durango, North Mexico. - Journal of South American Earth Sciences. - J. I. Barrientos-Lara, J. … Read more
In Depth Raptorex is a very dubious genus of tyrannosaur that many consider to be a juvenile Tarbosaurus. When Raptorex was first revealed to the world the holotype had already been dug out of the ground and shipped to Japan where it was purchased by an American businessman. Back then the fossil was being identified … Read more
In Depth Eoraptor stands out not only for being one of the first dinosaurs to ever walk the Earth, but because palaeontologists cannot conclusively agree on where to place it in relation to other dinosaurs. Initially Eoraptor was classed as a theropod because of its bipedal stance and narrow build, but the sauropodomorphs (which would … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Platypelta have for a long time been associated with the genus Euoplocephalus, yet in 2018, some of these fossils were given their own distinct genus by Penkalski in 2018. Platypelta was a medium sized ankylosaurine dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - Revised systematics … Read more
In Depth Superficially, Pareiasaurus is very similar to its relative Scutosaurus. The main differences between the two are the way the legs support the body. In Scutosaurus the legs are directly underneath the body, giving it a much taller appearance. The legs of Pareiasaurus however came out from the sides in a more familiar reptilian … Read more
In Depth Latenivenatrix has a somewhat convoluted history of discovery. The holotype specimen of the genus (CMN 12340) was originally designated as being a Stenonychosaurus by Dale A. Russel in 1969. Then in 1987 it was moved into the Troodon genus, the type genus of the troodontid dinosaurs. It was not until much later in … Read more
In Depth Antarctanax is a genus of archosauromorph reptile that lived in Antarctica during the early Triassic. Further Reading - A novel archosauromorph from Antarctica and an updated review of a high-latitude vertebrate assemblage in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (6): e1536664. - Brandon R. Peecook, Roger … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately at the time of the genus description the only fossils of Austroposeidon that we have are some vertebrae. However, comparison to other similar dinosaurs has led to realistic size estimates for this dinosaur of about twenty-five metres in length. Although not the biggest dinosaur, this does make Austroposeidon at the time of … Read more
In Depth A late Cretaceous era snake of the Indian subcontinent, the discovery of Sanajeh has revealed a little bit more about Mesozoic ecosystems. The holotype specimen of Sanajeh was found not only alongside several sauropod eggs, but also the remains of a hatchling sauropod, probably a titanosaur of about fifty centimetres length. It is … Read more