In Depth Named after a village near the location of the fossil site, Rahiolisaurus is still a surprisingly little known abelisaurid at the time of writing, despite it being around eight meters long. The fossils of this abelisaurid were originally considered to be remains of another abelisaurid named Indosuchus. As a large abelisaurid, Rahiolisaurus would … Read more
In Depth As with a lot of European pterosaurs the genus Altmuehlopterus has a long and convoluted history. The fossil specimen was originally named under Ornithocephalus, but this would later be regarded as an obsolete name for Pterodactylus. It was also named as belonging to Diopecephalus, and finally ending up as a second species of … Read more
In Depth First described as a species of Saurolophus in 2013, the species was re-described as a distinct genus, Augustynolophus only a year later. Not much can be said about Augustynolophus, though we do know that it was among the last hadrosaurid genera to live, and may have been around to see the asteroid strike … Read more
In Depth Abyssosaurus is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in Russia during the Early Cretaceous. At the time of its description Abyssosaurus was identified as a link between Late Jurassic forms such as Tatenectes and Kimmerosaurus, and Late Cretaceous forms such as Aristonectes and Kaiwhekea. A slightly later study in 2013 by Benson & … Read more
In Depth Araripesaurus appears to be a dubious entry amongst pterosaurs because of the lack of distinguishing features. Even though it has been considered to be Santanadactylus, the same lack of distinguishing features mean that Araripesaurus cannot be reassigned to a different genus with certainty. Further material that was to be attributed to Araripesaurus has … Read more
In Depth Anomoiodon was a tiny little parareptile that lived in Germany in the early Triassic. Another genus of parareptile named Kapes was once considered to be a synonym of Anomoiodon, but rediscovery of fossils and new study have now re-confirmed them to be separate genera. There are however considered to be very closely related … Read more
In Depth Initially thought to represent a new specimen of Zephyrosaurus, the small partial skull of the holotype was soon realised to be a whole new genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur. Like most primitive ceratopsian dinosaurs, Aquilops was a fairly small dinosaur measuring just over half a meter in length. The name Aquilops means ‘eagle … Read more
In Depth Adamantinasuchus was a fairly small notosuchian crocodylomorph from the late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil, Many crurotarsans are known from the Adamantina Formation, including Armadillosuchus, Morrinhosuchus, Baurusuchus and Mariliasuchus to name just a few. Out of these, Adamantinasuchus may have been most similar to Mariliasuchus. The teeth of Adamantinasuchus suggest a possible carnivorous … Read more
In Depth A little known creature, Acteosaurus has been speculated to be a marine reptile, similar to the mosasauroids. Acteosaurus was named after Actaeon, a hunter in Greek Mythology. Further Reading – On the Subdivisions of the Inferior Oolite in the South of England, compared with the Equivalent Beds of that Formation on the Yorkshire … Read more
In Depth For one hundred and forty years Amphicoelias was regarded by some to have been one of the largest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth. First named in 1878 by Edward Drinker Cope, and based upon some truly large fossils of vertebrae and partial limbs and pubis bones. Three species were named, A. altus, … Read more