In Depth Archeopelta was a quadrupedal low slung reptile with a build similar to that of a crocodile. Archeopelta also would have had armoured scutes protecting its body in a similar manner to a crocodile. A predator of smaller animals, the armour may have protected them from rauisuchians and the early ancestors of the … Read more
In Depth When it comes to naming prehistoric animals, the names can be confusing, but Apatomerus, which means ‘deceptive femur’ was spot on. Initially thought to a thigh of a crocodile, Williston later declared it to be a pterosaur bone. Later study has now deduced that it is probably not a pterosaur bone and is … Read more
In Depth Aymberedactylus is a genus of tapejarid pterosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the early Cretaceous. At the time of the genus description the only fossils of Aymberedactylus are the lower jaws. These however seem to indicate that Aymberedactylus is one of the most primitive tapejarid pterosaurs known to us. Further … Read more
In Depth Named after the Atacama Desert, Atacamatitan was a genus of titanosaur sauropod that lived in what is now Chile during the late Cretaceous. More precise details about the genus however remain hard to establish, due to the fact that the remains of Atacamatitan are very incomplete. Further Reading - A new titanosaur sauropod … Read more
In Depth Afrotapejara is a genus of pterosaur that lived in North Africa at the time of the Early/Late Cretaceous boundary. Further Reading - A new ?chaoyangopterid (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Southern Morocco. - Cretaceous Research. 110: Article 104410. - James McPhee, Nizar Ibrahim, Alex Kao, David M. Unwin, Roy … Read more
In Depth Axestemys is a genus of soft shelled turtle that lived from the Late Cretaceous to at least the Eocene, and is known from both North America and Europe. Instead of a hard shell, Axestemys would have had a tough leathery skin surrounding its body. Modern day soft shelled turtles can be omnivorous, meaning … Read more
In Depth Though only known from a few fragmentary fossils, Allkaruen has already proven itself to be a very interesting pterosaur genus. Allkaruen is regarded as being intermediate in form between the more primitive rhamphorhynchid pterosaurs, and the more advanced pterodactyloid pterosaurs. Allkaruen also shows us that only certain parts of the body would change … Read more
In Depth The holotype remains of Asylosaurus were originally attributed to the genus Thecodontosaurus, but a review by Peter Galton saw these remains established as a new genus. The genus names means ‘unharmed/sanctuary lizard’ and this is a reference as to how this set of remains were shipped from England to the United States by … Read more
In Depth Upon first study Azendohsaurus was considered to have been a herbivorous dinosaur, possibly either a prosauropod or even an ornithischian. Later study has now yielded the conclusion that Azendohsaurus is not a dinosaur at all, merely an archosauromorph that grew to resemble early herbivorous dinosaurs by convergent evolution. If this sounds similar then … Read more
In Depth Atlasaurus was named after the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. These in turn were named after the Titan Atlas who in Greek Mythology was said to hold up the sky. The species name A. imelakei comes from the Arabic Imelake, the name of a giant. Atlasaurus was once treated as a fairly primitive sauropod … Read more