In Depth Temnodontosaurus is one of the oldest and largest ichthyosaurs known to science, and while there are a few species associated with the genus, the most obvious differences between these are the size and proportions of the jaws. Temnodontosaurus fossils have been so well preserved that they reveal stomach contents of ammonites and cephalopods … Read more
In Depth Labidosaurus is a genus of captorhinid reptile that lived in the USA in the last half of the early Permian. The upper jaw of Labidosaurus had a pronounced downwards hook that would have fitted around the end of the lower jaw, and unlike previously known captorhinids had a single row of conical teeth. … Read more
In Depth When first described in 1982 Dianchungosaurus was thought to represent a small Jurassic dinosaur, and until the early years of the twenty-first century was listed as a heterodontosaurid dinosaur. In 2005 however a study by Barret and Xu discovered that the original description of Dianchungosaurus was actually based upon a fossil chimera, described … Read more
In Depth Zapalasaurus is another example of an early cretaceous era diplodocoid sauropod, a find significant in itself since many diplodocid genera are dated to the Late Jurassic. Further to its inclusion within the Diplodocoidea, Zapalasaurus has been included as a member of the Rebbachisauridae, a sub group of the Diplodocoidea that includes other Cretaceous … Read more
In Depth Pandoravenator is a genus of predatory dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Jurassic. Further Reading - A theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Ca�ad�n Calc�reo Formation of central Patagonia, and the evolution of the theropod tarsus. - Ameghiniana 54:506-538. - O. W. M. Rauhut & D. Pol - 2017.
In Depth Brachyceratops is regarded as a highly dubious genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that may represent the juvenile form of another already named genus, and indeed one specimen of Brachyceratops (USNM 14765, a sub adult referred to the original five juveniles) has already been moved to the Rubeosaurus genus. This would normally raise speculation that … Read more
In Depth When this genus was first discovered, only the posterior portion of an individual ankylosaur remained to be studied. It is thought the anterior half had been previously exposed by erosion and was now lost, though part of the skull and teeth were found. The rear half of the dinosaur, including the tail and … Read more
In Depth Carniadactylus was born out of the realisation that a pterosaur specimen that was attributed to Eudimorphodon actually represented a different genus. Aside from being smaller than Eudimorphodon, one of the main areas of difference is the proportionately longer legs of Carniadactylus. Since it has now been placed within the campylognathoididae, Carniadactylus is considered … Read more
In Depth Although very little fossil material has been found, Helioceratops has been identified as a basal (or primitive) form of ceratopsian dinosaur. This means that it is unlikely that Helioceratops sported the elaborate frill and horns of the larger quadrupedal ceratopsians that most people know. Although primitive, Helioceratops seems to have had a body … Read more
In Depth Lasasaurus was a genus of procolophonid parareptile (the type genus of the group being Procolophon) that live in Madagascar during the early Triassic. Further Reading - First procolophonid (Reptilia, Parareptilia) from the Lower Triassic of Madagascar - Comptes Rendus Palevol - J. Falconnet, M. Andriamihaja, �. L�ng & J. -S. B. Steyer - … Read more