In Depth For a long time Helveticosaurus was thought to be one of the placodonts, specialist marine reptiles that lived in the Triassic seas that fed upon shellfish. However further analysis has revealed that only the vertebra of Helveticosaurus are similar to the placodonts, which has led to Helveticosaurus being re-classed as a diapsid (two … Read more
In Depth Unlike other pareiasaurs, Scutosaurus’s orientation of the legs was more under the body as opposed to out to the side. This gave Scutosaurus a much taller stance and would be more suitable for a creature that may have spent its time searching for suitable vegetation to eat in the arid environment of the … Read more
In Depth The most noteworthy feature of Coelurosauravus are the dermal ossicles, creating thin strands of bone that extended from the flanks and supported a gliding wing. This may have provided a limited flight capability over short distances by jumping from a high point and steering itself by twisting towards a lower spot as it … Read more
In Depth Eunotosaurus was long considered the ancestor to turtles. This theory came from the specially enlarged and curved vertebrae and ribs that balloon outwards that would have created the appearance of a skin covered shell. It is now thought however that the vertebrae and rib adaptation of Eunotosaurus and the evolution of turtles are … Read more
In Depth Although small by nothosaur standards, Lariosauru remains one of the most important nothosaurs known to palaeontology as remains are so well preserved they contain the presence of juvenile Lariosaurus, as well as what they ate. The juvenile specimens inside an adult Lariosaurus are very well preserved suggesting that they were not chewed or … Read more
In Depth Phosphorosaurus is a genus of halisaurine mosasaur known to have lived during the latest stage of the Cretaceous. Halisaurine mosasaurs like Phosphorosaurus were the smaller end of the scale in terms of size, but would have been fast and nimble predators of other creatures such as fish and perhaps cephalopods such as squid. … Read more
In Depth Although a turtle, Archelon has become a staple species that appears in almost every book about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. This almost mandatory inclusion comes from the fact that Archelon is the largest turtle ever known to exist and it lived at the end of the Cretaceous. For the most part dinosaurs … Read more