In Depth Quinkana was one of the last surviving terrestrial crocodiles, and disappears from the fossil records as recently as forty thousand years ago. This disappearance also coincides with the disappearance of many of the large mammals from Australia and is thought to be a result of the first humans arriving on the continent. Even … Read more
In Depth Nemicolopterus is currently regarded as the smallest known pterosaur, and it is almost inconceivable from looking at it that on the other end of the pterosaur size scale would be giants like Quetzalcoatlus and Hatzegopteryx with wingspans of eleven meters. The curved claws of Nemicolopterus indicate that it could have perched upon branches … Read more
In Depth The jaws of Zhenyuanopterus feature long needle like teeth that protrude out of the jaws and intermesh when the mouth is closed. The largest teeth are at the front, although they get significantly smaller as they approach the nostril. Some have considered the larger teeth at the front to have been too fragile … Read more
In Depth Although crocodiles and indeed crocodile like reptiles have existed since the Triassic, Isisfordia is considered to represent an early member of the group that make up modern crocodiles. This is evidenced by the ball and socket type connection of the vertebrae, and the presence of a secondary palate that allowed Isisfordia to breathe … Read more
In Depth Xianglong is currently the only known ‘flying’ lizard from the cretaceous, although earlier reptiles like Coelurosaurovus from the Permian are also thought to have had a similar ability. Xianglong could not fly in the true sense of the word, but the membrane that stretched out from its sides would have greatly slowed its … Read more