In Depth Although known only from a partial jaw, Chthonophis may represent one of the earliest appearances of an Amphisbaenia lizard. Also known as worm lizards, amphisbaenians are lizards that have lost limbs giving them a superficial resemblance to snakes, although even a basic study of them will reveal several clear differences. Further Reading - … Read more
In Depth At the time of its description in 2015, Eophis was known as one of the oldest snakes to appear. So early and primitive is Eophis, that this snake still had four legs, all very small and underdeveloped, but visibly present none the less. Despite these primitive features, Eophis already has a snake like … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Eonatator were originally assigned to the genus Clidastes and then later still to the genus Halisaurus. Eventually Eonatator was established as a distinct genus in 2005 and today is regarded as a halisaurine mosasaur. Eonatator was relatively small when compared to other mosasaurs, but the simple fact fossils for Eonatator range … Read more
In Depth Originally named as a species of Mosasaurus, Goronyosaurus was a medium sized mosasaur that lived in the waters of Africa. So far fossils of Goronyosaurus have been found in Niger and Nigeria. The key thing here is that Niger is a land locked country, so this may actually be an indicator that Goronyosaurus … Read more
In Depth Plesiotylosaurus acquired its name for its similarity to another genus of mosasaur called Tylosaurus, one of the largest mosasaurs known. The jaws of Plesiotylosaurus are quite long and attached to a solid robust skull, something that suggests a prey preference for tougher animals. Possible candidates could include marine turtles which are known from … Read more
In Depth Perhaps the easiest way to describe Palaeosaniwa is as a late Cretaceous monitor lizard. Indeed the name Palaeosaniwa actually means ‘ancient Saniwa’, a reference to the genus Saniwa which was a kind of monitor lizard that lived in North America later during the Eocene. The teeth of Palaeosaniwa are flattened like blades with … Read more
In Depth Yabeinosaurus is a genus of lizard that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous. When first described Yabeinosaurus was thought to have been like a small gecko, but this interpretation was based upon the description of juvenile remains. In 2005, adult specimens were described for the genus, revealing that Yabeinosaurus grew larger and … Read more
In Depth Calanguban is a genus of lizard that lived in Brazil during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new Early Cretaceous lizard species from Brazil, and the phylogenetic position of the oldest known South American squamates. - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 13 (7): 601. - Tiago R. Sim�es, Michael W. Caldwell & Alexander … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – Description of Some Remains of a Gigantic Land-Lizard (Megalania Prisca, Owen) from Australia – Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London – Richard Owen – 1859. – The morphology and relationships of the largest known terrestrial lizard, Megalania prisca Owen, from the Pleistocene of Australia. – Proceedings of the … Read more
In Depth Along with Wonambi, Yurlunggur is another representative of the madtsoiid group of prehistoric snakes. Yurlunggur was a constrictor which means it coiled around its prey and squeezing it to death. One thing that makes Yurlunggur stand out from other snakes related to it is the fact it has perhaps one of the most … Read more