In Depth Paleorhinus has been one of the key phytosaur genera for well over a hundred years now, however many of the species once assigned to the genus have now been re-assigned to other genera. At the time of writing the only recognised species of Paleorhinus are the type species P. bransoni from the USA, … Read more
In Depth Thliptosaurus is a genus of dicynodont that lived in Africa during the late Permian. The skull of Thliptosaurus lacked teeth and also seems to have lacked the large tusks that are typical in many other dicynodont genera. Further Reading - A new dicynodont (Anomodontia: Emydopoidea) from the terminal Permian of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. … Read more
In Depth Since the naming of the genus in 1893, Microcoelus has become something of a dubious genus of titanosaur. This is because at the time if writing only a single dorsal (back) vertebra is known. A humerus (upper arm bone) that was once assigned to the genus has now been moved to the genus … Read more
In Depth Collilongus is a genus of archosauriform that lived in Poland during the Triassic. Little is known about Collilongus because so far the genus is only known from teeth. Further Reading - Archosauriform postcranial remains from the Early Triassic karst deposits of southern Poland. Palaeontologia Polonica 65:283-328. - M. Borsuk−Białynicka & A. G. Sennikov … Read more
In Depth Vancleavea is a quite unusual genus of reptile as it is quite unlike any other known reptile. Vancleavea had a long body, thick bones, short limbs and a particularly dense and robust skull. Thick bones such as these are commonly seen in reptiles that spend lots of time swimming under the surface of … Read more
In Depth A relative of the much more famous Edaphosaurus, Gordodon is a genus of sailbacked pelycosaur that lived in North America during the early Permian. The appearance of Gordodon in the early Permian combined with the shape of the teeth which are rounded and formed in rows suggests that Gordodon was one of the … Read more
In Depth Luchibang is a genus of pterosaur that lived in Asia during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - An unusual new genus of istiodactylid pterosaur from China based on a near complete specimen. - Palaeontologia Electronica. 23 (1): Article number 23(1):a09. - David W. E. Hone, Adam J. Fitch, Feimin Ma & Xing Xu … Read more
In Depth Endothiodon is certainly one of the more interesting genera of dicynodont. First named in 1876 from fossils discovered in South Africa, Endothiodon is not only known from other African countries such as Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique, but the genus is also known from India in Asia, and now also Brazil in South America. … Read more
In Depth Yunnanosaurus is one of the best represented sauropodomorph (previously known as prosauropods) dinosaurs not only in China, but the entire world, with the fossils remains of over twenty individual Yunnanosaurus so far known. This has allowed palaeontologists to become familiar with most aspects of this genus including the realisation that Yunnanosaurus would have … Read more
In Depth Pentasaurus is a genus of dicynodont that lived in South Africa during the Triassic. Pentasaurus should not be confused with the dinosaur Pentaceratops. Further Reading - The first skeletal evidence of a dicynodont from the lower Elliot Formation of South Africa. - Palaeontologia africana 52:102-128. - C. F. Kammerer - 2018.