In Depth Tremataspis was a jawless fish known to have lived in the European ocean waters of Silurian period. The genus is noted for having a more rounded bony head shield than that seen in other genera, which may have helped Tremataspis to push through softer bottom sediment on the ocean floor. Further Reading - … Read more
In Depth Nundasuchus is a genus of archosaurian predator that lived in Tanzania during the mid Triassic. Nundasuchus superficially resembles a rauisuchian, however the exact phylogenetic position of Nundasuchus is still uncertain at the time of writing. Currently most prefer to consider it a member of the Pseudosuchia, the same group that also includes the … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately Saurosuchus is only known from incomplete remains, but those that are known indicate that it was big. Key to identifying the fossils as being those of a predator is the skull that has several classic predatory characteristics. One is the fact that the skull is wider at the back than at the … Read more
In Depth Though only small, Echinochimaera is still a very interesting fish that is known to have swum in the waters of what is now Montana during the Carboniferous. Echinochimaera had a deep round body that was propelled by a relatively thin tail which ended in a small caudal fin. This indicates that Echinochimaera was … Read more
In Depth Katumbia is a genus of dicynodont that lived in Tanzania during the Permian. Further Reading - New specimens of the Tanzanian dicynodont “Cryptocynodon parringtoni” von Huene, 1942 (Therapsida, Anomodontia), with an expanded analysis of Permian dicynodont phylogeny. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(1):116-131. - K. D. Angielczyk - 2007.
In Depth Eobrontosaurus was initially described as a new species of Apatosaurus called A. yahnahpin by James Filla and Patrick Redman in 1994. However when the material was re-examined by Robert Bakker in 1998 he found that it represented a similar but more primitive sauropod dinosaur to Apatosaurus. The second species of Apatosaurus, A. excelsus, … Read more
In Depth Ctenosauriscus is the type specimen of the Ctenosauriscidae, a group of sail backed rauisuchian archosaurs that also include others such as Arizonasaurus. Ctenosauriscidae however is only known from post cranial remains that reveal it had a large sail on its back. Like in related reptiles, this sail was supported by the enlarged neural … Read more
In Depth Llanocetus is by far one of the most primitive baleen whales so far discovered, so primitive it was that Llanocetus didn’t actually have baleen. Granted this sounds like a paradox, but Llanocetus has been identified as a baleen whale upon the basis of the shape and form the skull. But the teeth to … Read more
In Depth Galeops is a genus dromasaurian therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Late Permian. Further Reading - On some New Fossil Reptiles from the Permian and Triassic Beds of South Africa. Proceedings of the zoological Society London - Robert Broom - 1912.
In Depth Ekorus seems to have been one of the last of the giant mustelids to evolve. Appearing in Kenya around six million years ago, Ekorus has been loosely termed to be a leopard sized predator that was suited to ambush hunting in the forests of late Miocene Kenya. However the creation and expansion of … Read more