In Depth        Lycopsis is a genus of borhyaenoid mammal that lived in South America during the Miocene. Further Reading -†‬A New Species of Lycopsis†(‬Borhyaenidae:†‬Marsupialiaâ€) ‬from the La Venta Fauna†(‬Late Mioceneâ€) ‬of Colombia,†‬South America.†‬-†‬Journal of Paleontology†‬51â€(‬3â€)‬:633-642.†‬-†‬L.†‬G.†‬Marshall†‬-†‬1977. -†‬New clues for understanding Neogene … Read more
In Depth        During its taxonomic history Gwyneddosaurus has been identified as being several different types of animals,†‬from a theropod dinosaur to a protosaur.†‬Today however the wider consensus is that Gwyneddosaurus was a relative to the better known Tanystropheus,†a marine reptile noted for having a particularly long neck.†‬The type specimen of Gwyneddosaurus … Read more
In Depth        Niebla is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur that lived in South America during the late†‬Cretaceous.†‬Though only known from partial remains,†‬Niebla seems to have actually been quite a small abelisaurid dinosaur,†‬perhaps only about half of the size of some of the larger abelisaurid dinosaurs that were also roaming around South … Read more
In Depth        Rhoetosaurus was the first sauropod dinosaur discovered in Australia, and for a long time it was one of only two sauropods, the other being Austrosaurus, known to have come from there. In 2009 two other sauropods called Diamantinasaurus and Wintonotitan were named, although all four are only represented by partial remains.        Although it … Read more
In Depth        Patagopteryx is a very interesting bird since it is known to have had flight capable ancestors,†‬yet evolved to become what is termed secondarily flightless.†‬This makes Patagopteryx one of the earliest examples of a bird that evolved to become flightless in order to fit into a particular ecological niche.†‬So far it … Read more
In Depth        During the earliest portion of its taxonomic history Megapnosaurus was known as Syntarsus after the initial description by Raath in†‬1969.†‬Later a trio of other palaeontologists†(‬Ivie,†‬Slipinski and WÄ™grzynowiczâ€) ‬discovered that the name Syntarsus had already been given to a beetle in†‬1869.†‬In†‬2001†‬they renamed the dinosaur Syntarsus remains … Read more
In Depth        Named after the Polish word for dragon,†‬the full name Smok wawelski†‬is†‬actually in reference to a dragon that was said to live in a cave near the fossil site.†‬Since the remains were first dug up in†‬2007,†‬and first described in†‬2008,†‬Smok has been referred to as a saurischian … Read more
In Depth        Dongyangopelta is a genus of nodosaurid dinosaur that lived in South-east China around the early/late Cretaceous boundary.†‬Nodosaurids were similar to ankylosaurids,†‬though they lacked the clubbed tail and usually had narrower skulls.†‬Another genus of nodosaurid dinosaur named Zhejiangosaurus is also known from this†‬part of China,†‬though there†‬are clear differences … Read more
In Depth        Diamantinasaurus along with Wintonotitan were the first sauropod dinosaurs discovered in Australia since the discovery of Austrosaurus over seventy-five years earlier. Diamantinasaurus has the nickname ‘Matilda’ and this along with the type species D. matildae, are in reference to the folk song ‘Waltzing Matilda’.        Much of the skeleton of Diamantinasaurus is still unknown. … Read more
In Depth        As an enantiornithine was very close to being a bird without technically being one.†‬Dalingheornis lived in what is now North-East China during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading -†‬The first Mesozoic heterodactyl bird from China.†‬-†‬Acta Geologica Sinica†‬80â€(‬5â€)‬:631-635.†‬-†‬Z.†‬Zhang,†‬L.†‬Hou,†‬Y.†‬Hasegawa,†‬J.†‬O’Connor,†‬L.†‬D.†‬Martin†… Read more