In Depth Gnathovorax was a very exciting find, not just because it was another early predatory dinosaur, but because of the high level of preservation in the holotype individual. Gnathovorax was an herrerasaurid dinosaur, and like other genera of its kind (such as Herrerasaurus and Sanjuansaurus), would have been a bipedal predator, and a precursor … Read more
In Depth Although the name Gondwanatitan implies that this dinosaur was ‘titanic’, it was actually quite modest in size, especially when you compare it to other South American giants like Argentinosaurus. Instead the name is a play on the classification of Gondwanatitan which is considered to be one of the titanosaurs, a special group of … Read more
In Depth Heliobatis is a prehistoric ray that was discovered in the Green River Formation, a deposit well known for its numerous fossils of fish including Knightia and Diplomystus. Specimens of Heliobatis range between eight and ninety centimetres, although the average is between thirty and forty centimetres. Half of the total body length of Heliobatis … Read more
In Depth This tyrannosaur is one of the earliest known and the fact that it hails from Western Europe means that the origins of the tyrannosaurs need to be carefully considered. Given that the largest and last of the group are known mostly from North America, and the smallest and earliest are known from Asia, … Read more
In Depth Kutchisiren is a prehistoric genus of dugong that lived in the waters of India during the Miocene. Further Reading - A new fossil sirenian (Mammalia, Dugonginae) from the Miocene of India. Neus Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaeontologie, Abhandlungen 258(1):39-50. - S. Bajpai, D. P. Domning, D. P. Das, J. Velez-Juarbe & V. P. … Read more
In Depth In 1959 a fossil hunter named Brian Shawcross found a few portions of what was once an ichthyosaur some 175-182 million years before. Shawcross donated this find to the Hunterian museum in Glasgow, Scotland, but for over fifty years the fossils were just listed as those of an ichthyosaur. Then in 2015 a … Read more
In Depth The fact the remains of Hynerpeton were recovered from the US state of Pennsylvania makes Hynerpeton the first amphibian tetrapod known from the USA, and North America if you don’t count the other species recovered from Greenland. The discovery of Hynerpeton in the US has altered the perception of how Tetrapods colonised the … Read more
In Depth Omoiosicista is a genus of dipodid mammal that lived in Inner Mongolia during the Miocene. Dipodid mammals are today known as jumping mice because these rodents are capable of hopping and jumping while standing on just the hind feet. Further Reading - New material of dipodid rodents (Dipodidae, Rodentia) from the early Miocene … Read more
In Depth Baldwinonus is a poorly known genus of pelycosaur that so far is only known from very partial remains. Further Reading - The anatomy and relationships of Stereophallodon and Baldwinonus (Reptilia, Pelycosauria). - Breviora 485: 1–34. - D. Brinkman & D. A. Eberth - 1986.
In Depth Plesiopharos is a genus of plesiosaur that lived in European waters during the Early Jurassic. Further reading - A new plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic of Portugal and the early radiation of Plesiosauroidea. - Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66 - Eduardo Pu�rtolas-Pascual, Miguel Marx, Oct�vio Mateus, Andr� Saleiro, Alexandra E. Fernandes, Jo�o Marinheiro, Carla … Read more