In Depth The unusual boomerang shape of the head has been a source of interest ever since its discovery. The two main theories are that it either functioned as a hydrofoil allowing it to move in strong currents, or that it made it impossible for other predators to swallow. It may have course been a … Read more
In Depth Knoetschkesuchus is a genus of small crocodylomorph that lived in Europe during the late Jurassic. The type species, K. langenbergensis is known from Germany. Another species, K. guimarotae (formerly assigned to the Theriosuchus genus) is known from Portugal. The small size of Knoetschkesuchus meant that it would have been a predator of smaller … Read more
In Depth Bohemiclavulus is a genus of pelycosaur that lived in Europe during the Carboniferous. Bohemiclavulus is named from a single spinal process of a vertebra (the pointy up bit at the top). This spinal process at least indicates that Bohemiclavulus would have had a sail on its back, hence why it was previously assigned … Read more
In Depth Burnetia is a genus of biarmosuchian therapsid that is still only known form a single skull that has been heavily compressed. The level of distortion in this skull makes it much more difficult to interpret specific features, though like with many of its relative genera, Burnetia appears to have had many boss-like projections … Read more
In Depth Bawitius was a prehistoric relative to the Polypterus genus of fish that we know today, which is also a popular fish amongst aquarium keepers. However comparison between fossils of Bawitius compared with Polypterus, indicate that Bawitius was much larger, potentially reaching sizes up three meters long. Aside from other large fish such as … Read more
In Depth The establishment of Bentonyx as a genus actually began in 2008 when a species of Rhynchosaurus, R. spenceri was re-named as its own genus called Fodonyx. Further study into the fossils that went into establishing the Fodonyx genus found that one of the skulls was actually different. In 2010 this skull was split … Read more
In Depth Tugulusaurus is a little known genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. Sometimes considered to be a dubious genus, Tugulusaurus has been re-affirmed as valid as recently as the early twenty-first century. Tugulusaurus is usually attributed as a coelurosaurian theropod, though the original describer Dong Zhiming speculated that … 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 Further Reading – On the fossil mammals of Australia. Part II. Description of a mutilated skull of the large marsupial carnivore (Thylacoleo carnifex Owen), from a calcareous conglomerate stratum, eighty miles S. W. of Melbourne, Victoria. – Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 149, 309-322. – Richard Owen – 1859. – On the … Read more
In Depth Longipteryx is a genus of enantiornithine bird that lived in China during the later stages of the early Cretaceous, and when compared to other enantiornithine birds living at the time, Longipteryx had exceptionally good adaptations for flying and perching. Further Reading - Early diversification of birds: evidence from a new opposite bird. - … Read more