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
In Depth Bienotherium is a genus of cynodont that lived in China during the early Jurassic. Further Reading - Preliminary notes on the Mesozoic mammals of Lufeng, Yunnan, China. - Bulletin of the Geological Survey of China 20:93-111. - C. C. Young - 1940.
In Depth A relative of the genus Kannemeyeria, Sinokannemeyeria was a fairly large herbivore that lived during the Triassic. Two large tusks grew down from the upper jaw, and these were most probably used to dig out plants for eating. Further Reading - On the Triassic dicynodonts from Shansi. - Bulletin of the Geological Society … Read more
In Depth Gwawinapterus was originally named as a new genus of pterosaur in 2011, however doubts were soon raised about the genus. Firstly a 2012 study (Witton) noted a highly unusual form of tooth replacement unknown in pterosaurs. Then another 2012 study (Vullo, Buffetaut & Everhart) came to the conclusion that the Gwawinapterus holotype fossil … Read more
In Depth First described as a species of Thrinaxodon, Prozostrodon is a genus of cynodont that used to live in South America during the Triassic. Further Reading - On two advanced carnivorous cynodonts from the Late Triassic of Southern Brazil. - Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 156:59-80. - J. F. Bonaparte & M. … Read more
In Depth Harpymimus was a primitive member of the Ornithomimosauria and although geographically separated by several thousand miles, similar to Pelecanimimus. Harpymimus seems to display a change in dietary focus from meat to plants, something which is indicated in the upper jaw being toothless, while the only teeth remaining in the lower jaw being small … Read more
In Depth Out of all of the nimravids, mammalian predators better known as the ‘false sabre-toothed cats’, Eusmilus seems to have been one of the most dangerous. Not only did Eusmilus grow to be one of the largest known nimravids at up to two and a half meters long, but a skull of its smaller … Read more
In Depth Although a member of the same animal class as the sharks, Iniopteryx is thought to have been more like a chimaera. Not to be confused with the creature from Greek mythology, Chimearas are cartilaginous fish that separated from the sharks about four hundred million years ago and are sometimes called ghost sharks or … Read more
In Depth Keratocephalus is a genus of tapinocephalid dinocephalian therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Permian. The most noteworthy thing about Keratocephalus is that known specimens show a range of variation to the point where there is speculation that the different skulls may be a sign of difference between males and females, or … Read more
In Depth Further Reading – The Cheetah: Native American. – Science 14 September 1979: Vol. 205 no. 4411 pp. 1155-1158. – Daniel B. Adams – 1979. – The Plio-Pleistocene cheetah-like cat Miracinonyx inexpectatus of North America – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 10(4):434-454. – Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Frederick Grady & Bj�rn Kurt�n – 1990. -Evolution of … Read more