In Depth In the simplest terms,†‬the Haast’s Eagle is in essence,†‬a giant eagle,†‬and one that focused upon hunting only the largest prey available to prehistoric New Zealand:†‬the large flightless moa birds.†‬Isolated remains and estimates of them suggest that the largest Haast’s Eagles could attain a wingspan of up to three meters … Read more
In Depth        Superficially Sanjuansaurus was probably similar to Herrerasaurus in general appearance,†‬but some skeletal features seem to have been slightly more primitive.†‬Sanjuansaurus lived in the same time and location as its more famous relative Herrerasaurus which would suggest that this form held an important place in their ecosystem.†‬Neither†‬Sanjuansaurus†‬nor Herrerasaurus would … Read more
In Depth        Pakasuchus is a genus of small notosuchian crocodylomorph that lived in Africa during the early Cretaceous.†‬What are most notable about Pakasuchus are the teeth which are multicusped and very mammal-like,†‬so much so that they look more like those of a mammal than a crocodile.†‬Pakasuchus seems to have lacked large osteoderms … Read more
In Depth        Sauropleura was a small lepospondyl amphibian that had a long,†‬narrow body and tail,†‬with only relatively small limbs.†‬As such Sauropleura was probably more at home in the water where it uses its limbs and thin body to navigate through submerged aquatic plants as it hunted for invertebrates,†‬though it is not … Read more
In Depth        Little is known about Wannanosaurus,†‬but the skull specimen found appears to have been from a fully grown adult as the bones that make up the skull show signs of being fused together.†‬Wannanosaurus is considered a primitive member of the pachycephalosaurs because it has a flat skull roof and enlarged openings when … Read more
In Depth        The holotype fossils of Sellacoxa were originally found in†‬1873†‬by John Hopkinson not far from Hastings.†‬They were re-named as a distinct genus of iguanodont dinosaur in†‬2010†‬by Kenneth Carpenter and Yusuke Ishida at the same time that they named another genus called Torilion.†‬However,†‬earlier in†‬2010†‬another paper written … Read more
In Depth        Yunnanosaurus is one of the best represented†‬sauropodomorph†(‬previously known as prosauropodsâ€) ‬dinosaurs not only in China,†‬but the entire world,†‬with the fossils remains of over twenty individual Yunnanosaurus so far known.†‬This has allowed palaeontologists to become familiar with most aspects of this genus including the realisation that Yunnanosaurus would have … Read more
In Depth        Patranomodon is one of the earliest known anomodonts,†‬and is†‬so primitive,†‬it still had teeth.†‬Later anomodonts such as dinocephalians would eventually lose all they teeth†(‬except for some genera which retained a pair of large tusksâ€) ‬and develop horned beaks for cropping vegetation. Further Reading -†‬A new anomodont therapsid from … Read more
In Depth        Parvinatator is a little known Triassic age ichthyosaur from British Columbia.†‬The primitive form of Parvinatator reveals that it was similar to other primitive forms such as Utatsusaurus. Further Reading Further reading- A new ichthyosaur from the Triassic Sulphur Mountain formation of British Columbia. by E. Nicholls & D. Brinkman. – In, Vertebrate … Read more
In Depth        Despite its appearance in dinosaur documentaries like†‬Dinosaur Planetâ€,†‬not much is known about Tarascosaurus.†‬The type material is very incomplete but has still seen this dinosaur tentatively placed within the Abelisauridae.†‬Aside from Betasuchus,†‬Tarascosaurus is the only representative of this group of theropod dinosaurs which were previously considered to be present … Read more