In Depth A relative of amphibians such as Platyhystrix and Cacops, Zygosaurus was a cacopine temnospondyl that lived in Russia during the Permian. Further Reading – Uber die Saurier des kupferfhrenden Zechsteins Russlands. – Bulletin de la Societe National Moscou (in Russian). 21: 136–204. – Eduard Eichwals – 1848.
In Depth Superficially, Utahraptor appears to be an earlier, scaled up version of Deinonychus. Specimens of Utahraptor are fragmentary but suggest a potential size of up to seven meters long, with some more conservative estimates falling nearer six meters long. These estimates make Utahraptor a contender for one of the largest known dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, but … Read more
In Depth Gongbusaurus is a genus of small ornithischian dinosaur that lived in China during the Jurassic. Further Reading – [Dinosaurs from the Jurassic of Sichuan]. - Palaeontologica Sinica, New Series C, Whole Number 162(23):1-136. - Z. Dong, S. Zhou & H. Zhang - 1983.
In Depth As a procolophonian parareptile, Owenetta is a basal member of the group that is confirmed to have lived at the end of the Permian. However the full temporal range of Owenetta may in fact extend further than this into the early Triassic, although this is a matter of contention. For a while a … Read more
In Depth Whereas its relative Hipparion spread across North America, Eurasia and Africa, Neohipparion is so far only known from North America, from Southern Canada to across most of the United States and Mexico. Neohipparion appeared on the North American landscape at a time when grassy plains were replacing forests as the dominant habitats, a … Read more
In Depth Ennatosaurus is a genus of caseid pelycosaur that in Russia during the later stages of the Permian. These kinds of pelycosaurs are noted for their herbivorous diets and powerful fore limbs which may have been used for digging up plants. The most interesting thing about Ennatosaurus is that when the first remains were … Read more
In Depth Jeholotriton is a genus of salamander that lived in China towards the end of the mid-Jurassic. Further Reading - A new salamander (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. - Vertebrata PalAsiatica 38:100-103. - Y. Wang - 2000.
In Depth Cartorhynchus might well be one of the more ground breaking discoveries regarding ichthyosaur research. For over one hundred and fifty years the origins of the ichthyosaurs have been murky to say the least. We know that the ichthyosaurs began appearing in large numbers in the Triassic, so their origin is at least that … Read more
In Depth Corythosaurus acquired its name from the shape of the head crest on the back of its skull which resembles a Corinthian helmet from ancient Greece. Because this head crest was hollow, Corythosaurus is today classed as a lambeosaurine hadrosaurid. The lambeosaurine hadrosaurs which also include other famous genera such as Parasaurolophus as well … Read more
In Depth Scapanorhynchus appears to have been so much like the living goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) that the two were considered by some to be the same genus. However study of the teeth has brought the conclusion that while very similar, they are different enough to keep the two separated. The most striking feature of … Read more