In Depth Barracudasauroides was named from fossils that were originally attributed to Mixosaurus as M. panxianensis. Barracudasauroides itself represents a transitional ichthyosaur similar to Mixosaurus which is seen as a link between primitive and advanced ichthyosaurs. Since its naming Barracudasauroides is sometimes confused with another ichthyosaur that is named Barracudasaurus that is also from the … Read more
In Depth Myosauroides is a genus of dicynodont therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Permian. Further Reading - Some new Karoo reptiles, with notes on a few others: - Annals of the Transvaal Museum, v. 20, part 3, p. 193-213. - Robert Broom - 1949.
In Depth A large relative of the more famous Hyaenodon, Megistotherium was clearly one of the main predators of its day. The skull of Megistotherium alone measured up to sixty-six centimetres long, almost as long as the average person’s arm and hand. It is likely that Megistotherium also scavenged carcasses, though in what ratio Megistotherium … Read more
In Depth Hypselohaptodus is a genus of pelyocsaur that lived in Europe around the early Permian. Further Reading Re-evaluation of an early sphenacodontian synapsid from the Lower Permian of England. - Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal - Frederik Spindler - 2019.
In Depth Reconstructions of Lanzhousaurus are sketchy at best, but with a jaw length of one meter, it is near certain that in life Lanzhousaurus would have been a very large ornithopod dinosaur. Following this trend, the teeth that have been preserved in the lower jaw are also unusually large, and at fourteen centimetres in … Read more
In Depth Like so many other Australian dinosaurs Qantassaurus is known only from frustratingly incomplete remains. At the time of writing the only parts of this dinosaur that are known are partial jaws, but they are still distinct enough to recognise as a new type of dinosaur. Qantassaurus has been classified as a hypsilophodontid dinosaur, … Read more
In Depth When Shanag was first described the genus was described as a member of the Dromaeosauridae, but later studies have refined this further to suggest that Shanag was closer to dromaeosaurid genera such as Microraptor. So far Shanag is only known from partial jaw material, but analysis and comparisons to other related genera suggests … Read more
In Depth Homodontosaurus was first described from a partial skull which Robert Broom thought might have come from a pelycosaur and perhaps one similar to Elliotsmithia. Then in 1950 a second specimen of Homodontosaurus was described by Brink, and this one included parts of the post cranial skeleton. This revealed that Homodontosaurus was not a … Read more
In Depth Metriorhynchus is one of the better known marine crocodiles with features that show it was more at home in the water than on the land. The legs have evolved to become more like flippers, and the tail sports evidence of a tail fluke. It is likely that the tail provided primary locomotion in … Read more
In Depth Proconsul is a primate that seems to be stuck in transition between monkeys and apes. So far no tail has ever been found and the hands are more dexterous than monkeys, together suggesting a primitive ape lineage. The metacarpals however are curved and the postures of reconstructed individuals are more like those of … Read more