In Depth Although Deinonychus was first discovered in 1931, it would not be until the 1960s with the advent of more discoveries that it would get named and studied in detail. These studies helped lead to one of the most radical ideas put forward in the field of palaeontology; at least some of the dinosaurs … Read more
In Depth Campylodoniscus was originally named by Friedrich von Huene in 1929 as Campylodon ameghinoi. However, it was later realised that the genus name Campylodon had already been used to name a type of fish. Therefore in 1961, Haubold and Kuhn created a new genus named Campylodoniscus. Because of the lack of good fossils remains, … Read more
In Depth Lende is a genus of biarmosuchian therapsid that lived in Africa during the Permian. Further Reading - Lende chiweta, a new therapsid from Malawi, and its influence on burnetiamorph phylogeny and biogeography. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35(6):e1008698. - A. G. Kruger, B. S. Rubidge, F. Abdala, E. Gomani Chindebvu & L. L. … Read more
In Depth Although it had several reptilian features, Seymouria was actually an amphibian. This creature displays a strong backbone and muscle growth for movement on land, and hearing adapted for use out of water. It’s possible that its preferred form of locomotion would have been a side to side undulating motion like modern lizards, this … Read more
In Depth Back in 1860 a partial lower jaw of a dinosaur was collected by A. J. Hogg, which later in 1874 was named as a species of Iguanodon, I. hoggi by Richard Owen. More than a hundred years later the jaw was thought to represent a European specimen of Camptosaurus, but later still in … Read more
In Depth Bashkyroleter is a little known genus procolomorph parareptile that lived in what is now the Russian Federation during the Permian. Bashkyroleter is also the type genus of the Bashkyroleterinae, a sub-group of nycteroleterid procolomorphs. Further Reading - New Late Permian Nycteroleterids from Eastern Europe - Paleontological Journal, v. 31, n. 5, p. 552-528. … Read more
In Depth Members of the genus Xenohystrix are prehistoric relatives of Hystrix cristata, also known as the crested porcupine which lives in Africa today. Like with their living relatives, Xenohystrix would be expected to have a covering of sharp quills to protect them from predators. Also like living porcupines, Xenohystrix may have eaten plants and … Read more
In Depth Malasaurus is a genus of therocephalian that lived in what is now Russia during the mid-Triassic. Further Reading - Gomphodont cynodonts (Reptilia, Theriodontia) from the Middle Triassic of Orenburg Region. - Paleontological Journal 36 (3): 176–179. - L. P. Tatarinov - 2002.
In Depth Erketu is a genus of sauropod that is noted for having a very long neck in proportion to the rest of the body. So extreme was this neck that it likely took up at least half of the total body length. Despite this, other genera such as Mamenchisaurus may have had an even … Read more
In Depth The end five caudal (tail) vertebrae of Nomingia are fused together to form a pygostyle like that of birds. In birds, the pygostyle serves as the attachment point for the tail flight feathers, and in Nomingia the pygostyle probably had a similar function. However as an oviraptosaur, Nomingia would not have been capable … Read more