In Depth Originally thought to represent a species of Prognathodon, Gnathomortis was established as a distinct genus of mosasaur in 2020. Further reading - Prognathodon stadtmani (Mosasauridae): a new species from the Mancos Shale (Lower Campanian) of western Colorado. - Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication. 99 (1): 275–294. - M. S. Kass - 1999. - … Read more
In Depth The early days of the formal classification of the phytosaur Parasuchus are a little muddy to say the least. The original description of the genus later turned out to be a ‘chimera’, meaning that the remains described were of two different animals described as one, in this case a phytosaur and a rhynchosaur. … Read more
In Depth Eomysticetus is a genus of very primitive baleen whale that is known to have swum in waters off the South Eastern coast of the United States of America. Rather than conical teeth, Eomysticetus had baleen, keratin (the same biological material that your hair and nails are made from) formed like the bristles of … Read more
In Depth Orycterocetus was one of the many predatory whales that swam in the Miocene oceans with included Acrophyseter, Livyatan and Zygophyseter among others. Orycterocetus also has a connection with the whale Aulophyseter on the basis that some of the fossil material attributed to Aulophyseter bears similarities to fossil material from Orycterocetus. This has brought … Read more
In Depth The type specimen of Nopcsaspondylus, a dorsal vertebra, was first described by Franz Nopsca in 1902, who referred it to the now dubious sauropod genus Bothriospondylus, quite surprising when you consider that the Bothriospondylus type material came from England. This vertebrae was renamed as Nopcsaspondylus in 2007, with the identification that it represents … Read more
In Depth Yixianopterus had numerous small concical teeth in its jaws that would have allowed it to pluck fish from the water. The pterosaur Avgodectes is considered by some to be a potential synonym of Yixianopterus, although at the time of writing this is still under debate. Further Reading – New pterodactyloid pterosaur from the … Read more
In Depth Redondavenator is a genus of sphenosuchid crocodylomorph that lived in the USA during the later stages of the Triassic. Only the anterior (forward) portion of the skull is known, though estimates of the complete skull result in a reconstructed length of at least sixty centimetres, and when combined with the post cranial remains, … Read more
In Depth Bought from a Moroccan fossil dealer, the only known fossil of Sauroniops is of the upper eye socket. This material however is unlike any other known theropod of the time and location, and displays enlargement of the bone growth, something that may have been the underlying support for eye crest displays in the … Read more
In Depth Eryops is one of the better represented predators of the early Permian era, and is likely to have been near to the top of the food chain. It had a particularly stocky build which was supported by a particularly strong spine so that it would not suffocate under its own bulk. Respiration was … Read more
In Depth Thalassiodracon fossils were first identified and described as belonging to a species of Plesiosaurus by Richard Owen in 1840. It was not until over one and a half centuries later that the actual description of the fossils belonging to a distinct genus would come to pass. In addition to this several more species … Read more