In Depth Jinyunpelta is a genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia around the early/late Cretaceous boundary. The presence of Jinyunpelta at that time suggests that it was among the first ankylosaurid dinosaur genera to have evolved a tail club. Further Reading - The most basal ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Albian-Cenomanian of China, with … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately like with so many other Australian dinosaurs, Atlascopcosaurus is based upon the description of very incomplete remains, in this case part of a jaw. This jaw was been compared to other dinosaur types which has yielded the conclusion that Atlascopcosaurus was probably a member of the Euornithopoda. Also a very rough estimate … Read more
In Depth Fylax is a genus of hadrosauromorph dinosaur that lived in Western Europe during the late Cretaceous. Further reading - A primitive euhadrosaurian dinosaur from the uppermost Cretaceous of the Ager syncline (southern Pyrenees, Catalonia). - Geologie en Mijnbouw 78: 345–356. - M. L. Casanovas, X. P Pereda Suberbiola, J. V. Santaf� & D. … Read more
In Depth The cynodonts are known to come in a variety of sizes, but at up to two meters in length, Diademodon is easily amongst the largest known cynodonts. Like other cynodonts, Diademodon may have been an omnivore eating both certain parts of plants as well as other animals and carrion. Diademodon lived during the … Read more
In Depth Trirachodon is a genus of cynodont therapsid that lived in Africa during the mid Triassic. Trirachodon are known to have lived in burrows, and studies of the burrow structure as well as the discovery of up to twenty individual Trirachodon in the same burrow system show us that Trirachodon most probably lived in … Read more
In Depth Baurusuchus is a genus of terrestrial crocodile that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. The genus is noted for having a strong similarity to the genus Cynodontosuchus, though Baurusuchus was notably bigger and with stronger and more robust teeth. There has been past speculation that Baurusuchus may be a synonym to … Read more
In Depth Australosyodon was a Permian era dinocephalian therapsid that seems to have been very similar to the genus Syodon from Russia, hence the name ‘southern Syodon’. Although only known from a skull, Australosyodon seems to have been a bit larger than its Russian namesake. The description of Australosyodon marked one of the first known … Read more
In Depth There are some fossil animals that just seem to be born to confuse us, and Longisquama is certainly one of these. The partial post cranial remains of this diapsid reptile seem to belong to a fairly small lizard. What really makes this creature bizarre however are the long appendages that seem to attach … Read more
In Depth Simosuchus is a genus of small and probably vegetarian crocodile that lived in Madagascar during the late Cretaceous. The vegetarian theory about the diet comes from study of the teeth and jaws which are much better suited to processing plant material than flesh. Simosuchus also exhibits a greatly reduced tail, quite possibly because … Read more
In Depth Euskelosaurus may have been quite specialised for a sauropodomorph dinosaur since the shaft of the femur is physically twisted. This led in 1979 to a palaeontologist by the name of Heerden to suggest that Euskelosaurus might have been bow legged instead of just growing straight down like similar sauropodomorphs. The twisting of the … Read more