In Depth Originally described as a species of the genus Ctenurella in 1977, Austroptyctodus was established as a distinct genus in 1997, mainly upon differences in the pattern of the skull roof. A specimen of Austroptyctodus has been found with three unborn embryos inside of it, clearly showing that Austroptyctodus bore live young as opposed … Read more
In Depth Dinosuchus is a problematic genus of crocodile as currently the only fossil attributed to the genus is a vertebra. A second species was once named as D. neivensis upon the basis of a partial mandible, but this fossil was moved to Brachygnathosuchus before finally being referred to the giant Purussaurus. Very special care … Read more
In Depth Ledumahadi is a lessemsaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in South Africa during the early Jurassic. As a member of the Lessemsauridae, Ledumahadi would have been similar to other lessemsaurid genera such as Antetonitrus, Lessemsaurus and Ingentia. Like these genera, Ledumahadi was not so much long, but very stocky, with especially well built forelimbs. … Read more
In Depth A lot has been claimed about Lagosuchus, even claims that it may be ancestral to the dinosaurs. However on the flip side to that the holotype specimen of Lagosuchus is seen as some to be so poorly preserved that Lagosuchus is not determinate enough to refer further remains too, to say anything even … Read more
In Depth Scylacorhinus is a genus of scylacosaurid therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Permian. Further Reading - Catalogue of types and figured specimens of fossil vertebrates in the American Museum of Natural History. II.–Permian, Triassic and Jurassic reptiles of South Africa. - Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 25(2):105-164. - … Read more
In Depth At around three meters long, Secernosaurus was very small for a hadrosaur, though its claim to fame is not size, but the fact that it was the first hadrosaur known to come from South America. In addition Secernosaurus seems to represent a saurolophine hadrosaurid similar to Kritosaurus, and saurolophines are best documented … Read more
In Depth Oklatheridium is a genus of deltatheroidan mammal that lived in North America during the Cretaceous. Further Reading - Earliest Evidence of Deltatheroida (Mammalia: Metatheria) from the Early Cretaceous of North America. Mammalian Evolutionary Morphology: A Tribute to Frederick S. Szalay 3-24. - B. M. Davis, R. L. Cifelli & Z. Kielan-Jaworowska - 2008.
In Depth Because this genus of possible titanosaur is only based upon teeth, Neosodon is usually treated as a highly dubious genus. First considered to have been a theropod similar to Megalosaurus, then a synonym to Iguanodon, Neosodon was later considered to be a sauropod, perhaps a brachiosaurid (similar to Brachiosaurus). The 2006 description of … Read more
In Depth At various times Proaigialosaurus has been considered to be a pleurosaur, a sphenodont to even a primitive member of the Aigialosauridae, hence the name Proaigialosaurus which means ‘before Aigialosaurus’, a reference to the type genus of this group. However the Aigialosauridae contains some of the primitive mosasaurs, and most of the genera from … Read more
In Depth With skulls measuring about one hundred and twenty centimetres long, Angistorhinus was easily amongst the largest phytosaurs, crocodile-like reptiles that hunted in Triassic waterways. The jaws of Angistorhinus were long and thin, more akin to those of a gharial, perhaps indicating that Angistorhinus was more of a fish hunter. The nostrils of Angistorhinus … Read more