In Depth As a member of the rhamphorhynchoids, Cacibupteryx represents one of the more basal pterosaurs that were still common towards the end of the Jurassic. The jaws of Cacibupteryx are quite robust indicating that it was better adapted for more powerful prey than other more gracile pterosaurs. Further Reading – A new pterosaur from … Read more
In Depth Named for the star shaped denticles that covered the body, Astraspis was an Ordovician era jawless fish similar to Arandaspis and Sacabambaspis. Astraspis also seems to have had a lateral line, a series of sensory organs that run down length of the sides of the body, as in modern fish. Further Reading - … Read more
In Depth Although fossil remains form China have been attributed to Sansanosmilus (for the species S. palmidans), most of the currently known fossils come from Europe. This would suggest that the highest population density for Sansanosmilus was in Europe, however caution should be used before coming to this conclusion since fossil deposits of certain times … Read more
In Depth Saurodon is a genus of Carnivorous fish that swam in the world’s oceans during the Late Cretaceous. Saurodon had a long and slender body similar to the modern day barracuda. Also like a barracuda, the lower jaw of Saurodon projected in front of the upper, though in Saurodon this projection was far more … Read more
In Depth Sometimes when people hear the name Antarctosaurus they assume that this dinosaur lived in Antarctica where in actuality it lived in Argentina. Antarctosaurus means ‘southern lizard’ and here it is a reference to being found on a southern continent. However the real problem with Antarctosaurus is that it is known from very incomplete … Read more
In Depth Since its naming in 1915, the Kangnasaurus genus of dinosaur has often been treated as dubious, mostly because the holotype of this dinosaur is actually a tooth. Other hind limb remains were also attributed to the genus however, and these remains do actually seem to be distinct enough for some to consider Kangnasaurus … Read more
In Depth When originally found, the fossils of the Wood Harrier (Circus dossenus) were thought to be those of an Accipiter, a bird that belongs to the group more commonly known as goshawks and sparrowhawks. This was mainly because the bones and wing proportions seemed to match up best with the Accipiters, but further … Read more
In Depth Antarctopelta is the first armoured dinosaur known to have lived in Antarctica, though it should be pointed out that when Antarctopelta lived there, Antarctica was not covered in snow and ice. Antarctopelta was a kind of dinosaur called a nodosaur which means that in life it would have had a squat quadrupedal profile. … Read more
In Depth Aerosaurus is considered to have been a precursor to later varanopid amniotes like Varanops, yet there are some questions as to the true nature of Aerosaurus. The teeth of Aerosaurus are sharp and recurved backwards like those of a predator, yet they are very tightly packed so that they form a continuous row … Read more
In Depth Alvarezsaurus was the first of a group of dinosaurs that were first discovered late into the twentieth century. Since it was the first, Alvarezsaurus was used to name this new group which became known as the alvarezsaurs. At the time of writing there are now several genera of alvarezsaurs known to us, but … Read more