In Depth Augustasaurus was the second member of the Pistosauroidea group of Triassic marine reptiles discovered. Given that the first (and currently only other of known) member of the group, Pistosaurus, is known from Europe, this reveals that the pistosauroid sauropterygians had at least a reasonable geographic range. Like with Pistosaurus, Augustasaurus resembles early plesiosaur … Read more
In Depth Hypselospinus was a genus of ornithopod that was similar to Iguanodon, so similar in fact that the holotype remains of the genus were originally named as a species of Iguanodon, I. fittoni. These remains were re-described as a new genus by Norman in 2010, but not long after another name for the remains … Read more
In Depth The holotype specimen of Altenglanerpeton was first found during the 1870s, and initially described as a specimen of the microsaur genus Microbrachis in 1939. The specimen was not renamed as a new genus until 2012 after some debate over whether the specimen was actually that of a microsaur. In life Altenglanerpeton would have … Read more
In Depth Fossils of Dinheirosaurus were first treated as belonging to Lourinhasaurus until new study ascertained that they were of a different genus. For some time afterwards there was still speculation that this was a mistake and that Dinheirosaurus should be regarded as a synonym to Lourinhasaurus, but even further study has now established without … Read more
In Depth Known form a small partial skull that was initially thought to belong to the genus Bernissartia, Koumpiodontosuchus was established as a distinct genus in 2015. Koumpiodontosuchus means ‘button toothed crocodile’, a reference to the small teeth seen in the skull. These show that as well as being small itself, Koumpiodontosuchus was a predator … Read more
In Depth The teeth of Hongshanopterus extend past the first third of the skull. Not only does this give Hongshanopterus more teeth than other istiodactylids, it is taken as a marker for Hongshanopterus being a basal member of the group. Further Reading – A primitive istiodactylid pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea) from the Jiufotang Formation (Early Cretaceous), northeast … Read more
In Depth Xianglong is currently the only known ‘flying’ lizard from the cretaceous, although earlier reptiles like Coelurosaurovus from the Permian are also thought to have had a similar ability. Xianglong could not fly in the true sense of the word, but the membrane that stretched out from its sides would have greatly slowed its … Read more
In Depth Fosterovenator was a ceratosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. At the time of writing the only parts that are known for Fosterovenator are lower leg bones, but in the original description of this genus, the fossils were noted as being superficially similar to those of the genus … Read more
In Depth Nannopterygius was first described in 1871 by John Hulke, but as a species of Ichthyosaurus, I. enthekiodon. However, the Ichthyosaurus genus was once treated as a wastebasket taxon, and many former species of Ichthyosaurus have now been re-assigned as distinct genera. This is what happened later in the early twentieth century when another … Read more
In Depth Cuvieronius immediately stands out from amongst other elephants with its curved spirally twisting trunks which are often described as narwhal-like. However something else which this elephant is more famous for is that at the time of writing it is one of two genera of elephants that are known to have lived in South … Read more