In Depth Archaeopotamus is a genus of hippopotamuses that lived in Africa and the Middle East. Fossils of Archaeopotamus begin to appear in the late Miocene, making Archaeopotamus one of, perhaps even the oldest hippopotamus known. Further Reading – The Taxonomy and Nomenclature of the Hippopotamidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) and a Description of Two New Fossil … Read more
In Depth Alveusdectes is an important discovery as it represents one of the last surviving diadectimorphs to live. Diadectomorphs (those like Diadectes) were reptilomorphs that rose to prominence during the Carboniferous, but they were eventually replaced by therapsids and true reptiles. What the discovery of Alveusdectes tells us is that while their numbers declined during … Read more
In Depth Lusovenator is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Europe during the late Jurassic. The known fossils of Lusovenator suggest a size of a little of three meters, though they also indicate that these fossils belonged to a juvenile and was therefore not fully grown. The full grown size of Lusovenator … Read more
In Depth Aleosteus was a small arthrodire placoderm fish that seems to have been nowhere close to the size of giant arthrodire placoderms like Dunkleosteus and Titanichthys. Aleosteus was probably a predator of other small placoderms and possible invertebrates. As a member of the Actinolepidae, Aleosteus is a primitive arthrodire placoderm. Further Reading - A … Read more
In Depth Zuoyunlong is a genus of hadrosauroid dinosaur that lived in China during the early stages of the late Cretaceous. In terms of physical development, hadrosauroid dinosaurs were in between the earlier iguanodonts of the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, and the later hadrosaurids that were most common by the end of the late … Read more
In Depth Ulughbegsaurus is a genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Central Asia during the early stages of the Late Cretaceous, specifically the Turonian period. The carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaurs were apex predators that rose to prominence during the early Cretaceous, however there is plenty of fossil evidence to show that as a group … Read more
In Depth Sectisodon is a genus of creodont that lived in Africa during the early Miocene. Further Reading - New Hyaenodonts (Ferae, Mammalia) from the early Miocene of Napak (Uganda), Koru (Kenya) and Grillental (Namibia). - Fossil Imprint 73(3-4):332-359. - J. Morales and M. Pickford - 2017.
In Depth When Appalachiosaurus was first discovered it raised more than a few eyebrows because it was discovered in the Eastern United States. Up until that point only one other genus of tyrannosaur named Dryptosaurus had been found in the eastern half of the USA. The one specimen of Appalachiosaurus appears to have been a … Read more
In Depth At times the skull of Naashoibitosaurus has been attributed to Kritosaurus, while the post cranial skeleton attributed to Edmontosaurus. This is because the skull has been challenged as representing a growth stage of Kritosaurus, though other studies have shown that it is different enough to be regarded as its own genus. Currently however, … Read more
In Depth Stupendemys was a genus of pleurodiran turtle, a type better known as a side-necked turtle. Side necked turtles acquired their name because their necks are so long that the only way they could fit under the shell was to fold their necks into one side. The preserved length of the largest known Stupendemys … Read more