In Depth Scalopodontes is a genus of therapsid that lived in Russia during the Permian. Further Reading - New material on Scaloposaurians (Reptilia, Theriodontia) from the Upper Permian of the Kotelnich Locality, Kirov Region. - Paleontological Journal 34 (supplement 2). - L. P. Tatarinov - 2000.
In Depth Cryptocynodon is a genus of dicynodont that lived in the Late Permian. Further Reading - New specimens of the tanzanian dicynodont ‘Cryptocynodon’ parringtoni Von Huene, 1942 (Therapsida, Anomodontia), with an expanded analysis of Permian dicynodont phylogeny. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology vol 27, issue 1 - Kenneth D. Angielczyk - 2007.
In Depth The name Dinocrocuta translates to English as ‘terrible hyena’, with ‘dino meaning terrible and the ‘crocuta’ part being a reference to the Crocuta genus which is home to modern hyenas that we can see alive today. This is born out of a superficial similarity in physical form between modern hyenas and Dinocrocuta, however … Read more
In Depth Falcatus was a tiny shark that has managed to stand out from others because of the presence of a dorsal spine that rises up from where you might expect the first dorsal fin to have been. However instead if rising backwards like in other primitive sharks such as Orthacanthus and Xenacanthus, the dorsal … Read more
In Depth One of the daphoenine bear dogs that are so far exclusive to North America, Daphoenictis was similar to the type genus of this group Daphoenus. Although definitely a bear dog, Daphoenictis fossils bear a resemblance to cats, something leading to the name Daphoenictis which translates as ‘Daphoenus cat’. Daphoenictis seems to have shared … Read more
In Depth First collected in 1933, and tentatively described in 1956, the fossils of Aenigmastropheus were not granted their own genus until 2014. Aenigmastropheus is a genus of archosauromorph saurian that lived in Tanzania during the Late Permain, something that makes Aenigmastropheus the first and at the time of writing only known late Permian protosaur … Read more
In Depth A very obscure genus, Adelogyrinus was a small amphibean that hunted in and around the waterways and forests of what would become Scotland back in the Carboniferous period. Adelogyrinus may have been similar to Adelospondylus. Further Reading - The Carboniferous Amphibia of Scotland, D. M. S. Watson - 1929.
In Depth Miadanasuchus was originally described as a species of Trematochampsa back in 1979, but re-identified as its own genus in 2009. Miadanasuchus may have been one of the key predators of the Maevarano Formation. Other predatory crocodiles from the same formation include Mahajangasuchus and Araripesuchus. Further Reading - New Material of “Trematochampsa” Oblita (Crocodyliformes,Trematochampsidae) … Read more
In Depth Tototlmimus is a genus of ornithomimosaur that lived in Mexico during the late Cretaceous. So far Tototlmimus is only known from fossils of some foot bones and fingers, and so it is hard to infer much about this dinosaur other than that it has been estimated to have been a medium sized ornithomimid. … Read more
In Depth Although only known from the incomplete remains of a juvenile, the dinosaur Siats seems to have been one of the larger theropod dinosaurs from North America. The partial remains of the holotype individual which mostly include elements of the hind quarters are estimated to have come from an individual dinosaur that was … Read more