In Depth Araripesaurus appears to be a dubious entry amongst pterosaurs because of the lack of distinguishing features. Even though it has been considered to be Santanadactylus, the same lack of distinguishing features mean that Araripesaurus cannot be reassigned to a different genus with certainty. Further material that was to be attributed to Araripesaurus has … Read more
In Depth Anomoiodon was a tiny little parareptile that lived in Germany in the early Triassic. Another genus of parareptile named Kapes was once considered to be a synonym of Anomoiodon, but rediscovery of fossils and new study have now re-confirmed them to be separate genera. There are however considered to be very closely related … Read more
In Depth Known from a partial skull initially thought to belong to the Procynosuchus genus, Abdalodon was defined as a distinct genus in 2016. Abdalodon was named in honour of palaeontologist Fernando Abdala, in recognition of their work on cynodonts. Further Reading - A new taxon of cynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (Upper Permian) … Read more
In Depth Initially thought to represent a new specimen of Zephyrosaurus, the small partial skull of the holotype was soon realised to be a whole new genus of small ceratopsian dinosaur. Like most primitive ceratopsian dinosaurs, Aquilops was a fairly small dinosaur measuring just over half a meter in length. The name Aquilops means ‘eagle … Read more
In Depth Adamantinasuchus was a fairly small notosuchian crocodylomorph from the late Cretaceous Adamantina Formation of Brazil, Many crurotarsans are known from the Adamantina Formation, including Armadillosuchus, Morrinhosuchus, Baurusuchus and Mariliasuchus to name just a few. Out of these, Adamantinasuchus may have been most similar to Mariliasuchus. The teeth of Adamantinasuchus suggest a possible carnivorous … Read more
In Depth about Saltasaurus The discovery of Saltasaurus was a revelation in that at least some titanosaurid sauropods actually had armour plates on their backs. These plates are actually called osteoderms and are bony growths that were within the skin, and in Saltasaurus these were ten to twelve centimetres across and seemed to form low conical spikes. These osteoderms had … Read more
In Depth A little known creature, Acteosaurus has been speculated to be a marine reptile, similar to the mosasauroids. Acteosaurus was named after Actaeon, a hunter in Greek Mythology. Further Reading – On the Subdivisions of the Inferior Oolite in the South of England, compared with the Equivalent Beds of that Formation on the Yorkshire … Read more
In Depth For one hundred and forty years Amphicoelias was regarded by some to have been one of the largest dinosaurs to ever walk the earth. First named in 1878 by Edward Drinker Cope, and based upon some truly large fossils of vertebrae and partial limbs and pubis bones. Three species were named, A. altus, … Read more
In Depth Arnognathus was a genus of non-mammalian synapsid that lived in South Africa during the Triassic. Further Reading – On Some New Fossil Reptiles from the Karroo Beds of Victoria West, South Africa. – Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society 18:31-42. – Robert Broom – 1907.
In Depth Although Afrosmilus superficially looks like an African big cat, it is actually a barbourfelid, a group of mammals that appeared before the big cats of the Felidae. However exactly how close barbourofelids are to true cats is actually a matter of debate amongst palaeontologists with some claiming that they are not related at … Read more