In Depth When fossils of Horshamosaurus were first discovered they were originally interpreted as coming from Iguanodon, but in 1996 they were re-described as a species of Polacanthus by William Blows. However in 2015 Blows re-described this species as a whole new genus named Horshamosaurus, citing clear differences in the vertebrae and armour. At the … Read more
In Depth It took a long time for the fossils of Neovenator to be studied and named, although such an occurrence is not unknown in the fields of Palaeontology. First discovered in 1978 from the chalk cliffs of the south-western Isle of Wight, a subsequent later visit led to the other remains of Neovenator being … Read more
In Depth In 2004 the discovery of three fossils would help bridge one of the most important evolutionary gaps in the fossil record. These fossils were the first known representations of Tiktaalik, a creature that was not only a fish but also possessed the rudimentary features of the later tetrapods. Unlike other creatures which are … Read more
In Depth Wamweracaudia is a genus of mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in Africa during the late Jurassic. Further Reading - Taxonomic affinities of the putative titanosaurs from the Late Jurassic Tendaguru Formation of Tanzania: phylogenetic and biogeographic implications for eusauropod dinosaur evolution. - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. - Philip D Mannion, Paul … Read more
In Depth In the simplest terms, Ianthasaurus was a smaller and earlier relative to the famous Edaphosaurus, However with this said there were many differences. First and perhaps most obviously is that generally Ianthasaurus were not as advanced in their physical developments, not surprising given that Ianthasaurus appeared in the Carboniferous whereas Edaphosaurus appears in … Read more
In Depth Vintana is a genus of gondwanatherian mamaml that lived in Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous, and was the first genus where skull fossils were discovered. Further Reading - First cranial remains of a gondwanatherian mammal reveal remarkable mosaicism. - Nature 515:512-517. - D. W. Krause, S. Hoffmann, J. R. Wible, E. C. Kirk, … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - On a titanosaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) vertebral column from the Bauru Group, Late Cretaceous of Brazil - D. A. Campos, A. W. A. Kellner, R. J. Bertini, & R. M. Santucci - 2005.
In Depth Borophagus is the last of the known line of ‘bone-crunching dogs’ (also known as ‘hyena dogs’) that roamed the plains of North America. Although Borophagus was smaller than its ancestors such as Epicyon, its skull was considerably better adapted to crushing bones. This seems to be a trait of a creature that relied … Read more
In Depth As a creature that displays both dinosaurian and avian features, it is not known for certain how Rahonavis fits in with the evolution of birds from dinosaurs. This is problem shared with other discoveries such as Xiaotingia and even Archaeopteryx as the difining line of when a bird becomes a bird and not … Read more
In Depth First discovered in 2013, and named in 2015, Morelladon made headlines towards the end of 2015 as a rare example of a sailbacked dinosaur. Though dubbed a sailback, this sail was likely more like a hump as the neural spines of the vertebrae that supported it were very robust. These are way beyond … Read more