In Depth In 1937 a fossil collector named Allan Bennison discovered mosasaur fossils in California’s Mount Diablo Range. These fossils were first described by Charles Camp in 1942 and published as Kolposaurus; however this name is actually preoccupied as a synonym for Nothosaurus, hence the naming revision to Plotosaurus in 1951. The original fossils were … Read more
In Depth Pristerognathoides is a therocephalian therapsid noted for its similarity to the genus Pristerognathus. Further Reading Further reading- The pristerognathid therocephalians from the Tapinocephalus-zone in the South African Museum. – Annals of the South African Museum 42:65-107. – L. D. Boonstra – 1954.
In Depth Richard Owen described Titanosuchus from a set of teeth, although if he realised that what he named was not actually a crocodile he may have wanted to give Titanosuchus a more anatomically correct name, like he tried to do with the pterosaur Ornithocheirus, and the prehistoric predatory whale Basilosaurus. Instead Titanosuchus was one … Read more
In Depth With fossils going back to the mid Jurassic, it comes as no surprise that Huayangosaurus is a more primitive stegosaur than better known genera from the late Jurassic. The skull of Huayangosaurus is broader than later forms which reveals it was not as well adapted to selective browsing. The premaxilla also still has … Read more
In Depth Eosimops is a genus of dicynodont therapsid that lived in South Africa during the Permian. Further Reading - Skeletal morphology, phylogenetic relationships and stratigraphic range of Eosimops newtoni Broom, 1921, a pylaecephalid dicynodont (Therapsida, Anomodontia) from the Middle Permian of South Africa. - Journal of Systematic Palaeontology Volume 11, Issue 2 - Kenneth … Read more
In Depth Panguraptor is the first genus of coelophysid dinosaur discovered on the Asian continent. Panguraptor was a small predator that would have hunted small animals. Panguraptor was also the second definitive dinosaur genus named from the Lufeng Formation, the first being Sinosaurus. Further Reading - The first well-preserved coelophysoid theropod dinosaur from Asia. - … Read more
In Depth Microurania is a genus of biarmosuchian therapsid that lived in Russia during the Permian. As a biarmosuchian, Microurania is expected to have been a predator, and given the small size of the holotype skull, possibly of smaller vertebrates. Further Reading - New primitive therapsids from the Permian of Eastern Europe. - Paleontol. Zh … Read more
In Depth Named after Kyrgyzstan where the holotype specimen was found, Kyrgyzsaurus has been identified as a drepanosaurid reptile. As such Kyrgyzsaurus would be expected to have been an arboreal reptile climbing through shrubs and the tree canopy with the aid of enlarged claws on the ends of its fingers and toes as well as … Read more
In Depth One of the troodonts, Byronosaurus aquired its name after being named after Byron Jaffe, a supporter of the American Museum of Natural History Paleontological Expeditions. One of the unearthed skulls of B. jaffei is the best persevered skull specimen of any troodont, and shows two adaptions that are unique among the currently known … Read more
In Depth Although as the name suggests this was the first dromaeosaurid to be discovered, it was not well understood until some of the other dromaeosaurids were discovered and studied. This has allowed for the gaps to be filled in, giving a much more accurate representation of what Dromaeosaurus was like. While Dromaeosaurus still had … Read more