In Depth Ceratodus was one of the most wide ranging fish to ever live on the planet, both geographically and temporally. This distribution was possible because back in the Triassic the major land masses of the continents were still close together which allowed several types of animals, most famously the dinosaurs, to spread out across … Read more
In Depth Brithopus is a little known genus of dinocephalian therapsid, and one that has a lot of questions concerning it. When first described, Brithopus was classed as a member of the Anteosauria, and when Brithopus became the type genus of its own group, the Brithopodidae, many anteosaurians were included with this sub group. However, … Read more
In Depth Originally described as a species of Valdosaurus, Elrhazosaurus is a genus of small dryosaurid ornithopod that lived in Africa during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Valdosaurus, a hypsilophodontid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Africa. - G�obios 15 (2): 147–159. - P. M. Galton & P. Taquet - 1982. - … Read more
In Depth Although only known from partial skull material Sinoceratops displays features that are seen in both the centrosaurine and chasmosaurine lines of the ceratopsian dinosaurs. Although larger than others of the group, Sinoceratops is considered to be a basal centrosaurine, and its discovery has shed a little more light on ceratopsian evolution. Unfortunately however, … Read more
In Depth Indocetus is a genus of protocetid whale that was first name from the discovery of a partial skull from the Harudi Formation of India in 1975. In 1993 new whale fossils from the Domanda Formation of Pakistan were added to the Indocetus genus, and this was a significant development since these were the … Read more
In Depth Kollikodon shares four things with another monotreme called Steropodon. One is that they were both related to the modern day platypus. Two is that they are both known from the same fossil formation. Three is that both of these genera have been described only from partial jaw bones. Four is that both of … Read more
In Depth Although related to Titanosuchus, Jonkeria appears to be at the other end of the spectrum by being envisioned as an herbivore. However the similarity to Titanosuchus has led some to suggest that Jonkeria may actually be a carnivore, with the most obvious difference between the two being Jonkeria having shorter legs. Aside from … Read more
In Depth Nardovelifer is a genus of prehistoric lamprid fish that lived in the waters around modern day Italy during the late Cretaceous. Further Reading - The Cretaceous fishes of Nardo. 10: Nardovelifer altipinnis, gen. et sp. nov. (Teleostei, Lampridiformes, Veliferidae). - St Ric Giac Terz Bolca 8: 11–27. - C. Sorbini & L. Sorbini … Read more
In Depth Jiangxisaurus is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in China during the late Cretaceous. Other oviraptorid dinosaurs known from the Nanxiong Formation where the holotype specimen of Jiangxisaurus was found include Banji, Ganzhousaurus, Huanansaurus and Nankangia. Further Reading - A New Oviraptorid Dinosaur (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Jiangxi Province, … Read more
In Depth Panochthus is a genus of glyptodont that lived across much of South America during the Pleistocene. Like some of its relatives, Panochthus was a large herbivore with bony armour plates that grew into a dome like structure over its back. The tail was also covered by bony armoured bands. Further Reading - Contribuci�n … Read more