In Depth Siamraptor is a genus of carcharodontosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the early Cretaceous. The holotype individual of Siamraptor is only known from a partial skull, jawbone and a few post cranial bones, so precise details or any unusual features if they existed, are still unknown. These scattered bones however do indicate … Read more
In Depth In simple terms Eucnemesaurus was a prosauropod, a member of the group that was ancestral to the later larger sauropods. Eucnemesaurus has a better know association with a former dinosaur genus Aliwalia. Aliwalia was big news when described, even though it was only described from a femur and a partial maxilla. The maxilla … Read more
In Depth Noted for its similarity to the genus Tapejara, Caiuajara is a tapejarid pterosaur that lived in South America during the late Cretaceous. Tapejarid pterosaurs are noted for their large head crests, and Caiuajara is no exception. The crest of Caiuajara has been reconstructed to have formed a crest shaped much like a shark … Read more
In Depth Montirictus is a genus of tritylodontid cynodont that lived in what is now Japan during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - A new Early Cretaceous tritylodontid (Synapsida, Cynodontia, Mammaliamorpha) from the Kuwajima Formation (Tetori Group) of central Japan. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(4). H. Matsuoka, N. Kusuhashi & I. J. Corfe - … Read more
In Depth Whenever you hear someone mention a ‘Sabre Toothed Tiger’, what they are really talking about, whether they realise it themselves or not, is Smilodon. This is because Smilodon does not belong to the same cat family as Tigers, which belong to the Pantherinae group. As a member of the Machairodontinae, a more acceptable … Read more
In Depth Although Hipposaurus possessed the large canine teeth also seen in other therapsid carnivores, it seems to have had a less robust skull construction. This means that large prey animals were probably completely off the menu for this Permian predator. Hipposaurus would still have been able to live off smaller prey, although it may … Read more
In Depth Protororqualus is a genus of rorqual baleen whale that lived in European waters during the Pliocene period. Protororqualus is seen to be more primitive in form and living at time when other kinds of rorqual whales were already developing more advanced features. Further reading - Taxonomic revision and phylogenetic relationships of the rorqual-like … Read more
In Depth Eurhinosaurus is one member of what still appears to be a small group of ichthyosaurs that had specialised asymmetrical jaws. What this means in more detail is that the rostrum of the upper jaw extended beyond the lower jaw to give Eurhinosaurus a head and set of jaws that resemble a modern day … Read more
In Depth The description of an almost complete Phoberomys pattersoni in 2000 led to worldwide headlines of Ratzilla (after the Japanese kaiju Godzilla). These rare remains allowed for one of the most accurate size estimates of this genus which led to it being considered as one of the largest rodents ever to live, although despite … Read more
In Depth Lumkuia is a genus of cynodont that lived in South Africa during the Triassic. Further Reading - A probainognathian cynodont from South Africa and the phylogeney of nonmammalian cynodonts. - Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 156(1):5-35. - J. A. Hopson & J. W. Kitching - 2001.