In Depth Irajatherium is a genus of cynodont that lived in South America during the Triassic. Further Reading - A new tritheledontid (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Late Triassic of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and its phylogenetic relationships among carnivorous non-mammalian eucynodonts. - Ameghiniana 42(1):191-208. - A. G. Martinelli, J. F. Bonaparte, C. L. Schultz … Read more
In Depth Proceratosaurus was a small predatory theropod dinosaur active in what would become southern England during the mid-Jurassic. Arthur Smith Woodward first described the partial skull of Proceratosaurus as another species of Megalosaurus, a genus that suffered from the wastebasket taxon effect of almost any predatory dinosaur fossil being attributed to it. Friedrich von … Read more
In Depth A member of the Craniata, Myllokunmingia is considered to have been a relative of organisms such as lampreys and hagfish, though even the latter has had a controversial assignment. Myllokunmingia seems to have had a body divided into twenty-five segments with five or six gills. Myllokunmingia is also believed to have been related … Read more
In Depth Ptychodus was one of the most specialist sharks of the late Cretaceous oceans, as the teeth are adapted for crushing shells rather than tearing through flesh. As such the teeth are rounded rather than being triangular and pointed, and have a series of ridges that run across the surface of the crown. These … Read more
In Depth Babiacetus was a member of the Archaeoceti, a group of primitive whales that also includes genera such as Basilosaurus, Dorudon, Protocetus and Zygorhiza. Babiacetus seems to have lived more during the middle Eocene, though since the genus is currently only known for cranial remains, we do not know how well developed the actual … Read more
In Depth Stegoceras is one of the more common and better known pachycephalosaurs, and one that seems to have had a range that extended from South west/central Canada to the south western states of the USA. The genus however seems to have been quite a bit smaller than its more famous relative Pachycephalosaurus. Like with … Read more
In Depth Mesenosaurus is a genus of varanopid pelycosaur that lived in Russia during the Permian. Further Reading - Some new Permian reptiles of the USSR. -Academy of Sciences URSS, C. R., 19: 121-126. - Efremov - 1938. - The skull of Mesenosaurus romeri, a small varanopseid (Synapsida: Eupelycosauria) from the Upper Permian of the … Read more
In Depth Camelotia was a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived in England during the Late Triassic. However the rear limb is also similar to early sauropods, something which has seen the Camelotia genus tentatively assigned to the Melanorosauridae (type genus Melanorosaurus). The name Camelotia was derived from the name Camelot, the castle that was … Read more
In Depth So far the pachycephalosaur Texacephale is only known from partial skull bones, mostly of the dome that would have grown from the top the head. Texacephale is noted for having two flanges of bone that grew from each side of the dome. Further Reading - Texacephale langstoni, a new genus of pachycephalosaurid (Dinosauria: … Read more
In Depth Liaoningopterus was one of the largest pterosaurs known from China, and is considered to be similar to the pterosaur Anhanguera known from all over the world. Liaoningopterus had two crests on both the top of its snout and lower jaw, similar to Ornithocheirus which is why Liaoningopterus is placed within the Ornithocheiridae. Also … Read more