In Depth        Venjukovia was a genus of synapsid that lived in Russia during the mid-Permian. Further Reading -†‬Diagnoses of the new forms of vertebrates and plants from the Upper Permian of North Dvina:†‬Bulletin de l’Academie des Sciences,†‬Saint Petersburg,†‬v.†‬6,†‬n.†‬16,†‬p.†‬329-340.†‬-†‬V.†‬Amalitskii†‬-†‬1922. -†‬The early … Read more
In Depth        The first Dolichorhynchops specimens were recovered in†‬1900†‬by George F.†‬and Charles H.†‬Sternberg from the Smokey Hill Chalk Formation.†‬After being named by Samuel Wendell Williston in†‬1902,†‬the type specimen has been a regular feature in the display of the Museum of Kansas.†‬The establishment of two additional species†(‬D.†… Read more
In Depth        Tlatolophus is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that lived in Mexico during the late Cretaceous.†‬Although a lot of†‬the post cranial skeleton was unknown at the time of the genus description,†‬what is known,†‬including the skull,†‬represents one†‬of the best preserved lambeosaurine hadrosaurs discovered in Mexico.†‬Like others of its … Read more
In Depth        Moythomasia was an early ray-finned fish of the Devonian period that seems to have had a wide distribution because the worldâ€â€™â€¬s continents were gradually coming together into the supercontinent of Pangaea. Further Reading – A new species of the Devonian actinopterygian Moythomasia from Bergisch Gladbach, Germany, and fresh observations on M. durgaringa from … Read more
In Depth        Palaeontology as we know it today has its foundation in nineteenth century Europe and dinosaurs first began to be named and classified in England in the first half of that century.†‬As the first named dinosaur,†‬Megalosaurus was the first dinosaur genus to have a taxonomic placement amongst other recognised animals,†‬however this … Read more
In Depth        Xiyukannemeyeria is a genus of dicynodont that lived in China during the Triassic. Further Reading -†[‬A new material of kannemeyerid from Xinjiang and the restudy of Parakannemeyeria brevirostrisâ€]‬.†‬-†‬Vertebrata PalAsiatica†‬41â€(‬2â€)‬:147-156.†‬-†‬J.†‬Liu†& ‬J.-L.†‬Li†‬-†‬2003.
In Depth        Dimaitherium†‬is a genus of mammal closely related to modern hyraxes that lived in Egypt during the Eocene. Further Reading -†‬A primitive hyracoid†(‬Mammalia,†‬Paenungulataâ€) ‬from the early Priabonian†(‬Late Eoceneâ€) ‬of Egypt.†‬-†‬Journal of Systematic Palaeontology†‬8â€(‬2â€)‬:213-244.†‬-†‬E.†‬Barrow,†‬E.†‬R.†‬Seiffert†& ‬E.†‬L.†‬Simons†‬-†‬2010.
In Depth        Originally assigned to the genus Clupea†(‬better known as herringsâ€) ‬as Clupea sprattiformis by Blainville in†‬1818,†‬the species was actually erected to its own genus level in†‬1974†‬by Nybelin.†‬Leptolepides were fairly small fish but are among the most numerous known from the Solnhofen limestones of Germany.†‬Aside from being similar … Read more
In Depth        A very primitive genus of hyena,†Protictitherium has actually been more loosely interpreted as like a civet in terms of physical appearance. Further Reading -†‬Late Miocene carnivores of the Greco-Iranian Province:†‬Composition,†‬guild structure and palaeoecology†‬-†‬Palaeogeography,†‬Palaeoclimatology,†‬Palaeoecology†‬305:†‬215†‬-†‬G.†‬D.†‬Koufos†& ‬G.†‬E.†‬Konidaris†‬-†‬2011.
In Depth        The holotype specimen of Excalibosaurus was discovered in†‬1984,†‬and consisted of partial remains of a skull and some of the post cranial skeleton such as ribs,†‬vertebrae,†‬forefin and an incomplete pectoral girdle.†‬When pieced together these remains recreated an individual that was estimated to have been up to four meters long,†… Read more