Acoatasaurus: Research Database Theropoda · Cretaceous · South America Research Note: Acoatasaurus was a significant spinosaurid theropod from the Cretaceous of South America, providing important data on theropod evolution and diversity. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Malafaia & Gasulla 2019: Acoatasaurus and spinosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous Cretaceous Research Confirmed … Read more
In Depth Atychodracon was originally named as a species of Plesiosaurus back in 1846 when the first specimen was described by Samuel Stuchbury. At this time Plesiosaurus had fast become a wastebasket taxon with any fossils remotely similar to Plesiosaurus being almost immediately attributed to the genus as a new species. Many former species of … Read more
In Depth Eopolycotylus is another example of one of the short necked/long jawed polycotylid plesiosaurs of the Cretaceous era. The genus name Eopolycotylus means ‘Dawn Polycotylus’ and is a reference to the earlier appearance of Eopolycotylus in the fossil record to Polycotylus, the type genus of the Polycotylidae. The type species name honours David O. … Read more
In Depth With remains that were found in Campanian age rocks Terminonatator was possibly one of the last elasmosaurid plesiosaurs to swim in the ocean. This is a far cry away from the Jurassic heyday of the plesiosaurs when they were one of the most common types of marine reptile in the ocean. In the … Read more
In Depth Fluvionectes is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that lived in North America during the late Cretaceous. The first fossils of this genus were recovered from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Canada, a location that has yielded numerous though fragmentary and scattered plesiosaur fossil for some time. Perhaps the most stand out fact about … Read more
In Depth Nakonanectes is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur that would have hunted in the Western interior seaway during the late Cretaceous period. Nakonanectes is noted for having short cervical vertebrae and an estimated length of only about five and a half meters at most for the holotype individual. This is small for an elasmosaurid … Read more
In Depth Aphrosaurus seems to have been a middle sized lightweight elasmosaurid plesiosaur. Elasmosaurid plesiosaurs (those similar to Elasmosaurus) are known for having proportionately long legs, and like with others, half of the total length of Aphrosaurus was neck. This neck was one of the primary feeding adaptations that would have allowed it to reach … Read more
Caihong: Research Database Ornithothoraces (Aves) · Late Jurassic (~161 MYA) · Asia — China (Hebei, Tiaojishan Formation) Research Note: Caihong was an early ornithothoracean bird from the Late Jurassic of Hebei, China. Famous for its iridescent feather coloration preserved in the fossil — making it the oldest known dinosaur/early bird with evidence of colorful … Read more
Morenosaurus: Research Database Plesiosauria (Reptilia) · Late Jurassic (~155 MYA) · North America — USA (California) Research Note: Morenosaurus was a plesiosaur from the Late Jurassic of California — an important taxon for understanding plesiosaur evolution in the Jurassic of North America. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Vincent & Bardet … Read more
Alexeyisaurus: Research Database Reptilia (Ichthyosauromorpha) · Early Triassic (~250 MYA) · Asia — Russia Research Note: Alexeyisaurus was an early ichthyosauromorph from the Early Triassic of Russia — significant for understanding the early evolutionary diversification of marine reptiles after the Permian-Triassic extinction event. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Maisch & … Read more