In Depth Superficially, Pareiasaurus is very similar to its relative Scutosaurus. The main differences between the two are the way the legs support the body. In Scutosaurus the legs are directly underneath the body, giving it a much taller appearance. The legs of Pareiasaurus however came out from the sides in a more familiar reptilian … Read more
In Depth Latenivenatrix has a somewhat convoluted history of discovery. The holotype specimen of the genus (CMN 12340) was originally designated as being a Stenonychosaurus by Dale A. Russel in 1969. Then in 1987 it was moved into the Troodon genus, the type genus of the troodontid dinosaurs. It was not until much later in … Read more
In Depth Antarctanax is a genus of archosauromorph reptile that lived in Antarctica during the early Triassic. Further Reading - A novel archosauromorph from Antarctica and an updated review of a high-latitude vertebrate assemblage in the wake of the end-Permian mass extinction. - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (6): e1536664. - Brandon R. Peecook, Roger … Read more
In Depth Unfortunately at the time of the genus description the only fossils of Austroposeidon that we have are some vertebrae. However, comparison to other similar dinosaurs has led to realistic size estimates for this dinosaur of about twenty-five metres in length. Although not the biggest dinosaur, this does make Austroposeidon at the time of … Read more
In Depth A late Cretaceous era snake of the Indian subcontinent, the discovery of Sanajeh has revealed a little bit more about Mesozoic ecosystems. The holotype specimen of Sanajeh was found not only alongside several sauropod eggs, but also the remains of a hatchling sauropod, probably a titanosaur of about fifty centimetres length. It is … Read more
In Depth Eodortoka is a genus of turtle that lived in Spain during the early Cretaceous. Further Reading - Eodortoka morellana gen. et sp. nov., the first pan-pleurodiran turtle (Dortokidae) defined in the Lower Cretaceous of Europe. - Cretaceous Research 48:130-138. - A. Perez-Garcia, J. M. Gasulla & F. Ortega - 2014.
In Depth Massospondylus was one amongst the first dinosaurs to be named with a taxonomic history going back as far as the mid nineteenth century. Yet when Richard Owen described the first fossils, he thought that he was dealing with an ancient ancestor to more familiar lizards such as iguanas chameleons. In actuality Massospondylus represents … Read more
In Depth Protoalligator is a genus of alligator that lived in China during the Paleocene. Further Reading - Taxonomic revision of Eoalligator (Crocodylia, Brevirostres) and the paleogeographic origins of the Chinese alligatoroids. - PeerJ 4:e2356:1-43/ - Y.-Y. Wang, C. Sullivan & J. Liu - 2016.
In Depth Augustasaurus was the second member of the Pistosauroidea group of Triassic marine reptiles discovered. Given that the first (and currently only other of known) member of the group, Pistosaurus, is known from Europe, this reveals that the pistosauroid sauropterygians had at least a reasonable geographic range. Like with Pistosaurus, Augustasaurus resembles early plesiosaur … Read more
In Depth Hypselospinus was a genus of ornithopod that was similar to Iguanodon, so similar in fact that the holotype remains of the genus were originally named as a species of Iguanodon, I. fittoni. These remains were re-described as a new genus by Norman in 2010, but not long after another name for the remains … Read more