In Depth Keichousaurus looks like a miniature plesiosaur, and indeed many have looked into the possibility that it may either be a direct ancestor, or representative of an ancestral form that led to the evolution of the giant plesiosaurs. As well as resembling the later plesiosaurs, Keichousaurus may have moved like them too, using their … Read more
In Depth The problem with Lonchodectes is that the genus continues to be treated somewhat like a wastebasket with the most fragmentary remains being attributed to it, which explains the broad temporal range of Lonchodectes in the fossil record. The reason for this is mostly down to is taxonomic history with the first sets of … Read more
In Depth Once considered a possible nodosaurid, Aletopelta was confirmed as an ankylosaurid when it was formally described in 2001. This interpretation came about mainly from study of the osteoderm armour which is more like the armour of known ankylosaurs and less like that of nodosaurs. By extension Aletopelta would be assumed to have had … Read more
In Depth Although only named from the description of hind legs, Alnashetri has been identified as an alvaresauroid. These small theropods are noted for having short stubby arms with single claws pointing out, which may helped them to feed upon certain types of prey like insects. This remains unknown for certain with Alnashetri since at … Read more
In Depth Fasolasuchus was not only one of the last but it was possibly the largest of the rauisuchians. Unfortunately however incomplete remains mean that only a range estimate of between eight and ten meters is possible. The next largest rauisuchian is Saurosuchus which is also from Argentina and is estimated at seven meters long, … Read more
In Depth Astrodon has been a troublesome genus of sauropod dinosaur, partly because of the lack of complete remains for the genus which was initially primarily named from the teeth. Astrodon also has an uncertain relationship with the genus Pleurocoelus, with some authors considering the two to be synonymous, to just some species of Pleurocoelus … Read more
In Depth Anthracosuchus is a genus of dryosaurid crocodile that lived in Colombia approximately sixty million years ago. Unusually for a dryosaurid crocodile, Anthracosuchus had a particularly broad and short blunt snout, very difference to the more slender snouts that are more commonly seen in related genera. A shorter and broader snout indicates that Anthracosuchus … Read more
In Depth The original bones of Mochlodon were first discovered in 1859, but were not formerly identified until 1870. When named by Emanuel Bunzel, the remains were identified as those of a new species of Iguanodon. However, by this time Iguanodon was being treated as a ‘wastebasket taxon’ for any remains that had a superficial … Read more
In Depth Talos is so far only known from a partial post cranial skeleton that is mostly represented by the rear limbs. However when these remains are scaled to the same proportions as other more complete troodontid genera, a rough estimate of around two meters in length can be attained for the animal. Like other … Read more
In Depth Confractosuchus is a genus of crocodile that lived in Australia around the boundary of the Early and Late Cretaceous periods. Not to be unkind, but Confractosuchus was a fairly typical crocodile looking much like you would expect a crocodile to look like. But one thing that made the discovery of Confractosuchus stand out … Read more