In Depth The history of Piveteausaurus is one that is littered with comparisons to other theropod genera. The braincase that is the holotype fossil of Piveteausaurus was first described in 1923 by Jean Piveteau. Fossils of other dinosaurs had been discovered in the same region as this braincase all the way back to 1808 when … Read more
In Depth Nyctiphruretus is a contender for one of the coolest names of any prehistoric animal since the name translates to English as ‘guardian of the night’. Nyctiphruretus was an herbivorous procolophonomorph, that seems to have had a preference for plants that were either aquatic, or growing in wetlands. This is because all of the … Read more
In Depth Chaohusaurus is a genus of ichthyosauromorph marine reptile that lived in sea waters around Asia during the early/mid Triassic. Chaohusaurus had a similar body plan to other primitive ichthyosaurs being more lizard-like than fish-like as seen in later ichthyosaurs. Still, the limbs of Chaohusaurus were adapted to form paddles, and the rear half … Read more
In Depth Like so many early discovered dinosaurs Thecodontosaurus had more fossils assigned to it than it really warranted. This has led to a re-evaluation of the attributed material, and like so many other studies, has resulted in the reduction of total species to the point that only Thecodontosaurus antiquus is now universally recognised by … Read more
In Depth Berberosaurus will catch the eye of anyone interested in theropod dinosaurs because the genus may represent the oldest ceratosaur, though not everyone is in agreement. The original description of Berberosaurus came to the conclusion that Berberosaurus was an abelisauroid that was more advanced than genera such as Elaphrosaurus and Spinostropheus, though more primitive … Read more
In Depth Vallibonavenatrix is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in Spain during the early Cretaceous. As a spinosaurid, Vallibonavenatrix is expected to have been a predatory dinosaur, primarily hunting for aquatic creatures in the water systems of the time. Further Reading - A new spinosaurid theropod (Dinosauria: Megalosauroidea) from the late Barremian of … Read more
In Depth Mosasaurs appear to have been some of the most common marine reptiles around New Zealand towards the end of the Cretaceous, and at up to twelve meters long, Moanasaurus was towards the larger end of the mosasaur size scale. Given its large size it’s a safe bet that Moanasaurus would have been a … Read more
In Depth Tricleidus is but one of many cryptoclidid plesiosaurs active in European waters during the Jurassic, although it is not as well-known as the type genus of this group, Cryptoclidus. The type species name T. seeleyi is in honour of the British palaeontologist Harry Govier Seeley. Another species based upon American fossils once attributed … Read more
In Depth Parahongshanornis is a genus of primitive bird that lived in China during the early Cretaceous. The genus is noted for its similarity to another genus called Hongshanornis, hence the name Parahongshanornis which can be translated to English as ‘near Hongshanornis’. Further Reading - A new ornithurine bird (Hongshanornithidae) from the Jiufotang Formation of … Read more
In Depth Monkonosaurus is a dubious genus of stegosaur that lived in what is now Tibet during the late Jurassic. Monkonosaurus is considered to be dubious because only a few bones are known, and these may not be diagnostic enough to assign further fossil remains to. Further Reading - Phylogeny and Evolutionary Stages of Dinosauria. … Read more