In Depth Described from a single partially preserved skull, Alexandronectes was an elasmosaurid plesiosaur that swam in the waters around what is now New Zealand during the late Cretaceous. These were dangerous waters as fossils of large mosasaurs such as Taniwhasaurus are also known from the same formation as Alexandronectes, and these predators were certainly … Read more
In Depth The original 2012 paper of the plesiosaur Spitrasaurus included the description of not one but two species for the genus. The type species, S. wensaasi (PMO 219 718) is described from sixty articulated cervical vertebrae believed to have come from a juvenile individual. S. larseni (SVB 1450) is also known from cervical vertebrae, … Read more
Augustasaurus: Research Database Reptilia (Sauropterygia) · Middle Triassic (~245 MYA) · North America — USA, Nevada Research Note: Augustasaurus was a sauropterygian from the Middle Triassic of Nevada — significant for understanding the early evolutionary diversification of marine reptiles during the Triassic in North America. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact … Read more
In Depth Edgarosaurus seems to have been one of the first polycoylid plesiosaurs to swim in the late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway, a shallow sea that submerged much of central North American during the Cretaceous. Like its relatives, Edgarosaurus had a typical plesiosaur body but a short neck an elongated jaws, features reminiscent of the … Read more
Keichousaurus: Research Database Temnospondyli (Amphibia) · Middle Triassic (~240 MYA) · Asia — China (Guizhou Province) Research Note: Keichousaurus was a capitosaurid temnospondyl from the Middle Triassic of China — an important taxon for understanding temnospondyl evolution in the Triassic of Asia and the recovery after the Permian-Triassic extinction. Research Finding Status Grade … Read more
In Depth The type specimen of Megacephalosaurus was originally assigned to the Brachauchenius genus, leading to the idea that Brachauchenius was one of the biggest of its time. The removal of this skull has led to a size revision of Brachauchenius, and the establishment of a new genus, Megacephalosaurus. However this still means that there … Read more
Avalonnectes: Research Database Plesiosauria (Sauropterygia) · Early Jurassic (~195-190 MYA) · Europe — England (Blue Lias Formation) Research Note: Avalonnectes was a plesiosaur from the Early Jurassic of England — a near-plesiosauroid and an important taxon for understanding early plesiosaur evolution. Research Finding Status Grade Year Method Citation Impact Vincent & Bardet 2007: … Read more
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 Paludidraco is a genus of nothosaur known to have lived in Western European waters of the late Triasssic period. Paludidraco is thought to have been similar to the Simosaurus genus, yet while Simosaurus is thought to have been an active predator, the markedly different dentition of Paludidraco suggest a different lifestyle. The jaws … Read more