Pronunciation: Kan-eh-my-air-ee-ah Meaning of name: "From Kanne". Species: K. simocephalus, K. aganosteus, K. lophorhinus. Size: 3 metres long, 1.5 metres tall and weighing around 300kgs. Family: Kannemeyeriidae. Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in Africa and South America. K. simocephalus named by British palaeontologist, Harry Govier Seeley, in 1908. K. lophorhinus named in 2003. K. aganosteus named in 2021. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 247.2 and 242 million years ago during the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic in what is now Africa and South America.
Pronunciation: Ar-jen-tay-vis Meaning of name: "Argentina bird". Species: A. magnificens Wingspan: Estimated to have measured between 5.5 and 6.5 metres and weighing around 72kgs, making it one of the largest-known flying birds (twice the size of a Wandering Albatross). Family: Teratornithidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several partial skeletons discovered in the Epecuén and Andalhualá Formations of northwestern and central Argentina. Named by K. C. Campbell and E. C. Tonni in 1980. Lived: 9 to 6.8 million years ago during the Tortonian and Messinian stages of the Late Miocene in what is now northwestern and central Argentina.
Pronunciation: Die-ick-toe-don Meaning of name: "Two weasel teeth". Species: D. feliceps, however, it's possible there may be other species. Size: 45cm long and weighing around 3.6kgs Family: Pylaecephalidae Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in South Africa, many of which have been found inside elaborate spiral-shaped burrows. Named by English palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1876. Lived: 255 million years ago during the Wuchiapingian stage of the Late Permian in what is now South Africa.
Pronunciation: Ol-e-go-ky-fus Meaning of name: "Small curved animal". Species: O. triserialis, O. lufengensis, O. major Size: Depending on species, measured between 30 and 50cm. Family: Tritylodontidae. Diet: Carnivore/insectivore First fossils found: Known from several partial specimens discovered in China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the southwestern United States. O. triserialis named by E. Hennig in 1922. O. major named in 1956. O. lufengensis named in 1993. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 208.5 to 182.7 million years ago from the Rhaetian stage of the Late Triassic to the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic in what is now China, the southwestern United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Today's entry is a really weird-looking prehistoric marine worm: Hallucigenia
Pronunciation: Hal-lu-see-gen-ee-a Meaning of name: "Wandering of the mind", after its bizarre appearance. Species: H. sparsa, H. fortis, H. hongmeia Size: Depending on species, measured between 0.5 and 5.5cm Family: Hallucigeniidae Diet: Detritivore (fed on dead organic material) First fossils found: Known from more than 100 specimens discovered in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia, Canada, and the Maotianshan Shale of Yunnan Province, southwest China. H. sparsa named by Simon Conway Morris in 1977. H. fortis named in 1995. H. hongmeia named in 2012. Hallucigenia is recognized as a Lobopodian worm and is believed to be a possible ancestor of today's Velvet worm. Depending on species, it had either seven or eight pairs of clawed legs and seven pairs of spines on its back. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 520 and 505 million years ago from the as yet unnamed third stage of the Early Cambrian through to the Wuliuan stage of the Middle Cambrian in the oceans that once covered what is now southwest China and western Canada.
Here's today's entry, the world's largest-known bivalve clam: Inoceramus
Pronunciation: In-o-cer-a-mus Meaning of name: "Strong pot". Species: I. aequicostatus, I. albertensis, I. altifluminis, I. americanus, I. andinus, I. anglicus, I. anilis, I. anomalus, I. anomiaeformis, I. apicalis, I. arvanus, I. bellvuensis, I. biformis, I. brownei, I. carsoni, I. comancheanus, I. constellatus, I. corpulentus, I. coulthardi, I. cuvieri, I. dakotensis, I. dominguesi, I. dowlingi, I. dunveganensis, I. elburzensis, I. everesti, I. fibrosus, I. formosulus, I. fragilis, I. frechi, I. galoi, I. gibbosus, I. ginterensis, I. glacierensis, I. haast, I. howelli, I. incelebratus, I. inconditus, I. kystatymensis, I. lamarcki, I. lateris, I. mesabiensis, I. morii, I. multiformis, I. mytiliformis, I. nipponicus, I. perplexus, I. pictus, I. pontoni, I. porrectus, I. prefragilis, I. proximus, I. pseudolucifer, I. quenstedti, I. robertsoni, I. saskatchewanensis, I. selwyni, I. sokolovi, I. steinmanni, I. subdepressus, I. tenuirostratus, I. triangularis, I. undabundus, I. ussuriensis Size: Largest specimens measured up to 1.87 metres. Family: Inoceramidae. Diet: Filter-feeder First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered worldwide. First known species, I. cuvieri, named by English naturalist, James Sowerby, in 1814. Known locations of Inoceramus discoveries: Vancouver Island, Spain, France, Germany, Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Antarctica, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greenland, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Madagascar, Mexico, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia and Montenegro, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Kingdom, the United States and South America. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 189.6 and 66 million years ago from the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in oceans worldwide.
Pronunciation: No-tho-sore-us Meaning of name: "False lizard". Species: N. mirabilis, N. cristatus, N. cymatosauroides, N. edingerae, N. giganteus, N. haasi, N. jagisteus, N. marchicus, N. tchernovi, N. yangjuanensis, N. zhangi. Size: Depending on species, measured between 4 and 7 metres. Family: Nothosauridae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in China, North Africa and Europe. N. giganteus and N. mirabilis named in 1834. N. marchicus named in 1893. N. edingerae named in 1970. N. tchernovi named in 1980. N. cymatosauroides named in 1983. N. haasi named in 1997. N. jagisteus named in 2001. N. yangjuanensis named in 2006. N. zhangi named in 2014. N. cristatus named in 2019. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 240 and 210 million years ago from the Ladinian stage of the Middle Triassic through to the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in the oceans that once covered what is now China, Europe and North Africa.
Pronunciation: Lim-no-fre-gah-tah Meaning of name: "Freshwater frigatebird". Species: L. azygosternon, L. hasegawai, L. hutchisoni Wingspan: Depending on species, measured between 100 and 120cm. Family: Fregatidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from several skeletons discovered in the Green River Formation of Wyoming, some of which are almost complete and have feather impressions. L. azygosternon named by American ornithologist, Storrs Lovejoy Olson, in 1977. L. hasegawai named in 2005. L. hutchisoni named by T. A. Stidham in 2015. Lived: 55.8 to 50.3 million years ago during the Ypresian stage of the Early Eocene in what is now the Mountain West region of the United States.
L. azygosternon fossil at the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.
Today's entry is a prehistoric Trapdoor spider: Electrocteniza
Pronunciation: E-lek-tro-ten-ne-zah Meaning of name: "Amber cteniza". Species: E. sadilenkoi Size: 5.88 millimetres Family: Ctenizidae Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known only from a single specimen (thought to be male) preserved in clear amber, discovered on the Baltic coast of Russia. Named by Kirill Y. Eskov and Sergie L. Zonstein in 2000. Lived: 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago during the Priabonian stage of the Late Eocene in what is now the Baltic sea region of Russia.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find any pics of this ancient spider.
Pronunciation: Tie-tan-ick-thiss Meaning of name: "Titan fish". Species: T. agassizi, though it's possible there may be other species. Size: Estimated to have measured between 8 and 10 metres long. Weight uncertain. Family: Titanichthyidae. Diet: Filter-feeder First fossils found: Known mostly from fragmentary specimens discovered in Poland and North Africa. Named by John Strong Newberry in 1885. Lived: 372.2 to 358.9 million years ago during the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian in the oceans that once covered what is now Poland and North Africa.
Here's today's entry, a cute little teeny-tiny frog: Prosalirus
Pronunciation: Pro-say-le-rus Meaning of name: "Leap forward". Species: P. bitus Size: 5cm long. Family: Prosaliridae Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known only from three specimens discovered in the Kayenta Formation of Arizona. Named by Neil H. Shubin and Farish A. Jenkins in 1995. Prosalirus is the earliest true frog and one of the earliest frogs known to have be able to jump. Lived: 190 million years ago during the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic in what is now the western United States.
Pronunciation: Hy-bo-dus Meaning of name: "Humped tooth". Species: H. houtienensis, H. obtusus, H. fraasi, H. acutus, though it's possible there may be more. Size: 2 metres long and weighing around 90kgs Family: Hybodontidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from body imprints, teeth and dorsal spines. H. acutus named by Swiss-born American biologist and geologist, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, in 1837. H. obtusus named in 1843. H. fraasi named in 1900. H. houtienensis named in 1940. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 254.14 and 66 million years ago from the Changhsingian stage of the Late Permian through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in shallow seas worldwide.
Here's today's entry, a Placoderm (armoured fish) from the Devonian: Eastmanosteus
Pronunciation: East-man-oh-stee-us Meaning of name: "Eastman's bone". Species: E. pustulosus, E. calliaspis, E. licharevi, E. lundarensis, E. magnificus, E. yunnanensis Size: Depending on species, measured between 1.5 and 3 metres long. Family: Dinichthyidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from traces of soft tissue and several specimens of the bony exoskeleton. E. magnificus named in 1918. E. licharevi named in 1956. E.pustulosus originally named as a species of Dinichthys in 1897 before being re-named by D. V. Obruchev in 1964. E. yunnanensis named in 1982. E. calliaspis named in 1987. E. lundarensis named in 1996. Discovery sites include Australia, Canada, China, Iran, Poland, Russia and the United States. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 387.7 and 358.9 million years ago from the Givetian stage of the Middle Devonian through to the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian in oceans worldwide.
E. calliaspis skull on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York
Pronunciation: Ah-ree-zo-nah-sore-us Meaning of name: "Arizona lizard". Species: A. babbitti Size: 3 metres long and weighing around 227kgs. Family: Ctenosauriscidae. Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from two specimens, one of which is almost complete, discovered in the Moenkopi Formation of northern Arizona. First discovered in 1947. Named in the same year by American palaeontologist, Samuel Paul Welles. Lived: 243 million years ago during the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic in what is now the western United States.