Pronunciation: An-co-nas-teez Meaning of name: "Mountain dweller". Species: A. vesperus Size: Measured around 50cm long. Family: Trematopidae. Diet: Insectivore/carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known only from two partial skeletons discovered in the Cutler Formation of New Mexico (date of discovery uncertain). Named by David S Berman, Robert R. Reisz and David A. Eberth in 1987. Lived: 305.9 to 298.9 million years ago during the Gzhelian stage of the Late Carboniferous in what is now the southwestern United States.
Pronunciation: Foe-be-rom-mis Meaning of name: "Fear mouse". Species: P. burmeisteri, P. pattersoni Size: Depending on species, measured up to 3 metres long, 1.5 metres tall and weighing up to 700kgs. Family: Dinomyidae. Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known only from a small number of specimens, including one almost-complete skeleton, discovered in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela. P.burmeisteri named in 1891. P. pattersoni named in 1980. Lived: 9 to 6.8 million years ago during the Tortonian and Messinian stages of the Late Miocene in what is now Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Peru.
Today's entry is a small amphibian with a very weird-looking head: Diplocaulus
Pronunciation: Dip-low-caw-lus Meaning of name: "Double stalk". Species: D. salamandroides, D. magnicornis, D. brevirostris, D. recurvatus, D. minimus Size: Measured around 1 metre long and weighing between 2 and 5kgs. Family: Keraterpetontidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, including at least one almost-complete skeleton, discovered in North Africa as well as the midwestern and the south-central United States. D. salamandroides named by American palaeontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, in 1877. D. magnicornis named in 1882. D. brevirostris named in 1951. D. recurvatus named in 1952. D. minimus named in 1988. The most unusual feature of this small amphibian is its boomerang-shaped head. Some palaeontologists have suggested the tabular horns acted as a hydrofoil, allowing the animal to swim through strong currents. The unusual shape of the head may also have stopped predators from swallowing the animal head-first. Lived: Depending on species, lived from 303.7 to 290.1 million years ago from the Gzhelian stage of the Late Carboniferous through to the Sakmarian stage of the Early Permian in what is now North Africa and the midwestern and south-central United States.
Pronunciation: Hy-lo-no-mus Meaning of name: "Forest dweller". Species: H. lyelli Size: Measured between 20 and 30cm long. Weight uncertain. Family: Protorothyrididae. Diet: Carnivore/insectivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, some of which were found inside fossilized tree stumps. Named by Canadian geologist, John William Dawson, in 1860. Hylonomus is the earliest-known reptile. Lived: 323.2 to 315.2 million years ago during the Bashkirian stage of the Late Carboniferous in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada.
Pronunciation: Lon-ge-skwar-mah Meaning of name: "Long scales", in reference to the peculiar appendages that run along its back. Species: L. insignis Size: Estimated to have measured around 15cm. Family: Uncertain. Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known from six partial specimens, only one of which preserves the distinctive structures along the back. It was originally thought that these structures were arranged in a pair and used like wings, allowing Longisquama to glide through the treetops. It's now believed there was only one set and they were most likely used for sexual display. Named by A. G. Sharov in 1970. Discovered in the Madygen Formation of western Kyrgyzstan. Lived: 240 to 230 million years ago from the Ladinian stage of the Middle Triassic through to the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now western Kyrgyzstan.
Pronunciation: Kay-chow-sore-us Meaning of name: "Keichow lizard", from the alternative name for Guizhou Province, southwest China, where its fossils were first discovered. Species: K. hui, K. yuananensis Size: Between 15 and 30cm. Family: Keichousauridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from hundreds of specimens, some of which are almost-complete, making them very popular with collectors. First discovered in Guizhou Province, southwest China, in 1957. K. hui named by Chinese palaeontologist, Yang Zhongjian, in 1958. K. yuananensis named in 1965. Due to its appearance, some have speculated it may have been either a direct ancestor or a representative of an ancestral form that led to the evolution of the giant plesiosaurs. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 242 and 235 million years ago from the Anisian stage of the Middle Triassic through to the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now southwest China.
Pronunciation: Ru-sing-ah-seh-ross Meaning of name: "Rusinga horn", after Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya, East Africa, where its fossils were discovered. Species: R. leakeyi Size: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Rhinocerotidae Diet: Herbivore. Likely fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known only from teeth and partial skulls discovered in the Kulu Formation of Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya, East Africa. Named by Denis Geraads in 2010. Was originally thought to be a species of Dicerorhinus. Lived: 17.5 million years ago during the Burdigalian stage of the Early Miocene in what is now Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya, East Africa.
Pronunciation: Thee-oh-so-don Meaning of name: "God tooth". Species: T. arozquetai, T. fontanae,T. karaikensis T. garretorum, T. gracilis, T. lallemanti, T. lydekkeri, T. patagonicum Size: Depending on species, measured up to 2 metres long, between 1.5 and 2.5 metres tall and weighing up to 170kgs. Family: Macraucheniidae Diet: Herbivore. Likely fed on both high and low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in Chile and Argentina. T. lydekkeri named in 1887. T. fontanae,T. gracilis, T. patagonicum and T. lallemanti named in 1891. T. karaikensis named in 1904. T. garretorum named in 1910. T.arozquetai named in 2018. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 23.03 and 11.63 million years ago from the Aquitanian stage of the Early Miocene through to the Serravallian stage of the Middle Miocene in what is now Chile and Argentina.
Pronunciation: Noor-ah-lay-gus Meaning of name: "Minorcan hare". Also known as the Minorcan giant rabbit. Species: N. rex Size: 90cm long and weighed up to 23kgs. Family: Leporidae Diet: Herbivore. Fed on low-growing vegetation. First fossils found: Known from several partial specimens discovered on the island of Minorca. Named by J. Quintana, M. Köhler and S. Moyà-Solà in 2011. Lived: 5 to 3 million years ago from the Messinian stage of the Late Miocene through to the Piacenzian stage of the Late Pliocene on what is now the island of Minorca.
Pronunciation: Sar-ko-su-kus Meaning of name: "Flesh crocodile". Species: S. imperator Size: 9.5 metres long and weighed around 4 metric tonnes. Family: Pholidosauridae Diet: Carnivore. First fossils found: Known from teeth, skulls and a single, partial skeleton. First discovered during several expeditions to the Sahara Desert from 1946 to 1959. First skull discovered in 1964. Named by France de Broin and Phillipe Taquet in 1966. Lived: 133 to 112 million years ago from the Hauterivian stage through to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now Niger, West Africa.
Sarcosuchus compared with other crocodilians including the modern saltwater croc.
Pronunciation: Va-ran-nops Meaning of name: "Varan face". Species: V. brevirostris Size: 1.2 metres long. Weight uncertain. Family: Varanopidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in the Garber Formation of Oklahoma and the Arroyo Formation of Texas. Named by American palaeontologist, Samuel Wendell Williston, in 1914. Was originally thought to be a species of Varanosaurus. Lived: 283.5 to 272.95 million years ago during the Kungurian stage of the Early Permian in what is now the south central United States.
Pronunciation: Jie-gan-toe-fiss Meaning of name: "Giant snake". Species: G. garstini Size: Estimated to have measured between 9.3 and 10.7 metres long and weighing 453.5kgs Family: Madstoiidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known mostly from vertebrae discovered in Egypt and Algeria. Named by British palaeontologist, Charles William Andrews, in 1901. For over 100 years, Gigantophis was the largest known snake, a title that has since been handed to Titanoboa. Lived: 40 million years ago during the Bartonian stage of the Middle Eocene in what is now Egypt and Algeria.
Pronunciation: Joo-rah-my-ah Meaning of name: "Jurassic mother". Species: J. sinensis Size: Estimated to have measured between 7 and 10cm long and weighing 15g. Family: Uncertain Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost-complete skeleton discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning Province, northeast China. Named by Zhe-Xi Luo, Chong-Xi Yuan, Qing-Jin Meng and Qiang Ji in 2011. The discovery of Juramaia has given palaeontologists new insight into the evolution of placental mammals by showing that their lineage diverged from that of the marsupials 35 million years earlier than previously thought. Lived: 160 million years ago during the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic in what is now northeast China.
Pronunciation: Leeds-ick-thiss Meaning of name: "Leed's fish", after amateur palaeontologist, Alfred Nicholson Leeds. Species: L. problematicus Size: Average length of between 9 and 10 metres, but may have grown to a length of 16 metres. Estimated to have weighed around 45 metric tonnes. Family: Pachycormidae Diet: Filter-feeder First fossils found: Known from more than 70 specimens discovered in Chile, France, Germany and England. First discovered sometime during the 19th century. Named by British palaeontologist, Arthur Smith Woodward, in 1889. Lived: 165 million years ago during the Callovian stage of the Middle Jurassic in the warm oceans that once covered what is now England, Chile, France and Germany.
Pronunciation: Ick-car-ro-sore-us Meaning of name: "Icarus lizard", after the son of the famous inventor, Daedalus, in Greek mythology. Species: I. siefkeri Size: 18cm long. Family: Kuehneosauridae Diet: Insectivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton discovered by Alfred Siefker in the Lockatong Formation of New Jersey, in 1960. Named by American palaeontologist, Edwin Harris Colbert, in 1966. Icarosaurus had "wings" made from elongated ribs covered by skin. These membranes allowed it to glide through the trees in search of food. Lived: 221.5 to 208.5 million years ago during the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in what is now the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States.