|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 19, 2024 3:53:49 GMT
Today's entry is a marine reptile from Cuba: Name: GallardosaurusPronunciation: Gal-lard-o-sore-us Meaning of name: "Gallard's lizard", after the farmer who discovered its fossils. Species: G. iturraldeiSize: Unknown due to a lack of fossils. Family: Pliosauridae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known only from the partial skull of what's believed to be a juvenile discovered by Juan Gallardo in the Jagua Formation of northwestern Cuba in 1946. Named by Argentine palaeontologist, Zulma Nélida Brandoni de Gasparini, in 2009. Lived: 163.5 to 157.3 million years ago during the Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now northwestern Cuba. Artist's impression of Gallardosaurus
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 20, 2024 6:09:51 GMT
Name: GermanodactylusPronunciation: Ger-man-oh-dack-ty-lus Meaning of name: "German finger" Species: G. cristatusWingspan: 1 metre. Weighed between 1 and 2kgs. Family: Germanodactylidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, the first of which was discovered in the Solnhofen limestone of southeastern Germany (date of discovery uncertain). Named by Yang Zhongjian in 1964. Was originally thought to be a species of Pterodactylus. Lived: 152.1 to 145 million years ago during the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic in what is now southeastern Germany.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 21, 2024 3:45:54 GMT
Name: KaiwhekeaPronunciation: Kie-whek-e-ah Meaning of name: "Squid eater" Species: K. katikiSize: Measured between 6 and 7 metres long. Weighed between 1 and 2 metric tonnes. Family: Leptocleididae Diet: Fish and squid First fossils found: Known from a single, almost complete skeleton discovered in the Katiki Formation of the South Island of New Zealand in 2002. Named in the same year by Arthur Cruickshank and Ewan Fordyce. Lived: 70 to 69 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the oceans and shallow seas that surrounded and once covered what is now the South Island of New Zealand. At this time, Cryptoclidid plesiosaurs, such as Kaiwhekea, were very rare.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 22, 2024 11:08:30 GMT
Name: WestphaliasaurusPronunciation: West-fa-lee-ah-sore-us Meaning of name: "Westphalian lizard", after the region of northwestern Germany where its fossils were discovered. Species: W. simonsensiiSize: Estimated to have measured around 4.5 metres long. Weight uncertain. Family: Plesiosauridae Diet: Unknown. Possible piscivore. First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost-complete skeleton discovered by amateur paleontologist, Sönke Simonsen, in northwestern Germany in 2007. Named by Leonie Schwermann and Martin Sander in 2011. Lived: 190.8 to 182.7 million years ago during the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic in the warm oceans that once covered what is now northwestern Germany.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 23, 2024 7:34:25 GMT
Name: OrientognathusPronunciation: Or-e-en-tog-nay-thus Meaning of name: "Oriental jaw" Species: O. chaoyangensisWingspan: Estimated to have measured around 1 metre. Family: Rhamphorhynchidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from a single, almost complete skeleton discovered in the Tuchengzi Formation of northeast China (date of discovery uncertain). Named by J. Lu, H. Pu, X. Wei, H. Chang and M. Kundrat in 2015. Lived: 150 million years ago during the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic in what is now northeast China.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 24, 2024 4:38:28 GMT
Name: ClidastesPronunciation: Klee-das-teez Meaning of name: "Locked vertebrae" Species: C. propython, C. iguanavusSize: Average length of between 2 and 4 metres. Largest known specimen measures 6.2 metres. Weight uncertain. Family: Mosasauridae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, the first of which were discovered by American palaeontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, in Alabama in 1869. Both species named by Mr. Cope in the same year. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 89.8 and 72.1 from the Coniacian stage through to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now the southern United States.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 25, 2024 2:54:22 GMT
Name: PannoniasaurusPronunciation: Pan-no-ne-ah-sore-us Meaning of name: "Hungarian lizard" Species: P. inexpectatusSize: 6 metres long and weighed between 2 and 5 metric tonnes. Family: Tethysaurinae (a sub-family of Mosasauridae) Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from a single, almost-complete skeleton discovered in the Csehbánya Formation of western Hungary in 1999. Named by L. Makádi, M. W. Caldwell and A. Osi in 2012. Unlike other mosasaurs, which were marine predators, Pannoniasaurus lived in freshwater. Lived: 86.3 to 83.6 million years ago during the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now western Hungary.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 26, 2024 4:22:39 GMT
Name: BrachaucheniusPronunciation: Brak-ow-ken-ee-us Meaning of name: "Short neck" Species: B. lucasiSize: Estimated to have measured around 4 metres long and weighing up to 9 metric tonnes. Family: Pliosauridae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from skulls, lower jaws and vertebrae. First discovered by American palaeontologist, Charles Hazelius Sternberg, in Kansas in 1884. Named by American palaeontologist, Samuel Wendell Williston in 1903. Lived: 100.5 to 89.3 million years ago during the Cenomanian and Turonian stages of the Late Cretaceous in the Western Interior Seaway which once covered parts of what is now the western, south-central, midwestern and southwestern United States.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 27, 2024 5:36:57 GMT
Name: HimalayasaurusPronunciation: Him-ah-lay-ah-sore-us Meaning of name: "Himalaya lizard" Species: H. tibetensisSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils, but is estimated to have measured around 15 metres long. Family: Shastasauridae Diet: Uncertain. Possible carnivore/piscivore. First fossils found: Known only from a single, fragmentary skeleton discovered in the Qulonggongba Formation of Tibet (date of discovery uncertain). Named by Chinese palaeontologist, Dong Zhiming, in 1972. Lived: 215 to 212 million years ago during the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now Tibet.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 28, 2024 3:34:29 GMT
Name: HydrotherosaurusPronunciation: Hy-dro-ther-roe-sore-us Meaning of name: "Water beast lizard" Species: H. alexandraeSize: Estimated to have measured between 7 and 13 metres long and weighing around 2 metric tonnes. Family: Elasmosauridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost-complete skeleton discovered in the Moreno Formation of California in 1943. Named in the same year by American palaeontologist, Samuel Paul Welles. Lived: 72.1 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the Western Interior Seaway which once covered parts of what is now the western, south-central, midwestern and southwestern United States. May also have lived in what is now the Pacific ocean.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 28, 2024 22:04:03 GMT
Name: NoripterusPronunciation: No-rip-teh-rus Meaning of name: "Lake wing" Species: N. complicidensWingspan: Estimated to have measured around 4 metres. Family: Dsungaripteridae Diet: Shellfish First fossils found: Known from many specimens, including an almost-complete skeleton, discovered in the Lianmuqin Formation of western China and the Tsagan Tsab Formation of western Mongolia. Named by Chinese palaeontologist, Yang Zhongjian, in 1973. Lived: 140 million years ago during the Berriasian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now western China and western Mongolia.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Feb 29, 2024 21:32:30 GMT
Name: TethysaurusPronunciation: Teh-thee-sore-us Meaning of name: "Tethys lizard", after the Greek goddess of the sea. Species: T. nopscaiSize: 3 metres long. Weight uncertain. Family: Russellosaurinae (a sub-family of Mosasauridae) Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost complete skeleton discovered in Errachidia Province, Morocco, North Africa (date of discovery uncertain). Named by Nathalie Bardet, Xabier Pereda Suberbiola and Nour-Eddine Jalil in 2003. Lived: 93.9 to 89.8 million years ago during the Turonian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the warm oceans that once covered what is now Morocco, North Africa. T. nopscai jawbone
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Mar 2, 2024 3:54:51 GMT
Name: ZarafasauraPronunciation: Zaa-rah-fa-sore-ra Meaning of name: "Giraffe lizard" Species: Z. oceanisSize: Estimated to have measured around 7 metres long. Weight uncertain. Family: Elasmosauridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Previously known only from a single, partial skull discovered in the Ouled Abdoun Basin of Morocco, North Africa, in 2011. Named in the same year by Peggy Vincent, Nathalie Bardet, Xabier Pereda Suberbiola, Baâdi Bouya, Mbarek Amaghzaz and Saïd Meslouh. Since this first discovery, a more complete specimen has been found. Lived: 72.1 to 66 million years ago during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now North Africa. Artist's impression of Zarafasaura chasing fish.
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Mar 3, 2024 4:08:55 GMT
Name: KimmerosaurusPronunciation: Kim-mer-oh-sore-us Meaning of name: "Kimmeridge lizard", after the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of southern and eastern England where its fossils were discovered. Species: K. langhami Size: Unknown due to a lack of fossils. Family: Cryptoclididae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a skull and some neck vertebrae discovered in the Kimmeridge Clay Formation near the town of Kimmeridge in Dorset, southwest England, in 1981. Named in the same year by D. S. Brown. Lived: 157.3 to 152.1 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic in the warm oceans that once covered what is now southwest England.
Artist's impression of Kimmerosaurus
|
|
|
Post by Talira Greycrest on Mar 4, 2024 5:00:53 GMT
Name: LusonectesPronunciation: Lu-so-nek-teez Meaning of name: "Portuguese swimmer" Species: L. sauvageiSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Plesiosauridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a partial skull discovered by French palaeontologist, Henri Émile Sauvage, in the São Gião Formation of northern Portugal sometime during the 19th century. Named by Adam S. Smith, Ricardo Araújo and Octávio Mateus in 2011. Lived: 182.7 to 174.1 million years ago during the Toarcian stage of the Early Jurassic in the warm oceans that once covered what is now northern Portugal. Lusonectes skull photos/drawings
|
|