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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 21, 2024 9:02:15 GMT
Name: ZhenyuanopterusPronunciation: Zen-you-an-op-teh-rus Meaning of name: "Zhenyuan's wing", after Sun Zhenyuan, who provided Chinese palaeontologist, Lü Junchang, with its fossils. Species: Z. longirostrisWingspan: Estimated to have measured between 3 and 4 metres. Family: Boreopteridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, almost complete skull and skeleton discovered in the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Named by Chinese palaeontologist, Lü Junchang, in 2010. Lived: 130 to 124.6 million years ago during the Hauterivian and Barremian stages of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern China. Artist's impression of Zhenyuanopterus catching fish.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 23, 2024 8:02:25 GMT
Name: PeloneustesPronunciation: Peh-low-newsts/Peh-low-ne-usts Meaning of name: "Mud swimmer" Species: P. philarchusSize: Estimated to have measured between 3 and 4 metres. Family: Pliosauridae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens discovered in the Oxford Clay Formation of southeast England sometime during the late 19th century. Named by English author, naturalist and geologist, Richard Lydekker, in 1889. Was originally thought to be a species of either Pliosaurus or Rhomaleosaurus. Lived: 166.1 to 163.5 million years ago during the Bathonian and Callovian stages of the Middle Jurassic in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered parts of what is now southeast England. Peloneustes skull
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 24, 2024 11:03:29 GMT
Name: WenupteryxPronunciation: When-up-teh-ricks Meaning of name: "Sky wing" Species: W. uziWingspan: Estimated to have measured around 1 metre. Family: Uncertain Diet: Uncertain. Possible piscivore. First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton (missing the skull) discovered in the Vaca Muerta Formation of northern Patagonia, Argentina. Named by palaeontologists, Laura Codorniú and Zulma Gasparini, in 2013. Lived: 150 to 146 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian stages of the Late Jurassic in what is now northern Patagonia, Argentina. ![](https://pteros-img.imgix.net/wenupteryx_julio-lacerda.png?w=2000&fm=jpg&auto=compress)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 25, 2024 8:42:43 GMT
Name: OrnithostomaPronunciation: Or-nith-oh-stow-mah Meaning of name: "Bird mouth", in reference to its toothless beak. Species: O. sedgwickiWingspan: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Uncertain Diet: Uncertain. Possible piscivore. First fossils found: Known only from fragmentary fossils discovered in the Cambridge Greensand Formation of eastern England. Was originally named as a species of Pterodactylus by English palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1859, before being renamed as a species of Ornithocheirus by British palaeontologist, Harry Govier Seeley, in 1869. Mr. Seeley eventually recognized the fossils as belonging to a new genus and named them Ornithostoma in 1891. Lived: 110 million years ago during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now eastern England. ![](https://pteros-img.imgix.net/ornithostoma_nathan-e-rogers.png?w=2000&fm=jpg&auto=compress)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 26, 2024 10:10:37 GMT
Name: GladocephaloideusPronunciation: Glad-oh-sef-ah-loy-dee-us Meaning of name: "Sword-headed form", in reference to its elongated skull. Species: G. jingangshanensisWingspan: Full adult wingspan uncertain as the only known fossils belong to juveniles. Family: Ctenochasmatidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from two juvenile skeletons, one of which is almost complete, discovered in the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Named by palaeontologists, Lü Junchang, Ji Qiang, Wei Xuefang and Liu Yongqing in 2012. Lived: 121 million years ago during the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern China. Artist's impression of Gladocephaloideus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 27, 2024 9:23:28 GMT
Name: KeresdrakonPronunciation: Keh-res-dray-kon Meaning of name: "Keres' dragon", after the female death-spirits in Greek mythology. Species: K. vilsoniWingspan: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Uncertain Diet: Uncertain First fossils found: Known only from a partial skull and partial skeleton discovered by Alexandre Dobruski and his son, João, in the Goio-Erê Formation of southern Brazil, in 1971. Named by palaeontologists, Alexander W. A. Kellner, Luiz Carlos Weinschütz, Borja Holgado, Renan Alfredo Machado Bantim and Juliana Manso Sayão in 2019. Lived: 125 to 100.5 million years ago from the Barremian stage through to the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now southern Brazil. ![](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/8e0657fd-321b-49fe-941e-c71ef10a532b/dfx0cgr-51ade500-c9a9-4a6e-bdca-536b3082e4d3.png/v1/fill/w_1032,h_774,q_70,strp/keresdrakon_by_cisiopurple_dfx0cgr-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.pl_FJbRzgzD6gg95JiHwXT-GkYXge0uWgBYuoMJfiNQ)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 28, 2024 8:35:28 GMT
Today's entry is the largest known turtle: Name: ArchelonPronunciation: Are-key-lon Meaning of name: "First turtle" or "Ruling turtle" Species: A. ischyrosSize: 4.6 metres long and weighing between 2 and 3 metric tonnes. Family: Protostegidae Diet: Is thought to have fed on various prey including fish, squid, crustaceans, nautiloids, jellyfish, mollusks and sea sponges. First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens discovered in the Pierre Shale of South Dakota, Kansas and North Dakota. First discovered by American palaeontologist, George Reber Wieland, in 1895. Named by Mr. Wieland in 1896. Unlike most modern sea turtles, Archelon had a leathery carapace instead of a hard shell. Lived: 80.21 to 74.21 million years ago during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the Western Interior Seaway which once covered parts of what is now Canada and the western, south-central, midwestern and southwestern United States. Artist's impression of Archelon
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 29, 2024 10:34:47 GMT
Name: LonchodectesPronunciation: Lon-cho-dek-teez Meaning of name: "Lance biter" Species: L. compressirostrisWingspan: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils, but is estimated to have measured around 2 metres. Family: Lonchodectidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from partial fossils, including several jaw fragments, discovered in England. Was originally named as a species of Pterodactylus by English palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1851, before being renamed as a species of Ornithocheirus by British palaeontologist, Harry Govier Seeley, in 1870. Eventually recognized as a new genus and named Lonchodectes by amateur palaeontologist, Reginald Walter Hooley, in 1914. Lived: 94 million years ago during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now England. ![](https://pteros-img.imgix.net/lonchodectes_franz-anthony.png?w=1000&fm=jpg&auto=compress)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 30, 2024 10:47:31 GMT
Name: TanystropheusPronunciation: Tan-is-tro-fee-us Meaning of name: "Long hinged" or "Long strap" Species: T. longobardicus, T. hydroidesSize: T. longobardicus estimated to have measured around 2 metres long, T. hydroides estimated to have measured between 5 and 6 metres long. Family: Tanystropheidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, including complete skeletons, discovered in Europe, Asia and the United States. T. longobardicus named by Italian geologist and palaeontologist, Francesco Bassani, in 1886. T. hydroides named by Stephan N. F. Spiekman in 2020. The most distinctive feature of this animal is its neck which was as long as the rest of the body and tail combined. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 247 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 Europe, Asia and the United States. Artist's impression of T. longobardicus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on May 31, 2024 10:53:08 GMT
Name: BrasileodactylusPronunciation: Bra-sil-ee-oh-dak-tie-lus Meaning of name: "Pterosaur finger" Species: B. araripensisWingspan: Estimated to have measured up to 4 metres Family: Uncertain. Possibly either Ornithocheiridae or Anhangueridae. Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens, including an almost complete skull, discovered in the Santana Formation of northeastern Brazil. Named by Brazilian palaeontologist, Alexander W. A. Kellner, in 1984. Lived: 112 million years ago during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern Brazil. ![](https://pteros-img.imgix.net/brasileodactylus_julio-lacerda.png?w=2000&fm=jpg&auto=compress)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jun 13, 2024 10:19:39 GMT
A new pterosaur species discovered in Australia: Name: HaliskiaPronunciation: Ha-lis-kee-ah Meaning of name: "Sea phantom" Species: H. peterseniWingspan: Estimated to have measured around 4.6 metres Family: Anhangueridae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skull and skeleton discovered in the Toolebuc Formation of central western Queensland, Australia, in 2021. Named by palaeontologists A. H. Pentland, S. F. Poropat, R. J. Duncan, A. W. A. Kellner, R. A. M. Bantim, J. J. Bevitt, A. M. Tait and K. Grice in 2024. Currently, Haliskia represents the most complete pterosaur discovered in Australia. Lived: 100 million years ago during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous in what is now Queensland, Australia. Artist's impression of Haliskia
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jul 4, 2024 9:26:18 GMT
Name: ArdeadactylusPronunciation: Ar-dee-ah-dak-ty-lus Meaning of name: "Heron finger", from 'Ardea', a genus of herons. Species: A. longicollumWingspan: 1.45 metres Family: Aurorazhdarchidae Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Originally known from six specimens discovered in the Solnhofen Limestone of Bavaria, southern Germany. However, only two specimens still exist as the others were destroyed during bombings in World War Two. Originally named as a species of Pterodactylus by German palaeontologist, Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer, in 1854, before being recognized as a new genus and named Ardeadactylus by S. C. Bennett in 2013. Lived: 152 million years ago during the Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic in what is now southern Germany. ![](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/8e0657fd-321b-49fe-941e-c71ef10a532b/dfl2b2q-ee965182-c4f7-4e76-a128-9f672aa0e171.png/v1/fill/w_1032,h_774,q_70,strp/ardeadactylus_by_cisiopurple_dfl2b2q-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.STnzCWYyYnaPtii_P5GvrKtbczqBEIzgVD1Yr_fVsUY)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jul 17, 2024 10:13:44 GMT
Name: Yixianopterus Pronunciation: Yee-zee-an-op-teh-rus Meaning of name: "Yixian wing", after the rock formation where its fossils were discovered. Species: Y. jingangshanensisWingspan: 1.8 metres Family: Uncertain Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a single, partial skeleton including a foot, skull fragments, teeth and the wings, discovered in the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Named by Lü Junchang and colleagues in 2006. Lived: 124.6 million years ago during the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern China. ![](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/8e0657fd-321b-49fe-941e-c71ef10a532b/dfzm3u4-5e8bc3cf-c4ab-4f31-8c08-53c7d8d59a49.png/v1/fill/w_1032,h_774,q_70,strp/yixianopterus_by_cisiopurple_dfzm3u4-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.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.0yV49dHPVQaSEv2Qr9kzEbE8bHpxCmkILJit6qKDNJM)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jul 24, 2024 8:49:40 GMT
Name: Moganopterus Pronunciation: Mow-gan-op-teh-rus Meaning of name: "Gan Jiang and Mo Ye wing", after the legendary sword couple, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, in reference to its blade-like jaws. Species: M. zhuianaWingspan: Was originally thought to have a wingspan of 7 metres. This has now been reduced to 3.5 metres. Family: Moganopterinae (a subfamily of Ctenochasmatidae) Diet: Filter-feeder First fossils found: Known only from an almost complete skull with lower jaws and some neck vertebrae discovered in the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. Named by Chinese palaeontologists, Lü Junchang, Pu Hanyong, Xu Li, Wu Yanhua and Wei Xuefang, in 2012. Lived: 124.5 million years ago during the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous in what is now northeastern China. ![](https://pteros-img.imgix.net/moganopterus_joschua-knueppe.png?w=2000&fm=jpg&auto=compress)
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Jul 25, 2024 11:08:16 GMT
Name: Kourisodon Pronunciation: Core-riss-oh-don Meaning of name: "Razor tooth" Species: K. puntledgensisSize: Estimated to have measured around 3.75 metres long. Family: Mosasaurinae (a subfamily of Mosasauridae) Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known only from two skeletons, the first of which was discovered in the Pender Formation of British Columbia, western Canada. Named by E. L. Nicholls and D. Meckert in 2002. Second fragmentary skeleton discovered in Shikoku Island, southern Japan in 2005. Lived: 84 to 66 million years ago from the Santonian stage through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered parts of what is now southern Japan and western Canada. Artist's impression of Kourisodon
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