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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 13, 2024 12:48:26 GMT
Name: Peradectes Pronunciation: Peh-rah-dek-teez Meaning of name: "Pouch biter", as it's thought to have been primarily carnivorous. Species: P. elegans, P. gulottai, P. louisi, P. minor, P. protinnominatusSize: Depending on species, measured between 30 and 40cm long and weighing up to 0.5kgs Family: Peradectidae Diet: Omnivore First fossils found: Known from fifteen specimens, including complete skeletons, discovered in western Canada, Bolivia, Germany, southern England and the western and southwestern United States. P. elegans named by W. Matthew and W. Granger in 1921. P. protinnominatus named in 1960. P. louisi named in 1979. P. minor named in 2006. P. gulottai named in 2010. Peradectes and its relatives may represent a primitive step in the evolution of opossums. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 66 and 47.8 million years ago from the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous through to the Ypresian stage of the Early Eocene in what is now western Canada, Bolivia, Germany, southern England and the western and southwestern United States. Complete Peradectes skeleton on display at the Naturmuseum Senckenberg, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 16, 2024 13:12:09 GMT
Name: Notiomastodon Pronunciation: No-tee-oh-mas-toe-don Meaning of name: "Southern mastodon" Species: N. platensisSize: Between 5.5 and 6.5 metres long, 3 metres tall and weighing between 3 and 4 metric tonnes (around the same size as modern Asian elephants). Family: Gomphotheriidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens, including mostly complete skeletons, discovered throughout South America. Named by Ángel Cabrera in 1929. Like modern elephants, Notiomastodon is thought to have lived in family groups, with adult males suggested to have had musth-like behaviour. Lived: 2.5 million to 11,000 years ago from the Gelasian stage of the Early Pleistocene through to the Greenlandian stage of the Early Holocene in what is now South America.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 17, 2024 9:47:55 GMT
Name: Gaiasia Pronunciation: Guy-ah-see-ah Meaning of name: Named after the rock formation in southern Africa where its fossils were discovered. Species: G. jennyaeSize: Estimated to have measured between 2.5 and 4 metres long. Family: Uncertain Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known from three specimens, including a partial skeleton with a crushed skull, discovered in the Gai-As Formation of southern Africa. Named by Claudia A. Marsicano, Jason D. Pardo, Roger M. H. Smith, Adriana C. Mancuso, Leandro C. Gaetano and Helke Mocke in 2024. Unlike most digit-bearing stem-tetrapods, which were extinct by the end of the Carboniferous, Gaiasia is one of the few that survived into the Permian. Lived: 280 million years ago during the Kungurian stage of the Early Permian in what is now southern Africa. Artist's impression of Gaiasia
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 18, 2024 10:50:36 GMT
Name: Bunostegos Pronunciation: Bun-oh-steg-os Meaning of name: "Knobbly roof", in reference to the bony knobs on its skull. Species: B. akokanensisSize: Estimated to have measured around 2.5 metres long and weighing between 600 and 630kgs. Family: Pareiasauridae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens, including several skulls, discovered in the Moradi Formation of Niger, West Africa, between 2003 and 2006. Named by palaeontologists, Christian A. Sidor, David C. Blackburn and Boubé Gado in 2003. Lived: 252 million years ago during the Changhsingian stage of the Late Permian in what is now Niger, West Africa.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 20, 2024 13:00:09 GMT
Name: Propalaeotherium Pronunciation: Pro-pay-lee-oh-thee-ree-um Meaning of name: "Before Palaeotherium" Species: P. argentonicum, P. hassiacum, P. helveticum, P. isselanum, P. sudrei, P. voigtiSize: Depending on species, measured around 1 metre long, between 0.3 and 0.6 metres tall and weighing 10kgs. Family: Palaeotheriidae Diet: Herbivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in France, Germany and China. P. isselanum named by French naturalist and zoologist, Georges Cuvier, in 1849. P argentonicum named in 1849. P. hassiacum named in 1925. P. helveticum named in 1965. P. voigti named in 1977. P. sudrei named in 2016. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 56 and 47.8 million years ago during the Ypresian stage of the Early Eocene in what is now France, Germany and China. Skeletal reconstruction of P. hassiacum
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 22, 2024 13:34:17 GMT
Name: AntarctaspisPronunciation: An-tark-tas-pis Meaning of name: "Antarctica's shield" Species: A. mcmurdoensis Size: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils. Family: Antarctaspidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known only from a partial head shield discovered in the Lashly Mountains of eastern Antarctica. Named in 1968. Lived: 387.7 to 382.7 million years ago during the Givetian stage of the Middle Devonian in the oceans and shallow seas that surrounded and once covered parts of what is now eastern Antartica. Artist's impression of Antarctaspis
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 23, 2024 10:50:03 GMT
Name: Ctenacanthus Pronunciation: Ten-ah-can-thus Meaning of name: "Comb spine" Species: C. amblyxiphias, C. buttersi, C. chemungensis, C. concinnus, C. denticulatus, C. formosus, C. harrissi, C. lamborni, C. major, C. pellensis, C. sculptus, C. terrelli, C. tumidus, C. vetustus, C. wrightiiSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils, however, based on known fossils, the largest species may have measured between 5 and 6 metres long. Family: Ctenacanthidae Diet: Carnivore/piscivore First fossils found: Known mostly from teeth and fin spines discovered in Brazil, the Bloyd Formation of Arkansas and the Cleveland Shale of Ohio. C. major named by Swiss-born American biologist and geologist, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, in 1837. C. denticulatus named in 1848. C. formosus named in 1873. C. sculptus and C. concinnus named in 1875. C. pellensis and C. buttersi named in 1883. C. wrightii named in 1884. C. chemungensis named in 1885. C. terrelli and C. tumidus named in 1889. C. amblyxiphias named in 1891. C. vetustus named in 1902. C. harrissi named in 1930. C. lamborni named in 1944. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 363 and 323 million years ago from the Famennian stage of the Late Devonian through to the Bashkirian stage of the Middle Carboniferous in the oceans and shallow seas that surrounded and once covered parts of what is now Brazil and the southern and midwestern United States. Dorsal fin spine of C. formosus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 25, 2024 7:31:17 GMT
Name: Belonostomus Pronunciation: Beh-low-no-sto-mus Meaning of name: "Dart mouth" Species: B. aciculiferus, B. attentuatus, B. cinctus, B. comenianus, B. crassirostris, B. dalmaticus, B. dorsetensis, B. genevensis, B. helgolandicus, B. hooleyi, B. indicus, B. kochii, B. lamarquensis, B. leptosteus, B. lesinaensis, B. longirostris, B. marquesbritoi, B. matteuzi, B. muensteri, B. novaki, B. ornatus, B. sphyraenoides, B. subulatus, B. tenuirostris, B. ventralisSize: Depending on species, measured up to 30cm long. Family: Aspidorhynchidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in Switzerland, India, Mexico, Chile, Slovenia, western Canada, France, England, Croatia, Uzbekistan, the western and midwestern United States, Morocco, Germany, Argentina and Italy. B. tenuirostris named by Swiss-born American biologist and geologist, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, in 1833. B. ventralis and B. subulatus named in 1834. B. leptosteus named in 1836. B. cinctus named in 1837. B. kochii named in 1843. B. sphyraenoides and B. muensteri named in 1844. B. attentuatus named in 1850. B. crassirostris named in 1853. B. genevensis named in 1858. B. comenianus named in 1867. B. lesinaensis named in 1882. B. indicus named in 1890. B. ornatus named in 1891. B. dorsetensis, B. matteuzi, B. novaki and B. dalmaticus named in 1895. B. hooleyi named in 1916. B. helgolandicus named in 1973. B. aciculiferus named in 1985. B. lamarquensis named in 2011. B. marquesbritoi named in 2012. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 168.2 and 66 million years ago from the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the oceans, shallow seas and freshwater environments that once covered parts of what is now Switzerland, India, Mexico, Chile, Slovenia, western Canada, France, England, Croatia, Uzbekistan, the western and midwestern United States, Morocco, Germany, Argentina and Italy. B. kochii fossil
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 26, 2024 9:49:50 GMT
Name: CheiracanthusPronunciation: Ky-rah-can-thus Meaning of name: "Hand spine" Species: C. murchisoni, C. latus, C. grandispinusSize: 30cm long Family: Cheiracanthidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from complete skeletons discovered in Scotland and isolated scales discovered in various countries worldwide. C. murchisoni named by Swiss-born American biologist and geologist, Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, in 1835. C. grandispinus named in 1848. C. latus named in 1861. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 393.3 and 382.7 million years ago during the Eifelian and Givetian stages of the Middle Devonian in lakes and rivers in what is now Scotland. C. latus skeleton on display at the Natural History Museum, London.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 27, 2024 11:21:20 GMT
Name: Barameda Pronunciation: Bah-rah-mee-dah Meaning of name: "Fish trap" Species: B. decipiens, B. mitchelliSize: B. decipiens estimated to have measured between 3 and 4 metres long. B. mitchelli estimated to have measured around 35cm long. Family: Rhizodontidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens discovered in southeastern Australia. B. decipiens named in 1906. B. mitchelli named in 2007. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 358.9 and 346.7 million years ago during the Tournaisian stage of the Early Carboniferous in the freshwater environments of what is now southeastern Australia.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 29, 2024 12:46:55 GMT
A prehistoric sea snake: Name: Palaeophis Pronunciation: Pay-lee-off-iss Meaning of name: "Ancient snake" Species: P. africanus, P. casei, P. colossaeus, P. ferganicus, P. grandis, P. littoralis, P. maghrebianus, P. nessovi, P. oweni, P. tamdy, P. toliapicus, P. typhaeus, P. vastaniensis, P. virginianus, P. zhylanSize: Depending on species, measured between 1.3 and 12.3 metres long. Family: Palaeophiinae (a subfamily of Palaeophiidae) Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered in North Africa, England, France, Denmark and West Africa. P. toliapicus named by English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1841. P. littoralis named in 1847. P. typhaeus named in 1850. P. grandis named in 1869. P. oweni named in 1881. P. africanus named in 1924. P. virginianus named in 1934. P. maghrebianus named in 1952. P. casei named in 1982. P. colossaeus named in 1983. P. tamdy, P. zhylan, P. ferganicus and P. nessovi named in 1997. P. vastaniensis named in 2008. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 56 and 33.9 million years ago from the Ypresian stage of the Early Eocene through to the Priabonian stage of the Late Eocene in the oceans and shallow seas that surrounded and once covered parts of what is now North Africa, England, France, Denmark and West Africa. Artist's impression of P. maghrebianus
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 30, 2024 10:57:15 GMT
Name: Palaeospondylus Pronunciation: Pay-lee-oh-spond-ee-lus Meaning of name: "Early vertebrae" Species: P. gunniSize: 6cm long Family: Uncertain Diet: Uncertain First fossils found: Known only from a single, carbonized skull and skeleton discovered at the Achanarras slate quarry, Caithness, northern Scotland, in 1890. Named in the same year by Scottish zoologist and palaeontologist, Ramsay Heatley Traquair. Lived: 385 million years ago during the Givetian stage of the Middle Devonian in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now northern Scotland. P. gunni fossil on display at the Cincinnati Museum Centre.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Aug 31, 2024 11:09:27 GMT
Name: LyrarapaxPronunciation: Lie-rah-rah-pax Meaning of name: "Lyre predator", in reference to the outline of the body, which resembles a Lyre, and its presumed predatory lifestyle. Species: L. unguispinus, L. trilobus Size: L. trilobus measured around 3.9cm long whilst L. unguispinus measured 8.3cm long. Family: Amplectobeluidae Diet: Uncertain. Likely carnivore. First fossils found: Known from numerous specimens discovered in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. L. unguispinus named by Peiyun Cong, Xiaoya Ma, Xianguang Hou, Gregory D. Edgecombe and Nicholas J. Strausfeld in 2014. L. trilobus named in 2016. Lived: 520 million years ago during the as yet unnamed third stage of the Early Cambrian in the oceans and shallow seas that once covered what is now southwestern China.
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Sept 1, 2024 11:20:18 GMT
Name: Laophis Pronunciation: Lay-oh-fiss Meaning of name: "Stone snake" Species: L. crotaloidesSize: Uncertain due to a lack of fossils, but is estimated to have measured between 3 and 4 metres long and weighing 26kgs, making it both the largest known viper and the largest known venomous prehistoric snake. Family: Viperidae Diet: Carnivore First fossils found: Known only from vertebrae discovered in northern Greece. Named by English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist, Sir Richard Owen, in 1857. Lived: 5.33 to 3.2 million years ago from the Zanclean stage of the Early Pliocene through to the Piacenzian stage of the Late Pliocene in what is now northern Greece. Artist's impression of Laophis
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Post by Talira Greycrest on Sept 2, 2024 13:35:43 GMT
Name: Ichthyodectes Pronunciation: Ick-thee-oh-dek-teez Meaning of name: "Fish biter" Species: I. acanthicus, I. anaides, I. arcuatus, I. cruentus, I. ctenodon, I. elegans, I. goodeanus, I. hamatus, I. libanicus, I. minor, I. multidentatus, I. parvus, I. perniciosus, I. prognathus, I. tenuidensSize: Depending on species, measured up to 4 metres long. Family: Ichthyodectinae (a subfamily of Ichthyodectidae) Diet: Piscivore First fossils found: Known from several specimens discovered throughout western Canada and the western, south-central, midwestern and southwestern United States. I. libanicus, I. minor, I. prognathus and I. ctenodon named by American palaeontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, in 1870. I. hamatus, I. multidentatus and I. anaides named in 1872. I. perniciosus named in 1874. I. arcuatus named in 1875. I. elegans, I. goodeanus and I. acanthicus named in 1877. I. cruentus named in 1898. I. parvus named in 1900. I. tenuidens named in 1901. Lived: Depending on species, lived between 89.8 and 70 million years ago from the Coniacian stage through to the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous in the Western Interior Seaway which once covered parts of what is now western Canada and the western, south-central, midwestern and southwestern United States.
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