Hipporex's Guide to Interesting and Unique Prehistoric Fauna

Yeah, I'm aware of the previous bird entries; I just thought these would be of interest.

 

Flanders (Belgium, England) 56 million years ago...

NUMBER FORTY-SIX: Where @KevinB now lives, this mammal once roamed.

• Animal: Dormaalocyon
• Species: D.‭ ‬latouri‭ (type)
• Name Pronunciation: Dor-maal-o-sy-on
• Name Meaning: "Dog from Dormaal"
• Named By: Floréal Solé et al. - 2014
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Mammalia, Placentilia, Boreoeutheria, Carnivoramorpha, Carnivoraformes, Miacoidea
• When: ~ 56,000,000 B.C.E. (Ypresian stage of the Eocene epoch)
• Where: Europe (Belgium (Flanders))
• Size: 2 pounds (907.19 grams)
• Diet: Carnivore

Originally named in 1966, it was dubbed Miacis ‭latouri‭. In 2014 it was given its own genus. This genus was named for the fact that it was unearthed in the village of Dormaal, near Zoutleeuw, Belgium. Dormaalocyon was one of the earliest carnivoraforms and its lineage led to the incredible diversity we see in Carnivora today. From cats to dogs, from seals to hyenas, they can all be traced back to an animal that would of looked very similar to this. Its ankle bones suggest this was an arboreal species. It likely spent its days hunting for smaller mammals, birds, and even insects. 56 million years ago Belgium was warm, humid, and wooded environment.




Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Tiny ancestor of lions and tigers and bears discovered (Oh my!)
  
• New fossils shed light on the origins of lions, tigers, and bears
  
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2013.793195
  
• Dormaalocyon latouri: Prehistoric Mammal Sheds Light on Origins of Carnivoraforms | Paleontology | Sci-News.com
  
• Dormaalocyon - Wikipedia

 

NUMBER FORTY-SEVEN: Food! Glorious Food!
(for those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about)

• Genus: Teratornis
• Species: T. merriami (type species) and T. woodburnensis
• Name Pronunciation: Tear-a-torn-is
• Name Meaning: "Monster bird"
• Named By: Loye H. Miller - 1909
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Archosauriformes, Archosauria, Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ Paraves, Avialae, Aves, Neognathae, Accipitriformes, Teratornithidae
• When: Pleistocene epoch (it went extinct 10,000 years ago)
• Where: North America (United States (Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, and Oregon))
• Size: 14 foot (4.67 meter) wingspan
• Diet: Carnivore

Teratornis lived like the extant California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) but its larger bill suggests it was a more active predator. Prey up to the size of a small rabbit could of probably been swallowed more or less whole, while carrion would have been fed on in a manner similar to that of vultures. Analysis of the skull and bill shapes suggests that fishes may have constituted a major part of its diet. As teratorns were not habitual scavengers, they most likely had completely feathered heads, unlike vultures (however I was unable to find any pictures depicting this bird with a feathery head). Teratorns had relatively longer and stouter legs than Old World vultures; thus it seems possible that teratorns would stalk their prey on the ground, and only fly when moving to another feeding ground or their nests. Nearly 100 individuals of this genus have been found in the La Brae Tar Pits. As in other predatory birds, a clutch probably had only one or two eggs; the young would be cared for more than half a year, and take several years to reach maturity. So if Teratornis and the California condor were so similar, then why did this guy go extinct when the condor didn't? Recent isotopic studies suggest that the California condor survived the extinction of the ice age megafauna because it also scavenged dead marine mammals off the Pacific Coast. Teratornis however relied more heavily on the carrion of large land mammals and therefore could not survive their extinction.





Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Teratornis - Wikipedia
  
• Teratornithidae - Wikipedia
  
• LibGuides: Extinct Teratorn (Family Teratornithidae) Fact Sheet: Summary
  
• Teratornis merriami, Canis dirus and Mammut americanum at the La Brea Tar Pits in California by Peter Schouten | Prehistoric | Pinterest | Prehistoric animals, Dire wolf and Prehistoric creatures
  
• North America’s forgotten megafauna - Animalogic

 

I'm aware. Teratornis was indeed a more active predator than modern condors but like modern condors it was still a scavenger. When the megafauna began dying out Teratornis could hunted small mammals and fishes yes. But given its size, these prey options wouldn't of been enough to sustain it. Even though it was an active predator it still relied on scavenging for survival. We know this due to the countless specimens that have been found in the La Brae Tar Pits, as all of these individuals were clearly present there looking to scavenge on the megafauna that had become trapped in the tar. I will admit that I shouldn't of said they were "not habitual scavengers."

 

I just put "Teratorn" into Google Picture search and found several: teratorn - Google Search

 

Just in case - many Wikipedia articles contain pure guesswork or tales on prehistoric animals soft anatomy and behaviour. It is unknown e.g. whether prehistoric dolphins had dorsal fins, whether Sivatherium was herding, or how Teratornis fed.

 

NUMBER FORTY-EIGHT: There is always that one guy that stands out from the crowd because he does things a little bit differently than everyone else. Globidens was that guy

• Genus: Globidens
• Species: G.‭ ‬alabamaensis‭ (‬type‭)‬,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬dakotensis,‭ ‬G. phosphaticus, G. ‬schurmanni, G. simplex, and G.‭ ‬timorensis
• Name Pronunciation: Glo-bih-denz
• Name Meaning: "Globular teeth"
• Named By: Charles W. Gilmore‭ ‬-‭ ‬1912
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Sauria, Lepidosauromorpha, Lepidosauria, Squamata, Toxicofera, Mosasauroidea, Mosasauridae, Mosasaurinae, Globidensini
• When: ~ 84,900,000 B.C.E. to 66,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Cretaceous epoch)
• Where: Africa (Angola, Egypt, and Morocco), Asia (Indonesia (West Timor), Jordan, and Syria), Europe (Belgium), and North America (United States (Alabama, Delaware, Kansas, Texas))
• Size: 20 feet (6.67 meters) long
• Diet: Carnivore

Most mosasaurs had generalist diets and would chomp down on almost anything. From cephalopods to seabirds, from sharks to pelagic pterosaurs, from plesiosaurs to even smaller mosasaurs, if a mosasaur could swallow it, it was on the menu. However some mosasaurs became specialists. Globidens was one of these specialists. Unlike most mosasaurs, which had sharp, conical teeth, Globidens's teeth were blunt and rounded. While many other mosasaurs were capable of crushing shells, none were as specialized for dealing with armored prey as Globidens. Globidens had semispherical teeth with rounded nipple-like points, which were much better suited for crushing tough armored prey like turtles, ammonites, nautiluses, and bivalves. Like its larger and more famous cousin, Mosasaurus, Globidens had a robustly built skull with tightly-articulating jaws. Such features no doubt played a large role in its ability to penetrate the armor of its shelled prey. Here are a few other facts about the members of Mosasauridae you may not know:

• Considering their closest living relatives, the snakes and the monitor lizards, both have forked tongues, it is believed mosasaurs did as well.
• Mosasaurs have long been depicted with eel-like tails, however a well preserved Platecarpus specimen showed us they had crescent-shaped flukes like sharks.
• Almost all mosasaurs were marine animals however, one species, Pannoniasaurus inexpectatus from Hungary, was discovered in freshwater sediments. It is not know if this animal lived exclusively in freshwater or, if like the extant bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), it could freely move between fresh and salt water.
  
• The smallest mosasaur was Dallasaurus turneri, which measured a mere 3.3 feet (1.01 meters). The largest mosasaur was Mosasaurus hoffmanni, which measured an impressive 56 feet (17.07 meters).
• Neonate-sized mosasaur specimens indicate that mosasaurs gave birth to live young, and that they spent their early years of life out in the open ocean, not in sheltered nurseries or in shallow water as previously believed.
• Mosasaur bones have been found with shark teeth embedded in them, suggesting that they weren't always the top dogs of the Cretaceous seas.
  
• A study published in 2016 by T. Lyn Harrell et al. showed that mosasaurs were endothermic.
  
• Mosasaur scales have been uncovered. Apparently these marine lizards had two types of scales: keeled scales covering the upper regions of the body and smooth scales covering the lower regions.
• The coloration of mosasaurs was unknown until 2014, when the findings of Johan Lindgren and colleagues of Lund University revealed the pigment melanin in the fossilized scales of a mosasaur. Most mosasaurs were likely countershaeded, with dark backs and light underbellies, much like the extant great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
• Mosasaurs had double-hinged jaws and flexible skulls (much like those of snakes), which enabled them to gulp down their prey almost whole.
• Mosasaur remains have been found on every continent.

(Below: Globidens with an inaccurate tail)




(Below: Globidens with an inaccurate tail)




Pictures and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Globidens
• What life was like for newborn giant sea lizards during the age of the dinosaur
• Skin pigmentation provides evidence of convergent melanism in extinct marine reptiles
  
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.1987.10011647
  
• Globidens - Wikipedia
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.12240
  
• https://twitter.com/markwitton/status/1019487989997727745
  
• http://oceansofkansas.com/Globidens.html
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosasau
• https://www.deviantart.com/paleoguy/art/Globidens-679100090
  
• https://twitter.com/bone_sharpe/status/939157496161292288
  
• https://www.pictame.com/tag/globidens

 

NUMBER FORTY-NINE: I just saw the new Dumbo (good movie, go see it) so I got pachyderms on the mind.

• Genus: Gomphotherium
• Species: G. angustidens (type species) and many more
• Name Pronunciation: Gom-foe-fee-ree-um
• Name Meaning: "Welded beast"
• Named By: Hermann Burmeister - 1837
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Mammalia, Placentilia, Afrotheria, Paenungulata, Proboscidea, Gomphotherioidea, Gomphotheriidae, Gomphotheriinae
• When: 23,030,000 B.C.E. to 1,700,000 B.C.E. (Serravallian stage of the Miocene epoch to Calabrian stage of the Pleistocene epoch)
• Where: Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America
• Size: 9.8 feet (3 meters) tall
• Diet: Herbivore

Like modern elephants, Gomphotherium had tusks. However, unlike modern elephants, Gomphotherium had four: two on the upper jaw and two on the elongated lower jaw. The top tusks were recurved,‭ meaning they gently curved towards the body rather than away like in modern elephants.‭ ‬The upper tusks also retained an enamel coating which is lacking in modern elephants.‭‬ The lower tusks were parallel and shaped like a shovel. Compared to elephantids, the skulls were more elongated and low, indicating that the animal had a shorter trunk. These animals probably lived in swamps or near lakes, using their tusks to dig or scrape up aquatic vegetation.








Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Gomphotherium
  
• https://phys.org/news/2017-10-gomphotherium.html
  
• Gomphotherium angustidens From this kind of elephant many others evolved, some called the shovel-tuskers having even longer lowe… | prehistoric animals | Pinterest | Prehistoric animals, Extinct animals and Prehistoric creatures
  
• Gomphotherium
  
• Stock Photo - Gomphotherium (Gomphotherium), primitiv extinct elephant
  
• https://www.newdinosaurs.com/gomphotherium/
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gomphotherium

 

Not a species profile but...
Isn't it crazy that this much size disparity can occur within a genus? The smallest species of Palaeoloxodon (P. falconeri) compared to the largest (P. namadicus).

Source: Liam Elward Paleoart on Twitter

 

Zygolophodon sp. are equally impressive
Zygolophodon

 

NUMBER FIFTY: No this isn't a (belated) April Fool's Day joke. There once really was a rodent was horns.

• Genus: Ceratogaulus
• Species: ‬C.‭ ‬anecdotus,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬hatcheri,‭ ‬C.‭ ‬minor, and C.‭ ‬rhinocerus‭ (‬type‭)‬‭
• Name Pronunciation: Seh-rat-o-gow-lus
• Name Meaning: "Horned bowl;" Cerato is Greek for "horned" and gaulus is Greek for "bowl" or "vase"
• Named By: Matthew‭ ‬-‭ ‬1902
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Mammalia, Placentilia, Boreoeutheria, Rodentia, Mylagaulidae
• When: 13,600,000 B.C.E. to 5,330,000 B.C.E. (Serravallian of the Miocene to Zanclean of the Pliocene)
• Where: North America (United States (Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas))
• Size: 11.81 inches (30 centimeters) long
• Diet: Herbivore

Ceratogaulus, commonly called the horned gopher, was the only horned rodent ever and the smallest horned mammal ever. The role of the horns of Ceratogaulus has been the subject of much speculation. Three roles have been proposed: 1) digging, 2) intraspecific combat, or 3) defense from predators. Option one is considered unlikely because of the orientation and placement of the horns. Burrowing animals usually dig and push dirt out of the way with the snout,‭ ‬but the horns of Ceratogaulus point up,‭ ‬not forwards.‭ ‬If an attempt to use them was made,‭ ‬the snout of the animal would also get in the way of the excavation. Option two is also considered unlikely because the morphology of the rest of the skull made it exceedingly difficult to bring them to bear on an opponent of similar size. The cervical vertebrae were shortened anteroposteriorly, as in all mylagaulids, decreasing the flexibility and range of motion of the neck and making it even more difficult for Ceratogaulus to wrestle with its horns. Option three is considered the most likely because horns are used in defense against predators by almost all horned mammals. By being on top of the snout,‭ ‬the horns would almost always be facing in the general direction of a predator.‭ At 11 inches long,‭ ‬Ceratogaulus was not a small rodent,‭ ‬but it would have been smaller and lower to the ground than most predators of the day.‭ ‬So ‬if someone got curious about a Ceratogaulus caught above ground,‭ ‬one quick thrust of the horns into the face or the throat of a predator might of surprised and disorientated just long enough for the Ceratogaulus to escape,‭ ‬especially if the predator was too young and inexperienced to known how to tackle such animals. Ceratogaulus may not of dug with its horns, but we still think it was a digger. It had paddle-like forepaws with powerful claws. It also had small eyes, and probably had poor eyesight, similar to that of a mole. These features suggest a fossorial lifestyle.








(Below: A Pseudaelurus stouti chases a Ceratogaulus)


Picture and Information:

• My brain
• Ceratogaulus (Horned gopher)
  
• Horned gopher - Wikipedia
  
• Velizar Simeonovski - Pseudaelurus stouti pursues Ceratogaulus | Prehistoric North America | Pinterest | Prehistoric animals, Prehistoric creatures and Extinct animals
  
• Art illustration - Prehistoric Mammals - Ceratog… | Art illustration - (Prehistoric Animals) "Dinosaurs" "Mammals" "Birds" "Aquatic Animals" "Insects"
  
• Ceratogaulus
  
• Ceratogaulus

 

Everything you need to know about dinosaurs is explained in this informative video:

 

NUMBER FIFTY-ONE: Nice beaver

• Genus: Giant beaver (Castoroides)
• Species: ‬‬‭ C.‭ ‬leiseyorum and C.‭ ‬ohioensis‭ (‬type‭)
• Name Pronunciation: ‬Cass-tor-oy-dees
• Name Meaning: "Beaver-like"
• Named By: John Wells Foster - 1838
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Mammalia, Placentilia, Boreoeutheria, Rodentia, Castoridae, Castoroidinae
• When: 3,000,000 B.C.E. to 9,000 B.C.E.
• Where: C.‭ ‬leiseyorum (Florida and South Carolina) and C.‭ ‬ohioensis (Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Yukon)
• Size: Up to 7.22 feet (2.2 meters) long, not including tail
• Diet: Herbivore

The hind feet of the giant beaver were much larger than those of modern beavers, while the hind legs were shorter. The tail was longer and may have been narrower. However, because soft tissues decay, it is not known whether its tail resembled the tails of modern beavers, and it can only be assumed that its feet were webbed as in modern species. The skull structure of the giant beaver shows that it presumably participated in extended underwater activity, thanks to the ability to take in more oxygen into its lungs. One of the defining characteristics of the giant beaver were their incisors, which differed in size and shape from those of modern beavers. Modern beavers have chisel-like incisor teeth for gnawing on wood, while the teeth of the giant beaver were bigger and broader, and grew to about 6 inches (40.64 centimeters) long. These incisors were not as efficient at cutting wood; therefore, it is possible that giant beavers did not construct dams. One other major difference between the giant beaver and the modern beaver is that the size of its brain was proportionally smaller. As a result, the giant beaver may have had inferior interactions in its environment, as well as less complex patterns of thoughts and behavior. The extinction of the giant beaver has for a long time been shrouded in mystery.‭ ‬While the disappearance of much of the American megafauna has been attributed to such factors as extreme glaciations,‭ ‬climate change,‭ ‬super volcanic eruptions,‭ ‬asteroid strikes,‭ ‬human hunting, and combinations of all the above,‭ ‬giant beaver populations are actually known to have been in decline before this mass extinction took place.‭ ‬This has meant that the exact cause for the extinction has been unknown for almost two hundred years,‭ ‬but there may now be one idea which might go some way to explaining things.‭ ‬A ‬2011‭ ‬paper by J.‭ ‬T.‭ ‬Faith detailed how nitrogen levels in the soil were declining at the time that giant beaver numbers were also declining. Reduced levels of nitrogen in the soil cause a reduction in growth and nutritional quality of plants that require high nutrient levels.‭ ‬Herbivorous animals that rely upon such plants end up having to eat even greater amounts of them to maintain there population,‭ ‬but this results in even less nitrogen going back into the soil as leaf litter.‭ ‬This further reduces the crop of nitrogen rich plants the following year,‭ ‬which means even more had to be eaten,‭ ‬and again this made the problem much worse again the following year,‭ ‬and so on and on again until the ecosystem collapses and is unable to support the presence of such herbivorous.‭ ‬If Castoroides preferred eating plants that required high levels of nitrogen,‭ ‬then they would over successive seasons and generations slowly deplete available food plant supplies.‭ ‬Thus,‭ ‬unable to adapt to eating different plants,‭ ‬giant beavers may have ended up starving themselves into extinction.








Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Castoroides - Wikipedia
  
• Castoroides (Giant Beaver)
• Fossilworks: Castoroides
  
• Castoroides
  
• PREHISTORIC GIANT BEAVER
  
• Castoroides ohioensis - Kelly Taylor - 5662758

 

NUMBER FIFTY-TWO: Just when you thought this thread had gone extinct.

• Genus: Anurognathus
• Species:‬‬‭ A. ammoni
• Name Pronunciation: ‬An-ur-og-nath-us
• Name Meaning: "Without tail jaw;" Greek an- ("without"), Greek oura ("tail"), and Greek gnathos ("jaw"); ammoni honours the Bavarian geologist Ludwig von Ammon, who provided the species's describer with what would become the type specimen
• Named By: Ludwig Döderlein - 1923
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Archosauriformes, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, Pterosauria, Rhamphorhynchoidea, Anurognathidae, Anurognathinae
• When: 150,800,000 B.C.E. to 148,500,000 B.C.E. (Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch)
• Where: Europe - Germany - Bavaria - Solnhofen Limestone
• Size: Length: 3.5 inches (8.9 centimeters) / Wingspan: 20 inches (50.8 centimeters)
• Diet: Carnivore

One quick thing that most but not all of you know: Pterosaurs are NOT dinosaurs! Pterosaurs are often referred to in the popular media and by the general public as "flying dinosaurs," but the term "dinosaur" is defined as "the last common ancestor of Triceratops horridus, Passer domesticus, Diplodocus carnegii, and all of its descendants." Under this complicated sounding scientific definition, pterosaurs are not dinosaurs. However as both Dinosauria and Pterosauria belong to the clade Avemetatarsalia, the two are closely related. Okay not that I've gotten that off of my chest, let's get onto Anurognathus. When Anurognathus was alive, Bavaria was an archipelago at the edge of ancient sea, the Tethys Sea. This archipelago was home to 29 known species of pterosaur and Anurognathus was the smallest. It is believed this genus was insectivorous. Their sharp, needle-like teeth which could quickly impale prey is evident of this. Studies the scleral rings suggest this species was crepuscular. Unlike most non-pterodactyloid pterosaurs, anurognathids did not have long, vaned tails. Instead, they had very short tails that probably gave them more maneuverability while hunting small, swift prey. It is easy to reconstruct Anurognathus based on its relatives. We know that the much larger Chinese anurognathid Jeholopterus had fur-like filaments called pycnofibers extending across the wing membranes, especially along the edge of the wings. This would have muffled the animal’s wingbeats, allowing it to hunt with owl-like silence.













Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Anurognathus - Pteros
  
• Anurognathus - Wikipedia
  
• Anurognathus
  
• Fossilworks: Anurognathus ammoni
  
• ‘Anurognathus ammoni’ Poster by SerpenIllus
  
• Gabriel N. U. on Twitter
  
• Anurognathus, the tiny Jurassic pterosaur | Earth Archives
  
• #anurognathus hashtag on Twitter

If you want to learn more about pterosaurs, I recommend this amazing website: Pteros, The Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs

 

NUMBER FIFTY-THREE: It may be called Lurdusaurus, but I think Hipposaurus may of been more appropriate. (Well I mean actually Hipposaurus was already taken by a 260-million-year South African synapsid named in 1929, but I was making a joke okay! So chill...jeez.)

• Genus: Lurdusaurus
• Species: L.‭ ‬arenatus‬‬‭
• Name Pronunciation: Lur-du-sore-us ‬
• Name Meaning: "Heavy lizard" = (Latin lurdus) "heavy" + (Greek sauros) "lizard"
• Named By: Phil‭ ‬Taquet‭ & ‬Dale‭ ‭ ‬Russell‭ ‬-‭ ‬1999
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Archosauriformes, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia, Styracosterna,‭ ‬Hadrosauriformes
• When: 121,000,000 B.C.E. to 112,000,000 B.C.E. (Aptian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
• Where: Africa - Niger - ‬Elhraz Formation
• Size: 30 feet (9.14 meters) long / Estimated weight of 6 short tons (5.44 metric tons)
• Diet: Herbivore

Lurdusaurus was an odd iguanodont. Lurdusaurus was closely related to the more famous dinosaur, Iguanodon, and shared a number of telltale characteristics with it, such as the broad beak and thumb spike. The thumb spike on Lurdusaurus was huge and wide, and may have been either a weapon against members of its own species when fighting for dominance, or perhaps for defending against potential predators, when necessary. Lurdusaurus, however was much more heavily-built and squat than its relatives, possessing a very much barrel-shaped body. Its legs were particularly short, especially below the knee, for an ornithopod, and likely was most comfortable on all fours, although it probably could still rear up on its hind legs if it needed to. The feet were unusually constructed in that the foot bones (metatarsals) lacked solid contact with each other suggesting the presence of a fleshy pad that supported most of the weight. Lurdusaurus also had an long neck for an ornithopod. Because of its unusual body plan, it is believed that Lurdusaurus must have been adapted for a slightly different lifestyle than most other ornithopods. The most popular idea is that Lurdusaurus was spending a lot of its time in the water, where its immense bulk would be more easily supported and it probably would have even been able to move more quickly with its short legs, similarly to how modern hippos do. It may have used its long neck to reach underwater plants to eat, or to allow it to breathe at the surface when in deeper water. The idea of Lurdusaurus having been comfortable in the water makes more sense when its environment is taken into account. According to what can be told about the rocks its bones were found in, which contained an abundance of fish and crocodile fossils, the environment during the Cretaceous there would have been dominated by freshwater marshes, lakes, and rivers. (Today it is a desert. The Tenere desert to be exact.) Lurdusaurus lived alongside several famous animals, including Sarcosuchus imperator, the longest crocodyliform ever, Ouranosaurus nigeriensis, the sail-backed iguanodont, and Suchomimus tenerensis, the massive fish-eating spinosaurid.










(Below: Sarcosuchus imperator)

(Below: Ouranosaurus nigeriensis)

(Below: Suchomimus tenerensis)

(Below: Hipposaurus boonstrai)


Picture and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Prehistoric Beast of the Week: Lurdusaurus: Beast of the Week
  
• Lurdusaurus, river dinosaur of the ancient Sahara | Earth Archives
  
• Lurdusaurus
  
• Lurdusaurus - Wikipedia
  
• Fossilworks: Lurdusaurus arenatus
  
• Lurdusaurus was a very strange ornithopod related to Iguanodon, that shows several adaptations that lead scientists to think it l… | Extinct Paleofauna | Prehistoric animals, Animals, Science, nature
  
• Lurdusaurus
  
• Lurdusaurus - InfoDino
  
• Lurdusaurus
  
• Lurdusaurus
  
• The Sarcosuchus Imperator. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and South America and is one of the largest crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived. : Naturewasmetal
  
• Ouranosaurus
  
• Suchomimus
  
• Hipposaurus - Wikipedia

 

NUMBER FORTY-FOUR: No one really knows Y its nasal horn looked like this

• Genus: Synthetoceras
• Species: Synthetoceras tricornatus
• Name Pronunciation: Sin-thet-oh-ser-as
• Name Meaning: "Combined horn"
• Named By: Stirton - 1932
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, hordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Osteichthyes, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Mammalia, Placentilia, Boreoeutheria, Ungulata, Artiodactyla, Protoceratidae
• When: 10,300,000 B.C.E. to 5,300,000 B.C.E.
• Where: North America (United States (Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, and Texas))
• Size: 6.50 feet (1.98 meters) long
• Diet: Herbivore

Synthetoceras was the largest and last protoceratid. It also arguably had the strangest set of horns of any member of this family. The two horns above its eyes looked fairly normal and similar to those of many modern horned mammals, but on its snout it had a bizarre, long horn with a Y-shaped forked tip. Only males had this strange horn, and they probably used it in fights over territory or females.








Pictures and Information Sources:

• My brain
• Synthetoceras tricornatus
  
• Synthetoceras - Wikipedia
  
• Synthetoceras
  
• Fossilworks: Synthetoceras tricornatus
  
• Synthetoceras tricornatus

 

NUMBER FIFTY-FIVE:
Dad: Wow son! You caught some sort of prehistoric shark!
Dennis: Actually dad I believe this is a stethacanthid, which would make it a type of ratfish, not a shark.
Dad: I will not get drawn into another taxonomic debate with you, Dennis. I really will not.
Dennis: Thanks dad.

• Animal: Akmonistion zangerli
• Name Pronunciation: Auk-mon-is-tee-on zang-er-lee
• Name Meaning: "Zangerl's anvil sail" = akmon (Greek for "anvil") + istion (Greek for "sail") + zangerli (honors paleoichthyologist Rainer Zangerl)
• Named By: Coates & Sequeira - 2001
• Classification: Life, Eukaryota, Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Chondrichthyes, Holocephali, Symmoriida, Stethacanthidae
• When: 360,700,000 B.C.E. to 298,900,000 B.C.E. (Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous)
• Where: Europe - Scotland - Manse Burn Formation
• Size: Up to 2.3 feet (0.70 meters) long
• Diet: Carnivore

Despite commonly being called anvil sharks in popular media and by the general public, stethacanthids were actually members of Holocephali, meaning they are more closely related to modern ratfishes. Perhaps the most iconic feature of any stethacanthid was the unusually-shaped dorsal fin. The top of this fin was covered in rough, tooth-shaped scales. Only adult males had this peculiar adaptation. The crest may have played a role in mating rituals, aided in clamping to the belly of larger marine animals, or been used to frighten potential predators. There was also a similar patch of scales on the animal's head. Due to the large fins, it is believed members of this family were slow-swimming and possibly bottom feeders. There are only two named genera of Stethacanthidae: Akmonistion and Stethacanthus.






Picture and Information Resources:

• My brain
• https://pondside.uchicago.edu/oba/faculty/coates/CoatesSequeira2001Akmonist.pdf
  
• Fossilworks: Akmonistion zangerli
  
• Life Before the Dinosaurs: Akmonistion.
  
• Akmonistion - Wikipedia
  
• Stethacanthidae - Wikipedia