recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
UM10575

UM10575 is an indeterminate genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in Malaysia.

## Description

—Research lead Dr. Masatoshi Sone
The remains of UM10575 were found alongside ornithopods (or thyreophorans). The teeth are 23 millimeters long and 10 millimeters wide, and have yet to be studied. These are the first dinosaur remains from Malaysia. The carinae are distinct and prominent coarse ridges lay on the surface. Micro-ornament characterize the tooth are Spinosauridae. The tooth is known from sedimentary rocks of the Late Mesozoic, likely during the Cretaceous. This tooth a major paleontological breakthrough in Malaysia. The locality was not publicized in order to protect it from fossil poachers and damages.

## References

* https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140224204737.htm
Variola virus

*Variola virus*, known as smallpox, is an extinct species of virus that lived worldwide until between 1999 and 2002.

## Description

*Variola virus* creates the human disease smallpox, which was eradicated in 1978, but was conserved in laboratories. The virus is thought to have gone extinct from 1999-2002, where the last samples were destroyed.

## References

http://www.musee-afrappier.qc.ca/en/index.php?pageid=3113c
Tesem

Tesem (*Canis lupus familiaris*; Ancient Egyptian: , 'tsm') is an extinct species of dog breed that lived in Egypt to at least 1069 BC.

## History

Ancient Egypt is known to have had three differing breeds of dog: the pariah breed, a greyhound-like breed and a molosser-like breed. Of the greyhounds, it is assumed that two different variants existed: the Saluki/Sloughi variant and the Tesems. Greyhound hieroglyphs and markings decorate tombs, the Tesem close in shape to the modern pariah dog breed. Some scholars apply both greyhound-like markings to Tesem dogs. The breed is thought to have originated South from Egypt, down past Nubia, Land of Punt to an unknown location Southeast on the Horn of Africa. Tesem markings appear in Nagada dated to the Protodynastic Period of Egypt (3200-3000 BC). These markings are prominently marked with a curled tail and pointy upright ears. One of these dogs, "Khufu dog", from King Khufu's tomb (reign from 2609-2584 BC). The hieroglyphs name this individual Akbaru, specially depicted as wearing a collar. Tesems continue appearing in the Middle Kingdom (2055-1650 BC), but by the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC), these breeds appear to be replaced by the Saluki/Sloughi type, which bear hanging ears and straight tails. The Pharaoh Hound and Cirneco dell'Etna appear to be direct descendants of the Tesem, needing scientific evaluation. Tesems living among Egyptian people, and was very important to them seeing as they are well-documented and some appear mummified in their owners' tombs. Some people believe that Tesems are still extant, known as pariah dogs now, though this is extremely unlikely and based on extremely little factual evidence.

## Description

Tesems have strongly curled tails, which resemble sighthounds. Symbols on monuments and in paintings show their lean bodies, stilt legs and long pointy upright ears. Tesems have greyed-yellow coats and broad foreheads. Tesem breeds are exceeded in size by pariah dogs. Tesems skeletons are similar in structure to terriers opposed to greyhound skeletons. Tesems have rather wide heads opposed by lanky proportions. No grooming, comfort, life, health, conditions or temperament expectations are known about the Tesem.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesem
* https://www.dogbreedinfo.com/t/tesem.htm
Wapiti Formation troodontid

Statue at the Currie Museum, which also houses the teeth and may therefore be representative of this genus.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

The Wapiti Formation troodontid is an indeterminate genus of troodontid dinosaur that lived in Alberta during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

Many teeth and probable trackways from the Wapiti Formation are reported. However, they are nondiagnostic and—noted by Philip Currie himself—are of an unknown species that lacks skeletal evidence. It was historically misclassified as *Troodon*[*citation needed*].

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wapiti\_Formation
* https://dinomuseum.ca/2019/02/whats-going-on-with-troodon
Xenodens

Several Xenodens take chunks of flesh from a plesiosaur. Credit: Andrey Atuchin.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Xenodens* is an extinct genus of mosasaur that lived in Morocco during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Xenodens* is known from a small cracked upper jaw from Late Cretaceous Morocco. The jaw is packed with many small peculiar teeth that are diverse among tetrapods and mosasaurs. They are blade-like and closely packed, which forms a sort of cutting edge. Similar sharks convergently evolve a similar apparatus, which is used to carve apart large prey items. Despite the unique dentition, the feeding method was unique among all marine tetrapods and mosasaurs. among other strange dentitions in other mosasaurs, *Xenodens* expands the roster of unusual mosasaur teeth at the end of the Maastrichtian. However, it is unsure how this mosasaur lived. *Xenodens* was likely affiliated with *Carinodens*. The sediments around the pale bone contains fish remains and is coarse, typical of the Couche III locality of *Xenodens* was excavated. *Xenodens* was extremely small.

## History

*Xenodens* comes from the Greek "xenos", meaning "strange", and the Latin "dens", meaning tooth. The species derives from the Arabic "*calminechari* (کالمنشار)", translating to "like a saw". The full name means "strange tooth like a saw".

## Gallery

**Credit: Nick Longrich.****Credit: @fishboy86164577 on Twitter.**Xenodens skeletal.png**Credit: Clumsystiggy on DeviantArt.**
## References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667121000112?via%3Dihub
Tetragonosaurus

*Tetragonosaurus* is a dubious genus of lambeosaurine dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Tetragonosaurus* was mistaken for a new genus, when, in reality, the material was attributed to a juvenile *Lambeosaurus*.

## References

https://twitter.com/andersonmineral/status/1273956674596941824
Tektonargus

*Tektonargus* is an extinct ichnogenus of caddisfly that lived in Colorado during the Late Jurassic.

## History

The name *Tektonargus* comes from Greek "Tēkton", meaning artisan or craftsman, and the Greek "Argus", meaning all-eyed. Known as Argus Panoptes or Argos in Greek mythology, this giant has many eyes, hence the name "*Tektonargus*".

## Description

Five specimens were described in the original description from the Brushy Basin, Morrison Formation. The structures are 0.4-0.6 centimeters in diameter and 1.1-1.4 centimeters in length, forming subangular and subrounded cylinders. They lack tapering, but this may be a taphonomic artifact based on preservation and transportation. They are most similar to Limnephiloidea larval tubes, which are cylindrical, tapered or U-shaped. They were probably made in channels and were flushed into adjacent ponds during seasonal flooding, having been constructed from coarser-grained material. The presence of this genus suggests that trichopterans were found in the Jurassic despite a lack of fossils, and were likely important in benthic ecosystems.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tektonargus
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argus\_Panoptes
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleobiota\_of\_the\_Morrison\_Formation#Arthropods
4. ↑ Hasiotis, S. T. (2004). *Reconnaissance of Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation ichnofossils, Rocky Mountain Region, USA: paleoenvironmental, stratigraphic, and paleoclimatic significance of terrestrial and freshwater ichnocoenoses. Sedimentary Geology, 167(3-4), 177–268.* doi:10.1016/j.sedgeo.2004.01.006
UMNH VP 20600

Pilot Knoll Centrosaur or Centrosaur Taxon A, is a unnamed genus of Centrosaurine Ceratopsid that lived in Utah during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

This taxon is known from the Wahweap Formation of Utah, around 81.2 million years ago. It is the oldest known centrosaur from Utah. The taxon is known from part of the upper frill. The physical shape of the frill is similar to the other Centrosaurs of the Wahweap, most notably *Diabloceratops* and *Machairoceratops*. The main way the frill differs from the related taxa is that epiparietal 1 is far shorter and robust, and isn't curved forward, like in *Machairoceratops*. It is similar to *Albertaceratops*.

## References

* https://youtu.be/Qr7u0U4u5bo
* https://books.google.ca/books?vid=ISBN9780253008961&redir\_esc=y
Ursus maritimus tyrannus

Credit: Michael B. H..

*Ursus maritimus tyrannus* is a possibly dubious subspecies of bear that lived in England during the Late Pleistocene.

## History

The holotype of *U. m. tyrannus* NHMUK 24361 was discovered near Kew Bridge along the Thames River in London, England. It is a partial ulna, one of the forearm bones. Named by Björn Kurtén in 1964, it is simply described as "a polar bear greatly exceeding the living form in size." The holotype ulna is 485mm (19 in) long.

In 2009, Ólafur Ingólfsson and Øystein Wiig described a 45-thousand-year-old subfossil mandible of *Ursus maritimus maritimus* (modern polar bears) from Svalbard, Norway. They briefly mentioned *Ursus maritimus tyrannus*, saying that a recent analysis found it was in fact a brown bear (*Ursus arctos*). However, this is based solely on personal communication, and no study published in a peer-reviewed journal has found the holotype of *U. m. tyrannus* to be a brown bear.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursus\_maritimus\_tyrannus
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/37762
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2852/6479
Whiteia

Credit: Franz Anthony.

*Whiteia* is an extinct genus of coelacanth that lived in Africa, Asia and North America during the Early Triassic.

## History

In 2023, *W. giganteus* was named from holotype YPM V 3928, a nearly complete skull and mandible that are eroded, its name Ancient Greek for "giant", from the Lower Dockum Group of Texas. It lived in a braided stream, lake and deltaic plains environment during the Carnian of Palo Duro Canyon.

## Description

*Whiteia* has the basic coelacanth body plan: six steering fins and a large tail fluke. *Whiteia* has wide jaws, possibly for swallowing smaller creatures like it's modern cousin; *Latimeria*.

## Distribution

Fossils of *Whiteia* have been found in Madagascar, Canada and Indonesia.

## Species

* *W. africanus*
* *W. nielseni*
* *W. oishii*
* *W. tuberculata*
* *W. woodwardi*
* *W. giganteus*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteia
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=34959
* https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2023/3804-big-dockum-group-coelacanth
Unnamed Utah basal Ceratopsian

The Unnamed Utah basal Ceratopsian is an unnamed genus of Ceratopsian that lived in Utah.

## Description

Lindsay Zanno wrote a tweet showcasing the feet of *Montanoceratops.* She states that, "They compare well to the tootsies of our new early ceratopsian species from Utah."

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/ExpeditionLive/status/1652069073965154304?t=-DaE4a6XEIK\_mLUFsMXWGA&s=19
Tyrannosaur trichomonosis

The disease affecting Sue the Tyrannosaurus.

The unnamed trichomonosis-like disease that affects tyrannosaurid dinosaurs is likely an extinct species/genus of disease that existed during the Mesozoic nearly worldwide.

## Description

The trichomonosis-like disease appears several times during the fossil record, only in tyrannosaurid dinosaurs. Some of the first specimens of this disease appear in the popular *Tyrannosaurus* specimen, Sue. While examining the specimen for pathologies, scientists noticed unnatural holes formed in the jaw of Sue. The experts concluded the holes would have made feeding for Sue extremely painful, and it is thought to have been the cause of death. Other occurrences of the trichomonosis-like disease is in mandible fossils from the genera *Daspletosaurus* and *Albertosaurus* recovered from North America. The disease similarly tore holes in the jaw. This may mean that the disease was a common experience for tyrannosaurs.

This disease is characteristic of smooth-edged, fully-thick erosive lesions unilaterally or bilaterally in the mandible. These have previously been attributed to a bacterial bone infection, actinomycosis or bite wounds from other tyrannosaurs. One study found ten individuals who suffered from this sickness and compared them with other archosaurs to find they are most likely similar to modern avian sickness, such as *Trichomonas gallinae*. It is unknown if *T. gallinae* is the culprit, or is very similar to the culprit.

## References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748709/
Yi

Yi
--

*Yi* is an extinct genus of scansoriopterygid dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic in China.

## Description

*Yi* is the first scansoriopterygid to be discovered with a bat-like wing membrane used for gliding along with *Ambopteryx*. *Yi* could glide poorly with the fleshy wing membrane (like those of pterosaurs and bats) supported by an elongated arm and fingers. *Yi* most likely was an insectivore, eating small flies and beetles. The tail of Yi was short, like modern penguins and birds, and sported 4 long feathers for poorly maneuvering and moving while in the air.

## Paleoecology

Yi is not related to pterosaurs or bats, as the wings are an example convergent evolution.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yi\_(dinosaur)
Zuul

Credit: Victoria Arbour.

*Zuul* is an extinct genus of Ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous in Montana.

## History

*Zuul* is named after the Ghostbusters villain of the same name. In the movie: Zuul is a quadruped reptilian, with sets of horns adorning it's head. Zuul guards the gates to alternate dimensions. The monster in the films resembles *Zuul* the ankylosaur in many ways, and most closely to the osteoderms and horns on the back and head of the animal, and the film God. The specific scientific name roughly translates to "destroyer of shins": based upon the heavy mass of bone on *Zuul*'s tail. Because the naming team work at the Royal Ontario Museum, the museum created an exhibition for *Zuul*. Here, they displayed a skeleton and created a short animation that played on screens.

## Description

*Zuul* is known from a largely articulated skeleton; preserved well, stomach-side facing up. *Zuul* is one of the most well preserved ankylosaurs in North America. When the fossils were originally analyzed, they were thought to have belonged to another species of *Euoplocephalus*. They nicknamed the specimen Sherman. The skeleton was acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum, and the skull was laser scanned, the fossils were prepared, and several elements from Sherman were published. The fossil preserved the original position of the osteoderms, keratin sheath remains, scales preserved as a black film. The skull and tail were both preserved well. *Zuul* was published as a dinosaur mummy, due to the extensive soft tissue preservation. *Zuul* was found in the sandstone layer of the Judith River Formation.

## Paleoecology

Analysis of the armour across the side of the holotype suggests that broken and rehealed injuries in the osteoderms and ribs were caused by a ritualistic form of intraspecific combat, such as jousting, but not due to predator atatcks. Osteoderms with a rounded termination were probably damaged by other males during rutting season, who struck most at the flank. This is thought to have driven ankylosaur evolution, rather than the previous prevailing theory that the clubs were used for self-defense; yet, new findings do not rule this out.

## Notable Specimens

* ROM 75860 "Sherman": An almost fully articulated skeleton of *Zuul* laid stomach-side up. Sherman preserved the head and tail well, and had remains of keratin sheaths, osteoderms in life-placement and small scales in the form of a black film.

## Gallery

Asymmetrical *Zuul* club-tail, unique to this particular individual.Zuul H264*Zuul* and a tyrannosaurid at the Royal Ontario Museum.
## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zuul
* https://ghostbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Zuul (film lore)

1. ↑ https://phys.org/news/2022-12-ankylosaurs-fought-rex.html
Tealliocaris

*Tealliocaris* is an extinct genus of shrimp that lived in Scotland during the Early Carboniferous.

## Description

*Tealliocaris* is known from many fossils, which include many different life stages, which gives scientists an insight into the animals lifestyle. Unlike modern shrimp, *Tealliocaris* has long antennae, a tail fan and five pairs of legs.

## References

1. ↑ https://twitter.com/palaeokatie/status/1322260476475150336
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tealliocaris
3. ↑ https://www.scottishgeology.com/geo/scotlands-fossils/tealliocaris/
Tsaagan

Credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

*Tsaagan* is an extinct genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

The holotype, MPC-D 100/1015 (prev. IGM 100/1015) was discovered in 1996 and classified as a specimen of *Velociraptor*. However, a CAT scan in May 1998 suggested need for a new genus, which was published in 2006. The name is intended to be read as one, translating to "white monster" in Mongolian (although it is a typo of the word "Tsagaan"). The holotype was found near Xanadu, Ömnögovi Province in the Campanian Djadochta Formation. It is a well-preserved skull and a vertebral series of 10 cervicals with a damaged left shoulder. It is the only specimen, an adult.

## Description

It generally resembles *Velociraptor* but differs through the robusticity and smoothness on top, with autapomorphies including a long paroccipital processes, jugal that touches the squamosal and basipterygoids at the rear of the skull.

## Classification

Norell et al. suggest that *Tsaagan* was a velociraptorine. A 2010 analysis suggests affinities closer to *Linheraptor*. Senter (2011) and Turner et al. (2012) suggest, however, that *Linheraptor* is synonymous with *Tsaagan*. Xu et al. (2015) reject this, finding differences between the two. Currie and Evans (2019) find:

## Paleoecology

*Tsaagan* is one of the only dromaeosaur remains (besides isolate teeth) from the Ukhaa Tolgod region, though it did share the Djdochta Formation with *Velociraptor*. Other animals from here include *Protoceratops*, *Shuvuuia*, *Zalambdalestes*, Kryptobaatar, troodontids and dromaeosaurids.
Unnamed Winton Titanosauriform

The Winton titanosauiform is an unnamed genus of titanosauriform sauropod that lived in Australia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

The Unnamed Winton Titanosauriform is a genus of Sauropod Dinosaur from the Winton formation (Cenomanian-Turonian) of Australia. The Specimen was discovered in 2018, and preserves at least a partial braincase, quadrates, quadratojuguals, a left squamosal, a hind limb bone, & postorbitals, although the specimen is not fully prepared and shows more unidentified bones. Since relatively few Titanosauriforms preserve skull material the taxon is important in the evolution of Titanosauriform skull anatomy between later and earlier taxa.

## References

* NEW SAUROPOD DINOSAUR DISCOVERIES IN THE LOWER UPPER CRETACEOUS WINTON FORMATION (CENOMANIAN– LOWER TURONIAN) OF QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR TITANOSAURIAN EVOLUTION POROPAT, Stephen F., Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Australia; MANNION, Philip D., University College London, London, England; UPCHURCH, Paul, University College London, London, United Kingdom; ELLIOTT, David A., Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, Winton, Australia SVP conference abstracts 2019
Teratornis

Credit: Roman Uchytel.

*Teratornis*, known also as Merriam's teratorn, is an extinct genus of teratorn that lived in North America from the Early to the Late Pleistocene.

## Description

Nearly 100 specimens of *Teratornis* are known from traditional fossils and from tar pits. *Teratornis* is known strictly from North America, although undescribed remains from Ecuador exist. *Teratornis* bore fused finger bones, like all birds, but had a shelf of bone on the index fingers to aid the weight of the elongated and stout primary flight feathers. This allowed the bird to utilize strong upcurrents of air. The legs were remarkably similar to the Andean condor, but could only use them holding and for tearing prey apart, and lacked the grip birds of prey have. Under most circumstances, Merriam's teratorn had a wing loading similar to a Californian condors, being able to jump into the air and beat its wings to take flight. Alternatively, *Teratornis* is well adapted to sprinting into a current and diving off of a high platform, like condors do, however, they had smaller legs with a shorter stride than condors do.

## Paleobiology

### Diet

*Teratornis* lived similarly to condors, though the shape of its beak leads scientists to believe that it was a more active predator. Animals the size of a rabbit would have been easily passable; swallowed whole. Carrion would have been a prominent food item, to which *Teratornis* likely ate it in the manner vultures and condors do. Many *Teratornis* specimens recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits were attracted to dying megafauna that had fell into the asphalt, attempting to drink from water that gathered on the tars surface. This usually ended in *Teratornis* becoming engulphed in the material, asphyxiating. *Teratornis* would have been able to land on the tar-covered carcasses and opened up their body cavities with smaller birds that frequented the area, where mammalian predators could not reach the bodies. Analysis on the birds' bill shows that fish may have been a key component in *Teratornis*' diet. *Teratornis* may have hunted marine life like an osprey, which also gives an explanation on how the large birds could have drowned in the asphalt.

### Extinction

*Teratornis* likely fell into extinction due to climate change at the end of the final ice age, leading to ecological altering side effects and scarce food, further amplified by human hunting in the area and altered rain cycles which altered aquatic vertebrates. Despite being more powerful than other birds it lived with, *Teratornis* was out-competed by more successful birds of prey. Others birds had more flexible diets and populations, while *Teratornis* did not. Recent studies show that the Californian condor survived the extinction due to its tendencies to scavenge beached marine animals. However, *Teratornis*' strict diet relied on carrion, ensuring it's extinction.

## Species

### Reassigned Species

* *"Teratornis" olsoni*
* *Teratornis incredibilis*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratornis
* Scholastic, Tar Pit Discovery, page 5
Thaumastosaurus

*Thaumastosaurus* is an extinct genus of frog that lived in France during the Eocene.

## History

The fossil was first mentioned by French naturalist Henri Filhol in 1873. In later writings, the naturalist mentions the dried-out mummy under a name of *Rana plicata*. The name had since became preoccupied, and the origin and dating of the fossil was uncertain. Disarticulated crania of were reported from Phosphorites du Quercy in 2023.

## Description

Remains of *Thaumastosaurus* range from general remains to an almost complete mummy dating back to the Eocene. The mummy was discovered in a France quarry (specifically the Quercy Phosphorites; see mummy in Infobox) and includes a mostly complete torso, a head with open eyes and limbs. When the fossil was CT scanned, the preserved skeleton inside the skin of the mummy. The team studying the mummy was identical to another species in the genus *Thaumastosaurus*; *Thaumastosaurus gezei*. The scientists described the mummy as "crispy" and "still gooey looking". Dermal cranial ornaments may be diagnostic to the species level in this genus, Cryptic taxa may be present through the disparity of the maxillae and squamosals. Some squamosa have processus zygomaticus reaching the postnasal wall, excluding the orbital margin from the maxillae; others were short as to participate the maxillae to the orbital margi.

## Paleoecology

The ancestors of this genus may have dispersed from isolated populations in Afro-Arabia into Europe during the Early Paleogene, possibly overseas.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=57043
2. ↑ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/09/27/fossil-frog-still-looks-gooey-after-over-34-million-years/
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad047/7222864
4. ↑ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/09/27/fossil-frog-still-looks-gooey-after-over-34-million-years/
Ursus americanus amplidens

Ursus Americanus Amplidens, also known as the Pleistocene Black Bear, is the largest subspecies of black bear and lived during the Pleistocene, 2.58 MYA-11,700 BC.

## Description

Ursus Americanus Amplidens weighed up to 1800 LBS, which is larger than Ursus Horribilis. Like its species, it probably had black fur, but might've had brown fur that made it look like a larger version of Ursus Americanus Cinnamomum. It probably would've been over 4 feet tall on all fours. On its hind legs, it might've been over nine feet tall.

## Diet

Like regular black bears, it was probably an omnivore, meaning that it consumed both plants and meat.

## Range

This animal lived throughout Texas, it hasn't been found anywhere else as of currently. It is known that it coexisted with other bears, espicially the Giant Short-Faced Bear. It might've coexisted with other black bears, grizzlies, brown bears, and Florida Short-Faced Bears.
Tylocephale

Credit: José Carlos Cortés.

*Tylocephale* is an extinct genus of pachycephalosaur that lived in North America and Asia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Tylocephale* was about 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) long, and had one of the highest peaking head domes of any Pachycephalosauridae.

## Classification

*Tylocephale* looks very much alike, and was even related to *Prenocephale*

## Paleoecology

Evidence suggests that *Tylocephale* originated in Asia, as with other pachycephalosaurids, then crossed over into North America. They then crossed back over to Asia, and it is likely that *Tylocephale* did as well.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylocephale
* https://archive.org/details/g.s.paul2016theprincetonfieldguidetodinosaurs/page/n258/mode/1up
Velafrons

Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Velafrons* is an extinct genus of lambeosaurine that lived in Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

Terry Gates et al. says that excavating the *Velafrons* holotype took about a decade, with field worker of the Dinamation International Society uncovering the majority of the body between 1992 and 2001, with the skull uncovered by multiple museums in 2002. By then, workers had determined *Velafrons* was a distinct taxon.

## Description

*Velafrons* is very similar to juvenile *Hypacrosaurus* and *Corythosaurus*, presumably in terms of ontogeny and physical appearance. *Velafrons*' skull may have been quite small when mature, based off of phylogenic analysis. *Velafrons* followed a different growth pattern than other lambeosaurs like it. *Velafrons* is known from one adult, and one juvenile specimen.

## Paleoecology

*Velafrons* lived in southern North America; Coahuila, Mexico, during a diverse radiation of dinosaur species 75 or 72 million years ago. *Velafrons* descends from more northern lineages that had travelled south. Because of this, some sort of invisible barrier or cause seemed to separate northern and southern dinosaurs into two groups, which allowed them to evolve into different animals, under different circumstances. This has not yet been found, but can help paleontologists piece together dinosaur evolution. *Velafrons* lived in the Cerro del Pueblo Formation in the middle location.

## Notable Specimens

* CPC-59: The type specimen of *Velafrons*; a juvenile.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velafrons
* https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/phenomena/2013/03/25/v-is-for-velafrons/
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerro\_del\_Pueblo\_Formation#Dinosaurs
* https://archive.org/details/g.s.paul2016theprincetonfieldguidetodinosaurs/page/n258/mode/1up
Titanoboa

Credit: Encyclopedia Britannica.

*Titanoboa* is an extinct genus of constrictor snake that lived in Columbia from the Middle to the Late Paleocene.

## History

In 2009, twenty eight *Titanoboa* were found in the Cerrejón coal mines, Cerrejón Formation in La Guajira, Columbia. Before then, few Paleocene vertebrates from tropical environments had been known from South America. *Titanoboa* was discovered by an expedition led by Jonathan Bloch and Carlos Jaramillo. *Titanoboa* translates to "titanic boa", and the epithet "*cerrejonensis*" refers to it's place of discovery, the Cerrejón coal mine in the Cerrejón Formation located in La Guajira, Columbia.

## Description

Titanoboa was the largest snake, defeating the previous record holder, *Gigantophis*. *Titanoboa* lacked venom and fangs, but had teeth for holding its prey in place. *Titanoboa* was similar to modern anacondas and similar constrictor boas.

## Paleobiology

*Titanoboa* was first proposed as an apex predator, but analysis of the skull shows otherwise. *Titanoboa* possesses traits unusual to other boas. These include high palatal and marginal tooth sockets, a low-angled quadrate and reduced palatine-pterygoid and ptery. These features point to the fact that *Titanoboa* may have been generally piscivorous, which is not seen in any other boid. Because of the animals size, it gives researchers an insight into the Earths climate during that time. Since snakes are ectothermic, the tropics Titanoboa inhabited averaged 32° Celsius (90° Fahrenheit).

This allowed cold-blooded reptiles to grow massive in size, where smaller genera are found in northern regions. A 2009 study published in Nature estimated that lizards in todays tropics could reach 10-14 meters (33-46 feet) long, however this has since been proven false. Another study in Nature estimated that the climate *Titanoboa* lived in would have had to be 4-6 degrees less than estimated, due to the snake producing so much metabolic heat, or the snake would have overheated.

## Paleoecology

Titanoboa inhabited tropical forests in South America. It shared this region with large crocodylomorphs and turtles in its coastal swamp, which was sheltered by hills in the west and soon-to-be hills in the east. The tropical environment was covered in *Salvinia* aquatic ferns and the massive turtle *Carbonemys*.

## References

* https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/31/arts/television/titanoboa-monster-snake-on-smithsonian-channel.html?\_r=0
* https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17544885
* https://www.britannica.com/animal/Titanoboa
* https://allthatsinteresting.com/titanoboa-snake
* https://www.wired.com/2014/05/absurd-creature-of-the-week-the-2500-pound-snake-that-devoured-gigantic-crocodiles/
* https://ansp.org/about/press-room/releases/2015/titanoboa/
* https://new.smm.org/learn/titanoboa-passenger-pigeon
* https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/titanoboa-thirteen-metres-one-tonne-largest-snake-ever
* https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/at-45-feet-long-titanoboa-snake-ruled-the-amazon/
* https://www.thoughtco.com/titanoboa-worlds-biggest-prehistoric-snake-1093334
Urocyon

This page is about a genus that contains extinct and extant species; species marked with † are extinct.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Urocyon* is an extant genus of canid that lives in the Western Hemisphere from the Late Pliocene (or older) to the present day.

## Description

Only two species of *Urocyon* still live today: *U. cinereoargenteus* and *U. littoralis*. Fossils of *Urocyon* date back to the Late Pliocene but undescribed specimens suggest *Urocyon* appeared earlier in geologic history.

## Species

* *U. cinereoargenteus* (gray fox)
* *U. littoralis* (island fox)
	+ Cuzumel fox (dwarf population)
* †*U. citrinus*
* †*U. galushai*
* †*U. minicephalus*
* †*U. progressus*
* †*U. seminolensis*
* †*U. webbi*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urocyon
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=41247
Trinacromerum

Trinacromerum bentonianum. Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Trinacromerum* is an extinct genus of polycotylid plesiosaur that lived in Kansas and Manitoba during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Trinacromerum* had small teeth, which were ideal for hunting fish. It has long flippers that enabled the animal to swim quickly. Richard Ellis describes *Trinacromerum* as a "four-flippered penguin". *T. bentonianum* was named by Cragin in 1888 based on the holotype USNM 10945 and paratype USNM 10946 from the Fairport Chalk Member, Carlile Shale in Osborn County, Kansas (?) from the Middle Turonian. It was assigned Polycotylidae with *Dolichorhynchops*. *T. "willistoni"* was named after S. W. Williston, now considered a synonym of *T. bentonianum*.

## Notable Specimens

* USNM 10945: The holotype of the genus, and of the species *T. bentonianum*.
* USNM 10946: The paratype assigned *T. bentonianum*.
* KUVP-5070: A skull of *T. bentonianum*, discovered in December 1936 during a road-cut construction along US 81 Highway, south of Concordia (Cloud County), Kansas. According to Riggs (1944), it was ten feet below the Jetmore Calk Member of the Hartland Shale Member, Greenhorn Limestone. This was named *T. "willistoni"* before reclassified later.

## Classification

Ketchum & Benson (2011) class *Trinacromerum* as:

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinacromerum
* http://oceansofkansas.com/Trinacromerum.html
Wendiceratops

Before formal naming or identification, this organism was known as the following on this wiki:
**The New Horned Dinosaur** and **Name: *pending***

## Wendiceratops

A speculative reconstruction, since the nasal horn is incompletely known. Credit: Danielle Dufault.

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous

*Wendiceratops* is an extinct genus of centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Alberta during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Vertebral elements (three fused vertebrae and ribs), a radius, ulna and undisclosed remains were discovered in 2010, equating to about 50% of the animal from about 150 bones and 4 individuals. However, only the (genuine; not casts) vertebral remains, radius and ulna were displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum before publication in a room with other then recently described ceratopsians (such as *Wendiceratops* and *Regaliceratops*) from Canada. The ulna is TMP 2013.20.30 and the radius is TMP 2014.29.55; the vertebrae represents TMP 2011.51.33. In 2022, David Evans and Wendy Sloboda announced the discovery of a nearly complete cranium with recurving brow horns as their initial publication predicted.

## Paleobiology

### Paleopathology

The specimen bears three vertebrae that are fused together, which has been interpreted as a likely effect from either injury or disease.

## Paleoecology

This genus lived on a coastal plain nearby an inland sea alongside tyrannosaurs, hadrosaurids, nodosaurids, other ceratopsians, crocodilians, champsosaurs, turtles and gars. It lived about 79 million years ago, which is roughly (if not fully) adjacent with the Foremost Formation, which is likely to make this find from Alberta.

## Gallery

Radius and ulna (right) and vertebral elements (left) at the Royal Ontario Museum.
**Credit: Clumsystiggy on DeviantArt.**.Label at the ROM.
**Credit: Clumsystiggy on DeviantArt.**
## References

* https://twitter.com/DavidEvans\_ROM/status/1530224468966219778
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendiceratops
* https://twitter.com/clumsystiggy/status/1515039855545364490
* https://twitter.com/DavidEvans\_ROM/status/1554483619791376386?t=H97rqJqdZj9LvpBUs-nkoA&s=19
Trierarchuncus

Before formal naming or identification, this organism was known as the following on this wiki:
**Hell Creek alvarezsaur**

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Trierarchuncus* is an extinct genus of alvarezsaurid that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Trierarchuncus* was described by Fowler based upon several differences, especially on the three phalanges, the radius and the metatarsals. *Trierarchuncus* is known from it's arms, feet and toes. *Trierarchuncus* was discovered in 1988, but was named in 2020, 32 years later. *Trierarchuncus* has a bushy feathered tail, short arms bearing one clawed digit, a bird-like head and long legs, like all alvarezsaurs. MOR 6622 was assigned the holotype alongside MOR 2920, UCMP 154584 and BDM 002. Together, *Trierarchuncus* is confidently represented by most of the forelimbs, partial feet and a partial ischium. MOR 3098 was extremely tentatively referred, BDM 001 was tentatively assigned and DDM 1692.32 and MOR 10889 were referred; these are all incomplete forelimb claws. The ischium assigned *Trierarchuncus* and the partial metatarsal assigned *"Ornithomimus" minutus* were originally classified as mononykine, but the most recent phylogenetic analysis places it in Parvicursorinae. The alvarezsaurid metatarsal assigned *"Ornithomimus" minutus*, YPM 1049, were noted by Fowler et al. (2020), but they did not refer it to *Trierarchuncus*. However, some think the true holotype of *"Ornithomimus" minutus* is lost.

## Notable Specimens

* MOR 6622: The holotype of *Trierarchuncus*, consisting of toes, feet and an arm. The holotype was not named for many years, but finally given the name *Trierarchuncus* in 2020 by Fowler et al..

## Classification

*Trierarchuncus* is closely related to *Mononykus*, another alvarezsaur from Asia. *Trierarchuncus* remains are known from the Hell Creek Formation, and closely resemble those of other related alvarezsaurs. *Trierarchuncus* is the youngest known alvarezsaur, and went extinct during the K-PG mass extinction event. Below is a cladogram illustrated by Fowler et al. in 2020:

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trierarchuncus
* D. W. Fowler, J. P. Wilson, E. A. Freedman Fowler, C. R. Noto, D. Anduza and J. R. Horner. 2020. Trierarchuncus prairiensis gen. et sp. nov., the last alvarezsaurid: Hell Creek Formation (uppermost Maastrichtian), Montana. *Cretaceous Research* **116**:104560
* https://www.jstor.org/stable/4523917
* https://zenodo.org/record/2238442#.YV9U46jYp6w
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667120303852
* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.1995.10011574
Tiantaisaurus

"Tiantaisaurus", also spelt "Tiantaiosaurus", is a naked genus of therizinosaur that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

"Tiantaisaurus" was intended to be used in an official description in 2007, since it had been used in a dinosaur mailing list. The name had been referenced in a manuscript that had never been published. The specimen consists of an ischium, astralagus, a tibia, femur, fragmentary pubis, an illium and many vertebrae.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs#Tiantaisaurus
Tongoenas

Credit: Danielle Byerley.

*Tongoenas* is an extinct genus of giant pigeon that lived on the Pacific Islands for at least 60,000 years, and went extinct about 2,850 years ago.

## Description

*Tongoenas* was found in a cave, known from it's massive bones, and was thought to have been killed and eaten by early human settlers on the Pacific Islands. The scientists exploring the island noticed the trees had large trees, with big fleshy fruits dangling from the branches. Lead author David Steadman said this:

—Lead author David Steadman
He continued;

—Lead author David Steadman
*Tongoenas* was able to swallow fruits as large as a tennis ball.

## Paleoecology

*Tongoenas* had the ability to take flight, and lived high in the canopies. *Tongoenas* went extinct after the arrival of humans on the Pacific Islands. Since *Tongoenas* co-evolved with guava, mango and the chinaberry lineages, *Tongoenas* served as a crucial repopulator, spreading seeds throughout the island so they can regrow. Their home islands lacked large predatory animals, which is why *Tongoenas* grew so large.

## References

* https://phys.org/news/2020-07-giant-fruit-gulping-pigeon-eaten-extinction.html
* https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4810.3.1
Tlatolophus

Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Tlatolophus* is an extinct genus of parasaurolophinin hadrosaurid that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

The generic name comes from the Náhuatl word tlatolli, meaning "word", combined with Latin lophus ("crest") due to the crest's resemblance to the glyph "word" in Aztec iconography, resembling an inverse comma. The species is named after the Garza and López families named for their collaboration in collecting and preserving the specimen.
The genus name means "word crest". The holotype, specimen CIC/P/147, was first discovered as a semi-articulated tail in 2005 in sediments of the Cerro del Pueblo Formation in Coahuila, Mexico. In 2013, the INAH and UNAM launched a joint project to recover it, and it was soon realized that it belonged to the most complete lambeosaurine known from Mexico with an almost complete skull, jaws, and additional parts of the postcranial skeleton including an articulated tail. It was officially and formally named as the new genus and species *Tlatolophus galorum* in 2021.

## Gallery

Skull material.Articulated tail and part of the hips in situ, 2013.**Credit: SlvrHwk on the Wikimedia Commons.**
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667121001312
2. ↑ https://www.trendsmap.com/twitter/tweet/1392104627143802886
Tomlinsonus

Credit: Christian M..

*Tomlinsonus* is an extinct genus of marrellomorph arthropod that lived in Ontario during Late Ordovician.

## History

The holotype was discovered in the Upper Member of the Kirkfield Formation near Brechin, Ontario by G. Kampouris, an avocational paleontologist and collaborator of the describers. They were excavating a private quarry plot near Lake Simcoe and donated the specimen to science. It was soaked in alchohol during preparation and was very difficult to spot before preparation. *Tomlinsonus* was displayed at the Royal Ontario Museum's Dawn of Life gallery.

## Description

Ornate, curved cephalic spines and a pair of hypertropheid appendages are present, suggesting it was slow and benthic. It is the first time soft tissue from the Brechin area.

## Classification

Using new data, marrellomorph phylogeny favours an affinity to arachnomorphs with robust internal relations that differ to the outgroup selection. *Tomlinsonus* is more derived than *Marrella*. Thus, it bridges previously unknown data in the fossil record.

## Paleoecology

Marrelomorphs are known to have lived on ocean ocean shelves from sites like the Burgess Shale and Fezouata, especially in the Cambrian. The Brechin area is similar, preserving a shallow open ocean shelf, unlike most North American Lagerstättens (who are salty near-shore lagoons or very deep offshore depths). *Tomlinsonus* is the first marrellomorph known after the Cambrian. The Brechin area bears mineralized animals notorious for impressive preservation. It lived with crinoids, algae, an unidentified carapace and organic fragments (the latter three recovered from the same plot).

## References

* https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/abs/new-marrellomorph-arthropod-from-southern-ontario-a-rare-case-of-softtissue-preservation-on-a-late-ordovician-open-marine-shelf/2842CB067540110E7212E88AE26BA1B0
* https://twitter.com/CambroJoe/status/1506995901583273984
* https://twitter.com/CambroJoe/status/1507019845757554688
Variraptor

*Variraptor* is an extinct genus of Coelurosaurian theropod, most likely a dromaeosaurid, that lived in France during the late Cretaceous.

## History

The first fossils were discovered in 1992 by Annie Méchin-Salessy and Patrick Méchin in the Campanian to Maastrichtian aged Grès à Reptiles formation. They were initially referred to the dubious genus *Elopteryx*, before being described as a new species in 1998 by Le Loeuff and Buffetaut. The genus name refers to the Var river and département, while the specific epithet honors the Méchin couple who discovered it.

In 2009, Buffetaut and Chanthasit noted that *Pyroraptor*, another dromaeosaur from the same formation, may be a junior synonym of *Variraptor*.

## Classification

Le Loeuff and Buffeataut, in their description of the genus, assigned it to the Dromaeosauridae. In 2000, Rauhut argued that it could not be confidently placed in the Dromaeosauridae, and could only be placed in the larger Coelurosauria clade.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291995297\_A\_new\_dromaeosaurid\_theropod\_from\_the\_Upper\_Cretaceous\_of\_southern\_France
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variraptor
Tyrannotitan

Credit: Slate Weasel on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Tyrannotitan* is an extinct genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Argentina during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

Tyrannotitan is the oldest known giant carcharodontosaurid alongside *Acrocanthosaurus*, both from the Aptian

## History

*T. chubutensis* was named by Fernando E. Novas, Silvina de Valais, Pat Vickers-Rich and Tom Rich (2005). It was discovered from the La Juanita Farm from Argentina. This is probably from the Cerro Castaño Member of the Cerro Barcino Formation. MPEF-PV 1156 is the holotype, including partial dentaries, dorsals 3-8 and 11-14, proximal caudals, ribs, a frgmentary scapulocoracoid, humerus, ulna, ilia, a somewhat incomplete femur, ribula and left metatarsal. MPEF-PV 1157 consists of jugals, a right dentary, teeth, atlas, cervical 9, dorsals 7, 10 and 13, 5 sacral centra, distal caudals, ribs, the right femur, a partial left metatarsal 2 and pedal phalanges 2-1, 2-2 and 3-3.

The species and genus estimated to be 11.4 to 12.2 meters long, but G.S. Paul (2010) estimated the total length up to 13 meters. It has been estimated to have been 4.9 to 7 tonnes, whereas other paleontologists have estimated around 4.8 to 5.4 tons and an overall range of 3.6 to 6.7 tons. This makes it one of the largest theropods and terrestrial carnivorous animals to have lived.

## References

* https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/A-large-Cretaceous-theropod-from-Patagonia%2C-and-the-Novas-Valais/4152a8aa5a78ab4dfe7e11fe5ed4a376ef7e36f5
* https://medium.com/prehistoric-tales/when-tyrannosaurs-were-prey-6c2a99e7419b
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228655543\_A\_new\_carcharodontosaurid\_Dinosauria\_Theropoda\_from\_the\_Upper\_Cretaceous\_of\_Argentina
* https://web.archive.org/web/20121024120242/http://home.comcast.net/~eoraptor/Carnosauria.htm#Tyrannotitanchubutensis
* https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/brv.12638
* https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/2041-210X.12226
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2639725/
* https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005NW.....92..226N/abstract
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259045022\_Evolution\_of\_the\_carnivorous\_dinosaurs\_during\_the\_Cretaceous\_The\_evidence\_from\_Patagoniahttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2013.861830
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667113000608
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259045022\_Evolution\_of\_the\_carnivorous\_dinosaurs\_during\_the\_Cretaceous\_The\_evidence\_from\_Patagonia
* https://www.jstor.org/stable/20491023
* https://peerj.com/articles/3496/
* https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=HRCA&u=googlescholar&id=GALE%7CA476900148&v=2.1&it=r&sid=googleScholar&asid=5e267386