recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Bergamodactylus

Credit: Julio Lacerda.

*Bergamodactylus* is a potentially dubious genus of basal pterosaur that lived in Bergamo, Italy during the Late Triassic.

## Description & Validity

Some Triassic pterosaur specialists consider the distinguishing features of *Bergamodactylus* to be invalid or insufficient to distinguish it from *Carniadactylus*, and thus retain the specimen in that genus.

Rupert Wild (1978) described a small pterosaur specimen from the Museo di Paleontologia dell´Università di Milano, which was found near Cene, Lombardy. It was given the nickname Milan Exemplar", finding it was a juvenile and referring it to *Eudimorphodon*. Kellner (2015) concluded it was distinct, showing differences in build that were individual variation, it was very much smaller and was of a younger geological age; thus, he erected a new genus and species He named a separate genus and specie. In 2018, Dalla Vecchia (2018) argued Kellner oversimplified flapling development, and that autapomorphies were ambiguous, invalid, or individual variation. Vecchia referred the specimen to *Carniadactylus*, making it a junior synonym.

## Description

"Autapomorphies" were found: the postorbital is slender and has a thin branch stretching to the frontal bone; and the praemaxilla does not stretch to the lower rim of the external nostril. MPUM 6009 is the holotype, found in a layer of the Norian-aged Calcari di Zorzino Formation.

It is known from a partial skeleton including the skull, which was compressed onto one plate. Multi-cusped teeth similar to *Eudimorphodon* line the jaws, with their numbers strongly differing: 14 in both jaws, which is much less than the latter. A tooth row that extends posteriorly supposedly differentiates it from *Carniadactylus*.

## References

1. ↑ https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/10099
2. ↑ http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon\_no=324074
3. ↑ https://www.gbif.org/species/8467908
4. ↑ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26131631/
5. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Bergamodactylus-wildi-MPUM-6009-main-part-of-the-skeleton-Scale-bar-50-mm\_fig3\_279732344
6. ↑ https://www.pteros.com/pterosaurs/bergamodactylus.html
Bananogmius

This article does not meet the standards set by the Prehistoric wiki Manual of Style. Please edit it.

## Statistics

### Diet

Piscivorous

*Bananogmius* is an extinct genus of ray-finned fish that lived in Kansas during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Bananogmius* had a thin body, similar to modern angelfish, flat jaws crammed with many small teeth and an extremely elongated dorsal fin.

## Paleoecology

*Bananogmius* lived in the Western Interior Seaway with popular aquatic organisms like *Mosasaurus*, *Xiphactinus*, *Archelon* and countless other large marine fauna.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bananogmius
Balhuticaris

Credit: Hugo Salais.

*Balhuticaris* is an extinct genus of hymenocarine that lived in Canada during the Middle Cambrian.

## History

*Balhuticaris* was named in 2022 based on 11 specimens from the British Columbian Burgess Shale, all found in two dimensions on several carbonaceous films. The holotype and several others are near-to-fully complete with possible neural and miscellaneous soft tissues preserved. It is named after the massive Persian cosmographical Balhūt and "caris" ("crab"), The specific epithet is means "vault", after its appearance in the front view.

## Description

*Balhiticaris* is the largest bivalved arthropod yet known in the fossil record (as of 2022). It had ~110 pairs of biramous limbs, also being amongst the most of Cambrian arthropods. The head was covered by a large carapace that forms an arch, however, it only covers the anterior of the body except for a ventral extension beyond the appendages.

## Classification

It was closely related to *Odaria*, which belongs to a group traditionally called pancrustaceans, However, the description prefers that they be called part of Hymenocarnina as basal mandibulates.

## Paleoecology

The Burgess Shale, a Middle Cambrian-aged Lagerstätten in British Columbia, is a key site for Paleozoic early invertebrates and vertebrates. It includes lobopods, stem- and total-group arthropods, worms, basal chordates, sponges, echinoderms and many other now-extinct lineages. Only the giant radiodont *Anomalocaris* exceeded it in size.Sources

## References

* http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/balhuticaris-voltae-10983.html
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004222009476
* http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2022/07/balhuticaris.html
* https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a40628479/gigantic-new-burgess-shale-creature-balhuticaris-voltae/
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balhuticaris
Baltimartyria

*Baltimartyria* is an extinct genus of moth that lived in Europe during the Early Eocene.

## Description

*Baltimartyria* was first mistaken as *Micropterix*, then *Sabatinca*, but later distinguished as a new taxa. *Baltimartyria* is a 'metallic moth' preserved in clear Baltic amber with its wings spread. Because of the specimens odd positioning, the right antenna and right maxillary palps are not visible, and the genitalia is coated in a 'white substance'. *B. rasnitsyni* is distinguished by the veins in its wings, the R4 and R5 (while originating from one vein) fork into the apex side of the cell.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimartyria
Branta thessaliensis

*Branta thessaliensis* is an extinct species of geese in the genus *Branta* that lived in Greece during the Miocene.

## History

*Branta thessaliensis* is known from a single humerus found at the Late Miocene (~7 mya) Perivolaki locality in Greece. It is comparable in size to the Canada goose (*Branta canadensis*). It was described in 2006 by Zlatozar Boev and George Koufos.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branta\_thessaliensis
Amargastegos

Credit: Lucas Attwell.

"Amargastegos" is a naked genus of stegosaur that lived in Argentina during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

"Amargastegos" was named from MACN N-43, which consists of several osteoderms, cervical and caudal vertebrae and a skull bone. Peter Malcolm Galton and Kenneth Carpenter (2016) reclassified "Amargastegos" as Stegosauridae indet. and a nomen nudum.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs
Ke’heops

Homme réputé comme l’un des meilleures mages de son temps, **Ke’heops** est un prince de clan puissant et sévère, mais également le père de Kelen et Shalla.

## Physique

Ke’heops est décrit comme très bel homme, que n’importe quel homme jalouserait pour la beauté de ses traits.

## Personnalité

Ke’heops est fier, même un peu trop au goût de son fils... Il peut se montrer féroce quand provoqué par ce dernier.

Ke’heops peut aussi être un bon père, comme il l'a été avec Kelen avait que ce dernier lui quitte et se rebelle.

## Histoire

### Avant *L’Anti-Magicien*

Ke’heops est le fils de Seren’tia, une des mages les plus puissantes que les Jan’Teps aient jamais connu. Ke’heops est aussi un des mages les plus puissants du peuple; il a été nommé prince du clan.

Alors qu’il avait forcé la main à son épouse, Bene’maat, cette dernière avait mis au monde Kelen et Shalla. La magie de Kelen avait été très faible, alors que celle de Shalla, très puissante. Alors que Kelen n’était qu’un poupon, sa grand-mère atteinte de l’ombre au noir avait tatoué Kelen avec les bandes de l’ombre au noir. Ke’heops avait pensé qu’il avait intervenu à temps, mais aux quinze ans de Kelen, les marques réapparurent. Terrifiés, Ke’heops et Bene’maat avaient trompé Kelen et l’avait attaché en contrecarrant sa magie.
Ahshislepelta

Credit: José Carlos Cortés.

*Ahshislepelta* is an extinct genus of ankylosaur that lived in New Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Ahshislepelta* is known from an incomplete postcranial skeleton, which consists of a shoulder girdle, the left forelimb, vertebrae and osteoderms. Its fossils were discovered in 2005, and collected between then and 2009. The animals humerus is roughly 31 centimeters long.

## Notable Specimens

* SMP VP-1930: An adult postcranial skeleton consisting of various elements.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahshislepelta
Archaeocyon

Credit: Roman Uchytel.

*Archaeocyon* is an extinct genus of canid that lived during the Oligocene in North America.

## Description

*Archaeocyon* was one of the first canines in North America, being slightly older than *Otarocyon*. *Archaeocyon* was small and not adapted to a specific task, like its ancestors. *Archaeocyon* was omnivorous (hypocarnivorous), and walked in a different posture.

## Species

* *A. falkenbachi*
* *A. leptodus*
* *A. pavidus*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeocyon
Aspidopleura

*Aspidopleura* is an extinct genus of parasitic wasp that lived during the Early Eocene in the Baltic Region.

## Description

*Aspidopleura* is known from two specimens, both females. Several elements of the holotype aren't in view, and some areas are obscured by white mold.

## Paleoecology

Due to the short ovipositor and mandibles, similarities to the genus *Anastatus*, an extant parasitic wasp, it is assumed that *Aspidopleura* was a parasitic wasp. *Aspidopleura* likely injected its eggs into larger arthropods, to which they would die, and be eaten alive by the larvae.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspidopleura
Arrudatitan

The left femur.

*Arrudatitan* is an extinct genus of lithostrotian sauropod that lived in Brazil during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

The species "*maximus*" was named by Santucci and De Arruba-Campos in 2011 as a species in the genus *Aeolosaurus*. In 2021, the species was transferred to a new name, "*Arrudatitan*". The holotype includes postcranial elements, with another specimen having a relatively gracile (for a titanosaur) femur. *Arrudatitan* lived from the Campanian to the Maastrichtian (72.1-68 million years ago).

## Notable Specimens

* MPMA 12-0001-97: The holotype, preserving cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, ribs and limb elements.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrudatitan
* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2021.1920016?journalCode=ghbi20#.YIwYCwjGK4s.twitter
Beelzebufo

Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy.

*Beelzebufo*, known commonly as the devil frog/toad and the frog from hell, is an extinct genus of frog that lived in Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Beelzebufo* could have grown at least 23.2 centimeters (9.1 inches) from the snout to the vent. However, some scientists place the size of *Beelzebufo* at about 45.2 centimeters (16.7 inches). *Beelzebufo* had a particularly large head, which had a width to about 15.4 centimeters, meaning it may have had a bite force between 500 and 2200 newtons. The roof of the skull has a rugose texture on its external side, suggesting the head may have been covered in bony, scale-like areas called scutes. Widened skull sutures found on *Beelzebufo*'s skull might suggest the ancient toad had more room to grow than previously thought. *Beelzebufo* strongly resembles the horned toads common in South America. However, *Beelzebufo* is not closely related to those toads, and was likely a case of convergent evolution. *Beelzebufo*'s jaws may have allowed for it to crush juvenile dinosaurs in them, and swallow them whole, hence the large cranium. *Beelzebufo*'s remains allegedly took 14 years to name, after roughly 75 fragmented bones were reconstructed into a rough skeleton. In 2022, phylogenetic tests determined that *Beelzebufo* is not a ceratophyrid as previously thought.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beelzebufo
* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2022.2050824?journalCode=tjsp20
Asprosaurus

Credit: Vitamin Imagination on ArtStation.

*Asprosaurus* is an extinct genus of monstersaurian lizard that lived in South Korea during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Asprosaurus* may have been one of the largest terrestrial lizards known from the Late Cretaceous, rivalled only by *Palaeosaniwa* from Hell Creek, Montana. *Asprosaurus* was the first Mesozoic lizards discovered from the Korean peninsula, and is only known from fragmentary material.

## Classification

*Asprosaurus* may be a member of monstersauria.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asprosaurus
Adelospondylus

Credit: Nobu Tamura.

*Adelospondylus* was an amphibian from Scotland, that lived during the Carboniferous period.

## Description

*Adelospondylus*, like *Adelogyrinus* is theorized to have lived in waterways and forests. The only fossils recovered were a single skull (with mandible). The scientists noted the mandible was 'deep'. *Adelospondylus* is very similar to *Adelogyrinus*. *Adelospondylus* has a skull 5 centimeters long.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelospondylus
Angolasaurus

Credit: Henry Sharpe.

*Angolasaurus* is an extinct genus of mosasaur that lived in Texas, Brazil, Niger, and Angola during the Late Cretaceous period.

## History

Miguel Telles Antunes (1964) named it from a partial skull and skeleton, but was reassigned in 1994 to *Platecarpus*. This struck down the idea it was a plioplatecarpine proposed in 2005. From 2005-2009, at least 2 new specimens were uncovered. A new skull and the type were CT scanned, revealing intricate detailing of the braincase and a position in Plioplatecarpinae. Another phylogenetic analysis assigned it to a basal position to Tylosaurinae and Plioplatecarpinae, excluded in both. Two specimens from the Eagle Ford Formation in 2007 were described, one preserving part of the hyoid. This same paper assigned 2 *Platecarpus* teeth to the genus, from the Sergipe Basin, Brazil, and are indistinguishable from the holotype. This makes the first Turonian mosasaur with a transatlantic distribution.

## Description

*Angolasaurus* is a small mosasaur that shares much anatomy with *Platecarpus*; it has a slightly longer skull compared to body length, that housed 11 maxillary, 4 premaxillary and 12 dentary teeth. It likely possessed a tail fluke, had forward-ward projecting nostrils and keeled scales that produced hydrodynamic efficiency due to its phylogenetic position. It and contemporaneous mosasaurs in the same region likely had an increased dark pattern coverage on the dorsal surface for thermoregulation.

## Paleoecology

from the Itombe Formation lived with tylosaurs and large shallow-water turtles, with pliosaurs and terrestrial fauna such as sauropod dinosaurs recovered as well. From the Dukamaje Formation it was contemporaneous with plioplatecarpines, golbidensines, halisaurines and sauropod dinosaurs. Ontogenetic stages are known from vertebrae in this locality. In the Eagle Ford Formation it coexisted with plesiosaurs and other mosasaurs, most of these species being indeterminate.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angolasaurus
Atopodentatus

Credit: Joschua Knüppe.

*Atopodentatus* is an extinct genus of basal sauropterygian that lived in China during the Middle Triassic.

## Description

—Jaime Headden
*Atopodentatus* is known from several specimens. At first, paleontologists determined that the animal had a strange jaw; two columns, which split straight up the face, lined with rows of thin, chisel-like teeth, similar to a zipper. Two new fossils from 2016 indicate that the other specimen was badly damaged, being compressed in the skull. The new facial reconstruction was a vacuum-like bar lined with comb-like teeth. The teeth were perfect for probing the sea floor, uprooting tufts of plants. *Atopodentatus* has a reduced neck, an elongated body, robust limbs, and strong hips. These features show that *Atopodentatus* may have been semi-aquatic. *Atopodentatus* is the first herbivorous sauropterygian, aside from *Ankylosphenodon*. It bears a mosaic of placoderm (often basal) traits that (a stout, barrel-shaped body, hoof-like terminal phalanges and a pelvis firmly connected to the sacral ribs) make it look like a placoderm to the untrained eye, but it is actually just outside of sauropterygians and placoderms.

## Classification

When a preprint was released, Jaime Headden published a blog post on the new genus and suggested that "Cthulhudon" ("Cthulhu tooth") or "Schizorostra" ("divided rostrum") may be better names due to its apparent strangeness. This was before better preserved specimens had been described and the rostrum was still believed to have been crushed and divided. It is recovered as:

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atopodentatus
* https://qilong.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/im-not-sure-that-name-is-appropriate/
Asymphylomyrmex

*Asymphylomyrmex* is an extinct genus of ant that lived during the Middle Eocene in Europe.

## Description

The color of *Asymphylomyrmex* seems to be a ferruginous red. This ant is known from many specimens trapped in amber in the Baltic Region. *Asymphylomyrmex* resembles that of a modern ant, with small, specialized differences between the two animals.

## Paleoecology

*Asymphylomyrmex* likely lived in complex underground tunnels, with worker, drone and queen variations, like modern ants.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymphylomyrmex
Amtosaurus

This article does not meet the standards set by the Prehistoric wiki Manual of Style. Please edit it.

## Amtosaurus

Amtosaurus as a hadrosaur (top) and as an ankylosaur (bottom). Credit: Jack Wood (top) and Teratophoneus on DeviantArt (bottom).

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous

*Amptosaurus* is an extinct genus of ornithischian dinosaur that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Amptosaurus* is known from a partial skull fragment, which is suggested to be of the ankylosaur affinity. Other researchers suggest that the skull belongs to a hadrosaur, though more research has to be done on the topic.
Anomoeodus

*Anomoeodus* is an extinct genus of fish that lived in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia during the Cretaceous.

## Description

*A. caddoi* was was named in 2021 from UA-2016-13-232, a prearticular plate with 2 main, 4 inner lateral and 4 outer lateral teeth, from the Holly Creek Formation. It was named after the Caddo Nation. This species was small.

## Species

* *A. barberi*
* *A. latidens*
* *A. mississippiensis*
* *A. nursalli*
* *A. phaseolus*
* *A. splendidus*
* *A. woodwardi*
* *A. caddoi*

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=35169
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://peerj.com/articles/12242/?utm\_source=PeerJ&utm\_medium=twitter&utm\_campaign=12242&utm\_id=Social#p-57
Anthropopithecus

Credit: Mary Evans.

*Anthropopithecus* is an obselete genus of primate, associated with humans and chimpanzees.

## History

The genus *Anthropopithecus* was coined in 1841 by French zoologist and anatomist Henri-Marie Ducrotay de Blainville while he was studying chimpanzee material. The genus was associated with fossil chimpanzees, but the genus Pan was already in use at the time. The name lost validity in 1895, becoming a junior synonym of *Pan*.

Though the genus was used incorrectly in describing Archaic humans and chimpanzees, and was abandoned as early as 1895, *Anthropopithecus* still makes a great impact in popular culture today.

## Species

* A. troglodytes
* †*A. satyrus*
* †*A. cottoni*
* †*A. ellioti*
* †*A. erectus*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropopithecus
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=97177
Bagaceratops

Credit: Andrey Atuchin.

*Bagaceratops* is an extinct genus of small Ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia around 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

The first *Bagaceratops* were found in the Gobi Desert in the 1970s by a joint expedition of Mongolian and Polish paleontologists; named in 1975 by the expedition's leads Teresa Maryanska and Halszka Osmólska. Several of these specimens are now housed at the Paleobiological Institure, Warsaw. ZPAL MgD-I/126, a medium-sized cranium from the Hermiin Tsav, Barun Goyot Formation, is the holotype. The species epithet references Anatoly Konstantinovich Rozhdestvensky. The genus is comprised of 5 full and 20 partial crania, the largest being 17 centimeters long, and represent many ontogenetic stages, with the smallest being 4.7 centimeters long. Thus, its growth stages are relatively well understood. Only fragmentary postcrania are known of the remaining body. Remains once assigned *Protoceratops kozlowskii* and then under *Breviceratops* by Kurzanov (1990) are seen as juvenile *Bagaceratops*. Paul Sereno (2000) showed this by extrapolating.

One skull morphology and size study by Łukasz Czepiński (2019) assigned *Lamaceratops*, *Platyceratops*, *Magnirostris* and *Gobiceratops* as junior synonyms of *Bagaceratops*. The first postcrania were found in 2007 from Hermiin Tsav, and was described by Bitnara Kim et al. (2019). It was catalogued KID196, and is partially-complete. Czepiński (2020) described new specimens of *Bagaceratops* and *Protoceratops* from Üüden Sair and Zamyn Khond, evaluating the implications of them to correlate them to the Djadochta Formation. He considered MPC-D 100/551B as an anagenetic transitionary phase between the two, and is today seen as *Bagaceratops sp. indet.*.

*Bagaceratops*, referencing to Mongolian and Greek, means "small-horned face".

## Description

*Bagaceratops*, like all ceratopsians, is assumed to be a herbivore. It has a smaller, defenestrated frill. Only 10 grinding teeth sit in the jaws. It's skull is more triangular than the related *Protoceratops*. It likely fed on ferns, cycads and conifers, using its beak to shear leaves and needles, since flowering plants were geographically limited.

Though emerging late in the Mesozoic, *Bagaceratops* retains fairly primitive morphology and small body size, which characterizes early ceratopsians, with a tail with elongate and thin neural spines akin to the unrelated *Spinosaurus*.

## Synonyms

* *Gobiceratops*?
* *Lamaceratops*?
* *Magnirostris*?
* *Platyceratops*?

## References

1. ↑ http://www.palaeontologia.pan.pl/Archive/1975-33\_133-181\_36-50.pdf
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagaceratops
3. ↑ https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2021/3219-the-ecology-of-spinosaurus
Beornus

Left to right: Conacodon hettingeri, Miniconus jeanninae and Beornus. Credit: Banana Art Studio.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Beornus* is an extinct genus of periptychid 'condylarth' that lived in North America during the Paleocene.

## Description

*Beornus* was named in 2021 after Beorn, a character from The Hobbit known for his massive size due to the inflation of the molar and premolar in comparison to *Conacodon delphae*. It is known from UCM locality 2011035 of the China Butte Member, Fort Union formation, where it was contemporaneous with *Maiorana noctiluca*, *Ampliconis antoni* and *Conacodon harbourae*. It forms a polytomy with *Mithrandir gillianus* and *Hemithlaeus kowalevskianus*. It was about the size of a marmot or house cat.

## References

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2021.1924301
Akmonistion

Credit: Christian M. on Twitter.

*Akmonistion* is an extinct genus of holocephalian that lived in Scotland from the Late Devonian to the Early Carboniferous.

## Description

*Akmonistion* is distinguished by its unusual dorsal fin, covered in a thick tangled pattern of pines dubbed the "spine-brush complex" by scientists. The spine brush had an unknown function in life. Other stethacanthids like *Stethacanthus*, also had the unusual spine brush. The current scientific consensus is that the unusual feature was used as sexual dimorphism.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akmonistion
Andhrasaurus

Andhrasaurus is a naked genus of ankylosaur that lived in India during the Early Jurassic.

## Description

Andhrasaurus lived in the Kota Formation, named by Ulansky (2014) from skull material, ~30 osteoderms, vertebrae bodies and limbs. Nath et al. (2002) classifies these as ankylosauria, with all elements in the GSI collections. Peter Malcolm Galton and Kenenth Carpenter (2016) state Andhrasaurus did not meet the ICZN's requirements, classifying it as thyreophora indet. while assigning the jaws described by Nath (2002) to crocodylomorphs. The dermal osteoderms were described by Galton in 2019.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs
Adalatherium

Credit: Andrey Atuchin.

*Adalatherium* is an extinct genus of adalatheriid mammal that lived in Madagascar during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

*Adalatherium* is derived from 'adala', crazy and 'therium', beast. The specific name 'hui' could resemble the Chinese surname 'Hui'.

## Description

*Adalatherium* is the one of the earliest known mammals discovered. Studies show that *Adalatherium* fed on plants, and is the most complete mammal fossil discovered in the Southern Hemisphere. *Adalatherium* is a quadruped, standing on four sturdy clawed feet. *Adalatherium* have small, blunt heads with small teeth for crunching plants. Adalatherium has many more foramina then any other known mammals.

## Paleoecology

*Adalatherium*, around the size of a groundhog, was a giant in its time compared to other, smaller mammals that it coexisted with.

## References

* My, what big teeth and strange bones you have. Scientists discover a creature that roamed south of the equator 66 million years ago., The Washington Post
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalatherium
Beipiaosaurus

Hypothetical Beipi adult by Jacys Studios

*Beipiaosaurus* is an extinct genus of therizinosaur that lived in China during the Cretaceous.

## Description

Beipiaosaurus is known from a single juvenile specimen, so we don't know what it looks like at adulthood. The specimen was found with quill-like feathers and feathers that resemble that of ratites. It's one of the most complete therizinosaurids.

## Reference

Dorling Kindersley Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life, p. 127
Bicellum

The fossil.

*Bicellum* is an extinct genus of single-multicellular transitional "proto-animal" organism that lived in Scotland during the Mesoproterzoic/Neoproterozoic.

## Description

*Bicellum brasieri* is an organism that is between a single cell and multicellular animal. It gives new insight into the transition of single-celled organisms into multicellular animals. The fossil was found at Loch Torridon in the northwest Scottish Highlands. Scientists studied the fossil due to its exceptional preservation, allowing them to analyze it at a cellular and subcellular level.

The fossil is one billion years old, found in the highlands of Scotland. It suggests the earliest forms of life on Earth may have developed in freshwater lakes, rather than the ocean.  Researchers from the University of Sheffield and Boston College in the United States found a microfossil that contains two distinct cell types. They say the find could be the earliest multicellular animal recorded. Earlier fossils also recorded that life was already developing a billion years ago.

## References

1. ↑ https://news.sky.com/story/billion-year-old-fossil-found-in-scotland-unlocks-secrets-of-earths-earliest-lifeforms-12289493
2. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350888013\_A\_possible\_billion-year-old\_holozoan\_with\_differentiated\_multicellularity
3. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221004243
4. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982221004243
5. ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36303051
Bharitalasuchus

*Bharitalasuchus* is an extinct genus of erythrosuchid archosauriform that lived in India during the Middle Triassic.

## Description

Remains are known from the Middle Triassic Yerrapalli Formation of India. It contains a single species, *Bharitalasuchus tapani*, knwon from a holotype and paratype consisting of tooth-bearing cranial fragments; such as maxillae and probable premaxillae, at least 17 presacral vertebrae, ribs, probable intercentra, fragmentary pectoral and pelvic girdles, a femur, and tibiofibular elements, with the whole animal being 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) in total length. The discovery and description of this taxon was important or the understanding of not only the age of the Yerrapalli Formation, but also the global distribution of the erythrosuchids at the time of their demise

## Classification

The phylogenetic analysis conducted by Ezcura et al. after its discovery found the species to be closest to *Shansisuchus shansisuchus* and *Chalishevia cothurnata* from China and Russia respectively. Its discovery has important implications on the geographical and temporal range of the erythrosuchids by the time of their extinction.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/article/view/3416
2. ↑ https://www.macnconicet.gob.ar/paleontologos-liderados-por-un-investigador-del-conicet-dan-a-conocer-una-nueva-especie-de-reptil-de-la-india-de-240-millones-de-anos-de-antiguedad-similar-una-criatura-de-star-wars/
3. ↑ http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2021/05/bharitalasuchus.html
Antarcticoolithus

Before formal naming or identification, this organism was known as the following on this wiki:
**Unnamed Soft-Shelled Mosasaur Egg**

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Antarcticoolithus* is an oogenus of mosasaur egg that lived during the Late Cretaceous in Antarctica.

## Discovery

*Antarcticoolithus*, nicknamed 'The Thing' after the horror film, was discovered by a team of scientists in 2011. The holotype egg, looking like a deflated football, sat in museum storage for nine years before being described. In the initial description, the authors do not reference what animal gave birth to the egg, rather focusing on the mosasaur affinity.

## Description

The authors suggest that the mother wriggled halfway out of the water to give birth (and the babies returned to the sea like sea turtles), or the mother gave birth in the open ocean. *Antarcticoolithus* proves that some mosasaurs may have given birth to young in eggs, like *Antarcticoolithus*.

## Notable Specimens

* SGO.PV 25.400: A single shriveled egg, filled with loose sediment.

## References

* https://news.utexas.edu/2020/06/17/egg-from-antarctica-is-big-and-might-belong-to-an-extinct-sea-lizard/
* http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2020/06/antarcticoolithus.html
Asianicus

Ngandong X, one specimen assigned to Homo-proscopinus (Asianicus) javanensis

*Asianicus* is a dubious subgenus of hominid that lived in Asia during the Middle Pleistocene.

## History

This name was coined by Frassetto (1948) and referred to two also invalid genera, *Homo-proscopinus* and *Homo-aproscopinus*, to refer to Asian erectine-grade remains. However, this model of human evolution is abandoned. In the first model *Homo-proscopinus*, has 3 species and *Homo-aproscopinus* has 2. In the second model, the specialized genus names are dropped for a generalized *Homo* that divides into two species: *Homo sapiens* and *Homo neanderthalensis*. The former has 3 subspecies and the latter has 1.

## Species

* *Homo-proscopinus* (model 1)
	+ *H. (A.) pekinensis* (=Zhoukoudian)
	+ *H. (A.) soloensis* (=Ngandong I)
	+ *H. (A.) javanensis* (=Ngandong X and IV)
* *Homo-aproscopinus* (model 1)
	+ *H. (A.) manillensis*
* Homo neanderthalensis (model 2)
	+ *H. n. (A.) pekinensis* (=Zhoukoudian)
	+ *H. n. (A.) soloensis* (=Ngandong I)
	+ *H. n. (A.) javanensis* (=Ngandong X and IV)
* *Homo sapiens* (model 2)
	+ *H. s. (A.) manillensis*

## Synonyms

* *Homo soloensis*
* *Homo erectus*
* *Homo luzonensis*

## References

https://www.persee.fr/doc/bmsap\_0037-8984\_1948\_num\_9\_1\_2828
Asian elephant

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

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous

*Elephas*, the sole extant member known as the Asian elephant (*E. maximus*), is a genus of elephant that live in Asia and Africa since the Pliocene.

## History

The Chinese elephant or pink-tusked elephant is not known via physical remains, but by ivory sculptures. It is described by sources as having a deep gray colour and pink-hued tusks. It's discovery was recorded in 1950 by zoologist Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala. They note that the practice of using Chinese elephant ivory in art became so prominent, that populations drastically reduced, until it went extinct. The final sighting appears in China's Guangxi Province between 1400 and 1530 AD. The species of which the Chinese elephant comes from survived, however. The elephant is mentioned in texts that date to around the same time, but the animal is known to have lived in the region long before ever mentioned. Both the oracle bone and bronzeware scripts glyphs have pictographs of the Chinese elephant, depicting it with an elongated trunk. The modern standard Chinese script character is 象. It was once called *E. m. rubridens* but is now recognized as a synonym.

## Description

Asian elephants are known for their size, tusks and large trunks. The extinct *Mammuthus* genus is very similar to the extant members today. Female Asian elephants lack tusks, and males tend to have a larger body size. Just like it's African cousin, *Loxodonta*, Asian elephants have long trunks for grasping food, large tusks, a large body size, and four sturdy legs.

## Classification

*Elephas* used to span parts of Africa, including Kenya, but has been limited to parts of Asia.

## Species

* *E. maximus* (Asian elephant)
	+ *E. m. indicus* (Indian/Bengal elephant)
	+ *E. m. maximus* (Sri Lankan elephant)
	+ *E. m. sumatranus* (Sumatran elephant)
	+ *E. m. borneensis* (Borenean elephant)
	+ *E. m. sondiacus* (Javan elephant)
	+ *E. m.* sp. (Vietnamese elephant)
* †*E. beyeri*
* †*E. celebensis* (Sulawesi dwarf elephant)
* †*E. ekorensis*
* †*E. hysudricus*
* †*E. hysudrindicus*
* †*E. iolensis*
* †*E. platycephalus*
* *Loxodonta* sp. x *E.* sp.

### Reassigned Species

* †*E. m. sondaicus* (=E. m. indicus) (Javan elephant)
* †*E. m. asurus* (=E. m. indicus) (Syrian elephant)
* †*E. m. rubridens* (=*E. m. indicus*) (Chinese elephant)

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephas
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant
Anser djuktaiensis

*Anser djuktaiensis* (Dyuktai goose) is an extinct species of goose that lived in Yakutia, Russia from the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene.

## History

*Anser djuktaiensis* remains were found in Dyuktai Cave near the Aldan River in Yakutia, Russia.  It was named a new species in 2014 by NV Zelenkov and EN Kurochkin, in the same paper as *Mergellus mochanovi*, an extinct duck. The describers noted that *Anser djuktaiensis* was very similar to the Greylag goose (*Anser anser*), though larger.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0031030114060161
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anser\_djuktaiensis
Alioramus

Alioramus is a genus of long snouted tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of Asia. Alioramus was a small tyrannosaurid, but, like its relative Qianzhousaurus, it could still catch prey up to the size of large oviraptorids. It had strange boney lumps on the top of its lower jaw.
Balistes vegai

Credit: Joschua Knüppe.

*Balistes vegai* is an extinct species of triggerfish that lived in Cuba during the Miocene.

## Description

*B. vegai* was the largest species of *Balistes* and lived in Cuban oceans in coral reefs in the Miocene. The largest extant triggerfish of today are only half the size of *B. vegai*. *Balistes* is most-often marked with complicated lines and spots, which are coloured brightly and weave in and out of one-another. *B. vegai* was similar in size to modern *Balistes*, however, is the largest species. *B. vegai* has large, buck-like teeth which can severely injure, or kill other animals.

## Gallery

**Credit: HodariNundu on DeviantArt.****Credit: Joschua Knüppe.**Dental elements.**Credit: HodariNundu on DeviantArt.***B. vegai* pursuing a megalodon.
**Credit: Ethan Schmunk.**
## References

* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331354850\_First\_occurrence\_of\_fossil\_Balistes\_Tetradontiformes\_Balistidae\_from\_the\_Miocene\_of\_Cuba\_with\_the\_description\_of\_a\_new\_species\_and\_a\_revision\_of\_fossil\_Balistes
* http://fossilmatter.blogspot.com/2019/02/new-fossil-records-of-triggerfish-from.html
Aphthoroblattina

Credit: Wally Hill.

*Aphthoroblattina* is an extinct genus of proto-cockroach that lived in Europe and North America during the Carboniferous.

## Description

*A. johnsoni* would have reached about 43 millimeters long, and 38 millimeters wide. However, the largest specimens of *A. sulcata* reached up to 45 millimeters long and 25 millimeters wide.

## Species

* *A. carbonis*
* *A. eggintoni*
* *A. fascigera*
* *A. handlirschi*
* *A. irregularis*
* *A. johnsoni*
* *A. sulcata*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphthoroblattina
Ajnabia

*Ajnabia* is an extinct genus of lambeosaurine that lived in Africa during the Late Cretaceous .

## Classification

*Ajnabia* is closely related to the European *Arenysaurus*.

## Paleoecology

The holotype was recovered from phosphates of Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morroco, which date to a Late Cretaceous coastal environment. The water was dominated by mosasaurs, sharks and fish. Dinosaurs are rare in these deposists, however the genera *Chenanisaurus* (a possible predator of *Ajnabia*) and the as-of-unnamed Sidi Daoui titanosaur. This lineup of dinosaurs would have lived i million years before the K-PG boundary. They give insight into dinosaur diversity before their extinction.

   *Ajnabia* represents the last of the lambeosaurs, specifically of the tribe Arenysaurini. Due to analysis of relationships to other dinosaurs and Late Cretaceous continents and seas, *Ajnabia* likely occurred via oceanic dispersal. This means that they likely drifted along currents and swam from Europe to Africa .

## References

1. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667120303657
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajnabia
Biscoveosaurus

"Biscoveosaurus" is a naked genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived in Antarctica during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

"Biscoveosaurus" is known from the Late Maastrichtian-aged Snow Hill Island Formation, Cape Lamb Member, James Ross Island, Antarctica. It has been suggested to be a secondary *Morrosaurus*, but no material overlaps, so this can not be tested. It consists of dentaries, teeth, a braincase, partial forelimbs, vertebrae and a pectoral girdle. which makes it unique among James Ross Island ornithopods, since they lack postcrania and crania.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs
BHI Ornithomimid

The BHI Ornithomimid is an unnamed genus of Ornithomimid that lived in Montana during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

The taxon is currently housed at the Black Hills Institute. The specimen was claimed to have been found in Garfield County Montana. It is known from a partial skeleton, including the skull, hands, and pelvis. It is distinct from *Struthiomimus* and *Ornithomimus*, and most likely represents a new genus. It may be an "Orcomimus", since no other unnamed ornithomimosaurs are known from the Hell Creek Formation. It is labeled as *Struthiomimus* cf. *sedens*, though the phylogeny that led to this classification requires revision, although it is privately owned.

## References

* http://www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=573&xc=5b6aa5e57d98cee851a414d4ef1ff2c6
* http://www.bhigr.com/store/product.php?productid=537
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleobiota\_of\_the\_Hell\_Creek\_Formation#Ornithomimosaurs
* https://twitter.com/boydpaleo/status/1560694116115152904
Brachyrhinodon

Credit: Historia.

*Brachyrhinodon* is an extinct genus of sphenodontid reptiles that lived in Scotland during the Late Triassic.

## Classification

*Brachyrhinodon* is closely related to the tuatara, which is the only living member of Sphenodontidae. The genus has only one species; *B. taylori*. *Brachyrhinodon* fossils are only known in quarries near Elgin, making it a part of the Elgin Reptiles.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachyrhinodon
Astorgosuchus

Credit: HodariNundu on DeviantArt.

*Astorgosuchus* is an extinct genus of crocodyloid that lived in Pakistan during the Late Oligocene.

## Description

*Astorgosuchus* likely preyed on *Paraceratherium*, since conical marks are found on some *Paraceratherium* bones. *Astorgosuchus* likely preyed upon the weak and young, since *Paraceratherium* were so large. It was classified as *Crocodylus* in 1908, and split into another genus in 2019.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astorgosuchus
Brohisaurus

*Brohisaurus* is an extinct genus of titanosauriform dinosaur that lived in Pakistan during the Late Jurassic.

## History

Malkani (2003) named it, after the Baluchi people and the Kirthar Mountains, based on indeterminate rib, vertebrae and limb fragments. The femur is 12 centimeters wide.

## Classification

Originally assigned to titanosaur, Malkani suggested relation to *Malawisaurus* as a biogeographic link between Africa and Asia. However, the true relations of this genus are unknown as it bears no titanosaurian synapomorphies, but at least two for titanosauriforms (pneumatic spaces in the thoracic ribs and elliptical cross sections in the femora.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brohisaurus
Azykhanthropus

*Azykhanthropus*, Azykhantrop or Azykh Man, is a dubious genus of hominid that lived in Azerbaijan during the Middle Pleistocene.

## History

A fragment of an 18-year old hominin, who was presumably a woman, was discovered in Azykh Cave in 1968 during the Palaeolithic Archaeological Expedition led by Mammadali Huseynov (who also discovered it). Excavations resumed in the mid 1990s from Armenian, English, Irish and Spanish researchers. It is variously dated to 300, 350 and 400 thousand years old, with an absolute minimum of 50; still, the uppermost estimates are generally favoured in literature. The age of her was considered old at the time, since the life expectancy during the Middle Pleistocene is calculated to be 20-22 years. It was discovered in layer V of the 9th year of excavation. Associated are Acheulean tools of 600-400,000 years. The remains were illegally transported by Armenians during their occupation of the country. This caused 24 tourists from Ukraine, Hungary, India, Sweden, Turkey, Denmark, United States, Germany, Spain and Singapore to visit the cave over a three-day stretch after liberation. 90 plastic boxes of finds from Azykh, including the jaw, were returned to a museum (likely the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan) in the country on November 23, 2020.

## Classification

The jaw was given the nickname of *Azykhanthropus* or Azykhantrop, with some sources classifying it as *Homo azykhensis*. Though no species name is listed, it would be called *Azykhanthropus azykhensis*. It is often considered to be the oldest "proto-human" in Caucasus central Asia. Additionally, a morphology close to *Homo heidelbergensis* with some Neanderthal traits further muddles classification. It has also been classified as a variant of *Homo erectus* or a pre-Neanderthal variety.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azykhantrop
2. ↑ https://www.azernews.az/travel/155321.html
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azykh\_Cave
4. ↑ https://irs-az.com/sites/default/files/2021-02/24-30.pdf
5. ↑ https://report.az/en/karabakh/group-of-travelers-bloggers-from-several-countries-visit-azykh-cave-in-azerbaijan/
6. ↑ https://worldwikinl.com/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B7%D1%8B%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF
7. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=TIkABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=azykhanthropus&source=bl&ots=qIeNu2f8pX&sig=ACfU3U1jxx24W9zgtuoDr7N1kkN4NapHAw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj7nZa\_jNv4AhWEhIkEHd1sCfMQ6AF6BAgSEAM#v=onepage&q=azykhanthropus&f=false
8. ↑ https://studfile.net/preview/393911/page:12/
Ardeosaurus

Credit: Gabriel Ugueto.

*Ardeosaurus* is an extinct genus of basal lizard that lived in Germany during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

*Ardeosaurus* was originally considered a distant gecko relative, likely appearing similar to them as well. Evan et al. considered *Ardeosaurus* a basal squamate, and a backup study in 2017 confirmed *Ardeosaurus'* phylogenic position. *Ardeosaurus* had a flattened head with large eyes, and was likely nocturnal, having jaws specialized for feeding on insects, especially spiders.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardeosaurus
Brontosaurus

*Brontosaurus* is an extinct genus of sauropod that lived during the Late Jurassic in the Morrison Formation.

## Description

*B. excelsus* was once thought to be *Apatosaurus excelsus* for over 100 years before it was reassigned a different genus in 2015. The long tail of *Brontosaurus* used like a whip to ward off predators like *Allosaurus*. The end of the tail was most likely barbed and could break the sound barrier.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brontosaurus
Branta woolfendeni

Credit: Skye McDavid.

*Branta woolfendeni* is an extinct species of goose in the genus *Branta* that lived in Arizona during the late Miocene.

## Description

*Branta woolfendeni* is known from a large quantity of fossil material collected at the Bird Bone Quarry, part of the Big Sandy Formation, in Mojave County, Arizona. The fossils are deposited in the American Museum of Natural History in New York, NY. It is the most abundant bird in the Big Sandy Formation.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.arlis.org/docs/vol1/21565227.pdf
Adelogyrinus

*Adelogyrinus* was a Carboniferous amphibian that lived in Scotland.

## Description

*Adelogyrinus* would have hunted in the Prehistoric forests and waterways. Only a skull, vertebrae, a fragmentary limb and scales were recovered of *Adelogyrinus*. Scientists have drawn the conclusion that *Adelogyrinus* was very similar to *Adelospondylus,* and may have been synonyms due to their similarities.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelogyrinus
Aquilonifer

Credit: Andrey Atuchin.

*Aquilonifer* is an extinct genus of stem mandibulates that lived in Europe during the Middle Silurian.

## Description

*Aquilonifer* is known from a single specimen that measures about 1 centimeter in length. The animal bears many legs, no eyes and about 10 tethered attachments unusual in shape. These appendages are interpreted as juveniles being carried by the single adult. This is a unique case of previously known parental brooding. Adults also bear two long arms and juveniles appear much smaller and less developed than adults, lacking many distinctive features, and are tethered by thin attachments.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilonifer
Alaskan troodontid

## Thanotonychus

Credit: Julio Lacerda.

Thanotonychus is a genus of troodontid dinosaur that lived in Alaska during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

Historically included within the former wastebasket *Troodon*, this morphotype is now thought distinct. It had a much larger body size, indicating Bergmann's rule may be at play. A study of *Troodon* teeth (including those from Prince Creek) suggests that they were incapable of chewing bones, breaking exoskeletons, eating tough plants or any other tough activities, aligning more with chewing, primarily, meat. It makes up 2/3 of all specimens in prince Creek, as opposed to places such as Montana where troodontids are far rarer (~6%). This may suggest abundancy due to favour of colder climate.

## Paleoecology

This genus lived in the Prince Creek Formation of the latest Campanian-Maastrichtian, Alaska. Gypsum and Pyrite in the rocks suggests formation by a large body of water, with pollen suggesting that trees, shrubs, herbs and angiosperms were dominant. It ranged from 2-12°C (36-54°F) in temperature and bore ~120 days of darkness in the winter. It was contemporaneous with some, such as *Pachyrhinosaurus perotorum*, *Edmontosaurus*, *Alaskacephale*, azhdarchids, *Nanuqsaurus* and *Unnuakomys*.

## Gallery

Skeleton at the Perot Museum.Skeleton at the Perot Museum.Skeleton at the Perot Museum.