recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Barinasuchus

Credit: ResearchGate and Julio Lacerda.

*Barinasuchus* is an extinct genus of large sebecid mesoeucrocodylian reptile that lived in Venezuela and Argentina from the Middle Eocene to the Middle Miocene.

## History

*Barinasuchus* was described in 2007 by Alfredo Paolillo and Omar Linares, with the holotype from the Parángula Formation, located in Barinas, Venezuela. Remains from Peru once assigned to *Sebecus cf. huilensis* was assigned to the type species.

## Description

*Barinasauchus* is known from an incomplete, articulate skull, which indicates it was terrestrial with large ziphodont teeth that are very similar to theropod dinosaurs (laterally compressed, recurved and with serrated borders. The holotype skull is 70 centimeters long. and 40 centimeters high, leading to an estimated total length of 95-115 centimeters and thus a total length of about 6 meters, based on the related *Stratiosuchus*. This would make it the largest sebecid, but it is difficult to determine a weight without postcrania, with the same animal used to estimate a weight of 1610-1720 kilograms. This weight would be larger than any large carnivorans at this time, and by considering a margin error of 50%, would still ensure that Barinasuchus was larger than all known terrestrial Cenozoic mammals.

## Classification

Diego Pol et al. (2014) compiled various studied of 109 crocodyliforms and 412 morphological characters, placing it in Sebecidae cose to *Lorosuchus* and sister to *Ayllusuchus* and *Bretesuchus*, which indicates that it was part of a distant, basal lineage. Kellner et al. (2014) finds:

## References

* http://www.paleofile.com/Mesosuchia/Barinasuchus.asp
* https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0093105
* https://museumsvictoria.com.au/collections-research/journals/memoirs-of-museum-victoria/volume-74-2016/pages-363-377/
* http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon\_no=192478
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barinasuchus
Bhimaites

*Bhimaites* is an extinct subgenus of ammonite that lived in Africa and Asia from the Early to the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

It shell is mostly smooth, with high placed whorls with convex and flat sides, frequently pinching on the venter. *Bhimaites* is known from fossils specimens, one of which, is a shell preserved in amber. It is theorized that tree resin fell off of a tree, tumbling down the seashore and capturing the empty shell. It is the only known amber ammonite shell. The amber specimen is a juvenile.

## Classification

Bhimaites *Italic*is a subgenus of *Puzosia*.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puzosia\_(Bhimaites)
Bajadasaurus

*Bajadasaurus* is an extinct genus of large sauropod that lived in Argentina during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

*Bajadasaurus* is known from a skull (the most complete of the dicraeosaurids) and elongate bifid cervical neural spines that point forwards. They were probably used for passive defense, based on how they are oriented. It is from the Bajada Colorada Formation, which it is named from, where a dermal roof, palatas, a braincase and a nearly complete mandible were recovered. This shows how dicraeosaurid skulls were shaped. The skull was articulated in death with the anterior of a cervical and one of the neural spines. These spines were likely adapted over a long time. They may have supported a sail to regulate temperature, but the authors propose they formed a display crest that improved communication and gave them sex appeal. They also proposed a dorsal hump that stored reserves, or as the inner dorsal horncores as defensive functions. A 2022 study finds no evidence for a keratinous sheath over the neck spines of *Amargasaurus*, but does find evidence for ligament attachment, meaning the spines were likely covered with soft tissue in related taxa, like *Bajadasaurus*.

## References

* https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-37943-3
* https://www.thesciencebreaker.org/breaks/evolution-behaviour/back-off-predators-herbivorous-dinosaur-with-spiny-neck
* https://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/\_archives/2019/02/07/defensive-dicraeosaurids-forward-facing-spikes-deter-predators.html
* https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Phylogenetic-position-of-Bajadasaurus-pronuspinax-gen-et-sp-nov-MMCh-PV-75-within\_fig3\_330860223
* https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/02/dinosaur-bajadasaurus-had-mohawk-horns/582055/
* https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/joa.13659?saml\_referrer#.Yj2XjX-oOqw.twitter
Atlantohadros

The Merchantville Hadrosaur, set to be named "Atlantohadros", is an unnamed genus of Hadrosaur that lived in New Jersey during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

The Merchantville Hadrosaur was found approximately 8 km northwest of Freehold near Manalapan–Marlboro township line in Monmouth County. It is known from specimens YPM VPPU.021813, YPM VPPU.021813, and AMNH 13704. It was first dug up during the 70s.

YPM VPPU.021813 may belong to the same individual as YPM VPPU.021813 due to being found at the same site and having similar coloring, weathering, and size, but out of caution the authors only assigned it as the same form as YPM VPPU.021813. The animals are known from both coracoids, both scapulae, a femur, a fragmentary proximal tibia, and a dentary from a cast of the specimen (the original bone is most likely lost in YPM's catalogue) . in the adult specimen, as well as a rib, a femur and long bone portions in the juvenile. AMNH 13704, consists of a partial dentary of a probable perinate. Several scattered bones found in association with these specimens include a quadrate, several partial maxilla portions, a partial jugal, skull roof fragments and several rib fragments.

It is from from the Santonian to Early Campanian of the Merchantville formation in New Jersey. It is a potentially important specimen for the evolution of Early Hadrosaurs as well as Hadrosaur shoulder girdle morphology.

## Classification

    The Merchantville Hadrosaur was recovered as a basal Hadrosaurid, being more derived than *Tethyshadros*, but less derived than the Lambeosaurinae-Saurolophinae split. it was recovered in a similar position to two other Appalachian Hadrosaurs, namely *Hadrosaurus* and *Eotrachodon*.

The genus was once going to be named in an earlier manuscript but left out upon publication due to taking a "conservative approach"; however, it was leaked in figure 9 and later mended.

## Paleoecology

Little is known about the Merchantville formation, since the only fossils from their consist of the Merchantville Hadrosaur, The Merchantville Tyrannosaur (a very close relative of *Dryptosaurus*), the turtle *Bothremys cooki*, the dubious hadrosaur *Ornithotarsus*, material referred to as an indeterminate species of *Mosasaurus*, and Indeterminate ornithomimosaur bones. Various bivalves and *Placenticeras* recovered from the formation show that this deposit was marine.

## References

* https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.210127
* http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection\_no=46566
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchantville\_Formation
AMNH FR 3999

AMNH FR 3999 is an extinct genus centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Montana and Alberta during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*"M." recurvicornis* was initially known from one specimen, (AMNH) FR 3999, a partial skull with horncore, brow horns and the top of the skull. However, additional specimens have been recovered, all oddly-shaped. The brows are considerably smaller than most centrosaurines. The nasal horn is also short, and recurved (hence the naming). It is similar in shape to *Einiosaurus*, however is less compressed than the latter. The holotype was discovered by Cope, who notes in his journal that the fossil is oddly shaped, and he had no idea what he was dealing with. The species was named in 1889.

The holotype has been displayed in the American Museum of Natural History since the 1950s, with casts known to be displayed in other museums. Many suspect the holotype is a new genus and species. MIchael J. Ryan is working on describing it and similar material from a "huge" bonebed in "Judith equivalent of southern Alberta" (the Oldman Formation), erecting a new genus to house it and the bonebed remains.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratops
2. ↑ https://equatorialminnesota.blogspot.com/2015/06/monoclonius-recurvicornis-and-other.html
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoclonius
4. ↑ http://research.amnh.org/paleontology/search.php?action=image\_detail&specimen\_id=46621#
5. ↑ https://twitter.com/DavidEvans\_ROM/status/1337630422583439360
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/DavidEvans\_ROM/status/1352673696427761670
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/DavidEvans\_ROM/status/1352663438330388486
Blesa Styracosternan

Left ilium MPZ 2022/735, part of the described material.

The Blesa Styracosternan was an unnamed genus of Iguanodont that lived in Spain during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

The taxon is known from scattered post-cranial remains, including; "some vertebra fragments, three caudal vertebrae, four complete dorsal ribs and several rib fragments, some sacrum fragments, left ilium, [and] partial left tibia" from the Barremian-aged Blesa Formation. The researchers concluded that based on the characters off the specimens, this taxon represented a novel, medium-bodied Styracosternan. However, due to the fragmentary nature of the taxon and the likelihood that the remains originated from separate specimens, the authors of the paper did not name a new genus.

## Classification

The authors placed the taxon in the TNT analysis from Rotatori et al. (2022)'s reappraisal of *Draconyx loureiroi*, which was based off of Xu et al. (2018)'s dataset.

## References

* E. Medrano-Aguado, J. Parrilla-Bel, J.M. Gasca, A. Alonso, J.I. Canudo, Ornithopod diversity in the Lower Cretaceous of Spain: new styracosternan remains from the Barremian of the Maestrazgo Basin (Teruel province, Spain), Cretaceous Research, 2022, 105458, ISSN 0195-6671, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105458. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667122003226)
* Rotatori, F. M., Moreno-Azanza, M., & Mateus, O. (2022). Reappraisal and new material of the holotype of Draconyx loureiroi (Ornithischia: Iguanodontia) provide insights on the tempo and modo of evolution of thumb-spiked dinosaurs. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 195(1), 125-156.
Beelemodon

Beelemodon is a naked genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in Wyoming during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

Beelemodon represents a coelurosaur known from two teeth. Robert Bakker (1997) mentioned the name in a symposium for he Academy of Natural Sciences. It is most similar to *Compsognathus*, having no unique features but also similar to *Protarchaeopteryx* and dromaeosauridae. It is unsubscribed.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs
* https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9780691190594-013/pdf
Blutwurstia

*Blutwurstia* is an extinct genus of lizards that lived in Wyoming during the Eocene.

## History

*Blutwurstia* was named in 2022 based on a single partial skeleton, holotype USNM PAL 768729 housed in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. Krister Smith and coauthors named it after the German word for "blood sausage". The specific epithet *oliviae* honors Field Museum Curator Olivier Rieppel.

## Reflist

1. ↑ https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/7293
Aoniraptor

Credit: Cisiopurple on DeviantArt.

*Aoniraptor* is an extinct genus of megaraptoran dinosaur that lived in Argentina during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Aoniraptor* was discovered in 2010, but only named by Motta et al. (2016). It's epithet means "freedom", because it was discovered on the bicentennial of Argentina's independence from Spain. It is historically referred to as synonymous with *Gualicho* due to caudal similarities, but Rolando et al. (2020) find many differences between the two.
Aphelicophontes

*Aphelicophontes* is an extinct genus of assassin bugs that lived in Colorado during the Eocene.

## History

Around 2006, the specimen was snapped almost perfectly in two, splitting the pygophore. Both halves were collected by a fossil dealer, each sold to different people. The parts were then retrieved by researchers and published in 2021. The species name is after Dan Judd, who donated his half of the specimen to the INHS.

## Description

The two *Aphelicophontes* specimens were recovered from the Green River Formation, a small rice-sized insects split in two haves alongside a small beetle. The specimen also preserves traces of colour, with banded legs and several internal organs fossilized. The specimen is an adult male, and the genitalia is clearly visible. Other structures visible within the pygophore include the basal plate and the phallotheca contours. *Aphelicophontes* is among some of the only assassin bug fossils, and a rare fossil for the Green River to produce.

## References

* https://phys.org/news/2021-01-million-year-old-fossil-assassin-bug-unusually.html
* https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.1349
Albertaceratops

Credit: CisioPurple on DeviantArt.

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

## Description

*Albertaceratops* has quite an unusual centrosaurine skull mixed with the long brow horns of *Triceratops*. Over the animals snout layed a rough, bony ridge. Its frill was lined with blunt triangular osteoderms, which reach their greatest size when the two large osteoderms at the frills peak curve outwards and down. *Albertaceratops* is known from a fragmented skull and a partial postcranial skeleton. Material from *Medusaceratops* was first attributed to *Albertaceratops* . Before naming, the name *Medusaceratops* was considered, rejected, then used for different material from a look-alike ceratopsian. The material that would become *Medusaceratops* consists of two fossil frills, which caused the describers to redescribe them, erecting the new genus in 2010. Where the bony ridge is located is usually where a long and recurved horn would normally grow. Instead the lumb was shallow and banana-shaped. *Albertaceratops* is among the most basal centrosaurines .

## Classification

A phylogenetic analysis by Chiba et al. (2017):

## References

1. ↑ https://archive.org/details/g.s.paul2016theprincetonfieldguidetodinosaurs/page/n253/mode/1up
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertaceratops
3. ↑ http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/ALBERTACERATOPS
4. ↑ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/abs/new-material-and-systematic-reevaluation-of-medusaceratops-lokii-dinosauria-ceratopsidae-from-the-judith-river-formation-campanian-montana/852C434AB7EC109D5654742EAB15FDEC
Atrociraptor

Credit: Jed Taylor.

*Atrociraptor* is an extinct genus of dromaeosaur that lived in Canada during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

One of the only *Atrociraptor* specimens, RTMP 95.166.1, comes from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation near Drumheller, Alberta. *Atrociraptor* remains derive from the top of Unit 4 Horseshoe Canyon Formation, 68.5 million years ago. This specimen consists of the jaws, a pair of premaxillae, the right maxilla and both dentaries, numerous and multiple teeth. The jaw appears to have been unusually short and tall for a dromaeosaur. Each teeth is relatively straight and erupts from the jaw at an angle, which forms a strong rake. Several teeth once assigned *Saurornitholestes* recovered from the same formation have been attributed to *Atrociraptor*, since they have unusually large serrations. In 2010, Gregory S. Paul estimated an adult *Atrociraptor* would have been 2 meters long and 15 kilograms in weight in life. *Atrociraptor* differs from *Bambiraptor* and other velociraptorines due to it's isodont dentition; different sized teeth sharing the same form. The snout is short and deep, the maxillary fenestra, is quite large and is positioned above the promaxillary fenestra, which is not documented in other velociraptorines. *Atrociraptor* was named by Phillip J. Currie and David Varricchio in 2004, deriving from Latin "atrox", "savage", and "raptor", "seizer". The species epithet honours Marshall.

## Classification

*Atrociraptor* was first assigned to velociraptorinae within Dromaeosauridae. However, Currie suggested *Atrociraptor* should assume a position in Saurornitholestinae due to cladistic analysis in 2009.

## Notable Specimens

* RTMP 95.166.1: The holotype *Atrociraptor* material, consisting of both jaws. This includes both premaxillae, the right maxilla and both dentaries and teeth. This was collected from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, Drumheller, Alberta, Canada.

## Gallery

**Credit: Álvaro Ibaceta on the Wikimedia Commons.**Photograph of the *Atrociraptor* holotype, Royal Tyrrell Museum, August 2006.Skull diagrams of *Acheroraptor* and *Atrociraptor*, redrawn from Powers et al. (2022).**Credit: Mette Aumala on the Wikimedia Commons.**
## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrociraptor
Brösmeli

Mount of known elements. Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.

Brösmeli is an unnamed genus or species of Diplodocid Dinosaur that lived in Wyoming during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

Brösmeli is a part of the collection at Oertijdmuseum in the Netherlands. it consists of a 70% complete, post-cranial skeleton with the axial collumn being articulated from the Howe-Stephens Quarry. It was found in association with 4 other specimens of Diplodocus, 3 of which are also in Oertijdmuseum's collection. It was also found on top of a juvenile *Camarasaurus sp*., and next to a specimen of *Stegosaurus, Allosaurus* (Big Al 2), and 2 *Othneilia*. The specimen is currently being described by, "A masters student, two paleontologists from the museum and some other international paleontologists. Some of these researchers are experts from Canada and Germany, while at least one of the international paleontologists was a author on A specimen-level phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision of Diplodocidae (Dinosauria, Sauropoda), which would mean Emanuel Tschopp, Octávio Mateus, and/or Roger B.J. Benson. The specimen is currently being mounted and is scheduled to be put into the public viewing in March 2022. It was discovered by Sauriermuseum Aathal in the 1990s who decided to excavate it and sell it to Oertijdmuseum, who was at the time looking for clean dinosaur specimens to display, and the discoverers decided it was uninteresting.

## Gallery

**Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.****Credit: @TheBioBob on Twitter.**
## References

* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480184389174759427
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480184817438314500
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480185192006434816
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480208107296940035
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480199554599464963
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480202111501615109
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480201646869209094
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480209785324806157
* https://www.bd.nl/meierij/mediastorm-rondom-ontdekking-oertijdmuseum-boxtel~a507fe9b/?utm\_source=twitter&utm\_medium=social&utm\_campaign=socialsharing\_web&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2F
* https://peerj.com/articles/857/
* https://www.hartvannederland.nl/nieuws/dieren/automobiliste-sleurt-kilometerslang-dode-ree-mee
* https://www.bd.nl/meierij/diplodocus-blijkt-geen-diplodocus-student-bij-oertijdmuseum-ontdekt-waarschijnlijk-nieuw-soort-dinosaurus~ad84b778/
* https://twitter.com/TheBioBob/status/1480280287871475716
Bayosaurus

Credit: Jem McCormick.

Bayosaurus is a naked genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Argentina during the Middle Cretaceous.

## Description

Bayosaurus was coined by Rodolfo Coria, Philip J. Currie and Paulina Carabajal (2006) based on the Turonian-aged Cerro Lisandro Formation, Neuquén, Argentina. It was an abelisauroid, based on MCF-PVPH-237, including dorsal and sacral vertebrae, a fragmentary pelvis and partial bones, which were found in 2000. Bayosaurus was used in a phylogenetic study which revealed its placement.

## References

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

'The Archbishop' is a naked genus of brachiosaur that is currently unnamed, and lived in Tanzania during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

The specimen was discovered in the 1930s, and was initially thought to have been a Brachiosaurus, or Giraffatitan. Studies conducted on the bones showed that the animal was, in fact, a separate genus of sauropod, but was not given a genus, or scientific name. The describers nicknamed the fossils 'The Archbishop'. In 2018, work has been started to describe 'The Archbishop'. Archbishop was discovered in the Tendaguru Formation, Tazmania, and several key morphological features distinguish Archbishop from other brachiosaurs.

## References

https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Archbishop

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs#Archbishop
Amphymenium

*Amphymenium* is an extinct genus of spongodiscid plant that lived on the Kerguelen Plateau during the Late Miocene.

## Description

*A. challengerae* is characterized by 4 or 5 distinct segments which are convex at the distal end, each segment is covered by small circular pores and short spines project from them as well. Arms extend from the organisms center structure, which consist of 2 inner spherical shells and 2 oblate ellipsoid shells. They are connected via many small beams. In specimens that preserve well, a patagium is bore near the central structure, surrounded by arms. The total length of A. challengerae is 220-160 micrometers, one arm is 75-95 micrometers, an arms width is 90-105 micrometers and the central structure is 85-100 micrometers long and 75-95 micrometers wide. These measurements are taken from 25 specimens.

## References

* https://www.radiolaria.org/species.htm?division=27&sp\_id=248
* https://twitter.com/LeBuveurdeLune/status/1332244628922314752
Becklespinax

*Becklespinax* is a dubious genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in England during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

Fossils of *Becklespinax* were first named as a new species of *Altispinax* as *A. altipinax*. The new species was only based on teeth, which was disputed between paleontologists whether there was proof of a second species. Later *Becklespinax* remains were attributed to a European population of *Acrocanthosaurus*. The remains were then thought to have been a sinraptorid theropod, and given the formal name *Becklespinax altispinax*.

The tall neural spines found on the three vertebrae confused many who studied them. The fact that only three vertebrae were in possession made it hard for scientists to establish whether *Becklespinax* had tall spines like *Spinosaurus* and *Acrocanthosaurus*. Dinosaurs like *Concavenator* have small spines consisting of only two vertebrae, making finding the shape fo*r Becklespinax* even harder. The team concluded that one spine was shorter than the rest due to injuries, but did not leave out that the spine may have been shorter in life.
Bernissartia

Credit: Nobu Tamura.

*Bernissartia* is an extinct genus of crocodile that lived in North America and Europe during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

*Bernissartia* is one of the smallest crocodilians, measuring about 60 centimeters (2 feet) long. The genus was semi-aquatic, with long pointed teeth in aid of catching slippery fish. The teeth located in the back of *Bernissartia*'s strong jaws were flat, being used to crush strong food like shellfish, or possibly bone. This genus resembles many modern species in some ways. *Bernissartia* is known primarily from skull material, from Belgium and Spain, however less complete elements have been recovered from North America and the United Kingdom.

## Distribution

*Bernissartia* fossils are known from Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom and North America.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernissartia
* https://fossil.fandom.com/wiki/Bernissartia
Blackhawk Tyrannosaurid

The Blackhawk Tyrannosaurid is an unnamed, undisclosed genus of Tyrannosaurid that lived in Utah during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

The taxon is known from a single skull identified by Parker and Rowley (1989) as being in prep. The paper labels the taxon as *Albertosaurus* sp., but that referral is unlikely seeing that definitive *Albertosaurus* material is currently only known from the Maastrictian of Alberta, Canada.

This material, along with an isolated tooth and indeterminate Ceratopsian remains are the only bones known from the formation, the rest being plants and ichnofossils.

## Classification

If James H. Madsen, Jr., pers. comm. 1985; Parker and Balsley (in prep.) is correct in its assesment of being similar to *Albertosaurus*, then it could help clarify if *Gorgosaurus* is distinct enough to be within its own genus, or if it represents a species of *Albertosaurus*.

This cladogram was modified from by Anthony Fiorillo and Ronald Tykoski (2014) to reflect the hypothesis that the Blackhawk tyrannosaur is related to *Albertosaurus*:

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertosaurinae
* https://theropoddatabase.com/Tyrannosauroidea.html#Tyrannosauridae
* Parker and Rowley, 1989. Dinosaur footprints from a coal mine in east-central Utah. In Gillette and Lockley (ed.). Dinosaur Tracks and Traces. Cambridge University Press. 360-366 (http://allanmccollum.net/allanmcnyc/reprints/Pdfs/parkerro.pdf)
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albertosaurus
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackhawk\_Formation
Bakonydraco

Credit: Julio Lacerda.

*Bakonydraco* is an extinct genus of tapejarid pterosaur that lived in Hungary during the Late Cretaceous,

## Description

*Bakonydraco* consists of thin jaws and a low crest. The material of *Bakonydraco* was found in an open-pit mine in Hungary. *Bakonydraco* is the first tapejarid discovered in Europe. *Bakonydraco* was originally classified as a true, or basal azhdarchid. Material of azhdarchid wings and necks from the same area may represent *Bakonydraco*, though nothing has been confirmed.

*Bakonydraco* has an arrowhead-shaped mandible, and the upper jaw has a low crest. *Bakonydraco* has a 3.5-4 meter wingspan, a chubby body covered in a light down. The presence of the arrowhead shape made *Bakonydraco*'s jaws much narrower than other pterosaurs.

## Paleoecology

*Bakonydraco* lived in the Csehbánya Formation, located in the Bakony mountains. It's narrow jaws were ideal for fishing, or picking fruit from trees.

## Notable Specimens

* MTM Gyn/3: A nearly complete mandible, the holotype of *Bakonydraco*.
* MTM Gyn/4, 21: Parts from where the jaw fuses, the paratype specimen of *Bakonydraco*.
* Unnamed: Azhdarchid wing and neck remains that may belong to *Bakonydraco*.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakonydraco
* https://www.pteros.com/pterosaurs/bakonydraco.html
Anser

Anser anser, the type species. Credit: Pixabay.

*Anser* is an extant genus of geese that have lived in the Northern Hemisphere since the Miocene.

## Species

* *A. anser* (Greylag or Graylag goose)
* *A. indicus* (Bar-headed goose)
* *A. canagicus* (Emperor goose)
* *A. rossii* (Ross's goose)
* *A. caerulescens* (Snow goose)
* *A. cygnoides* (Swan goose)
* *A. fabalis* (Taiga bean goose)
* *A. brachyrhynchus* (Pink-footed goose)
* *A. serrirostris* (Tundra bean goose)
* *A. albifrons* (Greater white-fronted goose)
* *A. erythropus* (Lesser white-fronted goose)
* †*A. arenosus*
* †*A. arizonae*
* †*A. cygniformis*
* †*A.* *oeningensis*
* †*A. thraceiensis*
* †*A. pratensis*
* †*A. pressus*
* †*A. thompsoni*
* †*A. azerbaidzhanicus*
* †*A. devjatkini*
* †*A. eldaricus*
* †*A. tchikoicus*
* †*A. djuktaiensis* (Dyuktai goose)
* †*A. atavus* (=*Cygnus atavus*?)
* †*A. scaldii* (=Tadorniae?)
* †*A.* sp. nov.?

### Reclassified Species

* †*A. equitum*
* †*A. codoni*

## Synonyms

* *Chen*
* *Cygnopsis*
* *Cycnopsis*
* *Eulabeia*
* *Philacte*
* *Heterochen*

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anser\_(bird)
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greylag\_goose
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan#Fossil\_record
Bonapartesaurus

Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Bonapartesaurus* is an extinct genus of ornithopod hadrosaur dinosaur that lived in Argentina during the Late Cretaceous.

## Discovery and naming

*Banaparetsaurus* was discovered by the Argentine paleontologist Jaime Powell and others in 1984, and were described by him in 1987, where he identified the material as a possible "indeterminate lambeosaurine". It was compared mainly with *Hypacrosaurus* and *Barsboldia* due to size of the neural spines.

## Description

The holotype specimen is MPCA-Pv SM2/1-17: 4 dorsal vertebrae, a complete sacrum, 8 anterior caudal vertebrae, 9 medical caudal vertebrae, 2 blocks with 5 medical caudal vertebrae each, 18 haemal arches, 3 dorsal ribs, a distal fragment of the right scapula, a distal of the left humerus, a left ulna, a right ilium, a nearly complete left pubis, distal fragments of both ischia, both femurs, tibias, and fibulae, a left astragalus, a right calcaneus, a near-complete articulated left foot and tendons.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonapartesaurus
Albalophosaurus

Credit: Cisiopurple on DeviantArt.

*Albalophosaurus* is an extinct genus of ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Japan during the Early Cretaceous.

## History

Meaning "white crest lizard" after the snow-capped peaks of Mount Hakusan, it was discovered by Yoshinori Kobayashi in 1997. This specimen, the holotype, is SBEI 176, an incomplete and disarticulated skull and left mandible from one individual. The specific epithet honours Ichio Yamaguchi and Mikiko Yamaguchi, discoverers and preparators of many fossils from the site. "Mihunekisaurus" is a fictional name by the developers of the video game *Fossil Fighters*. This fake genus may have been inspired by possible rumours of a Japanese ceratopsian. *Albalophosaurus* was the first Japanese ceratopsian named and was only published a year after release, although it may instead be based on an indeterminate ceratopsid reported years later.

## Classification

Although first considered a basal ceratopsian by phylogenetic evidence, only one ambiguous synapomorphy of Ceratopsia is seen in the holotype. Dental morphology suggests closer relations to ornithopods, so the describers (Ohashi and Barrett (2009)) call it Cerapoda incertae sedis. Han et al. (2012) find it to be a ceratopsian more derived than *Micropachycephalosaurus*, *Yinlong*, *Stenopelix* and *Chaoyangosaurus*, but basal to psittacosaurids and derived ceratopsians.

## Paleoecology

From the Kuwajima Formation, the exact age of the strata in which the holotype is encased is defficult to define due to it lacking marine beds and thus index fossils. However, the formation was known to have formed in the Early Cretaceous (likely after the Berriasian and before the Barremian based on under- and overlying formations), recent studies suggest a Valanginian-Hauterivian age. Yet, this is still disputed.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albalophosaurus
* https://fossilfighters.fandom.com/wiki/Mihu\_(DS)
Austrolimulus

Credit: Joschua Knüppe.

*Austrolimulus* is an extinct genus of horseshoe crab that lived in Australia during the Middle Triassic.

## Description

*Austrolimulus* is known from only one specimen; the holotype, which upon further phylogenic analysis, are closely related to modern horseshoe crabs. The head shield of *Austrolimulus* is shaped like a boomerang, and it has a long tail which makes the arthropod look like a triangle.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrolimulus
Bagualia

*Bagualia* is an extinct genus of sauropod that lived in Patagonia during the Early Jurassic.

## Description

Remains of *Bagualia* are known from neck, skull and teeth elements incased in plant fossils. The animals size was likely brought on by a newly-formed ecosystem and climate shifts, all caused by volcanic activity in the Early Jurassic Southern hemisphere. While harsh climate and volcanic activity drove most sauropods to extinction, Bagualia was able to adapt to newly-sprouting conifers and plants, using its long neck to snip plant matter from them while staying in place, conserving energy. *Bagualia*'s teeth are surrounded by a thick layer of enamel, roughly 7x thicker than other extinct herbivores, enabling the animal to better shear conifer leaves. The digestive system of *Bagualia* was, also, a likely the reason why *Bagualia* grew to its size. Another function of *Bagualia*'s long neck is proposed: it may have dissipated heat in a similar fashion elephants use their ears to do the same.

## References

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/17/americas/dinosaur-sauropods-long-necks-scn/index.html

https://paleonerdish.wordpress.com/2020/11/18/introducing-bagualia-alba-the-oldest-known-eusauropod/comment-page-1/

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2020.2310
Abditosaurus

*Abditosaurus* is an extinct genus of saltasaurine titanosaurian dinosaur that lived in Catalonia, Spain during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

*Abditosaurus* is notable for being from a region that typically produces smaller insular dwarf titanosaurs, but still retains it's large body size. This goes against the natural law of insular dwarfism. In 1954, 53 bones (including teeth, vertebral, rib, limb, scapular, 12 semiarticulate cervical and pelvic elements) were discovered in the Pyrenees. This is also unusual, since the dinosaur fossil record in the Pyrenees is scant. The animal was named nearly 60 years later in 2022. The semiarticulate neck was excavated in 2014, where it was encased in a block of polyurethane foam. This would be one of the largest dinosaur jackets constructed from Europe. In 1954, Walter Kühne found the first of this genus from the Tremp Group of Catalonia and sent them to Madrid. Until 1986, the site was abandoned and then more remains were discovered. During excavation of these new remains, a storm cancelled the expedition until later, when the Institut Català de Paleontologia resumed. In 2017, the documentary "Europe's last giant" featured the discovery of this then-unnamed genus. The generic epithet translates to "forgotten reptile", after the length of time the discovery went unnamed, and the specific epithet is after it's discoverer.

## Classification

*Abditosaurus* is a saltasaurine, whose lineage was hypothesized to have reached the Ibero-Armorican island to take advantage of the global sea level drop that would have created migration routes between Africa and Europe. The holotype locality presents eggshells from Gondwanan dinosaurs. This suggests that *Abditosaurus* was originally from Gondwana and had migrated to prehistoric European islands.

## Paleoecology

*Abditosaurus* was one of the last titanosaurs in Europe and occurs within the last 15 million years before the K-PG event. During the Jurassic and the Cretaceous, Iberia has connected Eurasia, Africa and North America. When sea levels rose, these connections would have turned high ground into islands. When *Abditosaurus* has arrived, it would have caused an environmental displacement, potentially changing the evolution of the native fauna.

## References

* https://www.efe.com/efe/english/portada/paleontologists-unearth-new-species-of-dinosaur-in-spain-s-pyrenees/50000260-4734740
* https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220207124822.htm
* https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01651-5
Afrotapejara

Credit: Antonio R. Mihaila on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Afrotapejara* is an extinct genus of tapejarid pterosaur that lived in Africa during the Early Cretaceous.

## History

*Afrotapejara* was described and named by a team consisting of: David Martill, Roy Smith, David M. Unwin, Alexander Kao, James McPhee and Nizar Ibrahim. *Afrotapejara* is known from three specimens. *Afrotapejara* is a combination of 'Africa' and '*Tapejara*', meaning 'old being'. The combination of these words means 'African old being'. The species name, *zouhri*, in reference of Samir Zouhri, a paleontologist from Morocco, where the specimens were unearthed. It was a frugivore, meaning eating fruits, although the animals ancestors were carnivorous.

## Description

*Afrotapejara* is known from several skull fragments, a rostrum 15 cm long and the entire skull is about 50-60 cm long. Tapejarids usually have large, fan-shaped crests atop their skulls - scientists say that *Afrotapejara* also adorned one of these crests, as well as a smaller crest on its mandible. *Afrotapejara* was a likely frugivore, although earlier lineages were primitive carnivores. The specimen preserved a rostrum, with a fractured sagittal crest.

## Notable Specimens

* FSAC-KK 5006: A partial skull, consisting of a fractured sagittal crest.
* FSAC-KK 5007: A partial skull, consisting of a fractured sagittal crest.
* BSP 1997 I 67: A partial mandible, described in 1999, but not named.

## Paleoecology

*Afrotapejara* lived in the humid Kem Kem beds, with a large ecosystem. Other pterosaurs *Afrotapejara* shared the air with include: *Apatorhamphus*, *Xericeps*, *Alanqa*, *Sirrocopteryx*, *Coloborhynchus*, *Ornithocheirus* and *Anhanguera*. Large theropods from here include *Spinosaurus* and *Carcharodontosaurus*. *Afrotapejara* fed on fruit in high canopies.

## References

* https://www.pteros.com/pterosaurs/afrotapejara.html
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrotapejara
Astadelphis

MGPT PU13884, a partial skeleton.

*Astadelphis* is an extinct genus of dolphin that lived in Italy and the United States from the Pliocene to the Quaternary.

## History

It was first discovered in 1869 in the Piedmont district of Asti, near Caluga from Pliocene clay. Among the preserved elements is a fragmentary skull (including an endocast), an atlas, an epistropheus, a lumbar and a rib. It was first assigned to *Steno* based on the rostral shape, tooth morphology, short lumbars with transverse processes that do not spread over the terminal end, form of the symphysis. Though from the Pliocene, the specimen is thought to have deposited in recent times, which caused some to think that it may belong to an extant species; the initial description notes that the it differs from extant species in many ways; it was first called *Steno gastaldii*.

## Paleobiology

Bianucci et al. (2010) described the well-preserved referred skeleton MGPT PU13884, focusing on shark bites found in various locations. They suggest that they were caused by a ~4-meter-long *Cosmopolitodus hastalis* with unserrated teeth. It would first bit down on the abdomen, which was mortal, followed with bites to the rear and right, much like great white sharks do. They further hypothesize that a weaker bite was taken on the dorsal fin area; the dolphin probably rolled to the left, with the shark releasing it as it was either dead or dying, where other fishes or sharks scavenged on it.

## References

* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=63832
* https://archive.org/details/ergnzungenzude00bran
* https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00945.x
Anaconda

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

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Eunectes*, or more commonly known as anaconda, is a genus of constrictor boas that live in South America, Africa and Europe from the Miocene to present day.

## Description

These large snakes are powerful swimmers and tight constrictors. Anacondas usually lie in wait in water for passing prey, and lunge around their bodies slowly choking them. The jaws of these animals then unhinge and swallow the prey whole. Anacondas are large, muscular snakes that live in marshy/swampy areas and sometimes in trees.

*E. sp.*, represented by well preserved elements; near-complete midtrunk vertebrae UFAC-PV 2951, UFAC-PV 2954/2960 and UFAC-PV 3475 and a near-complete complete posterior trunk vertebra UFAC-PV 3476. They were found in southwest Amazonia, Brazil during the Neogene right-hand bank of Purus River, Talismã locality, Solimões Formation.

## Species

* *E. beniensis*
* *E. deschauenseei*
* *E. murinus*
* *E. notaeus*
* †*E. stirtoni*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunectes
* https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-herpetology/volume-43/issue-4/08-295.1/Presence-of-the-Genus-Eunectes-Serpentes-Boidae-in-the-Neogene/10.1670/08-295.1.short
Actiosaurus

Actiosaurus as an icthyosaur. Credit: Dmitry Bogdanov.

*Actiosaurus* is an extinct genus of reptile that lived in France during the Triassic.

## History

Discovered in 1883 by Henri Sauvage in Triassic France. *Actiosaurus* is considered a species inquirenda.

## Decription

Since its discovery, *Actiosaurus*' identity has been questioned. The genus was first described as a dinosaur, but reclassified as an ichthyosaur in 1908. The remains may be of a Choristodera, but in 2014, was reclassified as a species inquirenda.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actiosaurus
Austriadraco

*Austriadraco* is an extinct genus of pterosaur that lived in Austria during the Late Triassic.

## Description

*Austriadraco* was small small, having a humerus only about 5 centimeters long. Kellner (2015) identified several autapomorphies: a short front branch on the jugal; short anterior branches on the jugal pointing to the maxilla and the nasal; and a long narrow upwards-projecting branch towards the postorbital. In the outer rear side of the lower jaw an opening is present, the mandibular fenestra. The coronoid process of the surangular is low, the shoulder blade is 62% longer than the coracoid. The broad coracoid has a constricted shaft. The ischipubic plate is deep. It was previously attributed to *Eudimorphodon*.

## History

*Austriodraco* was discovered In June 1994 near Seefeld in Austrian Tirol, at a mountain trail leading to Reither Spitze, 1600 meters in elevation, by Reither Joch-Alm, Bernd Lammerer. Five stone plates were removed separately. Nonetheless, the remains were secured. Peter Wellnhofer (2003) referred it to *Eudimorphodon*. Dalla Vecchia (2009) concluded it was fully grown and unrelated. Alexander Kellner (2015) coined *Austriadraco*, with the specific epithet after Dalla Vecchia.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.mindat.org/taxon-8441732.html
2. ↑ https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/15849
3. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Austriadraco-dallavecchiai-BSP-1994-I-51-a-Photo-and-b-drawing-of-the-right-lower\_fig2\_279732344

[[Category:Seefeld Formation
AMNH 6368

AMNH 6368 is an unnamed genus of Therizinosaurid that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

AMNH 6368 is known from a humerus, a manual ungual I, and manual phalanx II-1. AMNH 6368 was referred to the lectotype of *Alectrosaurus,* which was found 100 feet away. Once a more complete forelimb of *Alectrosaurus* was found, IGM 100/50, AMNH 6368 was distinct from the species' morphology. Zanno (2010) found that the bones couldn't be referred to *Neimongosaurus,* or *Erliansaurus*. It is from the Cenomanian.

## Phylogyny

Hartman et. al. (2019) recovered AMNH 6368 as the sister taxon to *Segnosaurus*.

## References

* https://theropoddatabase.com/Therizinosauroidea.htm#Therizinosauria
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iren\_Dabasu\_Formation
Abyssosaurus

Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Abyssosaurus* is an extinct genus of cryptoclidid plesiosaur that lived in Russia during the Early Cretaceous.

## Etymology

The generic name of *Abyssosaurus* is derived from "abyss," and the Greek "sauros." Its specific epithet is in honour of Nataliya Berezina, the author's wife and research associate.

## Description

*Abyssosaurus* was originally known from a single specimen, MChEIO no. PM/1, but cranial remains were described in 2019. *Abyssosaurus* possessed an unusually short, triangular skull. The maxilla possesses features similar to those present in certain young elasmosaurids, and the enlarged eye sockets are another juvenile trait. Indeed, Alexander Berezin has noted a number of paedomorphic characteristics present in both the cranial and postcranial skeleton of *Abyssosaurus*.

## Paleoecology

While describing the cranial elements of *Abyssosaurus*, Berezin suggested that it fed by hovering diagonally above the seabed. The reduced buoyancy required for such a lifestyle would explain the marked pachyostosis of the gastralia and flippers. It is probable that *Abyssosaurus* dwelled and fed primarily in the bathyal zone. Indeed, cephalopods and crustaceans, on which cryptoclidids preyed, were present in this environment.

## Classification

Below is the latest phylogenetic placement of *Abyssosaurus*:

## References

* Berezin, AY; 2011 "A new plesiosaur of the family Aristonectidae from the Early Cretaceous of the centre of the Russian platform." Paleontological Journal. '45' (6): 648–660.

* Berezin, AY; 2019 "Morphofunctional features of the plesiosaur Abyssosaurus nataliae (Plesiosauroidea: Plesiosauria) in connection with adaptations to a deep-water lifestyle." Ministry of National Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation [in Russian].
Bashanosaurus

*Bashanosaurus* is an extinct genus of stegosaur that lived in China during the Middle Jurassic.

## Description

In 2022, a preprint was released by Dai et. al., and was published later that year. The remains were discovered from the Dinosaur Fossil Wall in the Zigong Dinosaur Museum alongside an indeterminate stegosaur. This was first recovered from a quarry in Chongqing in 2016 from the Shaximiao Formation. The specific epithet, "*primitivus*", probably means this taxon is a basal member of a stegosaur lineage, either Stegosauria itself, Huayangosauridae, or Stegosauridae. The genus name is after Bashan, an ancient name for Chonqing.

## Description

CLGPR V00006-1 is the holotype (limbs, caudals, dorsals, plates and a spike), with CLGPR V00006-2 (5 vertebrae, a right lower leg and a plate) and CLGPR V00006-3 (a dorsal) referred. CLGPR V00006-4 (a partial skeleton and skull) was not referred because it does not share autapomorphies with the holotype. Assigned specimens are subadults, and may have grown larger.

## Classification

It is quite similar to Scelidosaurus, yet possesses plesiomorphic thereophoran traits and derived stegosaur traits. Thus, phylogenetic analyses place it as basal in a clade with *Chungkingosaurus* (which is consistent with it's age). Dai et al. find:

## Paleoecology

The taxon comes from the Shaximiao Formation in the Chongqing province. The Shaximiao formation already has high Stegosaur diversity, with 6 genera named. It is one of the oldest stegosaurs, being older than the previous record holder, *Adraliktit*.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaximiao\_Formation
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stegosauria
* Yuxuan Zhou, Hui Dai, Haidong Yu, Qingyu Ma, Chao Tan, Ning Li, Yu Lin, Deliang Li, Zircon geochronology of the new dinosaur fauna in the Middle Jurassic lower Shaximiao Formation in Chongqing, SW China, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2022, 110894, ISSN 0031-0182, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.110894
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031018222000645
Bayan Shireh Formation Neoceratopsian

The Bayan Shireh Formation Neoceratopsian is an unnamed genus of large non-Ceratopsid Neoceratopsian that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

This taxon consists of a left maxillary bone as well as some teeth. It was first talked about on the online Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting on Friday, October 16 2020 by Y. Kobayashi, K. Chiba, T. Chinzorig, B. Ganzorig, and. K. Tsogtbaatar.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayan\_Shireh\_Formation
* https://vertpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SVP\_2020\_Program-Abstracts-Volume-FINAL-for-Publishing-1.27.2021.pdf (page 50)