recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Juravenator

Credit: SassyPaleoNerd.

*Juravenator* is a genus of small coelurosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived in Germany during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

*Juravenator* was a small predator, but the preserved specimens are juveniles. Göhlich (2006 and 2010) found the 4 premaxillary teeth are serrated on the upper 3rd back edge of the crown and no hiatus between the tooth row of the premaxilla and maxilla to be autapomorphic. The maxilla bears 8 teeth in the holotype and the fenestra antorbitalis is long and reaches to the front. The humerus is somewhat short and the hand claws are high at the bases with transverse narrowing at the middle. Andrea Cau (2021) recovers *Juravenator* as a eustreptospondyline megalosauroid by using methods that eliminate juvenile traits from the dataset that may otherwise skew the results.

## Paleobiology

### Integument

*Juravenator* was first placed into Composognathidae, which shares some integumentary traits. In the specimen, a patch of preserved skin between the 8th and 22nd vertebrae shows typical dinosaur scales, possibly with simple feathers. Xu Xing suggested these scales could suggest more variable feather coats in dinosaurs, and also questioned their placement as a compsognathid, suggesting that the very scaly skin could be a primitive feature, Zu considered it likely that more primitive dinosaurs had more extensive feathers and less scales. This was supoorted by a follow-up publication that finds faint impressions of possible primitive feathers at the top of the tail and hips. Helmut Tischlinger (2010) used ultra-violet light to reveal a more extensive coverage of filament, similar to the primitive feathers in other compsognathids. They also found more patches of soft tissue on the snout and lower leg and vertical collagen fibers between chevrons of the caudals. Foth et al. (2020) interpreted the scales on the holotype as adipocere, which may indicate bodily fat.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://doc.rero.ch/record/232914/files/PAL\_E4515.pdf
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://doc.rero.ch/record/232472/files/PAL\_E4479.pdf
3. ↑ https://theropoda-blogspot-com.translate.goog/2021/09/carcharodontosauri-ditalia.html?\_x\_tr\_sch=http&\_x\_tr\_sl=auto&\_x\_tr\_tl=en&\_x\_tr\_hl=en-GB&\_x\_tr\_pto=ajax,se,nv,elem
4. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269873099\_Juravenator\_starki\_Reptilia\_Theropoda\_ein\_neuer\_Raubdinosaurier\_aus\_dem\_Oberjura\_der\_Sudlichen\_Frankenalb\_Suddeutschland\_Skelettanatomie\_und\_Weichteilbefunde
5. ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/440287a
6. ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.14379
7. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269873099\_Juravenator\_starki\_Reptilia\_Theropoda\_ein\_neuer\_Raubdinosaurier\_aus\_dem\_Oberjura\_der\_Sudlichen\_Frankenalb\_Suddeutschland\_Skelettanatomie\_und\_Weichteilbefunde
8. ↑ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-27223-4\_6
Megatherium

Credit: Mark Witton.

*Megatherium* is an extinct genus of giant ground sloth that lived in South America during the Early Pliocene through the end of the Pleistocene.

## Description

   *Megatherium* is one of the largest terrestrial mammals known, also being the largest-known ground sloth; reaching the size of modern elephants, only being exceeded (in it's time) by some mammoths. *Megatherium* is considered a megafauna.

Its robust skeleton has a large pelvis and a broad, muscular tail. Its size enabled feeding at heights unreachable by other contemporaneous herbivores, rising on its hind legs and balancing on its tail to use its curved claws to pull down branches to feed upon. This sloth, like a modern anteater, would walk on the sides of its feet, since its elongate claws prevented flat footing. Although a primary quadruped, trackways show that it was capable of bipedalism, also suggested by biomechanical analysis.

## Paleobiology

*Megatherium* was herbivorous, feeding on yuccas, agaves, grasses and others. While it fed mainly on terrestrial plants, it may have also stood on its hindfeet and tail to balance while reaching up towards vegetation. It could pull itself upright to sit on its haunches or to stand, tugging plants with its feet, excavating them with its feet. It used simple teeth to grind food before consumption, chewing with its highly-developed cheek muscles. Its stomach could digest coarse and fibrous food, likely having to spend a lot of time resting to aid digestion.

Morpho-functional analysis indicates *M. americanum* was adapted for strong, vertical biting. It had hypsodont and bilophodont teeth, having a triangular loph with a sharp in the sagittal section, suggesting the teeth cut rather than grind, and that hard, fibrous food was not a primary dietary component.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megatherium
Megachasma alisonae

*Megachasma allisonae* is an extinct species of shark that lived in Denmark during the Late Eocene.

## Description

*M. alisonae* lived during the Eocene in Denmark. *M. alisonae* is the oldest known megamouth shark specimen in the fossil record. This megamouth had primitive teeth, and only has one holotype; NHMUK PV P73711, a single tooth. The tooth is near-complete, fitting in the right side of the upper jaw or the left of the lower. Discovered from a sea cliff in the Søvind Marl Formation, it was recovered in a bulk sediment sample from the upper 50 centimeters (20 inches) of the member in 1988. Kenshu Shimada and David J. Ward (2016) named the specimen. It was named from Alison Ward, who helped D.J. Ward with work, resulting it the discovery of the specimen.

## Classification

*M. alisonae* fits in the genus *Megachasma* with the megamouth shark and *Megachasma applegatei*. This genus fits in Megachasmidae, who arose in the Late Cretaceous, according to molecular studies. Since little of their material is known, it has been thought their teeth slowly changed, which resulted in them blending in with the teeth of unrelated sharks, since *M. alisonae* has a tooth morphology more similar to odontaspidids. Therefore they may be related to odontaspidids or are ancestral to them themselves. *M. alisonae* teeth also provide data to help identify more Megachasmidae teeth.

## Notable Specimens

* NHMUK PV P73711: An isolated tooth, presumably from the upper jaw on the right side or the left side of the lower jaw.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachasma\_alisonae
Mauritian wood pigeon

## Columba thiriouxi

Credit: Julian Hume.

The Mauritian wood pigeon (*Columba thiriouxi*) is an extinct species of pigeon that lived on Mauritius during the Quaternary.

## Description

The species was endemic to Mauritius, known from a single right tarsometatarsus collected by Etienne Thirioux in 1910. The species was frugivorous and granivorous.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritian\_wood\_pigeon
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=371502
Jiangjunmiaosaurus

Jiangjunmiaosaurus is a naked genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in China during the Jurassic.

## Description

Coined by an anonymous author in 1987, "Jiangjunmiaosaurus" is a possible chimera of *Sinraptor* and *Monolophosaurus* remains. Paul (1988) states that Jiangjunmiaosaurus is closely affiliated with *Allosaurus*, except for the nasal ridges and orbital horn combining to form low, rugose-surfaced crests. Paul also says that "other excellent bones" may be referable. He groups it with Allosaurinae.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs#Jiangjunmiaosaurus
* Paul, G. S., 1988, Predatory Dinosaurs of the World, a complete Illustrated guide: New York Academy of sciences book
Kileskus

Kileskus is a genus of basal tyrannosauroid from the Middle Jurassic. This makes it, along with its close relative Guanlong, the earliest known tyrannosauroids. It looked almost nothing like its much later descendant T.rex. Instead of small, two fingered hands, Kileskus had long, three fingered hands. Instead of massive, bone crushing jaws, Kileskus had small, elegant, weak jaws that could only bite through the softest flesh. And while T.rex was over 10 feet tall, Kileskus would have barely come up to an adult human's chest. Also, it and its relatives Guanlong and Proceratosaurus had weird nasal crests.

Let's face it, Kileskus was one weird tyrannosaur.
Lightning Claw

Credit: Julius Csotonyi.

Lightning Claw is an undescribed genus of large megaraptorid theropod dinosaur that lived in Australia during the Cretaceous.

## Etymology

The nickname 'Lightning Claw' is derived from the site that the animals fossils were located, and excavated; Lightning Ridge.

## Description

Lightning Claw has long claws, and may have been the first megaraptoran to evolve. Lightning Claw has long claws, and may have used its claws to catch prey, rather than its jaws. Lightning Claw is known from its robust arms and sickle claws, but most of its body plan is still relatively unknown.

## References

* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1342937X15002026
* http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-lightning-claw-dinosaur-australia-03234.html
Kem Kem abelisaur

Credit: Davide Bonadonna.

The Kem Kem abelisaur is an extinct genus of abelisaurid that lived in Northern Africa during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

This taxon was large, living with the large *Spinosaurus*, *Bahariasaurus* and *Carcharodontosaurus* and the medium-sized *Rugops* and *Deltadromeus*. It is reported from the Cenomanian (95 million years ago), in a lush savannah and river delta criss-crossed environment with mangroves. It was 9-10 meters long and weighed about 2,000 kilograms.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/size-rare-cretaceous-dinosaur-abelisaur-morocco-03669.html
2. ↑ http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2016/03/abelisauridae-indet-morocco.html
3. ↑ http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/size-rare-cretaceous-dinosaur-abelisaur-morocco-03669.html
4. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303633303\_One\_no\_one\_and\_one\_hundred\_thousand\_A\_phylogenetic\_experimental\_approach\_to\_test\_the\_systematic\_position\_of\_the\_Kem\_Kem\_Abelisauridae\_Dinosauria\_Theropoda
5. ↑ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/figure?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0214055.g002
Khok Pha Suam Sinamiid

sinamiid centrum in anterior and dorsal views

The Khok Pha Suam Sinamiid is an unnamed genus of Sinamiid ray-finned fish that lived in Thailand during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

The taxon is known from, "associated vertebral centra, fragments of dentaries, a premaxilla, possible fragments of maxillae and many scale types" The species is very similar to *Siamamia naga*, but from younger rocks.

## References

https://fr.pensoft.net/article/83081/element/2/13//
Liliensternus

Credit: Thomas Sutton.

*Liliensternus* is an extinct genus of basal neotheropod dinosaur that lived in Germany during the Late Triassic

## Description

Two specimens are known, which forms a syntype series categorized as MB.R.2175. They consist of partial fragmentary skeletons of at least two individuals with crania, vertebrae and the appendicular skeleton. The tibia is shorter than the femur in both it and *Dilophosaurus*, and unlike coelophysoids. Thus *Liliensternus* may be considered intermediary of them. Many reconstructions give it a crest similar to *Dilophosaurus* despite there being no evidence of this. Th ilium is very short, as in the latter, It bears 5 digits on the hand, with the 4th and 5th being smaller, which may represent the trasition from 5 fingers to 3. Rauhut et al. (1998) note that some remains may actually be of juveniles or subadults, based on how only two sacrals are fused at the neurocentral sutures.

## References

* http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/LILIENSTERNUS
* https://archive.org/details/predatorydinosau00paul/page/267/mode/2up
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235907478\_A\_review\_of\_European\_Triassic\_theropods
* https://web.archive.org/web/20130504013424/http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Coelophysoidea.htm
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235907153\_The\_Interrelationships\_and\_Evolution\_of\_Basal\_Theropod\_Dinosaurs\_Special\_Papers\_in\_Palaeontology\_69
* https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282007%2927%5B73%3ATCLAGN%5D2.0.CO%3B2
* https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF03042684
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216007083\_The\_coelophysoid\_Lophostropheus\_airelensis\_gen\_nov\_A\_review\_of\_the\_systematics\_of\_Liliensternus\_airelensis\_from\_the\_Triassic-Jurassic\_outcrops\_of\_Normandy\_France
Lava shearwater

## Puffinus olsoni

The Lava or Olson's shearwater (*Puffinus olsoni*) is an extinct species of seabird that lived on the Canary Islands during the Holocene.

## Description

Between the little and Cory's shearwaters, the lava shearwater was in the middle, in terms of size. The species is only known from fossils, which were described in 1990, and they are common in lava fields. They are thought to have survived the initial human arrival, only becoming extinct when European settlers arrived in the 15th century. They likely became extinct due to over hunting, or the inclusion of rats and other invasive species.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava\_shearwater
Mangahouanga

Credit: Joel Field.

"Mangahouanga", also known as Joan Wiffen's theropod, is an extinct genus of currently unidentified theropod dinosaur that lived in the Mangahouanga Stream, New Zealand during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

A megaraptoran vertebrae belonging to an animal 3.5 meters long was first found by Joan Wiffen in the Tahora Formation; more remains were found later, but it's identity is still hazy. It lived when Tasmantis split from Gondwana. This would indicate it was native to New Zealand, where it lived with a sauropod and "Parirau ataroa". Wiffen (1975) considered it a possible megalosaurid, with Molnar (1981) describing the fragment and Agnolin et al. (2010) calling it an unidentified theropod. Molina-Pérez and Larramendi (2016) listed "Mangahouanga" as the genus name but did not coin a species

## References

* https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/funds-and-opportunities/crest-awards/crest-connections/what-do-we-know-about-new-zealand-dinosaurs/
* http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/103019-what-was-the-joan-wiffens-theropod/
* https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/11814950
* https://www.habitattours.co.nz/blog/did-you-know-that-dinosaurs-once-roamed-in-new-zealand
* https://dinopedia.fandom.com/wiki/Joan\_Wiffen%27s\_theropod
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs

1. ↑ Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Theropods
MN 4743-V

MN 4743-V is an unnamed genus of possible Spinosaur that lived in Brazil during the Early Cretaceous.

## History

In 2018 the building the specimen was housed in, the National Museum of Brazil caught fire and the taxon was lost.

## Description

MN 4743-V is known from 2 sacral vertebrae of varying qualities, six proximal caudal vertebrae, and 3 proximal chevrons. it is Identifiable to Dinosaurs based on the morphology of the proximal caudals. it is also reported that another specimen, MN 4819-V, is another similar Spinosaurid. it is known from the Albian

## Paleoecology

MN 4743-V would have shared it's environment with many pterosaurs, and like the slightly older Wealden Group of the UK, it would have shared its environment with 2 other Spinosaurids: *Irritator* and MN 4819-V.

## References

* https://theropoddatabase.com/Megalosauroidea.htm#Orionides
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284508151\_On\_a\_sequence\_of\_sacrocaudal\_theropod\_dinosaur\_vertebrae\_from\_the\_Lower\_Cretaceous\_Santana\_Formation\_northeastern\_Brazil
Lilamna

*Lilamna* is an extinct genus of mackeral shark that lived in China during the Late Eocene

## History

*L. apophysata* was first placed into the genus *Archaeolamna* by Li (1997), unaware the name *Archaeolamna* was preoccupied. The name *Lilamna* was coined by Tyler Greenfield (2021) as a replacement.

## Classification

It was similar to *Cretodus* and *Protolamna*, and tentatively placed into Pseudoscapanorhynchidae, which would make it the first post-K-PG shark of this group. However, the material it is based on may be from older Cretaceous sediments.

## References

https://www.zin.ru/journals/zsr/content/2021/zr\_2021\_30\_2\_Greenfield.pdf
Megamouth shark

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

## Statistics

### Species

†*M. alisonae*
†*M. applegatei
M. pelagios*

### Diet

Carnivorous

The megamouth shark, or *Megachasma*, is a genus of deep sea shark that have existed since the Eocene, from present day.

## Description

Individual megamouth sharks have large tail flukes, broad fins and very wide mouths. Megamouth sharks are carnivorous, eating plankton and small creatures that get sucked into its large mouth. Megamouth sharks were one of the bigger ichthyological discoveries of the 20th century, along with the famous coelacanth.

## Ecology

Megamouth sharks spend most of the day in the deep depths of the ocean, nearly 200 meters down, coasting with the currents in hopes of catching plankton and fish in its wide jaws. Megamouth sharks rise to the surface of the water after the sun sets, swimming almost vertically to track the moving currents carrying plankton. Males usually tend to be around 4 meters long, while females tend to be 5.

## Biology

### Migration

Megamouth sharks migrate to depths depending on the time of day. One specimen was tagged near the surface, and was studied over a two day period, during the day, the individual descended at a depth of 120-160 meters (390-520 feet). When the sun set, megamouths ascended to a shallow depth of 12-25 meters (39-82 feet). The progress was very slow, however, at a pace of about 1.5–2.1 kilometers/hour (0.93–1.30 miles per hour), the tagged individual swam near vertically to the surface. This behaviour may be to track the plankton being carried by the water current. The same shark was netted, and retrieved at a depth of 200 meters (660 feet).

### Size

Fossil species are known only from teeth, with average sizes placed by the original *M. applegatei* describes placing at 6 meters. However, additional specimens reach about 8.1 meters, with absolute maximum individuals being up to 11 meters long .

## Notable Specimens

* NHMUK PV P73711: An isolated tooth of *M. alisonae*, presumably from the upper jaw, on the right side.
* Number 1: The first megamouth shark, found entangled in the anchor of a US Navy boat in 1976, the specimen was 4.5 meters long. The specimen, dubbed a new genus of planktivorous shark, was only described in 1983.

## References

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megamouth\_shark
2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachasma
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachasma\_pelagios
4. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261912643\_A\_New\_Fossil\_Megamouth\_Shark\_Lamniformes\_Megachasmidae\_from\_the\_Oligocene-Miocene\_of\_the\_Western\_United\_States
Kaiparowits Centrosaur B

Kaiparowits Centrosaur B is an unnamed genus of Ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Utah during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

"Kaiparowits Centrosaur B" is a nickname used by excavation teams to refer to a second Ceratopsian from the Kaiparowits Formation. It was originally known from a isolated frill, UMNH VP 20494, which made diagnosing the genus difficult. With the discovery of a new 3-4 specimen bonebed of this taxon in 2015, however, more material was able to be confidently assigned to the taxon.

## Description

The taxon differs from *Nasutoceratops* in the shape of the frill, as well as the ratio of the frill size to the size of the fenestra , with Centrosaur B having the smallest relative fenestra size of any known Centrosaurine.

## References

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4ZXEvq-5o
* Loewen, M.A., Farke, A.A., Sampson, S.D., Getty, M.A., Lund, E.K. & O'Connor, P.M. (2013) "Ceratopsid Dinosaurs from the Grand Staircase of Southern Utah" [w]: Titus, A.L. & Loewen, M.A. (red.) "At the Top of the Grand Staircase: The Late Cretaceous of Southern Utah" Bloomington, Indiana University Press
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4ZXEvq-5o
Macrocheira sullivani

*Macrocheira sullivani* is an extinct species of crab that lived in Oregon and Washington from the Late Eocene to the Early Oligocene.

## Notable Specimens

* CMNH F-64319: The type, recovered from the siliciclastic horizon at the Mist, near locality Washington.

## References

https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=386430
Mandschurosaurus

Credit: CisioPurple on DeviantArt.

*Mandschurosaurus* is an extinct genus of hadrosaur that lived in China during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Mandschurosaurus* is known from several fragmented remains collected by Russian scientists in 1914 on the banks of Amur River. *Mandschurosaurus* was the first dinosaur named in China. The validity of *Mandschurosaurus* is often questioned. *M. laosensis* is considered a nomen dubium. *Mandschurosaurus* was first thought to be part of the dubious genus *Trachodon*.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandschurosaurus
Macrocheira

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

## Statistics

### Synonyms

*Maja kaempferi
Inachus kaempferi
Kaempferia kaempferi*

### Diet

Omnivorous

*Macrocheira* is a genus of crab that lives of the coast of Japan. It is also known from fossil remains in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. This taxon is known from the Oligocene to present day.

## Description

The genus is known from the extant Japanese spider crab (*Macrocheira kaempferi*) that lives in deep waters of Japan. One *M. sp*. was recovered from the Late Pliocene of Miyazaki, Japan, and another was announced by Robert Boessenecker on Twitter in 2021 from the Purisima Formation.

## Species

* *M. kaempferi*
* *†M. columbiaensis*
* *†M. ginzanensis?*
* *†M. jayi*
* *†M. longirostra*
* *†M. sullivani*
* *†M. teglandi*
* *†M. yabei*
* *†M.* sp. nov 1 (unnamed)
* *†M.* sp. nov. 2 (unnamed)

## References

* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=22528
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese\_spider\_crab
* https://twitter.com/CoastalPaleo/status/1359710733626454017
* http://www.ojs-igl.unam.mx/index.php/Paleontologia/article/view/557
* https://www.crabdatabase.info/en/crabs/brachyura/eubrachyura/heterotremata/majoidea/inachidae/macrocheira-4749
Maueranthropus

Mauer 1.

*Maueranthropus* is a dubious genus of hominid that lived in Germany during the Middle Pleistocene.

## History

*Maueranthropus* is based upon the Mauer 1 mandible as an alternative classification not supported anymore.

## References

* https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt;jsessionid=1C12544078A3F7EED2BD454518A08515?search\_topic=TSN&search\_value=943901#null
Jindipelta

Jindipelta is a naked genus of ankylosaur that lived in China during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Jindipelta was first mentioned alongside *Yunyangosaurus* in the 2019 SVP abstract book. The name was also mentioned by Lei et al. in the press in 2019. Currently, it is unpublished, but is said to belong to a partial skeleton.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs#Jindipelta
Megadictyon

Credit: Junnn11 on Wikipedia.

*Megadictyon* is an extinct genus of lobopod that lived in Asia during the Middle Cambrian.

## Description

*Megadictyon* was large, being about (excluding the appendages) 20 centimeters long and up. The head bears a pair of robust appendages lined with rows of spines and claws. The underside of its head had a mouth formed by rows of hard plates and teeth-like structures. The animals trunk is both wide, and annulated, with a pair of evolved lobopodian limbs on each body segment. Only eight pairs of limbs are known, however *Megadictyon* is known from incomplete remains, which lack the posterior region of the animal, possibly having 11-13 limbs. *Megadictyon* has digestive glands similar to those in basal arthropods.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadictyon
Lophius brachysomus

*Lophius brachysomus* is an extinct species of anglerfish that lived in Italy during the Middle Eocene.

## Description

*L. brachysomus* lived in moderately deep water covered in sand/muddy sediment. This species is known from four separate specimens, all preserved well. This species looked like modern species; large triangular opercles, facial support with gill protector, concave anterior and anteroventral margins and a peculiar cancellous texture on its medial surface. Along with its cousin, *Sharfia mirabillis*, *L. brachysomus* is one of the oldest anglerfishes discovered. Named by Louis Agassiz in 1835, the L. brachysomus holotype is housed in the National Museum of Natural History in France.

## Paleoecology

*L. brachysomus* lived in moderately deep water, with tropical/subtropical climate. The region *L. brachysomus* lived in was in the central Tethys Sea, with low hydrodynamic energy and episodic anoxic conditions. The sea floor was covered with soft mud/sand bottoms, which may have aided in the fossilization of this species.

## Gallery

**Credit: Jupiter1390 on Reddit.****Credit: Avancna on DeviantArt.***L. brachysomus* fossil.**Credit: Avancna on DeviantArt.**
## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lophius\_brachysomus
Louaridène Syncline theropod

Various assigned ichnites.

The Louaridène Syncline theropod is an extinct genus of massive theropod that lived in Morocco during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

A rather vaguely known theropod track maker in Morocco interpreted to belong to a megatheropod, possibly between 10 to 19 metres (between 33 to 62 feet) long. The known facts represent that this animal was a theropod dinosaur that potentially reached a truly massive size. The authors did not assign an ichnogenus to these tracks.

## References

* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228465395\_Rastrilladas\_de\_icnitas\_teropodas\_gigantes\_del\_Jurasico\_Superior\_Sinclinal\_de\_Iouaridene\_Marruecos
Ludodactylus

Credit: Vitor Silva.

*Ludodactylus* is an extinct genus of pterosaur that lived in Brazil during the Early Cretaceous.

## History

Frey et al. (2003) named *L. sibbicki", meaning "play lizard" after the fact that teeth and a* Pteranodon*-like crest were found coexisting on the cranium as in many cheap 'dinosaur' toys. The specific epithet honours paleoartist John Sibbick. The holotype was illegally smuggled from Brazil by Frey and has since been questioned for repatriation, which has not yet occurred.*

## Description

The holotype is SMNK PAL 3828, a skull missing part of the crest, which was removed before it was illegally sold. It has no premaxillary crest on the snout unlike ornithocheirids, as it was initially assigned. Frey et al. (2003) interpreted the deep mandible as an additional crest. In said mandible is a yucca leaf that was likely caught in the beak, and upon unsuccessful attempts to dislodge it, the leaf edge was frayed and died by causes related to starving or starving itself. The skull would have been 66 centimeters (26 inches) long.

## Classification

Frey et al. (2003) classified it as an ornithocheirid, with Frey (2007) later considering it as a possible junior synonym of *Brasileodactylus*. Brian Andres et al. (2014) found it to be a valid species closer related to ornithocheirids and anhanguerids in a large cladistic analysis. It was then considered a member of neither and instead a derived member of Anhangueria. Holgado and Pêgas (2020) recovered it as an anhanguerine anhanguerid in a clade with *Caulkicephalus* and *Guidraco*.

## References

* https://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app007512020.html
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249551440\_A\_new\_crested\_ornithocheirid\_from\_the\_Lower\_Cretaceous\_of\_northeastern\_Brazil\_and\_the\_unusual\_death\_of\_an\_unusual\_pterosaur
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331903820\_On\_a\_new\_crested\_pterodactyloid\_from\_the\_Early\_Cretaceous\_of\_the\_Iberian\_Peninsula\_and\_the\_radiation\_of\_the\_clade\_Anhangueria
* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356221849\_The\_moral\_and\_legal\_imperative\_to\_return\_illegally\_exported\_fossils
* https://www.pteros.com/pterosaurs/ludodactylus.html
* https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-021-01588-9
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludodactylus
Jialingpus

Credit: Captmondo on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Jialingpus* is an extinct ichnogenus of theropod dinosaur that lived in China during the Early Cretaceous.

## Paleoecology

The footprint trackways were found in the vicinity of *Minisauripus*, another smaller theropod, which means that *Jialingpus* must have been a common predator of *Minisauripus*. *Jialingpus* is from the Feitianshan Formation, consisting of a low-energy lake ecosystem.
Lisowicia

Credit: Juandertal on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Lisowicia* is an extinct genus of dicynodont that lived during the Late Triassic in Poland.

## Description

*Lisowicia* is the largest dicynodont known and is almost as large as an elephant. *Lisowicia* was herbivorous and ate ferns and conifers. *Lisowicia* was one of the last dicynodonts before giving way to the dinosaurs.
MCNC-1830

MCNC-1830 is an unnamed genus of brachauchenine pliosaurid that lived in Venezuela during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Fossil teeth from the Earliest Cenomanian of Venezuela represent a taxon similar morphology and enamel structure to *Sachicasaurus*. It is the youngest pliosaurid from South America. MCNC-1830 is a well-preserved tooth crown. This has been described as "possibly *Sachicasaurus*-grade".

## References

* https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-94515-8
* https://twitter.com/Elisandre2002/status/1420795529118748673
Llukalkan

Credit: Anthony Hutchings.

*Llukalkan* is an extinct genus of abelisaurid that lived in Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Llukalkan aliocranianus* was named in 2021, and is known from the Bajo de la Carpa Formaton of the Santonian La Invernada fossil site from Late Cretaceous northwestern Patagonia. It was classified as a furileusaurian abelisaurid, translated to "the one who causes fear" .

## Etymology

The *Llukalkan* means "the one who causes fear" in the language of the indigenous, native Mapuche, and *aliocranianus* is Latin for "unusual skull."

## Paleoecology

The probable coexistence of two abelisaurid taxa demonstrates that the abelisaurids were one of the most important—and likely the main—predator component of the ecosystems, not only in this area, but also in all of Patagonia, during the Late Cretaceous.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2020.1877151
2. ↑ https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/30/americas/dinosaur-patagonia-llukalkan-aliocranianus-scn/index.html
Kaiwekea

Credit: Connor Ashbridge on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Kaiwekea* is an extinct genus of plesiosaur that lived in New Zealand during during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Kaiwekea* is about 7 meters (23 feet) long, and is known from a single specimen.

## Classification

*Kaiwekea* is classified in Aristonectinae near *Aristonectes*. It was then transferred to Leptocleididae. Recent analysis do not come to the same conclusion.
Mawsonia

*Mawsonia* is an extinct genus of large coelacanth that lived from Early to Late Cretaceous from 99 to 112 million years ago.

## Description

*Mawsonia* is one of the many genera of coelacanth that lived scattered around the globe during the Mesozoic Era.

## Paleoecology

*Mawsonia* was likely a dominant aquatic predator, eating any available prey items, such as other large fish and larger invertebrates that swam in and between rocks on the river bed. *Mawsonia* was speculated to being a potential prey for the top predator of the Kem Kem Formation, *Spinosaurus*, the habitat which *Mawsonia* inhabited.

## Species

* *M. brasiliensis*
* *M. gigas*
* *M. minor*?
* *M. libyca?*
* *M. soba*
* *M. tegamensis*
* *M. ubangiensis?*
* *"M." lavocati*? (chimeric?)

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mawsonia\_(fish)
MUZ 309

MUZ 309 is an unnamed genus of chasomosaurine ceratopsian dinosaur that lived in Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

MUZ 309 is a left supraorbital horncore described by Porras-Múzquiz and Lehman (2011) and found near Múzquiz, Sabinas, Coahuila.

## References

http://revistas.igme.es/Boletin/2015/126\_1/8-Articulo%204.pdf
Metzgeriites

*Metzgeriites* is an extinct genus of liverwort that lived from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous in Japan and surrounding regions.

## Description

Samples of *Metzgeriites* discovered in 2020 in the Kuji amber mines (*Metzgeriites kujiensis*) preserves the tip of the plant, being about 11 millimeters long and 0.6-0.8 millimeters wide. *M. kujiensis* has several midribs and regularly branching, disc-shaped branches. Amber from the Kuji area preserves many insects and plants from the Late Cretaceous, including *M. kujiensis*. Information on separate liverworts ranked under *Metzgeriites* is slim. The original species was named in 1947 and published by Steere.

## References

* “岩手県久慈で大発見　恐竜時代の植物入り琥珀　　　　世界初　新種「苔」入り琥珀.” *岩手県久慈で大発見　恐竜時代の植物入り琥珀 　　　　世界初　新種「苔」入り琥珀*, www.kuji.co.jp/blog/e6a9973cf72. (translated from Japanese)
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metzgeriites
Metapelma

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

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Metapelma* is a genus of parasitic wasp that lived in Europe during the Early Eocene.

## Description

*Metapelma* is a parasitic wasp from the family Eupelmidae. *Metapelma* injects prey with its eggs, using an ovipositor. Like other parasitic wasps; *Metapelma*'s eggs hatch into the host, and eat the host from the inside out. The inner body of the host provides warmth, and their flesh provides food for the young individuals.

*Metapelma* resembles other generic parasitic wasp genera: bulbous head, wings and a long ovipositor.

*M. archetypon* was discovered in a nearly perfect block of amber dating back to the Early Eocene in Europe. *M. archetypon* is the only species of *Metapelma* in the fossil record. Many segments of the preserved female are excluded, or missing.

## Species

* *M. albisquamulata*
* *M. angustipes*
* †*M. archetypon*
* *M. bachi*
* *M. beijingense*
* *M. berlandi*
* *M. compressipes*
* *M. cubense*
* *M. elegantulum*
* *M. feae*
* *M. giraulti*
* *M. gloriosum*
* *M. goethei*
* *M. insigne*
* *M. ledouxi*
* *M. leucoptera*
* *M. madecassa*
* *M. mesandamana*
* *M. mirabile*
* *M. nobile*
* *M. obscuratum*
* *M. pacificum*
* *M. palauense*
* *M. patrizii*
* *M. riparia*
* *M. ruficauda*
* *M. rufimanum*
* *M. salomonis*
* *M. schwarzi*
* *M. seyrigi*
* *M. spectabile*
* *M. strychnocola*
* *M. sylvaticum*
* *M. taprobanae*
* *M. tenuicrus*
* *M. turneri*
* *M. westwoodi*
* *M. zhangi*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metapelma\_archetypon
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metapelma
Jubbulpuria

Credit: Scott Reid.

*Jubbulpuria* is a potentially dubious genus of small theropod dinosaur that lived in India during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Friedrich von Huene (1932) named *Jubbulpuria* after Jubbulpur, India. It was a small theropod, first classified as a coelurid. However, this is a difficult classification to make, since the remains are fragmentary and dubious, being Theropoda nomen dubium. It may have been a ceratosaur.

## References

* https://a-dinosaur-a-day.com/post/184404494510/jubbulpuria-tenuis
* https://www.rareresource.com/Jubbulpuria-dinosaur.html
Imperfect mouse

## Peromyscus imperfectus

A map of P. imperfectus occurrences, marked by red dots.

The imperfect mouse (*Peromyscus imperfectus*) is an extinct species of deer mouse that lived in Wisconsin from the Middle to Late Pleistocene.

## Description

*P. imperfectus* is known only from the Middle/Late Rancho La Brea reported by Dice (1925) and the Late Maricopa reported by Jefferson (1991b). It is near to the size of *Peromyscus maniculatus*. Small accessory tubercules are on the M1 and M2. The palatine slits are proportionally longer and the shelf of bony plating is proportionally shorter than in other *Peromyscus*. The palatine slits are also wide at the anterior like in *P. gambelii*, but not anteriorly narrowed as in *P. fraterculus* and *P.* [sic] *crinitis*.

## References

* https://www.utep.edu/leb/pleistnm/taxamamm/peromyscusimperfectus.htm
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=50249
Macrocheira longirostra

*Macrocheira longirostra* is an extinct species of crab that lived in Washington from the Late Eocene to the Early Oligocene.

## Notable Specimens

* CM 39683: The holotype exoskeleton recovered from the Sandstone/shale sea cliffs along west shore of Oak Bay, Washington.

## References

https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=223581
Khok Kruat/Xinlong Thaiodontidae

Tooth in lingual view.

The Khok Kruat/Xinlong Thaiodontidae is an unnamed genus of Turtle that lived in Thailand and China during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

The species was named by Cuny, Suteethorn, Khamha, and Buffetaut., 2008 as “*Hybodus*” *aequitridentatus*, however, new material from the Xinlong formation allowed the researchers to say that the taxon represented a new genus of Thaiodontid.

## References

https://fr.pensoft.net/article/83081/element/2/13//
Indopithecus

*Indopithecus* is an extinct genus of ape that lived in India during the Late Miocene.

## Description

*Indopithecus* is only known from mandibles and teeth from the Late Miocene Siwalik Hills in India. Due to these small remains, it is presumed the ape was a large ground-dwelling herbivore that primarily consumed bamboo and foliage. Contrary to the species epithet, *Indopithecus* was around 5 feet tall, half the size of *Gigantopithecus*.

## Classification

*Indopithecus* was originally named as part of *Dryopithecus*, as *D. giganteus* by Pilgrim in 1915. However, Lewis in 1937 concludes Pilgrim's taxon was not congeneric with the genus *Dryopithecus*, instead assigning the remains to *Sivapithecus*. In 1950, von Koenigswald notices *D*. giganteus produces enough differences to be distinct, instead erecting *Indopithecus*, the ape from India. In 1979, Szalay and Delson notice similarities between *Gigantopithecus*, now synonymizing *I. giganteus* as *G. giganteus*. Recent authors (including Cameron 2001 and 2003, Pickford 2010, Patnaik 2014, Begun 2015 and Welker et al, in 2019) agree *Indopithecus* is a distinct taxon.

*Gigantopithecus bilaspurensis* was named by Simon and Chopra in 1969 based on several mandibles and teeth deposited in the Siwalk Hills, about 6-9 million years old, in the Miocene. Szalay and Delson in 1979 noticed the new species was not recognizable from the already-established *G. giganteus*, and synonymized the two. Although *Indopithecus* (*G. giganteus*) is obviously related to *G. blacki*, Kelly 2002 and Cameron 2001 and 2003 agree with Szalay and Delson 1979 that *G. bilaspurensis* is a junior synonym of *G. giganteus*, and *Indopithecus*.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indopithecus
Iguidi carcharodontosaurid

## Saurotaurus

Saurotaurus is a large genus of carcharodontosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Niger during the Early Cretaceous. It is called Saurotaurus because of it’s horns.

## History

The remains described by Stromer were destroyed in 1994 because of World War II, with a more complete skull being excavated from the Kem Kem, Morocco. This expedition was led by Paul Sereno in 1995 near the Algerian border in the same locality as the Depéret and Savornin specimens. The teeth of the new skull matched the two from 1925 and Stromer's from 1931 (as well as the rest of the skull). This new specimen was assigned the neotype by Brusatte and Sereno in 2007, who described "*Carcharodontosaurus" iguidensis* (Echkar Formation, Iguidi, Niger) in the same paper because of differences in the maxilla and braincase. Taxonomy of the genus was discussed by Chiarenza and Cau in 2016. They found the neotype of *C. saharicus* is similar, but distinct from the holotype. This is problematic because the holotype of *C. saharicus* is more similar to the holotype of "*C." iguidensis* than the neotype (SGM-Din 1). Furthermore, the authors assigned referred material to *Sigilmassasaurus* and a non-carcharodontosaurine. Therefore, *C. iguidensis* is limited to the holotype, pending research. There has been some discussion over the possibility that this genus may be distinct[*citation needed*].

## Description

 File:Iguidensis.png
The skull of *Carcharodontosaurus saharicus*, and reportedly *C. iguidensis*, was about 1.53-1.6 meters (5-5.2 feet) long. An anterior Carcharodontosauridae sp. indet. tooth from the Echkar Formation was listed by fossil dealers as a *C. iguidensis*, but was deemed unlikely to be identifiable as this species by online forums.

## Classification

Apesteguía et al. (2016)'s classification of Carcharodontosauridae:

## References

* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232678470\_A\_new\_species\_of\_Carcharodontosaurus\_Dinosauria\_Theropoda\_from\_the\_Cenomanian\_of\_Niger\_and\_a\_revision\_of\_the\_genus
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharodontosaurus
* http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/85024-carcharodontosaurus-iguidensis/
Limusaurus

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

## Limusaurus

Credit: Levi bernardo on the Wikimedia Commons.

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous/Omnivorous

*Limusaurus* is an extinct genus of noasaurid dinosaur that lived in Western China during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

*Limusaurus* is also the first definitely known ceratosaur from Eastern Asia, including China. *Limusaurus* was a small and slender animal. The holotype is estimated to have been about 1.7 meters in length and the weight of the animal has been estimated at 15 kg. One adult specimen is estimated to have been 15% larger than the holotype.

The holotype was originally considered an adult based on the level of fusion of its bones; but later as a subadult when analyzed along with other specimens. Several features of the animal, such as the small head with large orbits (eye openings), toothless jaws, and the long neck and legs, were very similar to those of the Cretaceous ornithomimid theropods, as well as the Triassic non-dinosaurian shuvosaurids, representing a significant case of convergent evolution among these three distinct groups of archosaurs.

## Paleobiology

The research team, led by Dr. Xing Xu from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing and Dr. Shuo Wang of Capital Normal University in Beijing, studied 19 skeletons of *Limusaurus inextricabilis*.  The individuals ranged in age from baby to adult, showing the pattern of tooth loss over time. The baby skeleton had small, sharp teeth, and the adult skeletons were consistently toothless.  “We analyzed 19 specimens of *Limusaurus inextricabilis*, representing six ontogenetic stages based on body size and histological data,” the authors explained.

“Among 78 ontogenetic changes we identified in these specimens, the most unexpected one is the change from fully toothed jaws in the hatchling and juvenile individuals to a completely toothless beaked jaw in the more mature individuals, representing the first fossil record of ontogenetic edentulism among the jawed vertebrates.” The study study determined that the young of this dinosaur had teeth that they lost as they grew.

## References

* https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08124 [The Study]
* http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/limusaurus-inextricabilis-beaked-bird-like-dinosaur-04478.html
* https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/23/pecking-order-toothless-dinosaur-points-way-to-evolution-of-the-beak
* https://www.slashgear.com/this-odd-dinosaur-changed-drastically-as-it-aged-23468696/
* https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/dec/23/pecking-order-toothless-dinosaur-points-way-to-evolution-of-the-beak
Lake Eyre possum

The Lake Eyre possum is an unnamed genus of possum that lived in South Australia during the Late Oligocene.

## Description

Specimens from the Kutjamarpu local fauna represent a new genus of possum, differing from *Burramys* by a lack of a plagilaucoid p3, a larger bicuspid sectorial p3 without denticles on the blade and ridges on the buccal and lingual, a montal foramen below the m1, a ventral margin of the mandible that is concave and not linear, a p3 equal in length to the m1 and a retained paralophid shear; and from *Cercartetus* by a below p3, a ventral margin on the mandible that is concave, a p3 equaling the m1 in length, an entoconid on the m1 not at the lingual and a stylar shelf less reduced buccally on the m1.

## Classification

This new taxon is placed with *Cercartetus* as it lacks the plagiolaucoid p3. However, the placement of this lineage is not supported by the bootstrap analysis. It may represent the first pre-Pleistocene taxon in the *Cercartetus* lineage.

## References

https://vertpaleo.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SVP\_2021\_VirtualBook\_final.pdf
Maaqwi

Credit: SmallMicrorapterr on DeviantArt.

*Maaqwi* is an extinct genus of vegaviid bird that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Maaqwi* is a crown or near-crown group ornithuran within Vegaviidae. This species is notable for being large, with dimensional regressions in the coracoid. It was 1.5 kilograms heavy, with thick, robust bone walls and adaptations for diving, similar to loons and grebes. The wings were short and the coracoid is, unusually, short and broad, similar to the former. It and vegaviids are specialized for foot-propelled diving and rapid cruising flight over water, being a third diving bird clade during the Late Cretaceous.

## References

* https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Geographical-and-geological-provenance-of-Maaqwi-cascadensis-holotype-RBCM\_fig8\_321688145
* https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0189473
Langebaanweg rhinoceros

## Ceratotherium n. sp.

The Langebaanweg rhinoceros or the Langebaanweg *Ceratotherium* by Harrison (2011) (*Ceratotherium* sp.) is an unnamed species of rhinoceros that lived in Langebaanweg, South Africa during the Pliocene.

## Description

The Langebaanweg specimens are known from a fossil site near Cape Town. Once incorrectly named *"Ceratotherium" praecox*, but has been found to be a new species, yet unnamed. However, if it were the former classification, it should be moved to *Diceros*, since it is closer to the black rhinoceros. These specimens were published first by Hooijer (1972), but were not directly examined. It is seen as a primitve member of the lineage. with Geraads (2005) and Giaourtsakis et al. (2009) also publishing on the material. This species is less derived based on dental and posterior cranial features. It is possibly referable to *Ceratotherium efficax*.

## References

1. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=iqwEYkTDZf4C
2. ↑ https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/file/index/docid/63167/filename/Geraads196.pdf
3. ↑ https://www.jstor.org/stable/4524458
4. ↑ https://books.google.ca/books?id=s9Lj-EJEbgsC&dq