recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Lariosaurus

*Lariosaurus* is an extinct genus of Nothosaurid that lived in China and western Europe during the Middle Triassic.

## Description

It was primitive with a short neck and comparitively small, which would have made swimming poor and terrestrial or shallow water activity frequent. The large postorbital region has temporal fossae larger than the orbits. The premaxillary and anterior dentary teeth are very elongate and could trap fish. The parietal and squamosal are also elongate, forming a small occipital crest to attach jaw muscle. The pachyostotic vertebrae have a low neural spine. Ribs are seen from the neck down to the sacrum, which then clusters into pairs of 4-5. The caudal ribs are very small and not seen beyond the 15th caudal. The gastral ribs are made from multiple elements. The humerus has a weakly developed deltapectoral crest that gradually increases in width distalwards. A distinct space between the radius and slender ulna is present. The front limbs were paddles while the back limbs remains five-toed, which is is distinct from other nothosaurs. Fossils of adults with infants within suggest viviparity. One specimen preserves 2 juvenile *Cyamodus*, suggesting predation. The femur is less robust than the humerus and longer and the ribia/fibula and radius/ulna share less difference.. A skull found in the Winterswijk Muschekalk quarry and was named *L. vosseveldensis* in 2014. The following year it was deposited into the Museum TwentseWelleand given the identification TW.480000504. An isolate, fused parietal from the same taxon was also deposited and labeled TW.480000505.

## Species

* *L. balsani*
* *L. curionii*
* *L. hongguoensis*
* *L. juvenilis*
* *L. stensioi*
* *L. valceresii*
* *L. vosseveldensis*
* *L. winkelhorsti*
* *L. xingyiensis*
* *L. youngi*

## Synonyms

* *Deirosaurus*
* *Eupodosaurus*
* *Macromerosaurus*
* *Phygosaurus*
* *Rhaticonia*
* *Micronothosaurus*
* *Nothosaurus juvenilis*
* *Nothosaurus youngi*
* *Nothosaurus winkelhorsti* (=*L. balsami*)
* *L. lavizzarii*
* *Proneusticosaurus carinthiacus*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lariosaurus
Likhoelesaurus

"Likhoelesaurus" is a naked genus of dinosaur or rauisuchian archosaur that lived in South Africa during the Late Triassic.

## Description

Ellenberger (1970) coined "L. ingens" after the town in Lesotho where the material was recovered. It is Late Carnian to Early Norian-aged from the Lower Elliot. In 1972, the same author regarded it as a massive carnosaur. Pitching and Raath (1984) conclude it is possibly referrable to *Basutodon*. Knoll finds and lists it as a possible rauisuchian.

## References

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

Before formal naming or identification, this organism was known as the following on this wiki:
**ELRC 20001**

## Innovatiocaris

Credit: Junnn11 on the Wikimedia Commons.

## Statistics

### Species

*I. miaotanshanensis
I.*? *multispiniformis
I.*? n. sp.

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Innovatiocaris* is an extinct genus of radiodont that lived in China during the Early Cambrian.

## History

The holotype of *I. maotianshanensis* is ELRC 20001, long considered to be an unnamed species of *Anomalocaris* or as a member of *Houcaris saron*. Zeng et al. (2022) coined the name "innovation shrimp" based on the "innovative spirits" of Junyuan Chen, who contributed to Chenjiang research, and the Miaotanshan locality for the specific epithet. This specimen is a nearly complete young individual consisting of a part and a counterpart. Chen et al. (1994) briefly described it and ignited scientific interest. An additional specimen, ELRC 20012 and 20011 were collected in 1990 consists of isolate appendages and were assigned paratypes. They are from the Yu'anshan Formation, Miaotanshan Shale, Yunnan, China. A second possible species was coined *I.*? *multispiniformis* and was found at the same location as the type. This taxon is defined by NIGP 177621, a complete frontal appendage with 13 distal articulate podomeres as opposed to the 11 seen in the holotype and ''*I.'*' sp., although this may be taphonomical. This species name means "multi[ple]-spinous", referring to structures on the type. One last specimen, NIGP 177620 was called *I.* sp. in the description, being a complete frontal appendage in a part and counterpart that was found in the same location as well, and was determined to likely be of a new species.

## Description

ELRC 20001 has at least 11 pairs of trunk flaps and elongate furcae[*citation needed*].

## Classification

It was recovered by Zeng et al. to either be an amplectobeluid near to *Laminacaris* or in a clade sister to hurdiids that otherwise recovers in a polytomy. It is more similar to non-hurdiids.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovatiocaris
Kulindapteryx

Kulindapteryx, now dubious with Kulindadromeus.Credit: Andrey Atuchin.

*Kulindapteryx* is a dubious genus of neornithischian dinosaur that lived in Russia during the Late Jurassic.

## History

*Kulindapteryx* was discovered in Siberia in 2014. The fossils collected were split into two genera, *Kulindapteryx* and *Daurosaurus*. Both taxa are now considered synonymous with *Kulindadromeus*. *Kulindapteryx* was originally described as a small ornithiscian hypsilophodont covered in fine feathers.

## References

http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/KULINDAPTERYX
Kem Kem Noasaurid

FSAC-KK 5016

The Kem Kem Noasaurid, classified as "bone taxon B" and "H", is an unnamed genus of Noasaurid Ceratosaur that lived in Morocco during Early Cretaceous.

## Description

The taxon is known from CMN 41873 (distal humerus), FSAC-KK-5016 (fourth cervical vertebra), ROM 64666 (Femur) and possibly CMN 50811 (posterior cervical centrum). The taxon is similar to that of *Masiakasaurus knopfleri*, but it differs in the morphology of the centrum.

## References

https://www.theropoddatabase.com/Ceratosauria.htm#Elaphrosaurinae
Lenisicaris

*Lenisicaris* is an extinct genus of anomalocaridid that lived in China during the Early/Middle Cambrian.

## Description

*L. lupata* was coined in 2021 by Wu et al. alongside *L.? pennsylvanica*, the former from the Yu'anshan Member, Chiungchussu Formation of Cambrian Series 2 or 3 and the latter seeming to be a distinct taxon. *L. lupata* (the epithet meaning "wolf fang") was coined as the type species. They note it is different from other anomalocaridids in the lack of auxillary spines, which is interpreted as biological rather than taphonomical, since the proximal and distal margins of the endites are smooth and do not show signs of removal. Part of JS-1081 is a frontal appendage brought as the holotype of *L. lupata*, with JS-0105AB, JS-0919AB, JS-0931AB, JS-1076AB, JS1084, MF-1164AB, YLS-1737AB and YLS-1752AB are referred and JS-0126AB (an appendage part and counterpart) is the paratype. The appendages have 15 segments with at least two base podomeres and 13 claw podomered. The proximal claw podomere is almost square, Cp1-12 have simple endites from the ventral surface that are as long as the claw podomeres are tall. The dorsal spines are elongate and porject forwards from the dorsal margin of Cp10-12, with 13 having a dorsal spine and a terminal spine that forks the distal extremity. Most specimens are 2.5 centimeters long and found in the lateral.

## References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018221001188
Leptorhynchos

Credit: Nick Longrich.

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

## Description

*Leptorhynchos* is distinguished by two autapomorphies: Its smaller size than *Chirostenotes* and *Anzu* and a slightly upturned mandible. This means that *Leptorhynchos* was likely herbivorous. *Leptorhynchos elegans* has been transferred to *Citipes*.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptorhynchos\_gaddisi
Madtsoia

Credit: HodariNundu on DeviantArt.

*Madtsoia* is a large genus of snake that lived in South America, Asia and Africa and Australia during the Late Cretaceous to the Paleogene.

## Description

*Madtsoia* was discovered in fragmentary scattered vertebrae from Argentina, Brazil, India, Australia, Madagascar and the Coniacian of Niger.

## Paleoecology

The snake likely ate small animals (such as dinosaurs or horses) to which it would constrict them with it's large muscular body. The true size of *Madtsoia* is unknown, however, experts estimate the snake to be about 5 meters long and around 50 pounds.

## Species

* *M. bai*
* *M. camposi*
* *M. madagascariensis*
* *M. pisdurensis*

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madtsoia
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=38105
Maojandino

Maojandino is a naked and invalid genus of titanosaurid sauropod dinosaur that lived in Pakistan during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

Maojandino lived during the Maastrichtian, alongside the invalid Khetranisaurus, Sulaimanisaurus, Pakisaurus, Gspsaurus, Nicksaurus, and Saraikimasoom.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_informally\_named\_dinosaurs
* https://equatorialminnesota.blogspot.com/2018/05/titanosaurs-in-time-and-space.html
Mascarene Booby

The Mascarene Booby (*Papasula abbotti nelsoni*) is an extinct subspecies of seabird that lived on Mauritius and Rodrigues during the Late Holocene.

## History

The left humerus UMZC 262.AA from Mare aux Songes was named in 2023 as a new subspecies of seabird. The paratype is UMZC 262.AA, a left ulna that was almost certainly associated with the holotype. Referred were a coracoid (NHMUK PV A9076), NHMUK PV A9076 (cranial sternum fragment), humerus (NHMUK PV A9049), MNHN 6574 and NHMUK PV A9076 (ulnae) and UMZC 995 (tarsometatarsus), all from unmentioned caves on Plaine Corail, Rodrigues. It was named after the discoverer of this booby genus on the Mascarenes, ornithologist Joseph Bryan Nelson. This subspecies was noted in early accounts of Mauritius from around 1725-1726, and 1761 for accounts of Rodrigues. By the end of the 1700s, it had gone extinct.

## Paleoecology

Remains from the 1800s of Mare aux Songes collections do not have available dates, but 14C dates exist from tortoises of similar antiquity, who went extinct around 1730 and were excavated around the booby fossils. The dates on these range from 1260-1830, and an owl humerus from Rodrigues 60-75 centimeters under caverne Dora of Plaine Corail is 3060-2870 years. This may suggest survival into modern times and low sedimentation rates closer to the present. It is not known the exact places where this species was found on Plaine Corail, but many locations on the island have a similar depositional situation to Caverne Dora, suggesting that it may be somewhat reliable.

## References

https://www.mapress.com/zt/article/view/zootaxa.5270.3.5
Kagasaurus

Credit: Maya Jade McCallum.

"Kagasaurus" is a naked named genus of possible dromaeosaurid that lived in Japan during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

Hisa (1988) informally named "Kagasaurus". It is likely not a synonym of *Fukuiraptor*, and possibly a dromaeosaurid.

## References

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

*Icaronycteris* is an extinct genus of microchiropteran that lived in North America, India and France during the Early Eocene.

## History

*H. gunnelli* was described in 2023 from AMNH:FM:145747A,B. a part and counterpart articulate crania and skeleton, with ROM:Palaeobiology-Vertebrate Fossils:52666, a specimen of exact preservation, as paratype. The holotype of *I. gunnelli* was discovered by Terry Rickords on August 16, 2017. The fossil was found at the American Fossil Quarry, then called the Thompson Ranch South Quarry or (South) Dempsey Quarry. of Lincoln County, Wyoming. It was found arounf 1.15 meters below a Tri-ash stratum in the Fossil Butte Member sandwich layers of the Green River Formation. This locality, Lostcabinian, Wasatchian Biochron Wa-7 in age, is a lacustrine deposit near the shoreline. It is unknown what the deposition rate of this area is, but towards the middle of Fossil Lake has an increased rate. The paratype is from the same quarry and found by Robert Kronner in 1994, recovered from the lowermost 60 centimeters of the sandwich beds. It was named after Gregg Gunnell, who extensively contributed to the field of fossil bat evolution.

## Description

*Icaronycteris* was 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long, with wings spanning 37 centimeters (15 inches), with a mosaic of modern and primitive traits. It had an elongate tail that did not connect to the wing membrane, the first wing finger has a claw and it's body was more flexible. Like modern shrews, *Icaronycteris* had a full set of unspecialized teeth. It is suggested it slept upside-down like modern bats, grasping a surface with it's hind limbs. Four fossils, some of the most exceptionally-preserved in the world, from the Green River Formation. The type is I. index, with fragmented material from France assigned an unlikely species: *"I." menui*. *I. segei* is known from partial fossils of dentaries and lower teeth from Western India. It is the second earliest known bat, being 52.2 million years old.

*I. gunnelli* is the smallest bat from this formation, and is distinguished from other taxa through: a claw on wing digit I and II, a third phalanx that is small and ossified on wing digit III-IV, the wing being broad and the forearm quite short, hind limbs with tibia and fibula that are possibly sutured as well as robust, tall and lanceolate lower canines, anteromedial groove on the upper canines, C and P1 have a diastema between, a raised lingual cingulum and crown being relatively shorter than the P4 on the P3, well-developed lingual cingular cusp and labial cingulum on the P4, lengh and width being subequal on the P4 and a very developed ectocingulum on the upper molars.

## Classification

Simmons and Geisler (1998) place Icaronycteris as the first of a series. The series goes: *Icaronycteris*, *Archaeonycteris*, *Hassianycetris*, *Palaeochiropteryx* and all extant microchiropteran bats.

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icaronycteris
* https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0283505
Mastodonsaurus

Credit: Vladislav Egorov.

*Mastodonsaurus* is an extinct genus of Temnospondyl that lived in Europe during the Middle Triassic.

## Description

*Mastodonsaurus* has a large triangular head up to 1.25 meters (4.1 feet) long in the largest of individuals, with large ovular orbits midway down the skull. The jaws are lined with conical teeth, with two large tusks projecting from the tip of the mandible and fitting into sockets on the palate, where the tusks pop out of the top jaw when the mouth was closed. Its body is proportionally small with a short tail, reduced limb elements and poorly developed joints.

## Paleobiology

Sensory sulci show *Mastodonsaurus* was aquatic and rarely ventured onto land, and could have been unable to leave water since bonbeds show many individuals died when drought occurred. *Mastodonsaurus* lived in swampy pools and consumed fish, as supported by coprolites. However, it could have eaten terrestrial animals (like small archosaurs), and probably did. Some smaller Temnospondyls preserve tooth marks from *Mastodonsaurus*-like animals. At one point, *Chirotherium* trackways were assigned to *Mastodonsaurus*, but were reassigned to pseudosuchians including aetosaurs.

## Species

### Reassigned Species

* *M. acuminatus (=M. giganteus)*
* *M. tantus (=M. torvus)*
* *M. maximus (=M. torvus)*
* *M. andriani (dubious)*
* *M. indicus (dubious)*
* *M. laniarius (dubious)*
* *M. lavisi (dubious)*
* *M. meyeri (dubious)*
* *M. pachygnathus (dubious)*
* *M. silesiacus (dubious)*
* *M. cappelensis*
* *M. vaslenensis (=heptasauridae?)*
* *M. granulosus*
* *M. arenaceus*
* *M. robustus*
* *M. durus*
* *M. keuperinus (=Metoposaurus and mastodonsauridae indet. chimaera)*
* *M. weigelti*
* *M. "ventricosus"*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastodonsaurus
Icriodus

Icriodus' teeth

*Icriodus* is an extinct genus of Conodont that lived during the Ordovician period.

## Description

*Icriodus* is known from sets of sharp, blade-like teeth, meaning it was likely a carnivore.

## Species

* *I. amabilis*
* *I. ballbergensis*
* *I. fusiformis*
* *I. latericrescens*
* *I. marieae*
* *I. ovalis*
* *I. praerectirostratus*
	+ *I. p. ferus*
* *I. plurinodosus*
* *I. stenoancylus*
	+ *I. s. junggarensis*
* *I. woschmidti*
ML 418

The unnamed diplodocid (ML 418) is an extinct, and as of yet undescribed genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur that lived in Portugal.

## Description

The remains are two separate vertebrae that were confused with the genus *Dinheirosaurus*. The fossils belong to fossil collection ML 418 in an undisclosed museum. The vertebrae were recovered from Camadas de Alcobaça Formation in Portugal. No descriptions have been released to the public.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinheirosaurus#Discovery\_and\_naming
Inachus eocenicus

*Inachus eocenicus* is an extinct genus of crab that lived in Italy during the Late Eocene.

## Description

*I. eocenicus* is known from MCZ 5356, the holotype, from the Priabonian of Campolongo di Val Liona. This locality preserves many crustaceans and corals. It was named alongside other new taxa in a 2018 paper by Eliana Fornaciari and Cesare Andrea Papazzoni, with the specific epithet after the Eocene period (of which the Priabonian belongs). It is very small, diagnosed by a crosswise convex and piriform carapace, longitudinally-set orbits, a raised preorbital margin and postorbital spine, hepatic convexities and spines across the lateral margins, a defined posterior margin, raised and protruding regions that are very differentiated, a finely-granulated dorsal surface with a metagastric tubercle, as well as three caridiac and some metabranchial tubercles.

## References

* https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330831663\_LA\_FAUNA\_DI\_CROSTACEI\_ASSOCIATI\_A\_CORALLI\_DELL'EOCENE\_SUPERIORE\_DI\_CAMPOLONGO\_DI\_VAL\_LIONA\_MONTI\_BERICI\_VICENZA\_ITALIA\_NORDORIENTALE
* https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=404222
Kaiparowits Chasmosaur

The Kaiparowits Chasmosaur is an undescribed genus of chasmosaurine ceratopsian that lived in Utah during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

This species of chasmosaur is known from at least 7 individuals representing a complete ontology. Six specimens, including a nearly complete skull and skeleton, were excavated by teams led by Joe Sertich at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. An additional partial skull was collected by the Natural History Museum of Utah. It would have shared its ecosystem with *Nasutoceratops*, *Kosmoceratops*, *Utahceratops*, and other dinosaurs. The first specimen was unearthed in 2013. Joe Sertich mentioned this taxon in a slideshow during PaleoFest 2022 about Grand Staircase paleofauna.

## References

* https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NguZJ3QSPh4
Menefeeceratops

Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy.

*Menefeeceratops* is an extinct genus of centrosaurine ceratopsian that lived New Mexico during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

*Menefeeceratops* is known from the Allison Member, Menefee Formation of the Campanian. The holotype was described 1997, new fossils reinterpret the evidence found by previous authors, finding a new taxon, representing the oldest centrosaurine. It was named by Sebastian Dalmon and Peter Dodson et al.. The specimen contains a partial left premaxilla, a near-complete left postorbital horncore, a fragmented parietal, both squamosals, the left jugal, predentary and left dentary, 2 cervical, eight dorsal, vertebrae, a partial sacrum, six sacral vertebrae, 11 dorsal ribs, a distal left radius, the proximal and distal portions of the ulna, the left femur and the left metatarsal II. The lack of epiossified lateroposterior parietal (shared with *Machairoceratops*), three epiossified segments in the squamosal and three smaller secondary undulations of the episquamosal locus S1 distinguishes the genus. Additionally: two subequal embayments in the posterior-free margin of the squamosal, with the more dorsal one between episquamosal loci 1 and 2 and larger than the lateroventral one between 2 and 3. Three ridges exist in the dorsolateral surface of the squamosal, with an elongate and posterior portion, a shallow and distinct groove in the medial surface of the squamosal. Such a feature parallels the ventrolateral and ventroposterior edges. The horns curve arterially distally, with two elongate ridges at the lateral dentary and diverges anteriorly to form a triangular fossa. It estimated to be 4 meters (13 feet) long, by comparing it with relatives.

## Classification

Phylogeny places *Menefeeceratops* close to *Crittendenceratops*. This adds insight to the individual variation in genera, and the temporal and/or paleobiographic distribution of centrosaurines in Late Cretaceous Laramidia. If this genus is the earliest centrosaur, it would indicate the group evolved in southern and western North America, specifically the Rocky Mountain area, radiating north in the Upper Middle/Late Campanian. It is also closely related with *Yehuecauhceratops*.

## References

1. ↑ http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2021/05/menefeeceratops.html
2. ↑ https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/pub/264649.php?from=502675
3. ↑ https://phys.org/news/2021-05-newly-horned-dinosaur-mexico-earliest.amp
4. ↑ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12542-021-00555-w
5. ↑ https://floridanewstimes.com/the-newly-described-horned-dinosaur-from-new-mexico-was-the-earliest-of-its-kind/252281/
Kinzers Formation anomalocaridid

The Kinzers Formation anomalocaridid is an unnamed genus of anomalocaridid radiodont that lived in Pennsylvania during the Early/Middle Cambrian.

## Description

The Kinzers Formation anomalocaridid differs from *Lenisicaris* in that the podomeres that are tall and rectangular. USNM 255611 was designated the type species of *Lenisicaris? pennsylvanica* despite having considerable differences. Thus, it it sometimes informally classified as distinct from *Lenisicaris* and treated as such here. However, Wu et al. (2021) still referred it as a second species of *Lenisicaris* based on simple endites with smooth margins and the same amount of claw podomeres. The endites on even-numbered podomeres than are longer than those on odd-numbered podomeres. Thus, Wu et al. hypothesize these were better used to grab and pierce prey rather than for slicing. The Kinzers Formation anomalocaridid is known from west Laurentia whereas *Lenisicaris* is from South China. Before being moved to *Lenisicaris*, it was known as *"Anomalocaris" pennsylvanica*.

## References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018221001188
Merothrips

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

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous

*Merothrips* is a genus of thrips that live worldwide since the Early Miocene.

## Description

*Merothrips* live on leaf litter or dead branches, where it has been presumed they eat fungus. Most species are from the Neotropics, but some have been reported worldwide.

## Species

* *M. aithiopicus*
* *M. brevisetis*
* *M. brunneus*
* *M. floridensis*
* *M. fusciceps*
* *M. indicus*
* *M. laevis*
* *M. meridionalis*
* *M. mirus*
* *M. mizoramensis*
* *M. morgani*
* *M. nigricornis*
* *M. ottonis*
* *M. productus*
* *M. tympanis*
* *M. williamsi*
* *M. yii*
* *†M. aithiopicus*
* *†M. balticus*
* *†M. dietrichi*
* *†M. fritschi*

## Synonyms

* *Amerothrips*
* *Sakimurathrips*
* *Tardothrips*

## 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 https://thrips.info/wiki/Merothrips
2. ↑ http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2020/06/merothrips-aithiopicus.html
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon\_no=290103
MPC-D 100/42

Credit: Jaime Headden.

MPC-D 100/42 (prev. GIN (SPS) 100/42), known as "Fake *Oviraptor*", IGM 100/42, Zamyn Khondt oviraptorid or "*Citipati sp.*", is an unnamed genus of oviraptorid that lived in Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

The MPC-D 100/42 was discovered in the mid-1970s, where joint Russian-Mongolian expeditions into the Gobi Desert with notable paleontologists (Ivan Efremov, Rinchen Barsbold...) found one of the first Mongolian oviraptorosaurs. The specimen was brought to the Geological Institute and given the catalogue of GIN (SPS) 100/42, and was carefully prepared over many years. It is among the best preserved and freely-prepared oviraptorosaurs, and at the time, the most complete. In the late 1970s, it was attributed to *Oviraptor philoceratops*, but Barsbold did not feel this classification fit. This label, however, remained unchanged until the mid-1990s, when new remains suggested oviraptorosaur diversity had been underestimated, with this skull becoming a paleomeme artists used to depict *Oviraptor*.

Until *Anzu* had been mounted by Triebold Paleontology Inc., it had also been the largest oviraptorosaur ever mounted. Barsbold described it in 1985, but the specimen had been sent to a traveling exhibition, where the specimen has not left to this day. Since intercepting a travelling exhibition for study is very difficult, but photographs and some limited study have taken place. It's crest is raised, similar to *Citipati osmolskae*, having a tall premaxilla and nearly vertically anterior, an accessory opening anterior to the nares and a similar circumnarial pneumatization pattern. Those features are common between both. However, uncommon features include unfused vomers, the premaxillary anterior edge being concave when viewed in the lateral and unelongated cervicals.

## References

1. ↑ Barsbold, R., Maryanska, T., and Osmolska, H. (1990). "Oviraptorosauria," in Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., and Osmolska, H. (eds.). The Dinosauria. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 249–258.
2. ↑ https://qilong.wordpress.com/2015/08/11/the-best-little-oviraptorid-in-mongolia/
3. ↑ Clark, J.M., Norell, M.A., & Barsbold, R. (2001). "Two new oviraptorids (Theropoda:Oviraptorosauria), upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Megalonyx

Credit: TexEmperor on DeviantArt

*Megalonyx* is an extinct genus of ground sloth that lived during the Late Miocene to the Pleistocene in North America.

## Description

Like modern sloths, *Megalonyx* used its large claws to pick leaves off of trees in the open plains. Fossils of *Megalonyx* are known from many fossil sites and is very common in its locality. *Megalonyx* is generally medium-sized among many giant ground sloths. It has a very blunt rostrum filled with short peg-like teeth and a very strong jaw. The hind limbs sat flat-foot, and used its short tail to rear up at a semi-erect posture to reach higher food. Each claw on each forelimb is developed.

## Species

* *M. jeffersonii*
* *M. leptostomus*
* *M. matthisi*
* *M. obtusidens*
* *M. wheatleyi*
Lotosaurus

*Lotosaurus* is an extinct genus of poposauroid that lived in China during the Middle Triassic.

## History

The holotype, IVPP V 4881 (or possibly -4880), is a well-preserved skeleton, with V 48013, a skull, and many articulated and disarticulated remains being referred. These are from a bonebed, the *Lotosaurus* site, almost exclusively providing *Lotosaurus* fossils. This is part of the Batung Formation. Excavations in 2018 revealed more specimens and paleoecological data. In all, at least 38 individuals of various age were found within this one location. Zhang (1975) first published the name within Lotosauridae, witht he specific epithet meaning "toothless" (referring to its beak).

## Description

It was a robust quadrupedal herbivore that donned a sail upon its back, not dissimilar to *Dimetrodon* or *Edaphosaurus*. However, the sail was not as tall.

## Classification

Originally thought to be a thecodont related to *Ctenosauriscus* and others in Ctenosauriscidae, cladistic analysis suggests it was a distant relative of that group. Besbitt (2007) first suggested closer relations with *Shuvosaurus* than to *Arizonasaurus*. In 2011, he found it to be of Poposauroidea and thus Pseudosuchia. In here, it is related to Shuvosauridae and excluded from Ctenosauriscidae due to its having a beak (unlike the latter). Still, however, it is granted distant relation to Ctenosauriscidae, as it is also a poposauroid family. This was confirmed by later phylogenetic results.

## Paleoecology

It was once believed to have hailed from the Anisian, but a 2018 study suggests a younger date based on U-Pb dating from 189 Zircon grains. The youngest of the grain dates to 225.6 million years in the early Norian, though this is an outliar in the data (possibly having leaked lead), and the next youngest is 238.9-229.3 (using lower intercept on graph) or 244.3-228.3 (mean of youngest cluster) million years. This is probably more reliable, with the the former probably being more accurate. This suggests that it may have been from the Anisian, but more likely so in the Ladinian of Carnian. In 2019, the Ladinian age was weighted as the mean of the maximum age. This bonebed was near the shore of the South China Craton, which (with age considered) cannot clarify if *Lotosaurus* were native while it remained an island in the Tethys, or if it had migrated, Given relation to shuvosaurids, the latter is more likely. This environment was subtropical with clear wet/dry seasons, wth the bonebed part of a floodplain or stream due to ripples in the rocks. The large assemblage suggests death within a single time, but they are well preserved and mostly in place, which rules out catastrophic events. They have been suggested to have died of dehydration or sickness during dry season, possibly while around an evaporating or contaminated water source. Their bodies may have then be covered with water soon after in the wet season, which may account for slight bone scattering.
Kulindadromeus

Credit: Tomopteryx on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Kulindadromeus* is an extinct genus of dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic in Russia.

## Description

*Kulindadromeus* specimens show trace proto-feathers, showing that not just Coelurosauria, but to Ornithischia and all of Dinosauria had feathers. *Kulindadromeus* was 1.5 meters long and herbivorous. Most of *Kulindadromeus* was feathered, only the hands, legs, tail and head were scaly, and had skin impressions of their scales. *Kulindadromeus* was a small herbivorous ornithiscian dinosaur, with long slender legs, and a long tail. *Kulindadromeus* is distinguished from others by a fenestra maxillaris larger than the antiorbital fenestra, a lower maxilla, a notched postorbital ugal, rear branch on postorbital, rear blade is slender on ilium, and extra foot muscles. *Kulindadromeus* was mostly covered with proto-feathers, and was a gateway to dinosaur feather evolution.

## Classification

*Kulindadromeus* is a basal neornithiscian dinosaur. In a cladogram, *Kulindadromeus* currently sits directly above *Hexinlusaurus* and as sister to Cerapoda.

## Notable Specimens

* INREC K3/109: The holotype specimen, consists of a partial skull, with jaws.

## Paleoecology

*Kulindadromeus* hopped through the undergrowth, seeking bushes to feast on, and dodging oncoming attackers. The place *Kulindadromeus* was discovered, the Kulinda sites located in Russia, was likely warm. Due to the average 3° Celsius increase from modern climate, the Jurassic period was about 16.5 °Celsius or 61.7° Fahrenheit, hotter than today's mean temperature.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulindadromeus
Maraapunisaurus

Credit: Santino Mazzei.

*Maraapunisaurus* was an extinct genus of large sauropod that lived in the Morrison Formation of the Late Jurassic.

## Description

It is not sure if *Maraapunisaurus* is a diplodocid or a rebbachisaurid. The dubious genus; and thought to be largest sauropod, *Amphicoelias fragillimus* was reclassified as *Maraapunisaurus* sometime in 2019. The true size of *Maraapunisaurus* is still unknown, as some use *Diplodocus* and others use *Limaysaurus* to estimate the size of the sauropod.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maraapunisaurus
Katsuyamasaurus

Katsuyamasaurus is a naked named genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in Japan during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

Katsuyamasaurus is represented by a middle causal and an ulna. It was previously called "Katsuyama-ryu", until Lambert (1990) informally renamed it. Chute (2000) suggested the caudal was of an ornithopod and Olshevsky (2000) suggested it was synonymous with *Fukuiraptor*. However, a large olecranon suggests it is not a maniraptoriforme.

## References

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

An extremely speculative restoration of Jaxartosaurus. Credit: RajaHarimau98 on DeviantArt.

## Statistics

### Diet

Herbivorous

*Jaxartosaurus* is an extinct genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur that lived in Kazahkstan during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

It is sometimes though to have a crest similar to *Corythosaurus*, since both are lambeosaurines. It likely grazed low-lying plants.

## Classification

*J. aralensis* was named by Anatoly Nikolaevich Riabinin in 1937. *J. fuyunensis* was named by Wu in 1984 based on a dentary collected in Xinjiang, China, but is considered dubious.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaxartosaurus
Induszalim

"Induszalim" is a naked genus of mesoeucrocodylian that lived in Pakistan during the Late Cretaceous.

## Description

"Induszalim" is known from a rostrum, two caudal vertebrae, a left tibia, a left fibula, left ulna, left humerus, partial left femur, and ilium.

## References

Malkani, M. Sadiq. (2021). Formal description of poripuchian titanosaurs, theropods, mesoeucrocodiles, pterosaur, snake and bird from the latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation of Pakistan. Open Journal of Geology. 11. 275-318.
Kongonaphon

Credit: Alex Boersma.

*Kongonaphon* is an extinct genus of reptile that lived in Madagascar during the Middle to Late Triassic.

## Description

*Kongonaphon* stood barely shy of 4 inches tall. The maxilla is tall, and wide from the front. Six teeth were fossilized in the maxilla, and the maxilla lacks the rear portion. Kongonaphon has teeth resembling pegs, that are conical in shape. The teeth have a circular cross-section, and are ornamented by irregular pitting, a trait that modern insectivores specialize in. A limb bone is known, and is thought to have been the lower segment of a humerus. The bone has poorly distinguished condyles (a trait unlike *Ixalerpeton*'s humerus), and is asymmetrical (like *Ixalerpeton*).

*Kongonaphon*'s femur is very slender, sigmoid and it's fourth trochanter is prominent. The head of the femur shares similarities with related lagerpetids. The bone is strongly hooked, with a concave emargination on the lower edge. From a birds-eye-view's perspective, the femural head has a big posterormedial tuber, a reduced anterolateral tuber and lacks a anteromedial tuber. The upper segment of the femur is adorned with a anterior trochanter, a trait that only appears in certain mature lagerpetids (especially *Dromomeron gregorii*, and *Ixalerpeton polesinense*). The fourth trochanter resembles a blade, and has a bent inner edge, and the other side smoothly transitions into the rest of the femur's shaft. Both features are also found in *Ixalerpeton* and *Lagerpeton*/*Dromomeron*. The bent inner edge (of the fourth trochanter) oversees a depression split in two halves by a thin ridge.

The femur extends, and thins significantly near the eroded or broken lower extremity. Other lagerpetids have a femur that grows in width towards the knee. Fragments of the tibia curve, and expand knee. A pair of elongated and closely-appressed bones have been identified as metatarsals, but is still questioned because they are slightly bent. The pedal phalanges are shaped like hourglasses, and are strongly developed at the point of the joints. The tail vertebrae are long and thin, with concave lower edges with fused neurocentral sutures.

The fossil growth rings were researched, and it has been determined the animal fossilized was mature.

## Classification

*Kongonaphon* is part of the clade ornithodira, and more specifically lagerpetidae. *Kongonaphon* is the last known relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kongonaphon

https://www.inverse.com/science/miniature-ancient-reptile-discovery
Leaellynasaura

Credit: PaleoEquii on the Wikimedia Commons.

*Leaellynasaura* is an extinct genus of small elasmarian dinosaur that lived in Australia during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

It was relatively small, known from several specimens and 2 nearly complete skeletons and 2 fragmentary skulls. Herne (2009) argued that it lacked ossified tensons in the tail, unlike more derived forms. He also noted how the tail is ~3x the entire body length, one of the longest per body size in ornithischians. It also has more caudals than other ornithischians, save for some hadrosaurs. However, Herne (2013) found that these skeletons could not be confidently assigned, isolating it from the incomplete holotype cranium MV P185991, right maxilla MV P186352 and left maxillary tooth MV P186412 from the late Aptian-early Albian Eumeralla Formation.

## Paleobiology

It lived within the Antarctic Circle, which would have been much warmer during the Cretaceous and bore extended day and night cycles (with the sun not have risen for several weeks in certain places). Crania show that it bore enlarged eyes and possibly having large optic lobes, suggesting adaptation to darkness. However, these large eyes may instead be the trait of a juvenile.

## Classification

It has been variously described as a "hysilophodontid", primitive iguanodontian, a non-iguanodontian, basal neoornithischian or a genasaurian. Herne (2019) find it to be an elasmarian.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaellynasaura
Kimmeridge Clay pliosaur

Credit: Megan Jacobs.

The Kimmeridge Clay pliosaur is an unidentified genus of pliosaur that lived in Oxfordshire, England during the Late Jurassic.

## Description

Known solely from four cervical vertebrae, it may have reached 9.9-14 meters in length. The vertebrae have a maximum width of 27 centimeters, a maximum length of 10 centimeters and a maximum height of 22 centimeters.

## Sources

* https://www.sci.news/paleontology/kimmeridge-clay-pliosaur-11906.html
* https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-65568581
* https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fossils-of-gigantic-pliosaur-found-in-museum-drawer-fntp75b9g
Kylinxia

*Kylinxia* is an extinct genus of arthropod that lived in China during the Early Cambrian.

## History

It was discovered from the Maotianshan Shales, Yu'anshan Formation in 2019. Hen et al. published the following year. Discovered were 6 specimens, all well-preserved and complete. The original was deemed the holotype. Its name refers to the mosaic of arthropod characters, with kylin being a chimeric Chinese mythological creature, and "xia" being a word that refers to a shrimp-like arthropod. The specific epithet is after Yehui Zhang, who aided with the paratypes.

## Description

Its tiny body is divisible into three areas: the head, trunk and pygidium. The eyes are similar to *Opabinia*, the frontalmost appendages to radiodonts and the trunk to megacheirans. The head comprises a fused carapace with a rounded genal corner that is comparable to *Haikoicaris*. Similar to *Opabinia*, the head has 5 eyes attached to stalks. Two of such eyes were ~2x the sie of the posterior three. It has hand-like appendages similar to megacheirans and a pair of unfused, 16-jointed frontal appendages that has terminal and paired endites. The proportions are like *Anomalocaris* and the endites are like *Ramskoeldia*. The the appendages face upward and lack outer spines, unlike radiodonts but shred with megacheirans. Like the latter, the trunk covers most of the body length and has 25 tergites that correspond with an appendage pair. In the post-oral appendages, the anterior 4 pairs are reduced to flaps that arise from the head and 2 anterior trunk segments. The other appendages are biramous, with endopods, exopods and marginal lamellae. The pygidium is triangular, covering at least 5 appendage pairs and terminates in a three-lobed fan with a middle and lateral lobe pair, as seen in hymenocarines, fuxianhuiids and others.
Lystrosaurus

Credit: Dmitry Bogdanov.

*Lystrosaurus* is an extinct genus of herbivorous genus of dicynodont therapsids that lived in Antarctica, India, China, Mongolia, European Russia and South Africa during the Late Permian to the Early Triassic.

## Description

4-6 species are currently recognized, although from the 1930s-1970s, the number of species was much higher. They ranged in size from that of a small dog to 2.5 meters long.

## Species

* *L. murrayi*
* *L. declivis*
* *L. curvatus*
* *L. maccaigi*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lystrosaurus
Libanorhinus

*Libanorhinus* is an extinct genus of weevil that lived in Europe during the Early Cretaceous.

## Description

was recovered in amber, and its genome was amplified, then sequenced, and uploaded to the GenBank database in 1993. The following sequences were never uploaded in a gene database:

```
CGTCTCCGTA GTGAACCTGC GGAGGGATCA TTTATTCGGT TGCATCAACC
 AGGCAATCTT CGGATTGTCT GCAACCACTG ACATTGTCGA GGGGTCAACA
 TTGGAATGGT GTATTTTTAA TTTAATTCTA TCTTTACATG TGAGACACAA
 TTTTGAATTA ATCTTCAAAA CTTTCAACAA CGGATCTCTT GGTTCTCGCA
 TCGATGAAGA ACGCAGCAAA CTGGGT
```

This particular sequence of genes is more similar to fungi than to a weevils. This is most likely due to contamination from other lab specimens, similar to the case of genome sequencing from another weevil from the Jurassic. So, it is almost guarenteed to be no genetic material from *Libanorhinus.*

## References

* https://www.uniprot.org/taxonomy/27445
* https://studylib.net/doc/7867300/name\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
* Cano R.J., Poinar H.N., Pieniazek N.J., Acra A., Poinar G.O. Jr. (1993) Amplification and sequencing of DNA from a 120-135-million-year-old weevil. Nature, Volume 363(6429), page 536-8.
* Gutierrez G., Marın A., (1998) The Most Ancient DNA Recovered from an Amber-Preserved Specimen May Not Be as Ancient as It Seems. Mol. Biol. Evol., Volume 15(7), page 926–929.
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=\_nJdWqtMljs
Kansaignathus

The numbers written on the dentary represents the dental alveoli from front to back. Credit: paleo.ru.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

*Kansaignathus* is an extinct genus of velociraptorin dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Tajikistan during the Late Cretaceous.

## History

The *Kansaignathus* is known from a right dentary, catalogued as PIN no. 2398/15. The remains were found during the 1960s at the Kansai site, north of Fergana Valley, Tajikistan, Central Asia. It was found in the Yalovacska Formation, Santonian-age. *K. sogdianus* was named by Alexander Olegovich Averyanov and Aleksey Lopatin in 2021. Kansai refers to the site where the material was recovered and "*gnathus*" is a stylized version of the Old Greek "gnathos" (meaning "jaw"). "*Sogdianus*" refers to the historical region of Sogdiana. Kansaignathus is the only non-avian dinosaur described from Tajikistan.

## Description

 File:Kansaignathus skeletal.png
*Kansaignathus* was a member of Dromaeosauridae. *Kansaignathus* had a morphology that was likely between *Deinonychus* and more advanced velociraptorines, such as *Velociraptor*. *Kansaignathus* reached approximately 2 meters in length.

## Classification

*Kansaignathus* is one of the most basal velociraptorins, located very close to their common ancestor. This taxon fills a ghost lineage that spans ~20 million years between the Early Cretaceous North American *Deinonychus* and advanced velociraptorines from North America and Asia. Averyanov and Lopatin (2021) recover the following cladogram, which is partly filed in with the results of Powers et al. (2020):

The original describers returned with phylogenetic results in 2023. confirming that Kansaignathus was an Asiatic velociraptorine. They suggested that it was the earliest member of Velociraptorinae known both in Asia and worldwide.

## References

* https://www.paleo.ru/institute/scientific\_work/progress/detail.php?ELEMENT\_ID=14544
* https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667123000526
Megalodon (clam)

*Megalodon* is an extinct genus of clam that lived from the Devonian to the Jurassic in Africa, Asia, North America and Europe.

## Distribution

*Megalodon* fossils have been found worldwide from the Devonian, Permian, Triassic and Jurassic periods.

## Species

* *M. hungaricum*
* *M. longjiangensis*
* *M. rostratiforme*
* *M. yanceyi*
* *M. abbreviatus*

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon\_(bivalve)
Mececyon

*Mececyon*, or the Trinil dog, is a genus of canid that lived on the Island of Java during the Pleistocene.

## Description

The size of *Mececyon* was estimated to about 22 kilograms because of insular dwarfism. It is unknown if *Mececyon* was a pack hunter, or a solitary hunter.

## References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mececyon\_trinilensis
Maryland dromaeosaur

The unnamed dromaeosaur in a dull yellow brown, compared against some of Maryland's dinosaurs.

## Statistics

### Diet

Carnivorous

The Maryland dromaeosaur is an extinct, unnamed genus of dromaeosaur that lived in The United States during the Early Cretaceous.

## History

Remains of the Maryland dromaeosaur were found by a regular tourist of Dinosaur Park, Teal Quinn.

## Description

This dromaeosaur is known mostly from teeth, which were in a fragmentary state when discovered. Once assembled, they measured about 2.6 centimeters in length, and were flat and knife-like, which is a trait shared by all dromaeosaurs. The teeth also had many sharp serrations lining the edges of them. Alongside the teeth, were remains of vertebrae, claws and bones from the foot discovered upon further searching. The teeth varied in sizes, meaning both juveniles and adults may have died together, or even multiple genera or species living together.  Other dromaeosaurs from the Arundel Formation are cf. *Deinonychus* and *"Coelurus" gracilis* (=?*Deinonychus*), the latter known from teeth and ungual/manual elements. They are both indeterminate and suggest the presence of a *Deinonychus*-like taxon in the Arundel.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.pgparks.com/3259/Dinosaur-Park
2. ↑ https://www.mncppc.org/Blog.aspx?IID=5
3. ↑ https://twitter.com/Dianazoic/status/1317514366275682305
4. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundel\_Formation
Incongruelaps

Incongruelaps Iteratus is an extinct species of snake in the monotypic genus Incongruelaps. It is known from Riversleigh, Australia.This species is known to have existed from 10-5.33 MYA, or during the late Miocene. The species is known from one individual who is known from vertebrae, a right maxilla, and part of a dentary. The specimen found is presumed to be a single individual due to size comparisons. It is an Elapid snake, meaning that it is related to species such as the European Cobra, Moroccan Cobra, and Spanish Cobra.

## Statistics

### Length

Possibly ranged from 3-10 feet (currently unknown)

### Diet

Probably mammals, reptiles, or amphibians (currently unknown)