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Tauraspis rara

April 25, 2015, 12:41 pm
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Tauraspis rara Mark-Kurik & Janvier, 1995
Agnatha
Cephalaspidomorphi
Osteostraci
Benneviaspidida

Early Devonian
Spokoinaya Fm (Pragian)
Severnaya Zelmya Archipelago, Russia

Length: 10 cm

This rare and extraordinary jawless fish from the Early Devonian of Russia had forward pointing "horns" protruding from its cephalic shield.

April 25, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Chilesaurus diegosuarezi

May 3, 2015, 10:41 am
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Chilesaurus diegosuarezi Novas et al., 2015
Dinosauria
Saurischia
Theropoda
Tetanurae

Late Jurassic
Toqui Fm (Tithonian)
Chile

Length: 2 m

Known from several individuals at different ontogenic stages, including a nearly complete articulated skeleton, Chilesaurus was a bizarre plant-eating theropod, with leaf-shaped teeth, long neck and atrophied third fingers in its hands.

May 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Euparkeria capensis

May 3, 2015, 4:06 pm
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Euparkeria capensis Broom, 1913
Reptilia
Archosauromorpha
Archosauriformes
Euparkeriidae

Middle Triassic
Cynognathus a.z. (Anisian)
South Africa

Length: 50 cm

Euparkeria was a lightly built small predator that was possibly able to run on two legs when needed. It was close to the ancestry of archosaurs (crocs, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, birds).

May 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Yi qi

May 8, 2015, 8:47 pm
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Yi qi Xu et al., 2015
Dinosauria
Theropoda
Maniraptora
Scansoriopterygidae

Late Jurassic
Tiaojishan Fm (Callovian-Oxfordian)
Hebei, China

Length: 25 cm


Yi qi is probably the biggest paleontological sensation of the first part of year 2015. Known from a well preserved partial articulated skeleton, each arm of this little theropod has a long rod-like supplementary bone called styliform element. This together with patches of preserved membranous tissue yield the intriguing possibility that Yi qi sported bat-like wings. The name Yi qi meaning "strange wing" in mandarin is the shortest one ever given to a dinosaur (Incidentally, it equals in length the scientific name of a Chinese bat, Ia io).

May 8, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Pituriaspis doylei

May 10, 2015, 1:40 pm
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Pituriaspis doylei Young, 1991
Agnatha
Pituriaspida
Early-Middle Devonian
Cravens Peak Bed, Geogina Basin (Emsian-Eifelian)
Southwestern Queensland, Australia

Length: 10 cm

Pituriaspis is the best known of the two representatives of a small group of armored jawless fish called Pituriaspids. The generic name derived from the aboriginal word for a hallucinogenic drug called pituri because the author who described it though he was hallucinating when he discovered the bizarre fossil.

May 10, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Priscomyzon riniensis

May 11, 2015, 8:32 pm
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Priscomyzon riniensis Gess et al., 2006
Agnatha
Hyperoartia
Petromyzontiformes

Late Devonian
Witpoort Fm, Witteberg Group (Famennian)
South Africa

Length: 4 cm

Lampreys probably appear very early during the Paleozoic period but their rudimentary skeletons made of cartilage mean that they are only very rarely preserved in the fossil record. Priscomyzon from the Late Devonian of South Africa is to date the earliest known lamprey.

May 10, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Kannemeyeria simocephalus

May 17, 2015, 8:42 pm
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Kannemeyeria simocephalus (Weithofer, 1888)
Synapsida
Therapsida
Dicynodontia
Kannemeyeriidae

Early-Middle Triassic
Lower part of the Cynognathus az, Beaufort gr (Late Olenekian- Early-Anisian)
South Africa

Length: 3 m

Kannemeyeria was a large dicynodont that possibly had a worldwide distribution. Several species have been described from South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Argentina, India, Russia and China, although probably not all valid.

May 17, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Mesomyzon mengae

May 22, 2015, 10:52 pm
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Mesomyzon mengae Chang, Zhang & Miao, 2006
Agnatha
Hyperoartia
Petromyzontiformes

Early Cretaceous
Yixian Fm (Berriasian)
Nei Mongol, China

Length: 8 cm

Mesomyzon was a small freshwater lamprey from the Early Cretaceous of the famous Jehol biota. It had a long snout and a well developed sucking mouth.

May 22, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Drepanaspis gemuendenensis

May 24, 2015, 7:52 pm
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Drepanaspis gemuendenensis Schlüter, 1887
Agnatha
Hetrostraci
Pteraspidiformes
Psammosteidae

Early Devonian
Hunsrück Slate (Emsian)
West Germany

Length: 35 cm

The best known member of the psammosteids, this jawless fish had a flattened and heavily armored body.

May 24, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Bothriolepis canadensis

May 25, 2015, 3:50 pm
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Bothriolepis canadensis (Whiteaves, 1880)
Placodermi
Antiarchi
Bothriolepididae

Late Devonian
Escuminac Fm (Frasnian)
Quebec, Canada

Length: 30 cm

This small and abundant placoderm (armored fish) from the Late Devonian was a benthic feeder.

May 25, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Arthropleura armata

May 26, 2015, 9:02 pm
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Arthropleura armata Jordan & Meyer, 1854
Arthropoda
Myriapoda
Diplopoda
Arthropleuroidea
Arthropleuridae

Late Carboniferous
Upper Saarbrucker layer Fm (Westphalian C - Moscovian)
Germany

Length: up to 2.5 m

This giant centipede was a vegetarian as evidenced by fossilized gut contents. Judging from fossil records including many tracks, Arthropleura lived from the Early to Late Carboniferous throughout Europe and North America.

May 26, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Tremataspis mammillata

May 31, 2015, 6:09 pm
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Tremataspis mammillata Patten, 1931
Agnatha
Osteotraci
Thyestiida
Tremataspidoidea
Tremataspididae

Late Silurian
Paadla Fm (Middle Ludlovian)
Estonia

Length: 10 cm

This jawless fish was protected by a rounded  head shield made of a single piece. It was probably a burrower.

May 31, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Eucritta melanolimnetes

June 3, 2015, 8:28 pm
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Eucritta melanolimnetes Clack, 1998
Tetrapoda
Baphetoidea
Baphetidae

Early Carboniferous
East Kirkton quarry (Visean)
Scotland, UK

Length: 25 cm

The name of this Early carboniferous tetrapod means "creature of the black lagoon" in reference to the locality of East Kirkton (and not of the 1954 movie of the same name as indicated in a certain popular encyclopedia). It has a mixture of amphibian and reptilian characteristics and its exact affinities are unknown.

June 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Brachypterygius extremus

June 6, 2015, 6:29 pm
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Brachypterygius extremus (Boulenger, 1904)
Reptilia
Ichthyosauromorpha
Ichthyosauria
Ophthalmosauridae
Platypterygiinae

Late Jurassic
Kimmeridge Clay Fm (Kimmeridgian)
England, UK

Length: 2.5 m

This medium size and uncommon ichthyosaur from the Late Jurassic is known from fragmentary remains. It was characterized by relatively small front paddles, thus its generic name (which means "wide wing/paddle"). The larger species Brachypterygius mordax (up to 5 meters) may or may not be the same as the type species B. extremus.

June 6, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Cryptoclidus eurymerus

June 7, 2015, 4:08 pm
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Cryptoclidus eurymerus Phillips, 1871
Reptilia
Sauropterygia
Plesiosauria
Plesiosauroidea
Cryptoclididae

Middle Jurassic
Peterborough Mbr, Oxford Clay Fm (Callovian)
England, UK

Length: 3 m

Its small flattened head was equipped with sharp teeth ideal for catching small preys such as squids. It was a rather common plesiosaur from the middle Jurassic of Europe.

June 7, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Simolestes vorax

June 7, 2015, 9:39 pm
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Simolestes vorax Andrews, 1909
Reptilia
Sauropterygia
Plesiosauria
Pliosauroidea
Pliosauridae

Middle Jurassic
Peterborough Mbr, Oxford Clay Fm (Callovian)
England, UK

Length: 8 m

Living alongside other pliosaurs such as Pliosaurus and Liopleurodon, Simolestes had a much shorter snout than the above mentioned genera, somewhat reminiscent of the Rhomaleosauridae.

June 7, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Trilophosaurus buettneri

June 14, 2015, 7:36 pm
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Trilophosaurus buettneri Case, 1928
Reptilia
Diapsida
Archosauromorpha
Trilophosauria
Trilophosauridae

Late Triassic
Tecovas Fm, Dockum Gr (Carnian)
Texas, US

Length: 2.5 m

This early archosauromorph had a heavily built skull with strong cheek teeth perfect for chewing the toughest Triassic vegetation.

June 14, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Sacisaurus agudoensis

July 3, 2015, 10:24 am
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Sacisaurus agudoensis Ferigolo & Langer, 2006
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Silesauridae

Late Triassic
Caturrita Fm (Norian)
Rio Grando do Sul, Brazil

Length: 1.5 m

This close relative of dinosaurs was probably a fast runner. It was herbivorous. It is known from an incomplete skeleton that includes one leg missing the foot, a shoulder blade, parts of the jaw and skull and isolated vertebrae.

July 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Lewisuchus admixtus

July 3, 2015, 2:28 pm
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Lewisuchus admixtus Romer, 1972
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Silesauridae

Middle Triassic
Chañares Fm (Ladinian)
La Rioja, Argentina

Length: 1 m

This small meat eating dinosaur precursor is known from fragmentary remains. It is possibly the same animal than Pseudolagosuchus found at the same location and roughly the same size, although there isn't much overlapping materials.

July 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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Marasuchus lilloensis

July 3, 2015, 5:55 pm
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Marasuchus lilloensis (Romer, 1972)
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes

Middle Triassic
Chañares Fm (Ladinian)
La Rioja, Argentina

Length: 40 m

This animal was originally assigned to the genus Lagosuchus, until it receives its name in 1994, because Lagosuchus was too poorly known and a possible dubious name. Marasuchus is known from partial hind legs and arms.

July 3, 2015

All images on this site are copyrighted to Nobu Tamura under a Creative Commons 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license meaning that you are free to use them for non commercial purposes as long as you properly credit the author (© N. Tamura). Questions: contact me at nobu dot tamura at yahoo dot com.
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