IntroductionNedcolbertia (named in honor of the American paleontologist Dr. Edward “Ned” Colbert, 1905-2001) was a mysterious and intriguing creature which inhabited western North America during the early Cretaceous Period about 140-130 million years ago. When it was officially named and… Read More ›
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Lepisosteus occidentalis – the Western Gar
Introduction The Hell Creek Formation of the western United States is understandably known for its dinosaur fossils, including Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. However, in terms of sheer physical numbers, there are other species found here which surpass them by far. One… Read More ›
Arthropterygius
Arthropterygius, “jointed fin”, was a genus of ichthyosaur which lived in the Arctic Ocean during the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition period about 150 to 140 million years ago. Fossils of it have been found in Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia, and bones which… Read More ›
Semionotus
Semionotus was a genus of prehistoric fish which lived throughout the world during much of the Mesozoic Era. It was named by the famous Swiss ichthyologist and paleontologist Louis Agassiz in 1843 (type species: Semionotus bergeri). Semionotus first appeared during… Read More ›
The Cedar Mountain Hypsilophodont Dinosaur
The Cedar Mountain Formation of the western United States, which is dated to the early Cretaceous Period, has produced fossils of numerous dinosaur species. Several of these are still not officially classified, and this post concerns one of them. In… Read More ›
The Sail-Backed Dinosaur from the Cedar Mountain Formation
Greetings. A few days ago, I learned of a remarkable discovery. In east-central Utah within the rock layers of the Cedar Mountain Formation, dated to the early Cretaceous Period about 135 million years ago (the same time and place where… Read More ›
Gracilisuchus
Gracilisuchus, meaning “the slender crocodile”, was a 2-foot-long reptile which lived in South America during the middle of the Triassic Period. Its remains were discovered in northwestern Argentina within the rocks of the Chañares Formation, which are dated to about… Read More ›
December 5 – The Festival of Faunus
In the ancient Roman calendar, each month had three special days assigned to it: the Kalends, the Nones, and the Ides. The “Kalends” was the first day in each month, and it’s from this Latin word that we get our… Read More ›
December 15 – A Day of Prayers, Sacrifices, and…Mule Racing? The Ancient Roman Consualia Festival
In the ancient Roman calendar, December 15 was (at least according to some ancient authors) one of the main feast days for the sea god Neptune. December 15 could also be called “Equine Appreciation Day”, because it was essentially a… Read More ›
December 1 – The Kalends of December
Today is the first day of December. In the minds of some, this day marks the unofficial beginning of Winter, as the Autumn harvests have been gathered in, most of the leaves have fallen off of the trees by this… Read More ›