Plioplatecarpus was a mosasaur which lived during the late Cretaceous Period 80-66 million years ago. The name means “more/closer towards Platecarpus“, which was the name of another late Cretaceous mosasaur. Five different species of Plioplatecarpus are currently recognized. The image… Read More ›
The Ambarvalia was an ancient Roman festival held on May 29 in honor of the war god Mars and to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and the patron goddess of farmers. The word Ambarvalia means “I go around the field”,… Read More ›
Manes, Lares, and Lemures. © Jason R. Abdale (August 21, 2021). When is the most fearful time of year, a time of ghosts, ghouls, and monsters? One might naturally say “Halloween, of course” with a certain undertone of irritation. After… Read More ›
Diplodoselache, meaning “double-toothed shark”, was a prehistoric freshwater proto-shark which lived in Scotland during the early Carboniferous Period 345-330 million years ago. Teeth of this animal were discovered in the Wardie Shale Formation of Scotland’s Midland Valley during the 1840s,… Read More ›
Stenopterygius, meaning “narrow fin”, was a genus of ichthyosaur which lived around Europe during the early to middle Jurassic Period 184-175 million years ago. Multiple fossils of this marine reptile including whole skeletons have been found in England, France, Luxembourg,… Read More ›
Rhamphorhynchus, meaning “prow beak”, is one of those iconic creatures which appears in practically every children’s book about prehistoric life. It was a pterosaur with a 6 foot wingspan which lived in Europe during the late Jurassic Period 150-145 million… Read More ›
Uktenadactylus was a genus of pterosaur with a possible 25-30 foot wingspan which lived in North America and Europe during the early and middle Cretaceous Period 125-100 million years ago. In 1992, a man named Chris Wadleigh found the front… Read More ›
Nannopterygius, meaning “tiny fin”, was a genus of ichthyosaur which lived around Europe from the late Jurassic to the early Cretaceous Period approximately 152-140 million years ago. There are currently six species assigned to this genus: Nannopterygius saveljeviensis. © Jason… Read More ›
Brachypterygius, meaning “short fin”, was an ichthyosaur which lived around England during the late Jurassic Period 155-150 million years ago. Fossils of this animal were found at Smallmouth Sands near the seaside town of Weymouth, Dorset, England within the rock… Read More ›
Undorosaurus was a medium-sized ichthyosaur which lived in northern Europe during the late Jurassic Period 150-145 million years ago. Fossils of this animal have been found in Norway, Poland, and western Russia. In fact, it was named after the village… Read More ›
