Reblog this if your part of palaeoblr I need more blogs to follow lol

Going to get back into doing daily animal vectors! Here’s a great auk for today!

Look I know this is a shit post fuelled by staying up too late on my phone and an extended Gd-awful cold from hell but there are absolutely Tons of Large Weird Birds in the Cenozoic and it’s 100% possible to make an awesomebro-style documentary just about dead birds and people who have limited Cenozoic Bird coverage to just Gastornis and Terror Birds are

Cowards

A little Dino

She might end up as a sort of mascot, though I’m not sure yet

She doesn’t have an official name yet, but I’m open to suggestions!

Inktober, day #17! Some unknown dromaeosaurid.

squaw

Unaysaurus tolentinoi

Source: artisticthingem

Name: Unaysaurus tolentinoi

Name Meaning: Black Water Lizard

First Described: 2004

Described By: Leal, Azevodo, Kellner, & da Rosa 

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropomorpha, Plateosauria, Plateosauridae 

Unaysaurus is our first plateosaurid, and was found in the Caturrita Formation, near Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It lived in the late Carnian to early Norian ages of the Late Triassic, about 225 million years ago. It was still fairly small, like most early dinosaurs, and probably walked on two legs. It was the first confirmed sauropodomorph known from Brazil. It was about 2.5 meters long and would have been about 70 to 80 centimeters tall. It was mostly closely related to Plateosaurus, which lived in Germany, indicating that species were able to migrate easily across Pangaea. It lived alongside Staurikosaurus and Guaibasaurus. There were also many non-dinosaurs such as Sacisaurus, Jachaleria, a phytosaur, and stereospondyl. There were also many small tetropods in the region.  It was most likely an herbivore. 

Sources: 

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/u/unaysaurus.html

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

Shout out goes to rileyzard!

Saturnalia tipiniquim

Source: spinosaurus-the-fisher

Name: Saturnalia tipiniquim 

Name Meaning: Carnival native (for the Latin festival) 

First Described: 1999 

Described By: Langer et al 

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Guaibasauridae, Saturnaliinae

Saturnalia is one of the earliest members of Sauropodomorpha, though for a long time that classification was under debate. It is not disputed, however, whether or not it is a Sauropodomorph; it is decidedly placed in that group. Saturnalia has a mixture of sauropodomorph and theropod characteristics, contributing to its difficulty to be classified. At first in Langer’s 1999 paper it was assigned to the Sauropodomorphs, however later in 2003 Langer noted that the features of its skull and hand were more similar to the theropods. According to The Dinosauria, it was assigned to the Prosauropoda (though that is no longer a clade) due to two synapomorphies: “an elongate caudal dorsal centra (ratio of length to height greater than 1.0…) and a large pubic foramen) (Weishampel, 250). However, current knowledge of Saturnalia is poor, and it is possible that it could be reassigned to a different clade. It was small, slender, and fully bipedal and is known from three partial skeletons which lack skulls apart from an impression of a dentary with teeth. it is from the late Triassic in the late Ladinian or early Carnian period, about 225 million years ago. It was a very primitive sauropodomorph, if that; it was very early on after the initial evolution of dinosaurs that the Saurischia split up into the Theropods and the Sauropodomorphs. It’s exact diet is uncertain due to its basal placement in the Sauropodomorpha clade, however it seems likely that it was a low browser, or at least omnivorous. It lived in Brazil, in the Santa Maria Formation in Brazil. It is easy to assume that Saturnalia represents the typical paleoecology of the original members of Sauropodomorpha. 

Sources: 

Dixon, D. (2007). The Complete Book of Dinosaurs. London, England: Anness Publishing.

Weishampel, D. B. (2007). The Dinosauria (2nd ed.). Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturnalia_(dinosaur)

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/s/saturnalia.html

http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/SATURNALIA

(I figured this was an appropriate dinosaur to do today, given that Saturnalia, for which this dinosaur was named, was the ancient Roman festival of Saturn, held between December 17 and December 23rd, and is the reason why Christmas was placed by the early Christians on December 25th (so Romans would stop celebrating Saturnalia and start celebrating Christmas.) I probably should have done it yesterday, but close enough. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!) 

Chromogisaurus novasi

Source: askedmontonia

Name: Chromogisaurus novasi 

Name Meaning: Earth Color (Painted Valley) 

First Described; 2010

Describd By: Ezcurra 

Classification: Dinosaura, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Guaibasauridae, Saturnaliinae 

Chromogisaurus was another sauropodmorph from the Ischigualasto Formation in Argentina. It lived in the Carnian age of the Late Triassic, about 230 million years ago. It is known from a partial skeleton which lacked a skull. It was an herbivore, about two meters long, and it could walk bipedally as well as quadrupedally. 

Also, sorry, I’m playing catch-up today for my absence - I had a busy couple of days! But that means we get three dinosaurs today! Woo!

Source: 

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

Shout out goes to dejavu2831!

Guaibasaurus candelariensis

Source: thewoodparable

Name: Guaibasaurus candelariensis

Name Meaning: Guaíba Lizard 

First Described: 1999

Described By: Bonaparte et al. 

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodmoprha, Guaibasauridae 

Guaibasaurus was a sauropodmoprh from Paleorrota, near Candelária, Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil. It lived about 216.5 to 212 million years ago, during the Norian age of the Late Traissic. The posture of the skeleton, was found, was similar to the resting position of birds, a position usually found only in maniraptorans closely related to birds. Guaibasaurus may have thus rested in this position to conserve body heat. Its phylogenetic position is a little confusing, as it wasn’t very much like sauropodomorphs - but it also wasn’t very much like theropods. It was about 1.8 meters long and the consensus seems to be that it was a very primitive sauropodomorph; its diet is relatively uncertain. 

Sources: 

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/g/guaibasaurus.html

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

Shout out goes to paperboatarmada!

Panphagia protos

Source: askedmontonia

Name: Panphagia protos 

Name Meaning: Eat all 

First Described: 2009

Described By: Martinez & Alcober

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Guaibasauridae 

Panphagia was a sauropodomoprh from the Ischigualasto Formation of Valle Pintado, Ischigualasto Provincial Park, San Juan Province, Argentina. It lived about 231.4 million years ago in the early Carnian age of the Late triassic. It is known from a partial skull and post cranial remains. It is known from a partially grown individual as well; the original skeleton was about 1.3 meters long, but fully grown adults would have been longer. It is one of the earliest known dinosaurs, and it may represent a transitional stage in the sauropodomorphs from a carnivorous diet to an herbivorous one. The teeth indicate that this animal may have been omnivorous, and had the beginnings of the leaf-shaped and serrated teeth used by sauropodmoprhs to procure plant matter. 

Sources: 

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

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/p/panphagia.html

Shout out goes to thetinyfabray!

Agnosphitys cromhallensis

Source: thewoodparable

Name: Agnosphitys cromhallensis

Name Meaning: Unknown begetter 

First Described: 2002

Described By: Fraser et al

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Guaibasauridae 

Agnosphitys was another sauropodomorph - or, at least, that’s one consensus at this time. It is only known from scattered remains and may be a chimera. It was close to the ancestry of dinosaurs, though whether it actually is a dinosaur is under debate - it may be a dinosauromorph, or it could be a basal saurischian before the theropod - sauropodomorph split. It was found in Avon, England, and lived from the Norian to Rhaetian ages of the Late Triassic, about 208 million years ago. Whether or not this was a real animal, and not just the jumbled remains of many - and then, if it was real, what it should be classified as - clearly requires more material. 

Sources: 

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/a/agnosphitys.html

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

Shout out goes to mooshadventuring!

Buriolestes schultzi

By Jem McCormick on @excessively-english-little-b

Name: Buriolestes schultzi

Name Meaning: Buriol’s Robber

First Described: 2016

Described By: Cabreira et al. 

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha

Buriolestes is a fascinating Prosauropod dinosaur that was recently described. It is fascinating for two reasons: it was decidedly carnivorous, and it throws basal Saurischian phylogeny into turmoil. Where before Eoraptor was a basal Saurischian; Guiabasaurus was a basal Sauropodomorph; and the Herrerasaurids, Daemonosaurus, Tawa, Chindesaurus, and Eodromaeus were basal theropods; now it all looks significantly different: 

There is, of course, a question whether this new classification system will hold up to further analyses; after all, one new taxa cannot be taken as proof of a complete overhaul. But this does make the question of basal Saurischian phylogeny murkier - and, clearly, the beginnings of two great dinosaurian clades, the Theropods and the Sauropods, were more complicated and messy than previously thought. This Sauropodomorph - a group previously thought to be, at most, omnivorous in its earliest members - had distinctly carnivorous shaped teeth, shown below. 

By ULBRA Canoas, in the Public Domain. 

These small serrated teeth would have allowed this Prosauropod to feed upon small vertebrates and invertebrates. This indicates that the Saurischians were ancestrally carnivorous, and indeed, given that we barely know Ornithischian beginnings, it is possible that all dinosaurs were ancestrally carnivorous as well. This would indicate that herbivory evolved independently multiple times - in Ornithischians, in Sauropods, and in many Theropod groups. Indeed, this now makes a stronger cause for omnivory in many basal groups - where that opinion was falling out of favor for basal Sauropodomorphs and Ornithischians, it now may be researched more thoroughly. 

By Scott on @drawingwithdinosaurs​

Buriolestes was found in the Santa Maria Formation in Brazil, dating to the Carnian age of the Late Triassic, about 237 to 228 million years ago. Apart from its jaws, it did resemble its Sauropodomorph relatives - it had a downturned jaw tip, and a long-ish neck, though it lacked a small head and enlarged nostrils that are typically found in its relative. It showed, as would be expected for the basal-most Sauropodomorph, a mixture of basal Saurischian and later Sauropodomorph traits, and provides a fascinating view of how the animals that would one day be some of the biggest and most impressive dinosaurs got their surprising start. 

Source:

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

Shout out goes to @rasta-slang-for-weed-blog!

Thecodontosaurus antiquus

Source: askedmontonia, another one of my talented friends!

Name: Thecodontosaurus antiquus

Name Meaning: Socket-tooth lizard

First Described: 1836

Described By: Riley & Stuchbury

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Thecodontosauridae 

Thecodontosaurus was another small, early sauropodomorph from the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic, about 203 to 199 million years ago, specifically from the Rhaetian to Hettangian ages of these two periods. Many species have been named for the genus but only the original (type) species is still considered valid. It has been found at the quarry of Durdham Down, Clifton, in Bristol, however it also has been found in France. It is known from many remains  and was on average 1.2 meters long, but it could be up to 2.5 meters long. The leaf shaped teeth of Thecodontosaurus indicate that it had a fairly strictly herbivorous diet, unlike other early sauropodomorphs such as Pantydraco which were probably omnivorous. It also had a fairly short neck compared to other early members of the group. Its original remains were destroyed in World War II bombings, but bones were salvaged after the Bristol Blitz. It’s cladistic position among sauropodomorphs is under some confusion, as it could befairly basal or more advanced. It was the fifth (non-avian) dinosaur ever named, after Megalosaurus, Iguanodon, Streptospondylus, and Hylaeosaurus. 

Sources: 

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

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/t/thecodontosaurus.html

Shout out goes to wickedbreed!

Ruehleia bedheimensis

Source: thewoodparable

Name: Ruehleia bedheimensis

Name Meaning: Ruehle lizard

First Described: 2001

Described By: Galton

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha 

Ruehleia was a basal sauropodomorph from the Norian age of the Late Triassic, somewhere between 216 and 203 million years ago. It is known from scattered remains including the neck, back and tail, and partially complete hands. It was found in the Trossingen Formation in Germany. It would have been about 8 meters long and still would have walked around bipedally, though it may have gone on all fours for feeding and drinking. Its diet, like that of all early sauropodomorphs, is under some debate - while it could have been herbivorous like its descendants, some early members of the group may have been omnivorous while transitioning to a primarily herbivorous lifestyle. 

Sources: 

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/r/ruehleia.html

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

Shout out goes to cheetah-nicki!

Plateosauravus cullingworthi

Source: thewoodparable

Name: Plateosauravus cullingworthi

Name Meaning: Grandfather of Plateosaurus

First Described: 1932

Described By: von Huene

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha 

Plateosauravus was originally thought to be a species of Plateosaurus, however it was reassessed soon afterwards as a separate genus. As such, it was named in honor of the original genus; though it is unknown what its classification really is. It is known from more than a dozen partial skeletons, including juveniles. The exact age of the animal is unknown, however it did come from the Late Triassic. Furthermore, it was discovered in South Africa, including Kruger National Park. 

Source: 

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

Shout out goes to supasheep!

Pantydraco caducus

Source: thewoodparable

Name: Pantydraco caducus

Name Meaning: Hollow of the Spring Dragon

First Described: 2007

Described By: Galton, Yates and Kermack

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha

Pantydraco was another sauropomodomorph dinosaur from the Late Triassic, specifically the Rhaetian age, and potentially into the early Jurassic, around 208 to 200 million years ago. It was originally described as a species of Thecodontosaurus and was only known from a skull and partial skeleton of a juvenile individual. However, understanding basal sauropodomorphs more lead to its reclassification and its own genus. It was probably an omnivore, and mostly bipedal. It was found in the Pantyffynnon quarry of Wales in the United Kingdom.

Sources:

http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/p/pantydraco.html

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

Shout out goes to suitupplease!