rhamphotheca:

Prognathodon (‘forejaw tooth’)

… is an extinct genus of marine reptile belonging to the mosasaur family or saurians (along with lizards and snakes). It had protective bony rings surrounding its eye sockets, indicating it lived in deep water. Its teeth are similar to those of some Triassic placodonts which intimated that it may have lived a similar lifestyle, feeding on shellfish, large fish and sea turtles. The recent discovery of 2 nearly complete fossils (one which included flippers) in Alberta, Canada have given scientists new data as previous fossils only contained the remains of the skull. One fossil included stomach contents, consisting of elements pertaining to a sea turtle, tarpon-size and trout-size fishes, and a possible cephalopod…

(read more: Wikipedia)        

(images: T - Dmitry Bogdanov; B - Ronald Tanglao)

rhamphotheca:

Batrachotomus is a genus of  prehistoric Rauisuchian archosaur. Fossils of this animal have been found in southern Germany and dated from the Ladinian stage of Middle Triassic period, around 228 to 231 million years ago. Batrachotomus was a heavily built, large quadrupedal reptile reaching 6 metres (20 ft) in length. In contrast with sprawling reptiles, like crocodiles, this large carnivore was very agile with locomotor superiority due to its erect stance. A remarkable feature seen on its back was a row of paired, flattened bony plates…

(read more: Wikipedia)              

(photo: Ghedoghedo; illustration by Dmitry Bogdanov)

romkids:

Baby Protoceratops

So small. And still such a frill. 

While Protoceratops is by no means a large dinosaur, it’s fascinating just how small Protoceratops, and most dinosaurs, were at birth. Here is a baby Protoceratops skull compared to a much older specimen. Protocertops, like many Ceratopsian dinosaurs, not only became larger in size as they got older, but the shape of their frill changed as well, gaining strength, new edges, and different forms.

You can imagine just how cute these guys would have been as babies though. Look at those big ol’ eye sockets.

dino-files:

Name: Achillobator
Pronounced: Ah-Kill-Oh-Bait-Ore
Classification: Theropod
Sub-family: Dromaeosaurid
Temporal Range: Late Cretaceous (90 Mya)
Length: 6 metres
Height: 2 metres
Weight: unknown
Movement: Bipedal
Feeding Type: Carnivore

Information:
- Discovery:Achillobator is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of modern-day Mongolia. The first fossil remains of Achillobator were discovered in 1989, although these were not described and named until 1999, by Mongolian palaeontologist Altangerel Perle, and Americans Mark Norell and Jim Clark. The fossil bones themselves belong to a single individual and were found mostly disarticulated. Bones discovered include a fragment of the upper jaw (with teeth), vertebrae from all spinal sections, ribs, and bones from the shoulder, pelvis, forelimbs and hindlimbs.
            Although researchers are fairly sure that Achillobator is a dromaeosaurid, the lack of fossil material has made finding its exact place within this family fairly difficult. The general consensus is that Achillobator is a member of the subfamily dromaeosaurine; making it more closely related to the North American dinosaur, Utahraptor, rather than to other dromaeosaurids, such as Deinonychus and Velociraptor.
                       
- Statistics: The holotype specimen of Achillobator is a fairly large individual, and researchers have estimated its body length at around 6 metres; which is exceptionally big for a dromaeosaurid. Its size is very similar to that of Utahraptor, hence the proposed close relationship suggested above.

- Description: Achillobator was a bipedal predator that, given its large size, would have been relatively high up within its ecosystems food-chain. Like all dromaeosaurids it is suggested that Achillobator hunted with a large, sickle-shaped, claw situated at the end of the second toe of each hind foot.
            One characteristic that distinguishes Achillobator from other dromaeosaurids is that of its hip bone. The pelvis displays a number of very primitive characteristics when looked at in comparison with those from other dromaeosaurids. It is aligned almost vertically and has a large pubic boot (a wide expansion at the end). In addition, the pubis points backwards in the same direction as the ischium (a condition called opisthopuby), which is seen in the unrelated therizinosaurids and ornithischians. These differences have led to suggestions that Achillobator represents a palaeontological chimera (a fossil which has been reconstructed with elements coming from more than a single genus). Other research has suggested that these differences may mean that Achillobator in fact represents an entirely new type, and classification, of dinosaur. Currently, Achillobator is classified as a dromaeosaurid and will continue to be classed as such until new, related, fossil material is discovered.

Top Picture Source: T-PEKC (deviant art)
Bottom Picture Source: Matt Martyniuk (taken from Wikipedia)

elegantbuffalo:

Macrauchenia: was a long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed South American ungulate mammal dating back to around 7 million years ago.

In life, Macrauchenia resembled a humpless camel with a short proboscis, though it is not closely related to either camels or proboscideans.  It was first discovered on February 9, 1834 at Port St Julian in Patagonia (Argentina) by Charles Darwin.

…he’s a weird one.