Newly discovered / described fossil species 2020

[Hipporex]

Mar. 31, 2020
Name: Ophthalmothule cryostea
What: Cryptoclidid plesiosaur
When: ~ 150,000,000 B.C.E. (Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: Agardhfjellet Formation (Norway)
Additional Information: Ophthalmothule means "north eye" and cryostea means "frozen bones." It measured 16.4 to 18 feet (5 to 5.5 m) long.
Study: A new plesiosaurian from the Jurassic–Cretaceous transitional interval of the Slottsmøya Member (Volgian), with insights into the cranial anatomy of cryptoclidids using computed tomography
Picture Source: Ophthalmothule

 

[Hipporex]

Mar. 31, 2020
Name: Omeisaurus puxiani
What: Mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur
When: Middle Jurassic
Where: Yunyang, Chongqing, China
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs...43286?journalCode=ghbi20#.XodiIoiipsU.twitter
Picture Source: Omeisaurus by cisiopurple on DeviantArt

 

[Hipporex]

Mar. 31, 2020
Name: Omeisaurus puxiani
What: Mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur
When: Middle Jurassic
Where: Yunyang, Chongqing, China
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs...43286?journalCode=ghbi20#.XodiIoiipsU.twitter
Picture Source: Omeisaurus by cisiopurple on DeviantArt

Correction: Omeisaurus puxiani was described on April 3, not March 31.

 

[Hipporex]

April, 4 2020
Name: Bottosaurus fustiness
What: Caiman
When: ~ 64,000,000 B.C.E. (Danian stage of the Paleocene epoch)
Where: Black Peaks Formation, Texas, U.S.A.
Additional Information: N/A
Study: new species of Bottosaurus (Alligatoroidea: Caimaninae) from the Black Peaks Formation (Palaeocene) of Texas indicates an early radiation of North American caimanines
Picture Source: N/A

 

[Hipporex]

April, 8 2020
Name: Brittagnathus minutus
What: Tetrapod
When: ~ 360,000,000 B.C.E. (Famennian stage of the Late Devonian epoch)
Where: Britta Dal Formation, Greenland
Additional Information: According to the study, "With a total jaw ramus length of With a total jaw ramus length of 44.8 mm, Brittagnathus is by far the smallest Devonian tetrapod described to date. mm [or 1.76 in], Brittagnathus is by far the smallest Devonian tetrapod described to date."
Study: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.192117
Picture Source: N/A

April, 9 2020
Name: Analong chuanjieensis
What: Mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur
When: Middle Jurassic
Where: Chuanjie Formation, China
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2020.1747450?journalCode=ghbi20
Picture Source: N/A

 

[Hipporex]

April, 8 2020
Name: Elessaurus gondwanoccidens
What: Tanystropheid reptile
When: ~ 249,000,000 B.C.E. (Olenekian of the Early Triassic epoch)
Where: Sanga do Cabral Formation (Brazil)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new archosauromorph from South America provides insights on the early diversification of tanystropheids
Picture Source: Clues to Origin of Mysterious Tanystropheid Reptiles From New Brazilian Fossil

 

[Hipporex]

April, 8 2020
Name: Testudo hellenica
What: Tortoise
When: 9,000,000 B.C.E. (Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch)
Where: Greece
Additional Information: N/A
Study: The earliest known crown-Testudo tortoise from the late Miocene (Vallesian, 9 Ma) of Greece
Picture Source: N/A

 

[Hipporex]

April, 21 2020
Name: Scaphokogia totajpe
What: Pygmy sperm whale (Kogiidae)
When: Late Miocene
Where: Peru
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2019.1728538?journalCode=ujvp20
Picture Source: Jaime Bran on Twitter

 

[Hipporex]

April, 17 2020
Name: Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum
What: Non-sauropod sauropodomorph
When: Late Triassic
Where: Lesotho (Elliot Formation)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2019.1732996?journalCode=ujvp20
Picture Source: Kholumolumo by cisiopurple on DeviantArt

 

[Hipporex]

April, 20 2020
Name: Cymbospondylus duelferi
What: Cymbospondylid ichthyosaur
When: Middle Triassic
Where: Augusta Mountains, Nevada, USA
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2020.1748132?journalCode=tjsp20
Picture Source: Cymbospondylus - Wikipedia

 

[KevinB]

The first discovery of frog fossils from Antarctica has been documented.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article...xvXMtY5ZAY-vO8svqFESfwwJseruq4Ef5pMJVWIvknPYM
First fossil frog from Antarctica: implications for Eocene high latitude climate conditions and Gondwanan cosmopolitanism of Australobatrachia

 

[Hipporex]

April, 24 2020
Name: Paraxenisaurus normalensis
What: Deinocheirid ornithomimosaur theropod dinosaur
When: Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, Mexico
Where: ~ 72,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Cretaceous epoch)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: Paraxenisaurus normalensis, a large deinocheirid ornithomimosaur from the Cerro del Pueblo Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Coahuila, Mexico - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Valdoraptor (a related species)

 

[Hipporex]

April, 22 2020
Name: Wightia declivirostris
What: Tapejarid pterosaur
When: ~ 125,000,000 B.C.E. (Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight of England
Additional Information: N/A
Study: First tapejarid pterosaur from the Wessex Formation (Wealden Group: Lower Cretaceous, Barremian) of the United Kingdom - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Dan Folkes (British Palaeontology) on Twitter

 

[Hipporex]

April, 29 2020
Name: Stellasaurus ancellae
What: Centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaur
When: ~ 75,200,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Two Medicine Formation of Montana, U.S.A. and Alberta, Canada
Additional Information: The generic name means "star lizard."
Study: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.200284
Picture Source: Dinosaur with a parrot-like beak has been named after David Bowie | Daily Mail Online

 

[Hipporex]

Also, meet the new and improved Spinosaurus aegyptiacus!

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/spinosaurus-dinosaur-fossil-tail-aquatic-swimmer
Photo Source: BioluminescentBob on Twitter

 

[birdsandbats]

Also, meet the new and improved Spinosaurus aegyptiacus!

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/spinosaurus-dinosaur-fossil-tail-aquatic-swimmer
Photo Source: BioluminescentBob on Twitter

Wow!

 

[AWP]

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/spinosaurus-dinosaur-fossil-tail-aquatic-swimmer

Thanks for sharing, also because at the same website I found two interesting articles about Mesozoic mammals (Adalatherium and Origolestes).

 

[KevinB]

Description by Belgian scientists of a new Pliocene stem balaenid, Antwerpibalaena liberatlas, based on fossils found in 2013 during construction in the port of Antwerp.

3 miljoen jaar oud skelet uit Antwerpse haven is nieuw puzzelstuk in evolutie walvissen
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772019.2020.1746422?scroll=top&needAccess=true
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[Jurek7]

Also, meet the new and improved Spinosaurus aegyptiacus!

So, if Tyrannosaurus was a lion, Spinosaurus was a giant otter.

 

[Hipporex]

New study shows Deinonychus, the raptor that inspired Jurassic Park's "Velociraptors," didn't hunt in packs. However IMO it would be naive to completely rule out pack hunting in other dromaeosaurs.

• 'Jurassic Park' got it wrong: UWO research indicates raptors don't hunt in packs - UW Oshkosh Today