New fossil Longfish-species found in South Africa :
A high latitude Devonian lungfish, from the Famennian of South Africa
A high latitude Devonian lungfish, from the Famennian of South Africa
Newly discovered / described fossil species 2020
- Thread starter vogelcommando
- Start date
Jan. 3, 2020
Name: Acuetzpalin carranzai
What: Ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur
When: ~ 155,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: La Casita Formation (Mexico)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: Acuetzpalin carranzai gen et sp. nov. A new ophthalmosauridae (Ichthyosauria) from the Upper Jurassic of Durango, North Mexico - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: (Ophthalmosaurus, a related species) Ophthalmosaurus by Mark Garlick/science Photo Library
Name: Acuetzpalin carranzai
What: Ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaur
When: ~ 155,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: La Casita Formation (Mexico)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: Acuetzpalin carranzai gen et sp. nov. A new ophthalmosauridae (Ichthyosauria) from the Upper Jurassic of Durango, North Mexico - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: (Ophthalmosaurus, a related species) Ophthalmosaurus by Mark Garlick/science Photo Library
Jan. 08, 2020
Name: Oriensmilus liupanensis
What: Nimravid carnivoran mammal
When: Middle Miocene epoch
Where: Tongxin Basin (northern China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2019.1691066?journalCode=tjsp20
Picture Source: (Barbourofelis, a related species) Cougar Lion Barbourofelidae Barbourofelis PNG - Free Download
Jan. 10, 2020
Name: Yunyangosaurus puanensis
What: Megalosauroid? theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 174,000,000 B.C.E. (Aalenian stage of the Middle Jurassic epoch)
Where: Xintiangou Formation (Chongqing, China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new possible megalosauroid theropod from the Middle Jurassic Xintiangou Formation of Chongqing, People’s Republic of China and its implication for early tetanuran evolution
Picture Source: N/A
Name: Oriensmilus liupanensis
What: Nimravid carnivoran mammal
When: Middle Miocene epoch
Where: Tongxin Basin (northern China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2019.1691066?journalCode=tjsp20
Picture Source: (Barbourofelis, a related species) Cougar Lion Barbourofelidae Barbourofelis PNG - Free Download
Jan. 10, 2020
Name: Yunyangosaurus puanensis
What: Megalosauroid? theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 174,000,000 B.C.E. (Aalenian stage of the Middle Jurassic epoch)
Where: Xintiangou Formation (Chongqing, China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new possible megalosauroid theropod from the Middle Jurassic Xintiangou Formation of Chongqing, People’s Republic of China and its implication for early tetanuran evolution
Picture Source: N/A
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Jan. 10, 2020
Name: Calumma benovskyi
What: Chameleon lizard
When: Early Miocene
Where: Rusinga Island, Kenya
Additional Information: Discovery suggests Calumma, a chameleon genus endemic to Madagascar, originated in mainland Africa. It's the only complete articulated early Miocene chameleon skull.
Study: Study
Picture Source: N/A
Name: Calumma benovskyi
What: Chameleon lizard
When: Early Miocene
Where: Rusinga Island, Kenya
Additional Information: Discovery suggests Calumma, a chameleon genus endemic to Madagascar, originated in mainland Africa. It's the only complete articulated early Miocene chameleon skull.
Study: Study
Picture Source: N/A
Jan. 15, 2020
Name: Wulong bohaiensis
What: Microraptorine dromaeosaur theropod dinosaur
When: Aptian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch
Where: Jiufotang Formation (Liaoning, China)
Additional Information: "The holotype possesses several feather types, including filamentous feathers, pennaceous primaries, and long rectrices, establishing that their growth preceded skeletal maturity and full adult size in some dromaeosaurids."
Study: Study
Picture Source: Microraptor (a related species)
Name: Wulong bohaiensis
What: Microraptorine dromaeosaur theropod dinosaur
When: Aptian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch
Where: Jiufotang Formation (Liaoning, China)
Additional Information: "The holotype possesses several feather types, including filamentous feathers, pennaceous primaries, and long rectrices, establishing that their growth preceded skeletal maturity and full adult size in some dromaeosaurids."
Study: Study
Picture Source: Microraptor (a related species)
Jan. 13, 2020
Name: Archaebalaenoptera liesselensis
What: Rorqual whale
When: Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch
Where: Breda Formation (The Netherlands)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new species of rorqual whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Balaenopteridae) from the Late Miocene of the Southern North Sea Basin and the role of the North Atlantic in the paleobiogeography of Archaebalaenoptera
Picture Source: N/A
Name: Archaebalaenoptera liesselensis
What: Rorqual whale
When: Tortonian stage of the Miocene epoch
Where: Breda Formation (The Netherlands)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new species of rorqual whale (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Balaenopteridae) from the Late Miocene of the Southern North Sea Basin and the role of the North Atlantic in the paleobiogeography of Archaebalaenoptera
Picture Source: N/A
New species of Allosaurus in the house!
Jan. 24, 2020
Name: Allosaurus jimmadseni
What: Allosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 157,000,000 B.C.E. to 152,000,000 B.C.E. (Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: Morrison Formation (Utah, United States)
Additional Information: Allosaurus jimmadseni represents the earliest species of Allosaurus.
Study: Cranial anatomy of Allosaurus jimmadseni, a new species from the lower part of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western North America
Picture Source: Remarkable New Species of Meat-Eating Jurassic Dinosaur Discovered in Utah
And a new tyrannosaur!
Jan. 23, 2020
Name: Thanatotheristes degrootorum
What: Tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 80,100,000 B.C.E. to 79,500,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Foremost Formation (Alberta, United States)
Additional Information: The new genus is found to be the sister taxon to Daspletosaurus, and together form the new clade Daspletosaurini.
Study: A new tyrannosaurine (Theropoda:Tyrannosauridae) from the Campanian Foremost Formation of Alberta, Canada, provides insight into the evolution and biogeography of tyrannosaurids - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: パンテオン on Twitter
Jan. 24, 2020
Name: Allosaurus jimmadseni
What: Allosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 157,000,000 B.C.E. to 152,000,000 B.C.E. (Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: Morrison Formation (Utah, United States)
Additional Information: Allosaurus jimmadseni represents the earliest species of Allosaurus.
Study: Cranial anatomy of Allosaurus jimmadseni, a new species from the lower part of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western North America
Picture Source: Remarkable New Species of Meat-Eating Jurassic Dinosaur Discovered in Utah
And a new tyrannosaur!
Jan. 23, 2020
Name: Thanatotheristes degrootorum
What: Tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 80,100,000 B.C.E. to 79,500,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Foremost Formation (Alberta, United States)
Additional Information: The new genus is found to be the sister taxon to Daspletosaurus, and together form the new clade Daspletosaurini.
Study: A new tyrannosaurine (Theropoda:Tyrannosauridae) from the Campanian Foremost Formation of Alberta, Canada, provides insight into the evolution and biogeography of tyrannosaurids - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: パンテオン on Twitter
It's worth noting Big Al, an Allosaurus specimen made famous by the Walking With... spin-off The Ballard of Big Al, has been placed in the new species.New species of Allosaurus in the house!
Jan. 24, 2020
Name: Allosaurus jimmadseni
What: Allosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 157,000,000 B.C.E. to 152,000,000 B.C.E. (Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic epoch)
Where: Morrison Formation (Utah, United States)
Additional Information: Allosaurus jimmadseni represents the earliest species of Allosaurus.
Study: Cranial anatomy of Allosaurus jimmadseni, a new species from the lower part of the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Western North America
Picture Source: Remarkable New Species of Meat-Eating Jurassic Dinosaur Discovered in Utah
And a new tyrannosaur!
Jan. 23, 2020
Name: Thanatotheristes degrootorum
What: Tyrannosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 80,100,000 B.C.E. to 79,500,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Foremost Formation (Alberta, United States)
Additional Information: The new genus is found to be the sister taxon to Daspletosaurus, and together form the new clade Daspletosaurini.
Study: A new tyrannosaurine (Theropoda:Tyrannosauridae) from the Campanian Foremost Formation of Alberta, Canada, provides insight into the evolution and biogeography of tyrannosaurids - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: パンテオン on Twitter
Jan. 05, 2020
Name: Huinculsaurus montesi
What: Abelisauroid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 95,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Huincul formation (Patagonia, Argentina)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Huincul formation (lower upper Cretaceous, Neuquén Basin) of Patagonia, Argentina - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Theropoda: Huinculsaurus montesi Baiano, Coria e Cau, 2020
Name: Huinculsaurus montesi
What: Abelisauroid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 95,000,000 B.C.E. (Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Huincul formation (Patagonia, Argentina)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new abelisauroid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Huincul formation (lower upper Cretaceous, Neuquén Basin) of Patagonia, Argentina - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Theropoda: Huinculsaurus montesi Baiano, Coria e Cau, 2020
Jan. 11, 2020
Name: Abdarainurus barsboldi
What: Titanosaur sauropod dinosaur
When: ~ 80,000,000 B.C.E. to 75,000,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Alagteeg Formation (Mongolia)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2020.1716402?journalCode=tjsp20
Picture Source: Species New to Science: [Paleontology • 2020] Abdarainurus barsboldi • An Unusual New Sauropod Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia
Name: Abdarainurus barsboldi
What: Titanosaur sauropod dinosaur
When: ~ 80,000,000 B.C.E. to 75,000,000 B.C.E. (Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Alagteeg Formation (Mongolia)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2020.1716402?journalCode=tjsp20
Picture Source: Species New to Science: [Paleontology • 2020] Abdarainurus barsboldi • An Unusual New Sauropod Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia
Feb. 14, 2020
Name: Raibliania calligarisi
What: Tanystropheid reptile
When: ~ 230,000,000 B.C.E. (Carnian stage of the Late Triassic epoch)
Where: Calcare del Predil Formation (Italy)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: RAIBLIANIA CALLIGARISI GEN. N., SP. N., A NEW TANYSTROPHEID (DIAPSIDA, TANYSTROPHEIDAE) FROM THE UPPER TRIASSIC (CARNIAN) OF NORTHEASTERN ITALY | RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA
Picture Source: Tanystropheus, a related species (Tanystropheus)
Name: Raibliania calligarisi
What: Tanystropheid reptile
When: ~ 230,000,000 B.C.E. (Carnian stage of the Late Triassic epoch)
Where: Calcare del Predil Formation (Italy)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: RAIBLIANIA CALLIGARISI GEN. N., SP. N., A NEW TANYSTROPHEID (DIAPSIDA, TANYSTROPHEIDAE) FROM THE UPPER TRIASSIC (CARNIAN) OF NORTHEASTERN ITALY | RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA
Picture Source: Tanystropheus, a related species (Tanystropheus)
Feb. 8, 2020
Name: Apatorhamphus gyrostega
What: Possible chaoyangopterid pterosaur
When: Middle Cretaceous
Where: Kem Kem Beds (Morocco)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new ?chaoyangopterid (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of southern Morocco - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Shenzhoupterus (Shenzhoupterus, another chaoyangopterid pterosaur)
Name: Apatorhamphus gyrostega
What: Possible chaoyangopterid pterosaur
When: Middle Cretaceous
Where: Kem Kem Beds (Morocco)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new ?chaoyangopterid (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of southern Morocco - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Shenzhoupterus (Shenzhoupterus, another chaoyangopterid pterosaur)
Feb. 19, 2020
Name: Lekaneleo
What: Thylacoleonid marsupial
When: Oligocene-Miocene
Where: Australia
Additional Information: It was the size of a house cat.
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2019.1703722
Picture Source: New species of Australian lion discovered at famous outback Queensland fossil site
Name: Lekaneleo
What: Thylacoleonid marsupial
When: Oligocene-Miocene
Where: Australia
Additional Information: It was the size of a house cat.
Study: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2019.1703722
Picture Source: New species of Australian lion discovered at famous outback Queensland fossil site
Feb. 12, 2020
Name: Luchibang xingzhe
What: Istiodactylid pterosaur
When: ~ 125 mya (Early Cretaceous)
Where: Yixian Formation (China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new istiodactylid pterosaur
Picture Source: Dave Hone on Twitter
Name: Luchibang xingzhe
What: Istiodactylid pterosaur
When: ~ 125 mya (Early Cretaceous)
Where: Yixian Formation (China)
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new istiodactylid pterosaur
Picture Source: Dave Hone on Twitter
Not really a new species discovered, but still a new fossil discovery. I hope this is the right place to share this.
New paleontological research on the Isle of Skye, Scotland has resulted in the first record of tracks of a Stegosaurian in Scotland.
Scotland Was the Real 'Jurassic Park’ During the Reign of Dinosaurs, Newfound Footprints Suggest
Ancient Stegosaurus relatives wandered across the Scottish highlands
Novel track morphotypes from new tracksites indicate increased Middle Jurassic dinosaur diversity on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
New paleontological research on the Isle of Skye, Scotland has resulted in the first record of tracks of a Stegosaurian in Scotland.
Scotland Was the Real 'Jurassic Park’ During the Reign of Dinosaurs, Newfound Footprints Suggest
Ancient Stegosaurus relatives wandered across the Scottish highlands
Novel track morphotypes from new tracksites indicate increased Middle Jurassic dinosaur diversity on the Isle of Skye, Scotland
Fossil 'wonderchicken' could be early fowl
A 67 million year old bird skull could be the ancestor of gamebirds.
The fossil bird has been named Asteriornis maastrichtensis, after Asteria, a Greek goddess of falling stars who turns into a quail. It was found in a quarry on the Netherlands-Belgium border.
The bird weighed in at just under 400g and was an early member of the group that gave rise to modern-day chickens, ducks and other poultry.
At the time, the region was covered by a shallow sea, and conditions were similar to modern tropical beaches. With its long, slender legs, the bird may have been a shore dweller.
The actual paper is here, but it is not open access so only the abstract can be read:
Late Cretaceous neornithine from Europe illuminates the origins of crown birds | Nature
Our understanding of the earliest stages of crown bird evolution is hindered by an exceedingly sparse avian fossil record from the Mesozoic era. The most ancient phylogenetic divergences among crown birds are known to have occurred in the Cretaceous period1,2,3, but stem-lineage representatives of the deepest subclades of crown birds—Palaeognathae (ostriches and kin), Galloanserae (landfowl and waterfowl) and Neoaves (all other extant birds)—are unknown from the Mesozoic era. As a result, key questions related to the ecology4,5, biogeography3,6,7 and divergence times1,8,9,10 of ancestral crown birds remain unanswered. Here we report a new Mesozoic fossil that occupies a position close to the last common ancestor of Galloanserae and fills a key phylogenetic gap in the early evolutionary history of crown birds10,11. Asteriornis maastrichtensis, gen. et sp. nov., from the Maastrichtian age of Belgium (66.8–66.7 million years ago), is represented by a nearly complete, three-dimensionally preserved skull and associated postcranial elements. The fossil represents one of the only well-supported crown birds from the Mesozoic era12, and is the first Mesozoic crown bird with well-represented cranial remains. Asteriornis maastrichtensis exhibits a previously undocumented combination of galliform (landfowl)-like and anseriform (waterfowl)-like features, and its presence alongside a previously reported Ichthyornis-like taxon from the same locality13 provides direct evidence of the co-occurrence of crown birds and avialan stem birds. Its occurrence in the Northern Hemisphere challenges biogeographical hypotheses of a Gondwanan origin of crown birds3, and its relatively small size and possible littoral ecology may corroborate proposed ecological filters4,5,9 that influenced the persistence of crown birds through the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
A 67 million year old bird skull could be the ancestor of gamebirds.
The fossil bird has been named Asteriornis maastrichtensis, after Asteria, a Greek goddess of falling stars who turns into a quail. It was found in a quarry on the Netherlands-Belgium border.
The bird weighed in at just under 400g and was an early member of the group that gave rise to modern-day chickens, ducks and other poultry.
At the time, the region was covered by a shallow sea, and conditions were similar to modern tropical beaches. With its long, slender legs, the bird may have been a shore dweller.
The actual paper is here, but it is not open access so only the abstract can be read:
Late Cretaceous neornithine from Europe illuminates the origins of crown birds | Nature
Our understanding of the earliest stages of crown bird evolution is hindered by an exceedingly sparse avian fossil record from the Mesozoic era. The most ancient phylogenetic divergences among crown birds are known to have occurred in the Cretaceous period1,2,3, but stem-lineage representatives of the deepest subclades of crown birds—Palaeognathae (ostriches and kin), Galloanserae (landfowl and waterfowl) and Neoaves (all other extant birds)—are unknown from the Mesozoic era. As a result, key questions related to the ecology4,5, biogeography3,6,7 and divergence times1,8,9,10 of ancestral crown birds remain unanswered. Here we report a new Mesozoic fossil that occupies a position close to the last common ancestor of Galloanserae and fills a key phylogenetic gap in the early evolutionary history of crown birds10,11. Asteriornis maastrichtensis, gen. et sp. nov., from the Maastrichtian age of Belgium (66.8–66.7 million years ago), is represented by a nearly complete, three-dimensionally preserved skull and associated postcranial elements. The fossil represents one of the only well-supported crown birds from the Mesozoic era12, and is the first Mesozoic crown bird with well-represented cranial remains. Asteriornis maastrichtensis exhibits a previously undocumented combination of galliform (landfowl)-like and anseriform (waterfowl)-like features, and its presence alongside a previously reported Ichthyornis-like taxon from the same locality13 provides direct evidence of the co-occurrence of crown birds and avialan stem birds. Its occurrence in the Northern Hemisphere challenges biogeographical hypotheses of a Gondwanan origin of crown birds3, and its relatively small size and possible littoral ecology may corroborate proposed ecological filters4,5,9 that influenced the persistence of crown birds through the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
Mar. 19, 2020
Name: Afrotapejara zouhri
What: Tapejarid pterosaur
When: ~ 95,000,000 B.C.E. (Cenomanian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Kem Kem Beds of southern Morocco
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new tapejarid (Pterosauria, Azhdarchoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Takmout, southern Morocco - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Joschua Knüppe on Twitter
Name: Afrotapejara zouhri
What: Tapejarid pterosaur
When: ~ 95,000,000 B.C.E. (Cenomanian stage of the Early Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Kem Kem Beds of southern Morocco
Additional Information: N/A
Study: A new tapejarid (Pterosauria, Azhdarchoidea) from the mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem beds of Takmout, southern Morocco - ScienceDirect
Picture Source: Joschua Knüppe on Twitter
Mar. 23, 2020
Name: Ikaria wariootia
What: Bilaterian
When: ~ 555,000,000 B.C.E. (Ediacaran period)
Where: Nilpena, South Australia
Additional Information: Oldest known bilaterian animal.
Study: Discovery of the oldest bilaterian from the Ediacaran of South Australia
Picture Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-03-ancestor-animals-australian-fossils.html
Name: Ikaria wariootia
What: Bilaterian
When: ~ 555,000,000 B.C.E. (Ediacaran period)
Where: Nilpena, South Australia
Additional Information: Oldest known bilaterian animal.
Study: Discovery of the oldest bilaterian from the Ediacaran of South Australia
Picture Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-03-ancestor-animals-australian-fossils.html
Raptor time!
Mar. 26, 2020
Name: Dineobellator notohesperus
What: Dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 67,000,000 B.C.E. (Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Ojo Alamo Formation, New Mexico, United States
Additional Information: Dineobellator stood only about 1 m (3.3 feet) at the hip and was about 2 m (6.6 feet) long — similar in size to famous dromaeosaurids Velociraptor and Saurornitholestes.
Study: Discovery of the oldest bilaterian from the Ediacaran of South Australia
Picture Source: New Feathered Dinosaur Unveiled: Dineobellator notohesperus | Paleontology | Sci-News.com
Mar. 26, 2020
Name: Dineobellator notohesperus
What: Dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur
When: ~ 67,000,000 B.C.E. (Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch)
Where: Ojo Alamo Formation, New Mexico, United States
Additional Information: Dineobellator stood only about 1 m (3.3 feet) at the hip and was about 2 m (6.6 feet) long — similar in size to famous dromaeosaurids Velociraptor and Saurornitholestes.
Study: Discovery of the oldest bilaterian from the Ediacaran of South Australia
Picture Source: New Feathered Dinosaur Unveiled: Dineobellator notohesperus | Paleontology | Sci-News.com
