eucyon reblogged
some recent pterosaur art :] ferrodraco, a pair of campylognathoides and otogopterus
eucyon reblogged
Dinosor
Every time I see cotylorhynchus reconstructions the size of their head makes me so insane Like we have to be missing a piece of the puzzle or something there's no way it's head was so fucking tiny it can't be true
ough
eucyon reblogged
Animal of the Day!
Titanis (Titanis walleri)
(Photo from Florida Museum of Natural History)
Conservation Status- Extinct
Habitat- North America
Estimated Size (Weight/Length)- 150 kg; 2 m tall
Diet- Mammals
Time Period- Pliocene; Early Pleistocene
Cool Facts- Titanis was one of the larger terror birds that stalked the plains of North America for thousands of years. Incapable of flight, Titanis most likely relied on its long legs to outrun its prey. While a skull has never been found, it is assumed that Titanis had the massive, ax-like beak other terror birds of the time period had, leading to interpretations of what its complete skeleton may look like. Due to having excellent movement in their neck, it is believed that Titanis would chase down its prey and batter the animal to death with its massive beak. Titanis most likely went extinct due to competition from new predators, especially bears and big cats.
Rating- 11/10 (Could outrun a horse.)
eucyon reblogged
We went to the Neanderthal museum yesterday, which is also the place where they discovered the first Neanderthal, or at least recognized it as such anyway. It was such a beautiful exhibition and the sculptures felt so alive. It gave me Big Feels and made me feel so close to these humans that once excisted.
Part 5
eucyon reblogged
Ashes to Dust
LI: Salmilidae
Our last stop within Cariamiformes is Salmilidae. This family contains a single species, Salmila robusta, from the Eocene of Europe.
The phylogenetic placement of Salmila remains uncertain, as it shares characteristics with both the Gruiformes and the Cariamiformes. Preserved feather impressions indicate a long tail for the species, similar to Cariamiformes. However, the shorter legs suggest Salmila was not cursorial, distinguishing it from most other Cariamiformes.
(Art by Ivanbel on deviantart)
eucyon reblogged
in the cambrian period the ocean was shallow and the sun never set. every day was sunday morning and there was never any dark. the world was a watery wonderland and air didnt exist yet. animals had just invented eating eachh other and it was really funny. having eyeballs was all the rage
eucyon reblogged
Two Oligocene carnivores from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario: Hyaenodon horridus (left) and Dinictis felina (right). Hyaenodon is classified as a member of the order Creodonta (though this order may be polyphyletic) and is not believed to be closely related to any modern mammals, while Dinictis is a feliform Carnivoran that is related to modern cats.
eucyon reblogged
Carnivoran skulls from the Florida Museum of Natural History:
- Lesser short-faced bear (Arctodus pristinus). Became extinct around 300,000 years ago, fossils are found in high concentrations in Florida. Related to the modern spectacled bear.
- Ambruster’s wolf (Canis ambrusteri). Became extinct around 250,000 years ago, found throughout the United States. Taxonomy of this species is somewhat confusing, it may be related to modern grey wolves but may also be ancestral to dire wolves (which are now placed in the genus Aenocyon).
- American lion (Panthera atrox). Became extinct around 11,000 years ago, found from Canada and the United States to southern Mexico. American lions were the sister species to Eurasian cave lions and are closely related to modern lions.
- Sabertooth cat (Smilodon gracilis). Became extinct 500,000, had a fairly cosmopolitan range throughout North America and parts of South America. S. gracilis is the smallest Smilodon species and is believed to be the ancestor of S. fatalis and S. popular or. Sabertooth cats are not closely related to any modern species of cat.
eucyon reblogged
sweet dreams for Baby Yingliang
Photo of the oviraptorosaur embryo ‘Baby Yingliang’. It is one of the best-preserved dinosaur embryos ever reported. Courtesy Xing et al., 2021
eucyon reblogged
Archaeologists Uncover Upper Paleolithic Proto-Writing System
eucyon reblogged
New Species of Triassic Crocodile-Like Reptile Identified in Brazil
A prelude to bird origins
XIII: Remige in front, Rectrix in back
Continuing from Maniraptora, and diverging from the Alvarezsaurs and Therizinosaurs, we come to Pennaraptora. Representing this clade is Yi qi from 164 Ma in the late Jurassic.
Pennaraptora includes the Oviraptorisaurs, which are often likened to emus and cassowaries, the Scansoriopterygids, which include Yi and look like birds with bat wings, and Paraves, which will be the subject of the next part. A proposed synapomorohy for Pennaraptora is the possession of true closed-vaned remiges (wing feathers) and rectrices (tail feathers).
(Art by Gabriel Ugueto)
eucyon reblogged
11-Million-Year-Old fossil leads to discovery of new bird species
A fossil sat in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History in New York, unidentified, for nearly 100 years. The 11-million-year-old fossil is a new bird species related to turkeys.
Indricotherium. Zdeněk Burian.
eucyon reblogged
New Saber toothed cat