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Alcântara Formation
The Alcântara Formation is a geological formation in northeastern Brazil whose strata date back to the Cenomanian of the Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', .... Fossil content Dinosaurs Pterosauria Crocodylomorphs Turtles Squamates Fish References {{DEFAULTSORT:Alcantara Formation Geologic formations of Brazil Upper Cretaceous Series of South America Cretaceous Brazil Cenomanian Stage Sandstone formations Shale formations Conglomerate formations Shallow marine deposits Fossiliferous stratigraphic units of South America Paleontology in Brazil Formations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geological Formation
A geological formation, or simply formation, is a body of rock having a consistent set of physical characteristics (lithology) that distinguishes it from adjacent bodies of rock, and which occupies a particular position in the layers of rock exposed in a geographical region (the stratigraphic column). It is the fundamental unit of lithostratigraphy, the study of strata or rock layers. A formation must be large enough that it can be mapped at the surface or traced in the subsurface. Formations are otherwise not defined by the thickness (geology), thickness of their rock strata, which can vary widely. They are usually, but not universally, tabular in form. They may consist of a single lithology (rock type), or of alternating beds of two or more lithologies, or even a heterogeneous mixture of lithologies, so long as this distinguishes them from adjacent bodies of rock. The concept of a geologic formation goes back to the beginnings of modern scientific geology. The term was used by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rebbachisauridae
Rebbachisauridae is a family of sauropod dinosaurs known from fragmentary fossil remains from the Cretaceous of South America, Africa, North America, Europe and possibly Central Asia. Taxonomy In 1990 sauropod specialist Jack McIntosh included the first known rebbachisaurid genus, the giant North African sauropod ''Rebbachisaurus'', in the family Diplodocidae, subfamily Dicraeosaurinae, on the basis of skeletal details. With the discovery in subsequent years of a number of additional genera, it was realised that ''Rebbachisaurus'' and its relatives constituted a distinct group of dinosaurs. In 1997 the Argentine paleontologist José Bonaparte described the family Rebbachisauridae, and in 2011 Whitlock defined two new subfamilies within the group: Nigersaurinae and Limaysaurinae. The cladogram of the Rebbachisauridae according to Carballido ''et al.'' (2012) is shown below: Cladogram after Fanti ''et al.'', 2015. Evolutionary relationships and characteristics Although a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kem Kem Group
The Kem Kem Group (commonly known as the Kem Kem beds) is a geological group in the Kem Kem region of eastern Morocco, whose strata date back to the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Its strata are subdivided into two geological formations, the lower Gara Sbaa Formation and the upper Douira Formation. It is exposed on an escarpment along the Algeria–Morocco border. The unit unconformably overlies Paleozoic marine units of Cambrian, Silurian and Devonian age, and is itself capped by limestone platform rock of Cenomanian-Turonian age. It primarily consists of deltaic deposits. The lower Gara Sbaa Formation primarily consists of fine and medium grained sandstone, while the Douira Formation consists of fining-upwards, coarse-to-fine grained sandstones intercalated with siltstones, variegated mudstones, and occasional thin gypsiferous evaporites. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the group.Weishampel, David B; ''et al.'' (2004). "Din ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sigilmassasaurus
''Sigilmassasaurus'' ( ; "Sijilmassa lizard") is an extremely controversial genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived approximately 100 to 94 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now northern Africa. Named in 1996 by Canadian paleontologist Dale Russell, it contains a single species, ''Sigilmassasaurus brevicollis''. The identity of the genus has been debated by scientists, with some considering its fossils to represent material from the closely related species ''Spinosaurus aegyptiacus'', while others have classified it as a separate taxon, forming the clade Spinosaurini with ''Spinosaurus'' as its sister taxon. ''Sigilmassasaurus'' was a moderately-built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, like most other theropods. It may have had strong neck musculature as evidenced by the morphology of its vertebrae (backbones). ''Sigilmassasaurus'' may have had semiaquatic habits and a partially piscivorous diet. It coexisted with other large theropods in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diplodocoidea
Diplodocoidea is a superfamily of sauropod dinosaurs, which included some of the longest animals of all time, including slender giants like ''Supersaurus'', ''Diplodocus'', ''Apatosaurus'', and ''Amphicoelias''. Most had very long necks and long, whip-like tails; however, one family (the dicraeosaurids) are the only known sauropods to have re-evolved a short neck, presumably an adaptation for feeding low to the ground. This adaptation was taken to the extreme in the highly specialized sauropod '' Brachytrachelopan''. A study of snout shape and dental microwear in diplodocoids showed that the square snouts, large proportion of pits, and fine subparallel scratches in ''Apatosaurus'', ''Diplodocus'', ''Nigersaurus'', and ''Rebbachisaurus'' suggest ground-height nonselective browsing; the narrow snouts of ''Dicraeosaurus'', ''Suuwassea'', and ''Tornieria'' and the coarse scratches and gouges on the teeth of ''Dicraeosaurus'' suggest mid-height selective browsing in those taxa.John A. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Titanosauria
Titanosaurs (or titanosaurians; members of the group Titanosauria) were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, including genera from all seven continents. The titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods, with taxa still thriving at the time of the extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous. This group includes some of the largest land animals known to have ever existed, such as ''Patagotitan''—estimated at long with a weight of —and the comparably-sized ''Argentinosaurus'' and ''Puertasaurus'' from the same region. The group's name alludes to the mythological Titans of ancient Greek mythology, via the type genus (now considered a ''nomen dubium)'' '' Titanosaurus''. Together with the brachiosaurids and relatives, titanosaurs make up the larger sauropod clade Titanosauriformes. Titanosaurs have long been a poorly-known group, and the relationships between titanosaur species are still not well-understood. Description Titanosauria have the largest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sauropoda
Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their body), and four thick, pillar-like legs. They are notable for the enormous sizes attained by some species, and the group includes the largest animals to have ever lived on land. Well-known genera include '' Brachiosaurus'', '' Diplodocus'', '' Apatosaurus'' and '' Brontosaurus''. The oldest known unequivocal sauropod dinosaurs are known from the Early Jurassic. '' Isanosaurus'' and '' Antetonitrus'' were originally described as Triassic sauropods, but their age, and in the case of ''Antetonitrus'' also its sauropod status, were subsequently questioned. Sauropod-like sauropodomorph tracks from the Fleming Fjord Formation (Greenland) might, however, indicate the occurrence of the group in the Late Triassic. By the Late Jurassic (150 mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxalaia Quilombensis Life Reconstruction By PaleoGeek
''Oxalaia'' (in reference to the African deity '' Oxalá'') is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now the Northeast Region of Brazil during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, sometime between 100.5 and 93.9 million years ago. Its only known fossils were found in 1999 on Cajual Island in the rocks of the Alcântara Formation, which is known for its abundance of fragmentary, isolated fossil specimens. The remains of ''Oxalaia'' were described in 2011 by Brazilian palaeontologist Alexander Kellner and colleagues, who assigned the specimens to a new genus containing one species, ''Oxalaia quilombensis''. The species name refers to the Brazilian quilombo settlements. ''Oxalaia quilombensis'' is the eighth officially named theropod species from Brazil and the largest carnivorous dinosaur discovered there. It is closely related to the African genus '' Spinosaurus'', and/or may be a junior synonym of this taxon. Although ''Oxalaia'' is kn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spinosaurid
The Spinosauridae (or spinosaurids) are a clade or family of tetanuran theropod dinosaurs comprising ten to seventeen known genera. They came into prominence during the Cretaceous period. Spinosaurid fossils have been recovered worldwide, including Africa, Europe, South America and Asia. Their remains have generally been attributed to the Early to Mid Cretaceous. Spinosaurids were large bipedal carnivores. Their crocodilian-like skulls were long, low and narrow, bearing conical teeth with reduced or absent serrations. The tips of their upper and lower jaws fanned out into a spoon-shaped structure similar to a rosette, behind which there was a notch in the upper jaw that the expanded tip of the lower jaw fit into. The nostrils of spinosaurids were retracted to a position further back on the head than in most other theropods, and they had bony crests on their heads along the midline of their skulls. Their robust shoulders wielded stocky forelimbs, with three-fingered hands that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxalaia
''Oxalaia'' (in reference to the African deity '' Oxalá'') is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur that lived in what is now the Northeast Region of Brazil during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, sometime between 100.5 and 93.9 million years ago. Its only known fossils were found in 1999 on Cajual Island in the rocks of the Alcântara Formation, which is known for its abundance of fragmentary, isolated fossil specimens. The remains of ''Oxalaia'' were described in 2011 by Brazilian palaeontologist Alexander Kellner and colleagues, who assigned the specimens to a new genus containing one species, ''Oxalaia quilombensis''. The species name refers to the Brazilian quilombo settlements. ''Oxalaia quilombensis'' is the eighth officially named theropod species from Brazil and the largest carnivorous dinosaur discovered there. It is closely related to the African genus '' Spinosaurus'', and/or may be a junior synonym of this taxon. Although ''Oxalaia'' is known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masiakasaurus
''Masiakasaurus'' is a genus of small predatory noasaurid theropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. In Malagasy, ''masiaka'' means "vicious"; thus, the genus name means "vicious lizard". The type species, ''Masiakasaurus knopfleri'', was named after the musician Mark Knopfler, whose music inspired the expedition crew. It was named in 2001 by Scott D. Sampson, Matthew Carrano, and Catherine A. Forster. Unlike most theropods, the front teeth of ''M. knopfleri'' projected forward instead of straight down. This unique dentition suggests that they had a specialized diet, perhaps including fish and other small prey. Other bones of the skeleton indicate that ''Masiakasaurus'' were bipedal, with much shorter forelimbs than hindlimbs. ''M. knopfleri'' was a small theropod, reaching long and weighing . ''Masiakasaurus'' lived around 70 million years ago, along with animals such as ''Majungasaurus'', '' Rapetosaurus'', and '' Rahonavis''. ''Masiakasaurus'' was a member ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Noasauridae
Noasauridae is an extinct family of theropod dinosaurs belonging to the group Ceratosauria. They were closely related to the short-armed abelisaurids, although most noasaurids had much more traditional body types generally similar to other theropods. Their heads, on the other hand, had unusual adaptations depending on the subfamily. 'Traditional' noasaurids, sometimes grouped in the subfamily Noasaurinae, had sharp teeth which splayed outwards from a downturned lower jaw. The most complete and well-known example of these kinds of noasaurids was '' Masiakasaurus knopfleri'' from Madagascar. Another group, Elaphrosaurinae, has also been placed within Noasauridae by some studies. Elaphrosaurines developed toothless jaws and herbivorous diets, at least as adults. The most complete and well known elaphrosaurine was '' Limusaurus inextricabilis''. At least some noasaurids had pneumatised cervical vertebrae.Arthur Souza Brum, Elaine Batista Machado, Diogenes de Almeida Campos & Al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
