Paleontology Database

Tawa hallae life reconstruction（Image source：Jeffrey Martz，CC0 1.0 。） Age Triassic（Norian） 214 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom：Animalia Phylum：Chordata Class：Reptilia Order：Saurischia Genus：Tawa Species：Tawa hallae Morphological description Tawa hallae was a small early dinosaur with an adult body length of approximately 2.5 meters and a body mass of around 15 kilograms. Its skeletal anatomy displays characteristics linking it to several different dinosaur groups. For example, its skull

Restoration of Deinonychus antirrhopus（Image source：Fred Wierum， CC BY-SA 4.0 。） Age Cretaceous（Aptian to Albian） 115–108 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom：Animalia Phylum：Chordata Class：Reptilia Order：Saurischia Family：Dromaeosauridae Genus：Deinonychus Species：Deinonychus antirrhopus Morphological description Deinonychus antirrhopus was a medium-to-large-sized dromaeosaurid dinosaur. Its body length was approximately 3.5 meters, with an estimated weight of around 90 kilograms, though some

Allosaurus anax skeletal reconstruction（Image source：Chris Dodds ， CC BY-SA 2.0 ） Age Jurassic（Tithonian） 150 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom：Animalia Phylum：Chordata Class：Reptilia Order：Saurischia Family：Allosauridae Genus：Allosaurus Species：Allosaurus anax Morphological description Holotype specimen of Allosaurus anax（Image source：Danison, A et al.(2024). ， CC BY 4.0 ） Allosaurus anax was a gigantic species of allosaur that may have exceeded 10 meters in length and weighed approximate

Restoration of Rhamphorhynchus muensteri （Image source：Oleg Kuznetsov， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Tithonian） 150.8-148.5 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Pterosauria Family: Rhamphorhynchidae Genus: Rhamphorhynchus Species: Rhamphorhynchus muensteri Morphological description Rhamphorhynchus muensteri is a long-tailed pterosaur represented by numerous well-preserved specimens, allowing detailed assessment of its ontogenetic developmen

Reconstruction of Eoraptor lunensis （Image source：Conty， CC BY-SA 3.0 ） Age Triassic（Carnian） 231-228 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Sauropodomorpha Genus: Eoraptor Species: Eoraptor lunensis Morphological description The skull of Eoraptor lunensis was relatively elongate in overall shape, with a slightly enlarged external naris and a broad antorbital fossa whose dorsolateral margin was st

Futabasaurus suzukii Life restoration。by Connor Ashbridge，by CC BY-SA 4.0 。 Age Late Cretaceous (Santonian) 86.3–85 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Plesiosauria Family: Elasmosauridae Genus: Futabasaurus Species: Futabasaurus suzukii Morphological description Skeletal reconstruction of Futabasaurus suzukii . Photo by Rodrigo (Ueno, Tokyo). Futabasaurus suzukii is an elasmosaurid plesiosaur represented by the holotype specimen NSM PV15

Allosaurus fragilis （Image source：Fred Wierum， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Tithonian） 150 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom：Animalia Phylum： Chordata Class：Reptilia Order：Saurischia Family：Allosauridae Genus： Allosaurus Species： Allosaurus fragilis Morphological description Allosaurus fragilis is a large theropod dinosaur characterized by relatively short forelimbs and long hindlimbs. However, compared to most later large theropods, its forelimbs are proportionally more developed. On av

Facial reconstruction of Australopithecus afarensis （Image source：Cicero Moraes， CC BY 4.0 ） Age Neogene, Pliocene（Zanclean-Piacenzian） 3.7-3 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Hominidae Genus: Australopithecus Species: Australopithecus afarensis Morphological description Australopithecus afarensis had a lower body already well adapted for bipedal walking, whereas the upper body still retained many features suited to clim

Reconstruction of Ceratosaurus nasicornis （Image source：Oleg Kuznetsov， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Oxfordian-Tithonian） 161.2-145 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Family: Ceratosauridae Genus: Ceratosaurus Species: Ceratosaurus nasicornis Morphological description Ceratosaurus nasicornis was a relatively slender ceratosaurian theropod characterized most prominently by horn-like pr

Reconstruction of Dilong paradoxus （Image source：Conty， CC BY 3.0 ） Age Cretaceous（Valanginian-Barremian） 139-128 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Clade: Coelurosauria Superfamily: Tyrannosauroidea Clade: Pantyrannosauria Genus: Dilong Species: Dilong paradoxus Morphological description Dilong paradoxus was a small, slender basal tyrannosauroid theropod. Known specimens indicate a

Reconstruction of of Megatherium americanum （Courtesy of Gabriel Ugueto ） Age Quaternary（Chibanian-Greenlandian） 0.4-0.008 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Pilosa Family: Megatheriidae Genus: Megatherium Species: Megatherium americanum Morphological description Megatherium americanum , the giant ground sloth of the Americas, represents one of the largest members of the order Pilosa, with an estimated body mass of approximately 4 tonnes and

Reconstruction of Ankylosaurus magniventris （Image source：DataBase Center for Life Science， CC BY 4.0 ） Age Cretaceous（Maastrichtian） 68-66 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Ornithischia Family: Ankylosauridae Subfamily: Ankylosaurinae Genus: Ankylosaurus Species: Ankylosaurus magniventris Morphological description Ankylosaurus magniventris was a heavily built, low-slung, and broad-bodied ankylosaurid dinosaur. I

Reconstruction of Liopleurodon ferox （Image source：DiBgd， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Callovian-Kimmeridgian） 166-155 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Plesiosauria Family: Pliosauridae Clade: Thalassophonea Genus: Liopleurodon Species: Liopleurodon ferox Morphological description Liopleurodon ferox is a pliosaurid (Pliosauridae) short-necked plesiosaur characterized by a reduced cervical region, a robust trunk, and limbs fully modifie

Reconstruction of Mosasaurus hoffmannii （Image source：UnexpectedDinoLesson， CC BY 4.0 ） Age Cretaceous（Campanian-Maastrichtian） 82.7-66.0 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Squamata Superfamily: Mosasauroidea Family: Mosasauridae Subfamily: Mosasaurinae Genus: Mosasaurus Species: Mosasaurus hoffmannii Morphological description Mosasaurus hoffmannii was an exceptionally large marine squamate from the Late Cretaceous, with adults reaching

Restoration of Lesothosaurus diagnosticus （Image source：paleoalberca， CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 ） Age Jurassic（Hettangian-Sinemurian） 201- 190 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Ornithischia Clade: Genasauria Genus: Lesothosaurus Species: Lesothosaurus diagnosticus Morphological description Lesothosaurus diagnosticus was a small to medium-sized early ornithischian dinosaur. Known specimens range from nearly 1 metre in body

Reconstructed skeletal model of Tapejara wellnhoferi （Image source：Chatterjee S and Templin RJ. (2013)， CC BY 4.0 ） Age Cretaceous（Aptian-Albian） 112 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Pterosauria Family: Tapejaridae Genus: Tapejara Species: Tapejara wellnhoferi Morphological description Tapejara wellnhoferi was a pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil, distinguished by an extremely exaggerated cranial crest in proportion to the

Reconstruction of Brachiosaurus altithorax （Image source：Charles Nye， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Kimmeridgian-Tithonian） 154-150 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Clade: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Sauropodomorpha Family: Brachiosauridae Genus: Brachiosaurus Species: Brachiosaurus altithorax Morphological description Brachiosaurus altithorax was an enormous brachiosaurid sauropod dinosaur. Although its holotype specimen (FMNH P 25

Reconstruction of Caihong juji （Image source：Lucas-Attwell， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Jurassic（Oxfordian） 161.5-154.8 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Clade: Paraves Infraorder: Deinonychosauria Genus: Caihong Species: Caihong juji Morphological description Caihong juji is a paravian theropod dinosaur. Its holotype (PMoL-B00175) represents an adult individual, with an estimated total skel

Reconstruction of Navaornis hestiae （Image source：TotalDino， CC BY 4.0 ） Age Cretaceous（ Late Cretaceous ） 85 - 75 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom：Animalia Phylum：Chordata Class：Sauropsida Order：Saurischia Genus： Navaornis Species： Navaornis hestiae Morphological description Navaornis hestiae possesses a toothless skull in which the premaxillae are fully fused into a single element with a convex dorsorostral surface. The jugal is strongly curved, while the quadratojugal is small and c

Reconstruction of Endennasaurus acutirostris （Image source：Ghedo， CC BY-SA 4.0 ） Age Triassic（Norian） 227–208.5 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Thalattosauria Family: Endennasauridae Genus: Endennasaurus Species: Endennasaurus acutirostris Morphological description Endennasaurus acutirostris was a Triassic marine reptile of modest size, reaching an estimated total length of about 1.1 m when complete, with the tail making up at least