Paleontology Database

Reconstruction of the sporophyte of Aglaophyton major , with a cross section of its sporangium and spores（圖片來源：Falconaumanni，採用  CC BY-SA 3.0  授權） Age Devonian（Pragian） 410 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Plantae Genus: Aglaophyton Species: Aglaophyton major Morphological description Aglaophyton major  possessed a sporophyte axis with a circular cross-section, smooth and lacking surface ornamentation, reaching up to approximately 6 mm in diameter. The axes exhibited dichotomous branchin

Fossil and life reconstruction of Syllipsimopodi bideni （圖片來源：Christopher D. Whalen & Neil H. Landman，採用  CC BY-SA 4.0  授權。） Age Carboniferous（Serpukhovian） 330 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Genus: Syllipsimopodi Species: Syllipsimopodi bideni Morphological description Syllipsimopodi bideni  was a small cephalopod, measuring approximately 12 cm in total length. Its body was torpedo-shaped, with a roughly triangular gladius-like internal str

Reconstruction of Chilantaisaurus tashuikouensis （圖片來源：FunkMonk，採用  CC BY-SA 3.0  授權。） Age Cretaceous（Turonian） 92 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Saurischia Genus: Chilantaisaurus Species: Chilantaisaurus tashuikouensis Morphological description Chilantaisaurus tashuikouensis  was a large theropod, reaching approximately 11 meters in length and an estimated body mass of around 6 metric tons. The forelimbs were notably robust, with a lo

Borealopelta markmitchelli （圖片來源：Nobu Tamura，採用  CC BY-SA 4.0  授權。） Age Cretaceous（Albian） 112 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Ornithischia Family: Nodosauridae Genus: Borealopelta Species: Borealopelta markmitchelli Morphological description Borealopelta markmitchelli  reached a body length of up to 5.5 meters and a body mass exceeding 1.3 tonnes. Its dorsal and lateral surfaces were covered with rows of dermal osteoderms arranged in s

Reconstruction of Globidens alabamaensis （圖片來源：Dmitry Bogdanov，採用   CC BY-SA 3.0   授權。） Age Cretaceous（Campanian） 84.9-66 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Mosasauridae Genus: Globidens Species: Globidens alabamaensis Morphological description Globidens alabamaensis is a medium-sized mosasaur, reaching approximately 6 meters in length, with a streamlined body and a laterally flattened tail. Its most distinctive features ar

Reconstruction of Tupuxuara  in flight. Tupuxuara leonardii  (left) and Tupuxuara longicristatus  (right) 。 圖片來源：ДиБгд，採用   CC BY-SA 3.0  授權。 Age Cretaceous（Albian） 112 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Pterosauria Family: Thalassodromidae Genus: Tupuxuara Species: Tupuxuara longicristatus Morphological description Tupuxuara longicristatus  is a pterosaur established from fossils of the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation in Brazil. Its ho

Fossil of Moravocoleus permianus （圖片來源：Xianye Zhao, Yilun Yu, Matthew E Clapham, Evgeny Yan, Jun Chen, Edmund A Jarzembowski, Xiangdong Zhao, Bo Wang，採用 CC BY 4.0 授權。） Age Permian（Sakmarian） 295-290 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Tshekardocoleidae Genus: Moravocoleus Species: Moravocoleus permianus Morphological description Moravocoleus permianus was discovered from the Obora locality in Moravia, Czech Republic. Th

Life reconstruction of Sinosauropteryx prima preying on Dalinghosaurus （圖片來源：Robert Nicholls，採用  CC BY 4.0  授權。） Age Cretaceous（Aptian） 122 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Saurischia Family: Sinosauropterygidae Genus: Sinosauropteryx Species: Sinosauropteryx prima Morphological description Sinosauropteryx prima  was a small-bodied theropod, with the holotype measuring only 68 cm in total length, representing a juvenile individual. The

Reconstruction of Nektognathus evasmithae （圖片來源：Vinther J et al. (2025)，採用  CC BY-NC 4.0  授權） Age Cambrian（"Stage 3"） 519 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chaetognatha Class: Archisagittoidea Family: Nectocarididae Genus: Nektognathus Species: Nektognathus evasmithae Morphological description Nektognathus evasmithae  is an early Cambrian nectocaridid with a body length ranging from approximately 1.6 to 5.7 cm. The body is dorsoventrally flattened and, when viewed from ab

Reconstruction of Nigersaurus taqueti （圖片來源：Nobu Tamura，採用   CC BY 3.0  授權。） Age Cretaceous（Aptian-Albian） 115-105 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Saurischia Family: Rebbachisauridae Genus: Nigersaurus Species: Nigersaurus taqueti Morphological description In the Elrhaz Formation of Niger, within the Sahara Desert, paleontologists discovered the fossil of an exceptionally lightweight sauropod dinosaur. This animal, Nigersaurus taqueti ,

Life reconstruction of Phantaspis auritus  at different ontogenetic stages。（圖片來源： Zhixin Sun ，採用   CC BY-SA 4.0  授權。） Age Cambrian（Wuliuan） 509-504 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Trilobita Order: Ptychopariida Genus: Phantaspis Species: Phantaspis auritus Morphological description In the mudstone layers of the Honghe Member from the middle Cambrian of Shandong, a distinctive trilobite was discovered, named Phantaspis auritus . In adult individuals, th

Skull sketch of Paulchoffatia delgadoi 。圖片來源：Kielan-Jaworowska，採用  CC BY-SA 4.0   授權 Age Jurassic（Kimmeridgian）-Cretaceous（Berriasian） 154-145 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Multituberculata Family: Paulchoffatiidae Genus: Paulchoffatia Species: Paulchoffatia delgadoi Morphological description Paulchoffatia delgadoi  is an early multituberculate discovered from the Late Jurassic Guimarota locality in Portugal, known primarily from fragme

Reconstruction of Astraspis desiderata 。圖片來源：Philippe Janvier，採用  CC BY 3.0   授權。 Age Ordovician（Darriwilian-Hirnantian） 467-443 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Pteraspidomorphi Order: Astraspidiformes Family: Astraspididae Genus: Astraspis Species: Astraspis desiderata Morphological description Astraspis desiderata  is an Ordovician vertebrate whose head shield is composed of numerous small tesserae. These elements are tightly packed, forming a continuo

Reconstruction of Rhizodus hibberti 。圖片來源：DiBgd，採用  CC BY-SA 4.0  授權。 Age Carboniferous（Visean-Serpukhovian） 330-300 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Dipnotetrapodomorpha Order: Rhizodontida Family: Rhizodontidae Genus: Rhizodus Species: Rhizodus hibberti Morphological description In the Carboniferous deposits of Scotland, Rhizodus hibberti  reached a very large body size, and its fin and limb bones are preserved with remarkable completeness. The anterior

Life reconstruction of Caytonia nathorstii , showing the stem, leaves, ovuliferous organs, and seeds。圖片來源：Abbieeturner，採用   CC BY-SA 4.0   授權。 Age Jurassic（Hettangian-Tithonian） 145-200 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Pteridospermatophyta Class: Caytoniopsida Order: Caytoniales Family: Caytoniaceae Genus: Caytonia Species: Caytonia nathorstii Morphological description The ovuliferous organs of Caytonia nathorstii  consist of numerous small, cup-shaped structures known as

Reconstruction of Palaeocharinus rhyniensis 。圖片來源：Matteo De Stefano/MUSE，採用   CC BY-SA 3.0  授權。 Age Devonian（Lochkovian-Pragian） 411-408 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Order: Trigonotarbida Family: Palaeocharinidae Genus: Palaeocharinus Species: Palaeocharinus rhyniensis Morphological description In thin sections of silicified deposits from the Rhynie locality, individuals of Palaeocharinus rhyniensis  are most commonly preserved in a flexed

Life reconstruction of Stethacanthus altonensis , right (female), left (male)。圖片來源：Dmitry Bogdanov，採用  CC BY-SA 3.0  授權 Age Devonian（Frasnian）-Carboniferous（Gzhelian） 382.7-298.9 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Symmoriiformes Family: Stethacanthidae Genus: Stethacanthus Species: Stethacanthus altonensis Morphological description Stethacanthus altonensis  possessed a slender body with a moderate size. The most distinctive feature in

Toxodon platensis fossil, housed at the La Plata Museum。圖片來源：Lmalena，採用   CC BY-SA 4.0   授權 Age Quaternary（Late Pleistocene） 0.126–0.0117 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Notoungulata Family: Toxodontidae Genus: Toxodon Species: Toxodon platensis Morphological description Toxodon platensis  is one of the most iconic large herbivorous native ungulates of Pleistocene South America. Its skull and dentition display striking adaptive features.

Life reconstruction of Wulong bohaiensis （圖片來源： Robert Nicholls ，採用  CC BY 2.0  授權。） Age Cretaceous（Aptian） 120.3 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Order: Saurischia Family: Dromaeosauridae Genus: Wulong Species: Wulong bohaiensis Morphological description Wulong bohaiensis  is a small dromaeosaurid, with a body length of approximately 1 meter. Its tail is exceptionally long, reaching about twice the length of the body. The known specimen repres

Fossil and life reconstruction model of Nipponites mirabilis （圖片來源：Masahiro miyasaka，採用 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權） Age Cretaceous（Turonian-Santonian） 93.9-83.6 Ma Taxonomy Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Cephalopoda Order: Ammonitida Family: Nostoceratidae Genus: Nipponites Species: Nipponites mirabilis Morphological description Nipponites mirabilis  exhibits a regular planispiral coiling during its early ontogenetic stages, with tightly wound whorls resembling those of typi