new-dinosaurs

[new-dinosaurs]

Paralyra Zelenkov, 2024 (new genus)

(Tarsometatarsus [fused ankle and foot bones] of Paralyra atavus [scale bar = 10 mm], from Zelenkov, 2024)

Meaning of name: Paralyra = near lyre [in Greek, referencing the extant grouse genus Lyrurus]

Species included: P. atavus (type species, previously in Lagopus)

Age: Pliocene–Pleistocene (Zanclean–Calabrian)

Where found: Rębielice Królewskie 1 and Kielniki 3B, Silesian and Weże 1, Łódź, Poland; Taurida Cave, Crimea, Ukraine; and possibly Muselievo, Pleven, Bulgaria

Notes: Paralyra atavus was a grouse, a group of chicken-like birds found in temperate and cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It was formerly classified in the genus Lagopus along with extant ptarmigans, a type of grouse adapted for cold tundra and alpine habitats, and in fact was sometimes considered an extinct subspecies of the willow ptarmigan (L. lagopus). However, newly described specimens from the Pleistocene of Crimea, notably including a complete tarsometatarsus (fused ankle and foot bones), suggest that it was anatomically distinct enough from extant grouse species to be reassigned to a unique genus. Unlike ptarmigans, Paralyra lived in savannah environments.

Reference: Zelenkov, N.V. 2024. Grouse (Aves: Phasianidae: Tetraonini) from the Early Pleistocene of Crimea, and the taxonomic status of Lagopus atavus. Paleontological Journal 58: 112–123. doi: 10.1134/S0031030124010106

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Paralyra #Pliocene #Pleistocene #Europe #Galloanserae #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Update: Due to the fact that the genus name Jingia had already been used for a moth, the describers of "Jingia" dongxingensis have coined the replacement name Jingiella for this dinosaur.

"Jingia" dongxingensis Ren et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Back vertebrae of "Jingia" dongxingensis [scale bar = 10 cm], from Ren et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Jingia = for the Jing people; dongxingensis = from Dongxing

Age: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian?)

Where found: Dongxing Formation, Guangxi, China

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including several vertebrae and limb bones.

Notes: "Jingia" was a sauropod probably closely related to Mamenchisaurus. Mamenchisaurus-like sauropods appear to have been very diverse in the Late Jurassic of East Asia. "Jingia" differs from other such sauropods mainly in the shape and proportions of its vertebrae.

Unfortunately, the genus name Jingia had already been used for a moth in 1983, so a new genus will need to be coined for this dinosaur.

Reference: Ren, X.-X., X.-R. Wang, Y.-N. Ji, Z. Guo, and Q. Ji. 2024. The first mamenchisaurid from the Upper Jurassic Dongxing Formation of Guangxi, southernmost China. Historical Biology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2309287

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Jingia #Jingiella

[new-dinosaurs]

Tietasaura derbyiana Bandeira et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Type femur [thigh bone] of Tietasaura derbyiana [scale bar = 100 mm], from Bandeira et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Tietasaura = [nickname for Antonieta, the main character of the novel Tieta do Agreste by Jorge Amado; the name Antonieta also means "priceless", referring to the value of the specimen] Tieta's lizard [in Greek]; derbyiana = for Orville A. Derby [founder and first director of the Brazilian Mineralogical and Geological Commission and former director of the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro]

Age: Early Cretaceous (Valanginian–Hauterivian)

Where found: Marfim Formation, Bahia, Brazil

How much is known: A partial left femur (thigh bone).

Notes: Tietasaura was an ornithopod, a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that includes the duck-billed hadrosaurids. However, it was only distantly related to the hadrosaurids, instead being a member of Elasmaria, a diverse group of small to medium-sized ornithopods from the Southern Hemisphere. Tietasaura is the first ornithischian ("bird-hipped") dinosaur to be named from Brazil.

The type specimen of Tietasaura was collected in 1906, but remained scientifically undescribed until now. It was originally labeled as a specimen of Hyposaurus, a seagoing, crocodile-like fossil reptile, and has only been recognized as a dinosaur following more detailed study.

Reference: Bandeira, K.L.N., B.A. Navarro, R.V. Pêgas, N.S. Brilhante, A.S. Brum, L.G. de Souza, R.C. da Silva, and V. Gallo. 2024. A reassessment of the historical fossil findings from Bahia State (Northeast Brazil) reveals a diversified dinosaur fauna in the Lower Cretaceous of South America. Historical Biology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2318406

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Tietasaura #Early Cretaceous #South America #Ornithopoda #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Waltonirrisor tendringensis Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Specimens of Waltonirrisor tendringensis [scale bars = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Waltonirrisor = Walton-on-the-Naze Irrisor [defunct genus name for the green woodhoopoe, now in the genus Phoeniculus]; tendringensis = from Tendring

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeletons of at least three individuals and several isolated bones, together representing various limb bones, a vertebra, and a partial lower jaw.

Notes: Waltonirrisor was a close relative of hoopoes and woodhoopoes, a group of boldly-colored birds with long, curved bills. Specimens of Waltonirrisor had been previously figured in a 1998 paper, but were left unnamed at the time. Waltonirrisor was larger than most other Paleogene hoopoe-like birds, but smaller than extant hoopoes and woodhoopoes. It is the oldest hoopoe-like bird currently known.

A partial humerus (upper arm bone) from the Eocene of Germany may also belong to this genus.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Waltonirrisor #Eocene #Europe #Telluraves #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Septencoracias simillimus Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Septencoracias simillimus [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: simillimus = alike [in Latin, referring to its similarity to S. morsensis]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeletons of four individuals, together representing the skull, several vertebrae, and most of the major limb bones.

Notes: S. simillimus was a close relative of rollers and ground rollers, a group of often brightly-colored, crow-sized birds that hunt insects and other small animals. The type specimen of S. simillimus notably includes an exceptionally complete skull, revealing additional similarities to extant rollers that had previously not been observed in this genus.

The only other species of Septencoracias that had previously been named was S. morsensis, first known from the Eocene of Denmark and subsequently also reported from the London Clay Formation. The two species differ in minor details of the shape and proportions of their limb bones. They also closely resemble a third roller-like bird from the London Clay Formation, Laputavis robusta, to the point where it is conceivable that all three might be considered members of the same genus in future research (in which case the genus Septencoracias would be subsumed under the earlier-named Laputavis).

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Septencoracias simillimus #Eocene #Europe #Telluraves #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Pristineanis major Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type tarsometatarsus [fused ankle and foot bones] of Pristineanis major [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: major = larger [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: A left tarsometatarsus (fused ankle and foot bones).

Notes: P. major appears to have been closely related to piciforms, a group of birds that includes woodpeckers and toucans. Unlike in modern piciforms, the outermost toe on each foot of P. major was probably not fully reversed, but could be rotated into a backward-pointing position. As its name suggests, P. major was larger than the other known species of Pristineanis, P. minor (the type species, also from the London Clay Formation) and P. kistneri (from the Eocene of the western United States, formerly classified in the genus "Neanis").

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Pristineanis major #Eocene #Europe #Telluraves #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Pristineanis minor Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Type specimen of Pristineanis minor [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: Pristineanis = former [in Latin] Neanis; minor = smaller [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including multiple limb bones.

Notes: Pristineanis appears to have been closely related to piciforms, a group of birds that includes woodpeckers and toucans. Unlike in modern piciforms, the outermost toe on each foot of Pristineanis was probably not fully reversed, but could be rotated into a backward-pointing position. Pristineanis also shares similarities with fossil birds closely related to extant rollers and trogons, which are slightly more distant relatives of piciform birds.

In addition to P. minor, two other species of Pristineanis are recognized. One is the larger P. major, another newly-named species from the London Clay Formation. The other is P. kistneri from the Eocene of the western United States, formerly classified in the genus "Neanis" (hence the name Pristineanis).

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Pristineanis #Eocene #Europe #Telluraves #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Update: Perhaps unsurprisingly, doubt has been cast on the proposed roller identity of Chehuenia as well. A new paper notes that Chehuenia lacks several distinctive features of the tarsometatarsus found in rollers and their close relatives, rendering its suggested affinities to these birds suspect.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. The Picocoraciades (hoopoes, rollers, woodpeckers, and allies) from the early Eocene London Clay of Walton-on-the-Naze. PalZ advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s12542-024-00687-9

Chehuenia facongrandei Agnolín, 2022 (new genus and species)

(Type tarsometatarsus [fused ankle and foot bones] of Chehuenia facongrandei [scale bar = 5 mm], from Agnolín, 2022)

Meaning of name: Chehuenia = little bird [in Tehuelche]; facongrandei = for José Font "Facón Grande" [Argentinian worker and syndicalist]

Age: Miocene (Burdigalian–Langhian)

Where found: Santa Cruz Formation, Santa Cruz, Argentina

How much is known: A partial left tarsometatarsus (fused ankle and foot bones).

Notes: Chehuenia appears to have been a roller, a group of brightly colored, crow-sized birds that hunt insects and other small animals. If identified correctly, Chehuenia would be the first member of this group known from South America, with rollers today being found in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Ueekenkcoracias from the Eocene of Argentina was previously suggested to have been closely related to rollers, but more recent studies have cast doubt on this interpretation.

Reference: Agnolín, F.L. 2022. New fossil birds from the Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina. Poeyana 513: 1–43.

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Chehuenia

[new-dinosaurs]

Titanomachya gimenezi Pérez-Moreno et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Humerus [upper arm bone] of Titanomachya gimenezi [scale bar = 10 cm], from Pérez-Moreno et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Titanomachya = for the Titanomachy [war between Olympians and Titans in Greek mythology]; gimenezi = for Olga Giménez [Argentinian paleontologist]

Age: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

Where found: La Colonia Formation, Chubut, Argentina

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including several limb bones and an incomplete tail vertebra.

Notes: Titanomachya was a titanosaurian sauropod. Titanosaurs included the largest known land animals of all time, and many species are thought to have weighed well over 10 tons. Titanomachya was not so large by comparison, estimated as having weighed between 5.8–9.8 tons. However, it appears to have been more massive than some other relatively small South American titanosaurs like Saltasaurus and Neuquensaurus, which it appears to have been closely related to.

Titanomachya had a distinctive structure of its ankle compared to other titanosaurs. One of its ankle bones (the astragalus) was symmetrical, giving this bone a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front.

(Schematic skeletal of Titanomachya gimenezi by Gabriel Lio, with preserved bones in blue, from Pérez-Moreno et al., 2024)

Reference: Pérez-Moreno, A., L. Salgado, J.L. Carballido, A. Oter, and D. Pol. 2024. A new titanosaur from the La Colonia Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian), Chubut Province, Argentina. Historical Biology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2332997

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Titanomachya #Late Cretaceous #South America #Titanosauria #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Update: A new study describing additional sauropod specimens from the Winton Formation and reevaluating previously known specimens in detail suggests the type specimen of Australotitan is not clearly identifiable as belonging to a distinct genus and in fact may be a specimen of Diamantinasaurus. Furthermore, the authors consider several tail vertebrae and a fragmentary foot bone previously assigned to Australotitan to more likely belong to Wintonotitan.

The analyses in this new paper support the hypothesis that all named sauropods from the Winton Formation were close relatives of one another, forming a group that was in turn closely related to but distinct from titanosaurs proper.

Reference: Beeston, S.L., S.F. Poropat, P.D. Mannion, A.H. Pentland, M.J. Enchelmaier, T. Sloan, and D.A. Elliott. 2024. Reappraisal of sauropod dinosaur diversity in the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, through 3D digitisation and description of new specimens. PeerJ 12: e17180. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17180

Australotitan cooperensis Hocknull et al., 2021 (new genus and species)

(Humerus [upper arm bone] of Australotitan cooperensis, shown partially restored to its original shape [H], under ambient occlusion [I], under natural light [R], and as a colored schematic [S], from Hocknull et al., 2021)

Meaning of name: Australotitan = southern titan; cooperensis = from the Cooper-Eromanga Basin, Cooper Creek system, and “Cooper Country”

Age: Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian?)

Where found: Winton Formation, Queensland, Australia

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including bones from the hips and all four limbs; fragmentary limb bones and vertebrae are known from other individuals.

Notes: Australotitan was a titanosaurian sauropod and the largest dinosaur known from Australia. It was comparable in size to other giant titanosaurs such as Dreadnoughtus. The type (name-bearing) specimen of Australotitan has been nicknamed “Cooper” after Cooper Creek, which runs close to where the fossils were discovered.

Three other sauropods have been described from the Winton Formation (Diamantinasaurus, Savannasaurus, and Wintonotitan), though it is unclear whether any of them lived at the same time as one another or with Australotitan. Some evidence suggests that all of these Winton Formation sauropods may have been closely related, but support for this hypothesis is currently still limited.

Reference: Hocknull​, S.A., M. Wilkinson, R.A. Lawrence, V. Konstantinov, S. Mackenzie, and R. Mackenzie. 2021. A new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov., from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia. PeerJ 9: e11317. doi: 10.7717/peerj.11317

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Australotitan

[new-dinosaurs]

Ardenna buchananbrowni Tennyson et al., 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Ardenna buchananbrowni, from Tennyson et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: buchananbrowni = for John Buchanan-Brown [discoverer of one of the two known specimens]

Age: Pliocene (Piacenzian), 3.06–3.36 million years ago

Where found: Tangahoe Formation, Taranaki, New Zealand

How much is known: Partial skeletons of two individuals, together representing most of the skull, much of the forelimb skeleton, and several vertebrae.

Notes: Ardenna is a genus of extant petrels. These seabirds feed on fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods using a variety of foraging styles, including grabbing prey while swimming on the water's surface and diving underwater to pursue them. Within the genus Ardenna, the short-tailed (A. tenuirostris) and sooty shearwaters (A. grisea) have particular anatomical specializations for diving, such as flattened humeri (upper arm bones).

A. buchananbrowni also exhibits these adaptations in its skeleton, making it the oldest known diving-specialized member of this genus. It was smaller than most extant Ardenna species, and lived alongside a larger extinct species that lacked diving specializations, A. davealleni.

Reference: Tennyson, A.J.D., R.B. Salvador, B.M. Tomotani, and F.G. Marx. 2024. A new diving Pliocene Ardenna shearwater (Aves: Procellariidae) from New Zealand. Taxonomy 4: 237–249. doi: 10.3390/taxonomy4020012

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Ardenna buchananbrowni #Pliocene #Oceania #Phaethoquornithes #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Thyreosaurus atlasicus Zafaty et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Armor plates of Thyreosaurus atlasicus [scale bars = 5 cm], from Zafaty et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Thyreosaurus = shield lizard [in Greek]; atlasicus = from the Atlas Mountains

Age: Middle Jurassic (Bathonian–Callovian?)

Where found: El Mers III Formation, Fès-Meknès, Morocco

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including several vertebrae, ribs, armor plates, and a limb bone.

Notes: Thyreosaurus was a stegosaur, possibly closely related to Adratiklit, which is also known from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco, and Dacentrurus from the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of Europe. The type specimen is estimated to have been about 6 m long in total body length, but had not finished growing when it died.

The armor plates of Thyreosaurus were unusual in that they exhibit a cross-hatched texture on one side. In other armored dinosaurs, similar textures are generally found at the base of bony armor where it is embedded into their skin. The describers of Thyreosaurus thus suggest that these plates lay flat against its body, instead of standing vertically as is typical of back plates in other stegosaurs.

Reference: Zafaty, O., M. Oukassou, F. Riguetti, J. Company, S. Bendrioua, R. Tabuce, A. Charrière, and X. Pereda-Suberbiola. 2024. A new stegosaurian dinosaur (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) with a remarkable dermal armour from the Middle Jurassic of North Africa. Gondwana Research advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2024.03.009

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Thyreosaurus #Middle Jurassic #Africa #Stegosauria #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Udelartitan celeste Soto et al., 2024 (new genus and species)

(Type tail vertebrae of Udelartitan celeste, from Soto et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Udelartitan = UdelaR [acronym for the Universidad de la República] titan [in Greek]; celeste = sky blue [in Spanish, referring to the nickname of Uruguayan teams in international sport competitions]

Age: Late Cretaceous (exact age uncertain)

Where found: Guichón Formation, Paysandú, Uruguay

How much is known: Multiple tail vertebrae and some limb bones. It is unknown how many of these bones belonged to the same individuals.

Notes: Udelartitan was a titanosaurian sauropod and one of the few Mesozoic dinosaurs known from Uruguay. Most known specimens of Udelartitan had been briefly described in 2012, but were left unnamed at the time. It may have been closely related to Alamosaurus from the southwestern United States, Baurutitan from Brazil, and Pellegrinisaurus from Argentina, with which it shares the feature of having a frontmost tail vertebra that is convex on both ends.

(Schematic skeletal of Udelartitan celeste with bones known from the type specimen in green and those known from other specimens in red, from Soto et al., 2024)

Reference: Soto, M., J.L. Carballido, M.C. Langer, J.C.G. Silva Junior, F. Montenegro, and D. Perea. 2024. Phylogenetic relationships of a new titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Uruguay. Cretaceous Research advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105894

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Udelartitan #Late Cretaceous #South America #Titanosauria #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Eocypselus paulomajor Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Eocypselus paulomajor [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: paulomajor = somewhat larger [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: A few forelimb bones of one individual.

Notes: E. paulomajor was a close relative of apodiform birds (the group uniting swifts and hummingbirds). Members of the genus Eocypselus probably looked similar to modern swifts, though they had shorter wings and were better adapted for perching (whereas swifts prefer to cling to vertical surfaces such as cliff faces and tree trunks).

Two species of Eocypselus had previously been named: E. vincenti from England (also from the London Clay Formation) and E. rowei from the United States. Along with the also newly-named E. geminus and E. grandissimus, E. paulomajor suggests that a great diversity of apodiform-like birds lived during the Eocene in what would become the United Kingdom. E. paulomajor was larger than most other species of Eocypselus, but was smaller than E. grandissimus.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. New fossils of Eocypselus and Primapus from the British London Clay reveal a high taxonomic and ecological diversity of early Eocene swift-like apodiform birds. Ibis advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ibi.13323

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Eocypselus paulomajor #Eocene #Europe #Strisores #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Eocypselus grandissimus Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Eocypselus grandissimus [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: grandissimus = largest [in Latin]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeleton of one individual including several vertebrae, some forelimb bones, and a pedal phalanx (toe bone).

Notes: E. grandissimus was a close relative of apodiform birds (the group uniting swifts and hummingbirds). Members of the genus Eocypselus probably looked similar to modern swifts, though they had shorter wings and were better adapted for perching (whereas swifts prefer to cling to vertical surfaces such as cliff faces and tree trunks).

Two species of Eocypselus had previously been named: E. vincenti from England (also from the London Clay Formation) and E. rowei from the United States. Along with the also newly-named E. geminus and E. paulomajor, E. grandissimus suggests that a great diversity of apodiform-like birds lived during the Eocene in what would become the United Kingdom. E. grandissimus was noticeably larger than all other known species of Eocypselus.

It is possible that the type specimen of Parvulivenator, a bird from the London Clay Formation known from foot bones, represents a specimen of E. grandissimus, in which case the genus name Eocypselus would need to be replaced by the earlier-named Parvulivenator. (Parvulivenator was originally identified as a small falcon, but there is no strong evidence to support this.) However, there are enough differences between Parvulivenator and Eocypselus species with known foot bones that more specimens are needed to confirm or deny this possibility.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. New fossils of Eocypselus and Primapus from the British London Clay reveal a high taxonomic and ecological diversity of early Eocene swift-like apodiform birds. Ibis advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ibi.13323

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Eocypselus grandissimus #Eocene #Europe #Strisores #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Eocypselus geminus Mayr & Kitchener, 2024 (new species)

(Type specimen of Eocypselus geminus [scale bar = 5 mm], from Mayr and Kitchener, 2024)

Meaning of name: geminus = twin [in Latin, referring to its similarity to E. vincenti]

Age: Eocene (Ypresian), 54.6‒55 million years ago

Where found: London Clay Formation, Essex, U.K.

How much is known: Partial skeletons of two individuals, representing part of the skull and multiple limb bones.

Notes: E. geminus was a close relative of apodiform birds (the group uniting swifts and hummingbirds). Members of the genus Eocypselus probably looked similar to modern swifts, though they had shorter wings and were better adapted for perching (whereas swifts prefer to cling to vertical surfaces such as cliff faces and tree trunks).

Two species of Eocypselus had previously been named: E. vincenti from England (also from the London Clay Formation) and E. rowei from the United States. Along with the also newly-named E. grandissimus and E. paulomajor, E. geminus suggests that a great diversity of apodiform-like birds lived during the Eocene in what would become the United Kingdom. E. geminus differed from E. vincenti in minor details of the wing bones, from E. rowei in having relatively longer feet, and from E. grandissimus and E. paulomajor in being noticeably smaller.

Reference: Mayr, G. and A.C. Kitchener. 2024. New fossils of Eocypselus and Primapus from the British London Clay reveal a high taxonomic and ecological diversity of early Eocene swift-like apodiform birds. Ibis advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ibi.13323

#Palaeoblr #Birblr #Dinosaurs #Birds #Eocypselus geminus #Eocene #Europe #Strisores #2024 #Extinct

[new-dinosaurs]

Hesperonyx martinhotomasorum Rotatori et al, 2024 (new genus and species)

(Foot bones of Hesperonyx martinhotomasorum [scale bar = 10 cm], from Rotatori et al., 2024)

Meaning of name: Hesperonyx = western claw [in Greek]; martinhotomasorum = for Micael Martinho and Carla Alexandra Tomás [fossil preparators at the Museu da Lourinhã]

Age: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian)

Where found: Lourinhã Formation, Oeste, Portugal

How much is known: A partial left hindlimb and isolated forelimb bones of one individual.

Notes: Hesperonyx was an iguanodontian, a diverse group of plant-eating dinosaurs that includes the duck-billed hadrosaurids. It was relatively small for an iguanodontian, estimated as having been 3–4 m long in total body length. Although its overall proportions were fairly stout, its forelimb bones lack the adaptations for walking on all fours seen in many later iguanodontians, such as Iguanodon and hadrosaurids, and so it was likely a relatively agile, bipedal dinosaur.

Reference: Rotatori, F.M., L. Ferrari, C. Sequero, B. Camilo, O. Mateus, and M. Moreno-Azanza. 2024. An unexpected early-diverging iguanodontian dinosaur (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2310066

#Palaeoblr #Dinosaurs #Hesperonyx #Late Jurassic #Europe #Iguanodontia #2024 #Extinct