Category
page 2Fossil taxa described in 2018
Laminacaris
Laminacaris is a genus of extinct stem-group arthropods (Radiodonta) that lived during the Cambrian period. It is monotypic with a single species Laminacaris chimera, the fossil of which was described from the Chengjiang biota of China in 2018. Around the same time, two specimens that were similar or of the same species were discovered at the Kinzers Formation in Pennsylvania, USA. The first specimens from China were three frontal appendages, without the other body parts.
Jinguofortis
Jinguofortis is a genus of primitive avialan belonging to the clade Pygostylia that lived during the Valanginian stage of the Early Cretaceous. It was found in the Dabeigou Formation in northeastern China, and isotope dating from the samples overlying the bird-bearing horizon is 127 million years ago.
Magyarosuchus
Magyarosuchus is an extinct monotypic genus of metriorhynchoid thalattosuchian described for the first time from fossils discovered in the Kisgerecse Marl Formation in Hungary. The type species Magyarosuchus fitosi lived during the Toarcian, about 180 million years ago. It is known from a fragmentary skeleton discovered in 1996.
Eogranivora
Eogranivora is a bird genus, belonging to the Ornithuromorpha, that lived in the area of present-day China during the Early Cretaceous. Its type species is Eogranivora edentulata.
Tchadailurus
Tchadailurus is a genus of machairodontine felid from the late Miocene of Chad, Africa.
Liaoningotitan
Liaoningotitan (meaning "Liaoning giant") is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Yixian Formation in Liaoning, China. A redescription of the holotype proposed affinities of Liaoningotitan with the Euhelopodidae.
Yangavis confucii
Yangavis is a basal pygostylian genus, belonging to the Confuciusornithidae, that in the Early Cretaceous lived in the area of present China. The type species is Yangavis confucii.
Siriusgnathus
Siriusgnathus is a traversodontid cynodont from the Carnian channel sandstones and mudstones of the Candelária Formation, belonging to the Santa Maria Supersequence of the Paraná Basin in southeastern Brazil. It includes one species, Siriusgnathus niemeyerorum and was described in 2018. The species epithet refers to the Niemeyer locality in Agudo, Rio Grande do Sul. It was found together with various archosauromorphs, dinosauromorphs and other cynodonts, such as Brasilitherium riograndensis, Brasilodon quadrangularis, Irajatherium hernandezi and Prozostrodon brasiliensis.
Gettyia
Gettyia is an extinct genus of avisaurid enantiornithean bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America.
Sobrarbesiren
Sobrarbesiren (meaning "siren from Sobrarbe") is a genus of extinct sirenian that lived in the Eocene, about 47 million years ago. The type and only species is S. cardieli, known from a multitude of specimens from the Spanish Pyrenees. Sobrarbesiren was a medium-sized animal, long and still retaining both pairs of limbs. Although initially thought to be amphibious, later studies instead suggest that they would have been fully aquatic and been selective sea grass browsers. Unlike modern dugongs and manatees, they likely lacked a tail fluke, although it would have appeared horizontally flattened
Microvaranops
Microvaranops is a Middle Permian synapsid of the family Varanopidae from the Abrahamskraal Formation of South Africa. It includes one species, Microvaranops parentis, which was probably arboreal. A slab containing five specimens of Microvaranops indicates that it gathered or lived in groups.
Muriwaimanu
Muriwaimanu is an extinct genus of early penguin from the Paleocene Waipara Greensand of New Zealand. Only the type species M. tuatahi is known.
Xenomorphia
Xenomorphia is an extinct genus of parasitoid wasp comprising two species: X. resurrecta (the type species) and X. handschini. The generic name is in reference to the parasitic Xenomorph creature starring in the Alien franchise. The wasp's first fossils were discovered in Oligocene (Chattian) aged phosphorite mines located in the former Quercy province of France, the remains of 55 ancient fly (Phoridae) pupae were found preserved with Xenomorphia wasps inside of them, recording a parasitic relationship between the two insects. Along with the two Xenomorphia wasp species, two other new wasp tax
Kischinskinia
Kischinskinia is an extinct genus of passerine bird from late Miocene deposits of Russia. The type, and only species is Kischinskinia scandens.
Polonodon
Polonodon is an extinct genus of dromatheriid cynodonts that lived in what is now Poland during the Carnian stage of the Late Triassic. It includes one species, Polonodon woznikiensis, which is known only from isolated teeth.
Stylolophus
Stylolophus is a genus of basal embrithopod from Eocene Africa. There is one described species, S. minor, and one indeterminate specimen.
Parahenodus
Parahenodus (meaning "near Henodus", with Henodus meaning "single tooth") is an extinct genus of henodontid placodont only known from a skull, discovered between 2008 and 2015 and described in 2018. It lived during the Late Triassic (Carnian–Norian). The skull, named and described as Parahenodus atancensis, was discovered in Keuper Facies of the Castilian Branche of the Iberian Range in the reservoir of El Atance (Sigüenza, Spain). It was the sister taxon to Henodus.
Fraxinisaura rozynekae
Fraxinisaura is an extinct genus of basal lepidosauromorph reptile known from the Middle Triassic of Germany. The only known species is Fraxinisaura rozynekae. It possessed an elongated snout, unique features of the teeth, and an ilium (upper hip bone) which was intermediate in orientation between sphenodontians (the branch of lepidosaurs including the tuatara) and squamates (the branch including lizards). Based on characteristics of the maxilla, it is considered a close relative of Marmoretta from the Middle Jurassic of the United Kingdom, resolving a ghost lineage between that genus and othe
Colobops
Colobops is a genus of reptile from the Late Triassic of Connecticut. Only known from a tiny skull (estimated total length of 2.8 centimeters or 1.1 inches long), this reptile has been interpreted to possess skull attachments for very strong jaw muscles. This may have given it a very strong bite, despite its small size. However, under some interpretations of the CT scan data, Colobops's bite force may not have been unusual compared to other reptiles. The generic name, Colobops, is a combination of (), meaning shortened, and (), meaning face. This translation, "shortened face", refers to its sh
Pentasaurus
Pentasaurus is an extinct genus of dicynodont of the family Stahleckeriidae, closely related to the well known Placerias. It was found in the Lower Elliot Formation of South Africa, dated to the Norian of the Late Triassic period. The genus contains the type and only species, Pentasaurus goggai. Pentasaurus is named after the ichnogenus Pentasauropus, fossil footprints that were originally described from the lower Elliot Formation in 1970 decades before the body fossils of Pentasaurus itself were recognised. Pentasauropus footprints were likely made by dicynodonts, and in South Africa Pentasau
Wahasuchus
Wahasuchus is an extinct genus of engimatic mesoeucrocodylian, likely a neosuchian, of the Middle Campanian age found in the Quseir Formation, Egypt. First described in 2018, Wahasuchus is known mostly from fragmentary remains representing multiple individuals. Given its incomplete nature, it is not entirely clear what its closest relatives are, though features of the skull including its generally flattened morphology akin to that of modern crocodiles suggests it was part of the clade Neosuchia. However it bears no close resemblance to any of the early Cretaceous forms known from northern Afri
Laosuchus
Laosuchus is an extinct genus of chroniosuchian known from the Permian-Triassic boundary of Asia. Two species have been named.
Brasilestes stardusti
Brasilestes is an extinct genus of mammals from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) of South America. Its type species, B. stardusti, is named after David Bowie.