Futabasaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Futabasaurus Futabasaurus (FOO-tah-bah-SAWR-us; “Futaba lizard from Suzuki”) is a genus of elasmosaurid plesiosaur, a type of large marine reptile, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 85 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in what is now Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The name honors the Futaba Group, the […]
Futalognkosaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Futalognkosaurus Futalognkosaurus (FOO-tah-long-koh-SAWR-us; “Giant chief lizard”) is a genus of very large titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 87 million years ago, in what is now Argentina. The name comes from the local Mapudungun language, with “futa” meaning giant and “lognko” meaning chief, combined
Galesaurus: Profile of an Early Mammal Ancestor Galesaurus Galesaurus (GAY-lee-SAWR-us; “Weasel Lizard”) is an extinct genus of cynodont that lived during the Early Triassic period, around 251 to 247 million years ago. Cynodonts are a group of animals that are more closely related to mammals than to reptiles like dinosaurs. Fossils of Galesaurus have been
Gallimimus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Gallimimus Gallimimus (GAL-lih-MY-mus; “chicken mimic”) is a genus of ornithomimid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, approximately 70 million years ago. Fossils of Gallimimus have been discovered in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. The name “chicken mimic” was given because scientists thought its body structure, particularly
Galveosaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Galveosaurus Galveosaurus (GAL-veh-oh-SAWR-us; “Galve lizard”) is a genus of large, long-necked sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous period, around 150 to 140 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Villar del Arzobispo Formation near Galve, a town in Teruel, Spain, which gives
Galvesaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Galvesaurus Galvesaurus (GAL-veh-SAWR-us; “Galve lizard”) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous period, approximately 150 to 140 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Galve area of Teruel, Spain, which is how it got its name. Galvesaurus was first
Gannansaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Gannansaurus Gannansaurus (GAN-nan-SAWR-us; “Gannan lizard”) is a genus of somphospondylan sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, specifically the Maastrichtian age, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Nanxiong Formation in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. The name Gannansaurus refers to
Ganzhousaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Ganzhousaurus Ganzhousaurus (GAN-zhoh-SAWR-us; “Ganzhou lizard”) is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72 to 66 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Nanxiong Formation in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China. The name refers to the city of Ganzhou near where
Gargoyleosaurus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Gargoyleosaurus Gargoyleosaurus (GAR-goy-lee-oh-SORE-us; “Gargoyle lizard”) is a type of armored dinosaur known as an ankylosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 154 to 150 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Morrison Formation in Wyoming, USA. The name “Gargoyleosaurus” was given because the shape of
Garudimimus: Profile of a Prehistoric Giant Garudimimus Garudimimus (GAH-roo-dee-MY-mus; “Garuda mimic”) Garudimimus is a genus of ornithomimosaur dinosaur, often called “ostrich-mimic” dinosaurs, that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 90 million years ago. Its fossils were discovered in the Bayan Shireh Formation in Mongolia. The name Garudimimus refers to Garuda, a divine bird-like creature
