TEN GAME-HANGING FOSSIL FINDS
Marine fossils
Discovered: 6th century Bc
Where: Greece
lived: various periods the Greek philosopher Xenophanes reasoned that the fossils of marine creatures found on land were evidence of sea covering the earth in previous eras.
Mosasaurus
Discovered: 1764
Where: maastricht, netherlands
lived: cretaceous (around 70–65 million years ago)
this aquatic reptile was the first to be identified as an extinct species, by Georges cuvier, and the first genus of such an animal to be named, in 1822 by William conybeare.
Megalosaurus
Discovered: 1676
Where: oxfordshire
lived: Jurassic (201–145 million years ago)
A fossilised femur from this carnivore (left) was discovered in 1676, but it was nearly 150 years later that William Buckland and colleagues named the ‘huge lizard’ – and recognised it as the first-known dinosaur.
Iguanodon
Discovered: c1821
Where: sussex
lived: early cretaceous (around 125 million years ago)
one of three genera included in the original classification of dinosauria, the first fossils of this 10m-long herbivore – discovered in the early 1820s by Gideon mantell – fuelled a fiery debate about evolution and whether prehistoric reptiles had actually existed.
Archaeopteryx
Discovered: around 1861
Where: Solnhofen, germany
lived: late Jurassic
(around 150 million years ago)
the ‘first bird’ was a transitional species linking feathered dinosaurs with modern birds – and its status in this transition is still steeped in controversy.
Diplodocus
Discovered: 1877
Where: Colorado, USA
Lived: Late Jurassic (155–145 million years ago)
this monstrous herbivore, stretching to 33m in length, was the first near-complete fossil of a giant sauropod to be discovered.
Thrinaxodon
discovered: named 1894
Where: South Africa
Lived: early Triassic (250–245 million years ago)
this low-slung, burrowing carnivore had dog-like teeth and may have sported fur. it’s considered to have been a precursor of modern mammals.
Ambulancetus
Discovered: 1993
Where: Pakistan
Lived: early eocene (50–48 million years ago)
in form a little like a mammalian crocodile, Ambulocetus was adapted for both aquatic and terrestrial life – it could swim as well as walk – and was probably a forerunner of modern whales.
Tiktaalik
discovered: 2004
Where: ellesmere Island, Canada
Lived: Late devonian (around 375 million years ago)
many features of this lobe-finned fish are similar to those of four-legged animals – this creature and its relatives may have been the ancestors of most modern terrestrial animals.
Amphistium
Discovered: 18th century
Where: Northern Italy
Lived: 50 million years ago
this transitional genus of flatfish had one eye on top of its head. As researcher matt friedman realised in 2008, it was probably the ancestor of modern fish such as flounder, halibut and sole, which have both eyes on one side of the head.
Discovered: 6th century Bc
Where: Greece
lived: various periods the Greek philosopher Xenophanes reasoned that the fossils of marine creatures found on land were evidence of sea covering the earth in previous eras.
Mosasaurus
Discovered: 1764
Where: maastricht, netherlands
lived: cretaceous (around 70–65 million years ago)
this aquatic reptile was the first to be identified as an extinct species, by Georges cuvier, and the first genus of such an animal to be named, in 1822 by William conybeare.
Megalosaurus
Discovered: 1676
Where: oxfordshire
lived: Jurassic (201–145 million years ago)
A fossilised femur from this carnivore (left) was discovered in 1676, but it was nearly 150 years later that William Buckland and colleagues named the ‘huge lizard’ – and recognised it as the first-known dinosaur.
Iguanodon
Discovered: c1821
Where: sussex
lived: early cretaceous (around 125 million years ago)
one of three genera included in the original classification of dinosauria, the first fossils of this 10m-long herbivore – discovered in the early 1820s by Gideon mantell – fuelled a fiery debate about evolution and whether prehistoric reptiles had actually existed.
Archaeopteryx
Discovered: around 1861
Where: Solnhofen, germany
lived: late Jurassic
(around 150 million years ago)
the ‘first bird’ was a transitional species linking feathered dinosaurs with modern birds – and its status in this transition is still steeped in controversy.
Diplodocus
Discovered: 1877
Where: Colorado, USA
Lived: Late Jurassic (155–145 million years ago)
this monstrous herbivore, stretching to 33m in length, was the first near-complete fossil of a giant sauropod to be discovered.
Thrinaxodon
discovered: named 1894
Where: South Africa
Lived: early Triassic (250–245 million years ago)
this low-slung, burrowing carnivore had dog-like teeth and may have sported fur. it’s considered to have been a precursor of modern mammals.
Ambulancetus
Discovered: 1993
Where: Pakistan
Lived: early eocene (50–48 million years ago)
in form a little like a mammalian crocodile, Ambulocetus was adapted for both aquatic and terrestrial life – it could swim as well as walk – and was probably a forerunner of modern whales.
Tiktaalik
discovered: 2004
Where: ellesmere Island, Canada
Lived: Late devonian (around 375 million years ago)
many features of this lobe-finned fish are similar to those of four-legged animals – this creature and its relatives may have been the ancestors of most modern terrestrial animals.
Amphistium
Discovered: 18th century
Where: Northern Italy
Lived: 50 million years ago
this transitional genus of flatfish had one eye on top of its head. As researcher matt friedman realised in 2008, it was probably the ancestor of modern fish such as flounder, halibut and sole, which have both eyes on one side of the head.
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