Troodontidae is a clade of bird-like theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. During most of the 20th century, troodontid fossils were few and incomplete and they have therefore been allied, at various times, with many dinosaurian lineages. More recent fossil discoveries of complete and articulated specimens, have helped to increase understanding about this group. Anatomical studies, particularly studies of the most primitive troodontids, like Sinovenator, demonstrate striking anatomical similarities with Archaeopteryx and primitive dromaeosaurids, and demonstrate that they are relatives comprising a clade called Paraves.
Troodon is a former wastebasket taxon and a potentially dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like theropod dinosaurs definitively known from the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous period. It includes at least one species, Troodon formosus, known from Montana. Discovered in October 1855, T. formosus was among the first dinosaurs found in North America, although it was thought to be a lizard until 1877. Several well-known troodontid specimens from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta were once believed to be members of this genus. However, recent analyses in 2017 have found this genus to be undiagnostic and referred some of these specimens to the genus Stenonychosaurus some to the genus Latenivenatrix, and some to the genus Pectinodon. The genus name is Ancient Greek for "wounding tooth", referring to the teeth, which were different from those of most other theropods known at the time of their discovery. The teeth bear prominent, apically oriented serrations. These "wounding" serrations, however, are morphometrically more similar to those of herbivorous reptiles, and suggest a possibly omnivorous diet.
Graciliraptor is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the early Cretaceous Period. It is a microraptorine dromaeosaurid.
Kaganaias is an extinct genus of basal and oldest dolichosaur that lived in what is now Japan during the Early Cretaceous. Kaganaias was semi-aquatic and is the only known aquatic squamate known from before the Cenomanian stage of the Cretaceous. It is also the first to be found in an inland area, instead of on the coast where aquatic squamates are commonly found. Its generic name is derived from Kaga Province, the old name for the Ishikawa Prefecture where the specimens were found, while the species name hakusanensis comes from the mountain that gives its name to Hakusan the city near its find site. The geological formation in which the specimens were found, the Kuwajima Formation, stands alongside the Tetori River and has been the site of numerous other finds including molluscs, dinosaurs, fish, and pterosaurs.
Mahakala is a genus of halszkaraptorine theropod dinosaur from the Campanian-age Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Ömnögovi, Mongolia. It is based on a partial skeleton found in the Gobi Desert. Mahakala was a small dromaeosaurid, and its skeleton shows features that are also found in early troodontids and avialans. Despite its late appearance, it is among the most basal dromaeosaurids. Its small size, and the small size of other basal deinonychosaurians, suggests that small size appeared before flight capability in birds. The genus is named for Mahakala, one of eight protector deities (dharmapalas) in Tibetan Buddhism.
Asioryctitheria is an extinct order of early eutherians.
The Kitadani Formation is a unit of Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rock which crops out near the city of Katsuyama in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, and it is the primary source of Cretaceous-aged non-marine vertebrate fossils in Japan. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, but it also preserves a diverse assemblage of plants, invertebrates, and other vertebrates. Most, if not all, of the fossil specimens collected from the Kitadani Formation are reposited at the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum.
The Kuwajima Formation is an Early Cretaceous geologic formation in Japan. Its precise age is uncertain due to a lack of identifying fossils, and it was previously considered likely Valanginian to Hauterivian in age. However, it is now considered to probably be Barremian in age. Dinosaurs and other vertebrates has been recovered from the Kaseki-kabe "Fossil-bluff" locality in the uppermost part of the formation.
The Okurodani Formation is an Early Cretaceous geologic formation in central Honshu, Japan. Part of the Tetori Group, it primarily consists of freshwater continental sediments deposited in a floodplain environment, with occasional volcanic tuffite horizons. It has an uncertain age, probably dating between the Hauterivian and Aptian. An indeterminate iguanodontian dinosaur tooth has been recovered from the formation. Many other fossil vertebrates are known from the KO2 locality
Monstersauria is a clade of anguimorph lizards, defined as all taxa more closely related to Heloderma than Varanus. It includes Heloderma, as well as several extinct genera, such as Estesia, Primaderma and Gobiderma, but this group was found to be polyphyletic in the most recent and complete squamate phylogenetic analysis by Reeder et al. (2015).
Xixiasaurus is a genus of troodontid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now China. The only known specimen was discovered in Xixia County, Henan Province, in central China, and became the holotype of the new genus and species Xixiasaurus henanensis in 2010. The names refer to the areas of discovery, and can be translated as "Henan Xixia lizard". The specimen consists of an almost complete skull, part of the lower jaw, and teeth, as well as a partial right forelimb.
Gobivenator is an extinct genus of troodontid theropod dinosaur known from the late Campanian Djadokhta Formation of central Gobi Desert, Mongolia. It contains a single species, Gobivenator mongoliensis. G. mongoliensis is known from a single individual, which represents the most complete specimen of a Late Cretaceous troodontid currently known.
Tambatitanis is an extinct genus of titanosauriform, possibly a titanosaurian, sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous aged Ohyamashimo Formation of the Sasayama Group. It is known from a single species, Tambatitanis amicitiae, known from a partial skeleton.
Pachygenys is a genus of scincomorphan lizard from the Lower Cretaceous of Asia, P. thlastesa from the Doushan Formation, China, and P. adachii from the Ohyamashimo Formation, Japan. Its name is composed of the Greek words παχυς pachys ("thick") and γένυς génys ("jaw").
Nipponoolithus is an oogenus of fossil egg native to Japan. It is one of the smallest known dinosaur eggs, and was probably laid by some kind of non-avian maniraptor.
Incognitoolithus is an oogenus of medioolithid fossil bird egg. It is notable for bearing evidence of predation, possibly from a bird pecking the eggshell.
Yamatosaurus is a genus of basal hadrosaurid from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)-aged Kita-Ama Formation of Awaji Island, Japan. The genus contains a single species, Yamatosaurus izanagii.
Morohasaurus is an extinct genus of cf. monstersaurian squamates know from a single left dentary from the Early Cretaceous (?Albian) Ohyamashimo Formation of the Sasayama Group in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The type and only species is Morohasaurus kamitakiensis.
The Ohyamashimo Formation(大山下層) is an Early Cretaceous (Albian) geologic formation in Japan. It has been dated to the early-mid Albian, between 112.1 ± 0.4 Ma and 106.4 ± 0.4 Ma. Dinosaur remains have been discovered from this formation, including the sauropod Tambatitanis, the theropod Hypnovenator and the ceratopsian Sasayamagnomus. Other representative fossils from the formation include the monstersaurian lizard Morohasaurus and eutherian mammal Sasayamamylos. The depositional environment represents a fluvial system with a subhumid to semi-arid climate.
Sasayamagnomus is a genus of neoceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) Ohyamashimo Formation of Hyogo prefecture, Japan. The genus contains a single species, S. saegusai. Type specimen is estimated to reach 80 centimetres (2.6 ft) long, although this specimen is not fully grown.
