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Araucaria is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Araucariaceae. While today they are largely confined to the Southern Hemisphere, during the Jurassic and Cretaceous they were distributed globally. There are 20 extant species in New Caledonia, Norfolk Island, eastern Australia, New Guinea, Argentina, Brazil and Chile.
Cryolophosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur known from only a single species Cryolophosaurus ellioti, from the early Jurassic of Antarctica. It was one of the largest theropods of the Early Jurassic, with the subadult being estimated to have reached 6–7 metres (20–23 ft) long and weighed 350–465 kilograms (772–1,025 lb).
Coelophysoidea were common dinosaurs of the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. They were widespread geographically, probably living on all continents. Coelophysoids were all slender, carnivorous forms with a superficial similarity to the coelurosaurs, with which they were formerly classified, and some species had delicate cranial crests. Sizes range from about 1 to 6 m in length. It is unknown what kind of external covering coelophysoids had, and various artists have portrayed them as either scaly or feathered. Some species may have lived in packs, as inferred from sites where numerous individuals have been found together.
Claytosmunda is a genus of fern. It has only one extant species, Claytosmunda claytoniana, the interrupted fern, native to Eastern Asia, Eastern United States, and Eastern Canada.
Dracovenator is a genus of neotheropod dinosaur that lived approximately 201 to 199 million years ago during the early part of the Jurassic Period in what is now South Africa. Dracovenator was a medium-sized, moderately-built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, that could grow up to an estimated 5.5–6.5 metres (18–21 ft) in length and 250 kilograms (550 lb) in body mass. Its type specimen was based on only a partial skull that was recovered.
Trachyteuthis is a genus of fossil cephalopod, comprising five species: T. hastiformis, T. latipinnis, T. nusplingensis, T. teudopsiformis, T. covacevichi and T. chilensis.
Massospondylidae is a family of early massopod dinosaurs that existed in Asia, Africa, North America, South America and Antarctica during the Late Triassic to the Early Jurassic periods. Several dinosaurs have been classified as massospondylids over the years. The largest cladistic analysis of early sauropodomorphs, which was presented by Apaldetti and colleagues in November 2011, found Adeopapposaurus, Coloradisaurus, Glacialisaurus, Massospondylus, Leyesaurus and Lufengosaurus to be massospondylids. This result supports many previous analyses that tested fewer taxa. However, this analysis found the two recently described North American massopods, Sarahsaurus and Seitaad, and the South African Ignavusaurus to nest outside Massospondylidae, as opposed to some provisional proposals. Earlier in 2011, Pradhania, a sauropodomorph from India, was tested for the first time in a large cladistic analysis and was found to be a relatively basal massospondylid. Mussaurus and Xixiposaurus may also be included within Massospondylidae.
Glacialisaurus is a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur. It lived during the Pliensbachian stage of the Early Jurassic period around 186 to 182 million years ago in what is now the central region of the Transantarctic Mountains of Antarctica. It is known from two specimens; the holotype, a partial tarsus (ankle) and metatarsus, and a partial left femur. The fossils were collected by a team led by paleontologist William R. Hammer during a 1990–91 field expedition to the Hanson Formation of Antarctica. They were described in 2007, and made the basis of the new genus and species Glacialisaurus hammeri. The genus name translates as “icy” or "frozen lizard”, and the species name honors Hammer.
Aspidorhynchiformes is an extinct order of ray-finned fish. It contains only a single family, the Aspidorhynchidae. Members of the group are noted for their elongated, conical rostrums, of varying length, formed from fused premaxillae. They are generally interpreted as stem-group teleosts, with them and the Pachycormiformes belonging to the division Aspidorhynchei. The range of the group extends from the Middle Jurassic to the late Paleocene.
Hibolithes is a genus of belemnite that lived from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, and has been found in Antarctica, Greenland, Iran, Europe, South America, and New Zealand. In 2020, this genus was found in the Pedawan Formation in Sarawak, on the island of Borneo (Malaysia).
Vinctifer is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish erected by David Starr Jordan in 1919.
Zamites is a genus of sterile foliage known from the Mesozoic of North America, Europe, India and Antarctica through the Eocene of North America. It was erected as a form taxon for leaves that superficially resembled the extant cycad Zamia, however it is now believed to belong to a similar but phylogenetically different group, the cyacadeoids (Bennettitales). The fronds are linear or lanceolate in shape, and pinnately compound, with pinnae with parallel veins and smooth margins, and symmetrical and constricted at the base where they are attached obliquely to the upper surface of the rachis. It has been interpreted as a Bennettitalean plant in the family Williamsoniaceae. It is associated with the ovulate cone Williamsonia and male cone Weltricihia.
Trigonia is an extinct genus of saltwater clams, fossil marine bivalve mollusk in the family Trigoniidae. The fossil range of the genus spans the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Paleocene of the Cenozoic, from 298 to 56 Ma.
Pterotrigonia is an extinct genus of saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Megatrigoniidae. This genus is known in the fossil record from the Jurassic period Tithonian age to the Cretaceous period Maastrichtian age. Species in this genus were facultatively mobile infaunal suspension feeders. The type species of the genus is Pterotrigonia cristata.
Archaeomaenidae is an extinct family of stem-teleost fish found in freshwater environments of Jurassic New South Wales of Australia, China, and Antarctica, and in Lower Cretaceous New South Wales and Mongolia.
Caraphlebia is an extinct genus of dragonflies, known from the Early Jurassic of Antarctica. It is one of the only named fossil insects from Antarctica that have been formally described; others include two beetles, Grahamelytron crofti and Ademosynoides antarctica, both from a Jurassic deposit on Mount Flora Formation. Caraphlebia is related to the genus Liassophlebia, but the hind wing has several weak antipodals in addition to the two strong, primary ones. In 2018, Caraphlebia was confirmed to be placed in the family Selenothemistidae in 2018.
The Mawson Formation is a geological formation in Antarctica, dating to roughly between 182 and 177 million years ago and covering the Toarcian stages of the Jurassic Period in the Mesozoic Era. Vertebrate remains are known from the formation. The Mawson Formation is the South Victoria Land equivalent of the Karoo Large Igneous Province in South Africa, as well the Lonco Trapial Formation and the Cañadón Asfalto Formation of Argentina.
Notidanodon is an extinct genus of cow shark. Fossils ascribed to this genus are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Recently, the genus underwent a major revision and was split into two after the erection of Xampylodon to accommodate the species X. dentatus, X. loozi, and X. brotzeni. The genus is now known only from New Zealand, Antarctica, Africa, and South America.
Coniopteris is an extinct genus of Mesozoic fern leaves. It was widespread over both hemispheres during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, with over 130 species having been described. While traditionally assumed to have been a member of Dicksoniaceae or a close relative of Thyrsopteris, a 2020 cladistic analysis found it to be a stem group of Polypodiales. Most species of Coniopteris probably had a herbaceous habit. Coniopteris laciniata had tufts of leaves sprouting from intervals of a thin, creeping rhizome. The genus is technically a junior synonym of the little used Polystichites, but was conserved by the ICZN in 2013. Some authors suggest a range of Early Jurassic-early Late Cretaceous for the genus, while others suggest a more expansive range spanning from the Middle Triassic to the Eocene.
Palissyales are an extinct order of conifers, known from the Mesozoic. They are best known from the genus Palissya, which is found in Laurasia and Eastern Gondwana dating from the Late Triassic to Early Cretaceous. The only other confirmed genus of the family, Stachyotaxus known from the Late Triassic of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus Knezourocarpon from the Jurassic of Australia has also been tentatively considered a member of the order. The cone of the best known genus Palissya is noted for its unusual construction, which is borne on a large bract, and consists of two parallel rows of ovules that run along the midline of the adaxial surface of the bract which are encased in cup-like structures formed by scales. The bracts are helically arranged around an axis, forming a compound catkin-like structure. The seeds are thin-walled were likely only viable for a short period of time, and were likely adapted to wind dispersal. Palissya has been considered in some aspects to be similar to some Paleozoic Voltziales, as well as Taxaceae and Podocarpaceae.
References
- ↑
- A. B. Smith and T.H. Tranter. 1985. Protremaster, a new lower jurassic genus of asteroid from Antarctica. Geological Magazine 122(4):351-359
