Llanocetus denticrenatus

Llanocetus was an early member of the baleen whale group (Mysticeti) but had teeth instead of baleen. It is known from a fragmentary mandible found on Seymour Island during an Argentine-American expedition in 1974-1975. It lived alongside advanced members of the archaeoceti whales (Dorudontidae) as well as primitive penguins during the Late Eocene period. With an estimated skull length of 2 m, it was a pretty large whale. A more complete fossil has also been excavated but its description has apparently not been published yet.

Name

Llanocetus denticrenatus

Authority

Mitchell, 1989

Meaning of generic name

in honor of Dr. George A. Llano and cetus (L.) whale

Meaning of specific name

"crenated teeth"

Size

Skull length: 2 m, Length: [not given]

Remains

Holotype (USNM 183022): a fragmentary mandible with two cheek teeth.

Referred specimens: a complete skull endocast and other bone fragments.

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Upper part (Unit III) of the La Meseta Formation. Late Eocene (Priabonian).

Locality: Seymour Island, Antarctica.

Classification

Mammalia Cetacea Mysticeti Llanocetidae

Further Reading

E. D. Mitchell. 1989. A new cetacean from the late Eocene La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctic Peninsula. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 46(12):2219-2235.

Glacialisaurus hammeri

Only known from a partial hind limb and foot, this prosauropod from of Antarctica shows that primitive forms such as Glacialisaurus lived alongside more derived sauropodomorphs in the Early Jurassic. A phylogenetic analysis shows it is most closely related to the Chinese Lufengosaurus.

Name

Glacialisaurus hammeri

Authority

Smith & Pol, 2007

Meaning of generic name

From the Latin glacialis, meaning “icy” or “frozen”, in reference to the geographic location of the type species.

Meaning of specific name

In honor of Dr. William R. Hammer

Remains

Holotype (FMNH PR1823): a partial right astragalus, medial and lateral distal tarsals, and partial right metatarsus preserved in articulation with each other.

Referred materials: FMNH PR1822, a distal left femur

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Hanson Formation. Lower Jurassic (Sinem.-Plienb.).

Locality: Mt. Kirkpatrick, Beardmore Glacier region, Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica.

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Sauropodomorpha Prosauropoda Massospondylidae

Further Reading

N. D. Smith and D. Pol. 2007. Anatomy of a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of Antarctica. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52(4):657-674.

Cryolophosaurus ellioti

Name

Cryolophosaurus ellioti

Authority

Hammer & Hickerson, 1994

Meaning of generic name

"Cold Crest Lizard"

Meaning of specific name

[of Elliot]

Size

Body Length: 21 ft (6.5 m)

Remains

FMNH PR1821: Partial skull and postcranial elements

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Hanson Formation (formerly Falla Formation), Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian - Pliensbachian)

Locality: Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Classification

Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Dilophosauridae

Further Reading

Hammer, W. R.; Hickerson, W. J. (1994). "A crested theropod dinosaur from Antarctica". Science 264 (5160): 828–830.

Smith, N. D.; Makovicky, P. J.; Pol, D.; Hammer, W. R.; Currie, P. J. (2007). "The dinosaurs of the Early Jurassic Hanson Formation of the Central Transantarctic Mountains: Phylogenetic review and synthesis". In Cooper, A. K.; Raymond, C. R.; et al.. Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World––Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES. USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Short Research Paper 003.

Image by Nobu Tamura (click to enlarge)

Cryolophosaurus ellioti:

"Informally named 'Elvisaurus' because of its crest resembling Elvis Presley's haircut, it is the first theropod found on the continent of Antarctica."

Antarctopelta oliveroi

Antarctopelta is the second named dinosaur (the first being Cryolophosaurus) discovered from the continent of Antarctica (actually from the North James Ross Island). The fossil has been located in 1986 but it took many years to exhume it due to the frozen conditions of the site. It was a medium size ankylosaur with features pertaining to both the nodosaurids and the ankylosaurids.

Name

Antarctopelta oliveroi

Authority

Salgado & Gasparini, 2006

Meaning of generic name

antarcto, in reference to the Antarctica, and pelte (Greek), “shield”.

Meaning of specific name

In honor of Eduardo Olivero, Argentine geologist and paleontologist, who discovered the holotype.

Size

Length: 4 m [skull length not given]

Remains

Holotype (MLP 86-X-28-1): partial skeleton (fragment of left dentary with an in situ tooth, three isolated teeth, a collection of fragmentary cranial ossifications, two cervical vertebrae and a latex cast prepared from a natural mould of three articulated cervical vertebrae, about eight fragments of dorsal ribs, two dorsal centra representing part of the presacral rod, a partial sacrum composed of three sacral centra, eight incomplete caudal vertebrae, the proximal (glenoid) portion of the left scapula, a fragment of the right ilium, a distal fragment of a left femur, five metapodials, two phalanges, and a collection of six different morphotypes of osteoderms).

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Lower part of the Gamma Member of the Santa Marta Formation (Marambio Group), Upper Cretaceous (Upper Campanian)

Locality: Santa Marta Cove, North James Ross Island, Antarctica

Classification

Dinosauria Ornithischia Thyreophora Ankylosauria

Further Reading

L. Salgado and Z. Gasparini. 2006. Reappraisal of an ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of James Ross Island (Antarctica). Geodiversitas 28(1):119-135.

Antarctica

• Antarctica
  
  
  • Procolophon
  
  
  
• Hanson Formation, Antarctica, Lower Jurassic (Sinemurian-Plienbaschian)
  
  
  • Glacialisaurus hammeri (Saurischia Prosauropoda Massospondylidae)
  • Cryolophosaurus ellioti (Theropoda Dilophosauridae)
  
  
  
• Santa Marta Formation, North James Ross Island, Antarctica, Upper Cretaceous (Campanian)
  
  
  • Antarctopelta oliveroi (Ornithischia Ankylosauria)
  
  
  
• La Meseta Formation, Late Eocene (Priabonian)
  
  
  • Llanocetus denticrenatus (Mammalia Cetacea Mysticeti Llanocetidae)

Procolophon trigoniceps

This stocky lizard-like creature has a very short, squat body and stubby limbs. The quadratojugal horns on the side of its skull give the characteristic heart-like shape to its head. Besides Procolophon trigoniceps known from numerous remains from South Africa and Antarctica, there are two other recognized species, P. pricei and P. brasiliensis, both from the Sanga do Cabral Formation of Brazil which is of the same age than the Lystrosaurus assemblage of South Africa.

Name

Procolophon trigoniceps

Authority

Owen, 1876

Size

Length: 30 cm

Remains

Several skeletons.

Age and Distribution

Lower Triassic Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin, South Africa, Fremouw Formation of Antarctica.

Classification

Anapsida Procolomorpha Procolophonoidea Procolophonidae Procolophoninae

Synonyms

P. minor Owen, 1876; P. griersoni Seeley, 1878; P. cuneiceps Seeley, 1878; P. laticeps Seeley, 1878; P. platyrhinus Seeley, 1905; P. sphenorhinus Seeley, 1905

Image by Nobu Tamura (click to enlarge)

Procolophon trigoniceps: