#Ceratosauridae

[mesozoicmarket]

A dinosaur tooth of an indeterminate ceratosaurid, possibly cf. Ceratosaurus sp. from the El Mers Group in Boulahfa, Boulamane, Morocco. The pronounced ridges that run down the tooth is a characteristic seen in Ceratosaurus. While ceratosaurids are a very early diverging group of theropod, few species are described, none of which are from the Middle Jurassic or older. Although comparable, it is unknown if these fossils could belong to Ceratosaurus sp., or if they represent a new undescribed genus.

[fundinofactoftheday]

Dinofact #40

Proceratosaurus, a small theropod carnivore, was originally thought to be an ancestor of Ceratosaurus, due to the crest on its head resembling that of Ceratosaurus. However, it is now considered a coelurosaur, specifically a member of Proceratosauridae, whereas Ceratosaurus is a Ceratosaurid. Proceratosaurus may be one of the earliest members of Tyrannosauroidea.

Source: wikipedia [1], [2]

[paleobeastentertainment]

Species: Pachylophosaurus ("Thick-Crested Lizard") Clade: Ceratosauridae Diet: Carnivore Size: 15-20 ft Habitat: Coniferous Forests Threat Level: 4/5 (Lethal) Group Orientation: Solitary Fun Facts:

The southern forests of Trithanas is the domain of many of the most dangerous dinosaurs in the world, both herbivorous and carnivorous. The Pachylophosaurus ranks among one of the most dangerous, and yet this ceratosaur differs from most others by having a completely different feeding strategy. Hunting smaller prey meant that Pachylophosaurus could avoid having to share competition with the larger carnivores.

Like many other ceratosaurs, Pachylophosaurus used its large horns to intimidate rival males and impress females. But what makes it unique among other ceratosaurs is that its thick horn is also used to plow through the denser parts of the forest, allowing it access new areas where its prey would otherwise feel safe.

Pachylophosaurus are primarily nocturnal as they prefer to stalk and ambush their prey. They are able to use their spots to blend in with the forest and the added layer of darkness to provide them with additional cover.

[paleonativeart]

‪Day 8-9: Amphicoelias and Ceratosaurus. Both of them are made in Toned Gray Sketchbook.‬

Also, it’s my first time to experience with the toned gray sketchbook since my original sketchbooks.

[whendinosaursruledtheworld]

Daily Dinosaur Fact: Day 7

Ceratosaurus isn’t actually horned. The lumps on its heads are in fact crests, and were most likely used as a form of display.

[justgoji]

Ceratosaurus dentisulcatus

Base sketch

[earthstory]

Ceratosaurus Common name: Ceratosaurus (Ceh-rah-to-saurus) Size: up to 6 m (20 ft) long Age: Late Jurassic (153 – 148 million years ago) Geographic range: North America, Europe, Africa Liked: Swimming? Disliked: Larger predators Taxonomy: Animalia > Chordata > Dinosauria > Theropoda > Ceratosauridae Ceratosaurus was a big, armoured predator. It had a disproportionately big head full of nasty, big slicing teeth, horns, and a row of bony plates along its back. The horns and plates probably weren't much good for protection, but along with the big, knife-like teeth, they made it look pretty bad-ass. The only thing that detracted from this fearsome demeanour was its tiny T-Rex-style arms (http://goo.gl/A9dFt)... but you can't win them all. It has been found on three separate continents, but was thought to have been relatively rare, at least compared to its larger relative, the Allosaurus. It had a long body, with a flattened crocodile-like tail, which suggests it may have had a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Ceratosaur fossils are often found close to the fossils of early fish, which supports this idea, but some palaeontologists think that it was the wrong shape for swimming, and it wouldn't be able to keep its head out of water. Ceratosaurus was one of the first dinosaur film stars, appearing in the 1914 'Brute Force', alongside scantily clad cave-women (https://goo.gl/Vea50R), and a mighty Triceratops (https://goo.gl/4VI57x). Ceratosaurus appears briefly in Jurassic Park 3, intent on turning the stars into a tasty afternoon snack (https://goo.gl/QA4jmA), but is scared off by some Spinosaurus (https://goo.gl/9RTLFy) dung. - OB Image Credits: - http://goo.gl/Rp5HGL - http://goo.gl/d6csyf - http://goo.gl/zJ8WDX Further Reading: - 10 Ceratosaurus facts: http://goo.gl/YfQFQ4

[captainswaglord500]

Miscellaneous Xenogaean Vertebrates

Rabbit Goat (#1)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata 

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Bovidae

Subfamily: Caprinae

Tribe: Caprini

Genus: Capra

Species: C. lagomorphoides (”like-lagomorph [the order of mammals which includes rabbits, hares, and pikas] goat”)

Ancestral species: Capra aegagrus (Wild goat)

Time period: middle Pleistocene to modern day (500,000 years ago to present).

Information: though Xenogaea possesses a wide variety of foreign-looking animals, there are also some rather familiar-looking ones mixed in as well. The Rabbit Goat is one of them. Found all across the Archaeonesian archipelago, the Rabbit Goat is a caprid no bigger than a bulldog when fully-grown. Being a descendant of the wild goat, it shares a common ancestors with domestic goats. However, there are also notable morphological differences. For starters, its size is the most-obvious one, being far smaller than any other member of its genus. On top of that, it also shows signs of neoteny, since the adults and the young look almost identical (aside from size). Its larger eyes are an adaptation to seeing in the dark, since this animal is primarily nocturnal. How exactly wild goats arrived in Xenogaea and evolved into the Rabbit Goat is unknown, though it’s thought to have been brought over by an earlier human species that had migrated there (such as Neanderthals, who also inhabit Xenogaea but in smaller numbers). However, the  earliest recorded fossil evidence of their existence dates back to 500,000 years ago, which predates the earliest known Neanderthal remains by at least 100,000 years. Either way, these diminutive animals are here to stay. Though found all across Archaeonesia, they are found in high abundance in the tropical forests, where they feed primarily on plant matter but, similarly to their domestic cousins, will eat just about anything. They tend to live in large groups of around 15-20 individuals, and during the day, they seek shelter within rotted-out logs and under the leaf litter. Their fur comes in a wide variety of color, though the most common pattern is black with two red-orange stripes running down its back. In Xenogaea, they are common as both livestock and household pets. 

Egg-Guardian (#2)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Clade: Diapsida

Clade: Archosauria

Clade: Dinosauria

Order: Saurischia

Suborder: Theropoda

Family: Ceratosauridae

Genus: Fidelisaurus

Species: F. ovitutor (”egg-guarding loyal lizard”)

Ancestral species: Ceratosaurus nasicornis

Time period: Pleistocene to modern day (2.58 million years ago to present).

Information: in a land that is, for all intensive purposes, is overrun with carnivores, some species need to find a way to hold onto their niche in order to survive. The Egg-Guardian has developed perhaps the most-unique way of doing so. Being a medium-sized carnivore at around 20 feet in length, the Egg-Guardian survives by forming symbiotic bonds with larger carnivores. In particular, it forms bonds with a specific species of carcharodontosaur known colloquially as the Mammoth-Killer. The symbiotic relationship works in such a way, that in exchange for raising the young of the larger species, the larger species provides the Egg-Guardians with food, as Egg-Guardians do not naturally know how to hunt. In color, they tend to by a rusty red color on their backs which turns more tan near the underside, with black spots not too dissimilar to a jaguar on its sides. A more-rare color variant with a yellowish-orange head and splotches on the neck and red elsewhere on the body also exists. The large horn on its nose is used primarily for display, making the animal look larger, though it can also be used for defense.

Thornfin Shark (#3)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Subclass: Elasmobranchii

Infraclass: Euselachii

Superorder: Selachimorpha

Order: Hybodontiformes

Family: Hybodontidae

Genus: Neomiosynechodus 

Speices: N. kalemanaii (Kalemana’s [a sea deity in Xenogaean folklore] new Miosynechodus [a genus of hybodont])

Ancestral species: Miosynechodus mora

Time period: Miocene to modern day (5.333 million years ago to present).

Information: a small hybodont species found off the Isle of Perils’ coast, the Thornback Shark feeds primarily on small fish and any small land animals unfortunate enough to fall in the water. At a maximum length of 4 feet, it is, by no accounts, very large for a shark, and, in fact, poses a low threat risk to humans. However, aside from its teeth, the spines on its body pose a potential risk of injury, as they could potentially puncture the skin of anyone trying to handle it. In fact, local fisherman despise this animal because its spines can cut through their ropes. However, the risk is worth the prize, as its meat is reported to taste really good if grilled and seasoned, making it something of a delicacy in Xenogaea. Its skin is a sandy color to help it blend in.

Lizard-Snake (#4)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Clade: Ophidia

Family: Tetrapodophidae

Genus: Saurophis 

Species: S. minimus (”least lizard-snake”)

Ancestral species: Tetrapodophis amplectus

Time period: Pleistocene to modern day (750,000 million years ago to present).

Information: though the Lizard-Snake is indeed a serpent, it is far-more basal than almost any snake you could find elsewhere on planet Earth. So basal, in fact, that it retains four, fully-functional legs. Found mostly in the jungles of the Isle of Perils, the Lizard-Snake is around 3 feet in length, and feeds primarily on small vertebrates. Its scales are a light brown and brownish-yellow color to allow it to blend in with the leaf litter. Though it poses no direct threat to humans, it is known for being somewhat temperamental when in close quarters with people. 

Scarlet Sayloot (#6)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Class: Amphibia

Clade: Reptiliomorpha

Order: Salamandrasauroidea

Family: Salamandrasauridae

Genus: Salamandrasauroides

Species: S. erythrodermus (”red-skinned like-salamander lizard”)

Ancestral species: Eldeceeon rolfei

Time period: Pliocene to modern day (4 million years ago to present).

Information: found in the uppermost areas of the Akamanucha cave system, the Scarlet Sayloot is 6-inch long species of Sayloot, making it one of the smallest species (though not the smallest). It feeds primarily on small arthropods found in the cave and is well-renowned for its climbing ability. As its name suggests, it is scarlet-red in color, also signifying to predators that it is poisonous. Like a poison dart frog, the poisons in its body come from its diet. Either way, this vibrant, cave-dwelling amphibian is certainly unique amongst its brethren in that it is the only species of Salamandrasauroid that is poisonous.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Neoceratosauria

By José C. Cortés on @ryuukibart

Group: Neoceratosauria

Classification: Cellular Life, Archaea, Proteoarchaeota, Eukaryota, Unikota, Opisthokonta, Holozoa, Filozoa, Metazoa, Eumetazoa, Planulozoa, Bilatera, Nephrozoa, Deuterostomia, Chordata, Craniata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata, Eugnathostomata, Teleostomi, Euteleostomi, Sarcopterygii, Rhipidistia, Tetrapodomorpha, Eotetrapodiforms, Elpistostegalia, Stegocephalia, Tetrapoda, Reptiliomorpha, Anthracosauria, Batrachosauria, Cotylosauria, Amniota, Sauropsida, Eureptilia, Romeriida, Diapsida, Neodiapsida, Sauria, Archosauromorpha, Archelosauria, Archosauriformes, Crurotarsi, Archosauria, Avemetatarsalia, Ornithodira, Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Ceratosauria

Definition: The clade of the most recent common ancestor of Ceratosaurus and Carnotaurus, and all of that most recent common ancestor’s descendants. 

Organisms Within: The clades Ceratosauridae and Abelisauroidea

Time Range: Given this is another node-based clade, we can only guess at when the earliest member of this group evolved. Since earliest known Abelisauroids are from the earliest portion of the Middle Jurassic, it stands to reason that the earliest Neoceratosaur had to evolve before this; the best guess at such is shown below. 

Characteristics: This group contains all the more derived members of Ceratosauria, and they remained as weird and strangely diverse as their less derived relatives. The bulk of this group included the Abelisauroids, which ranged from the huge and tiny-armed Carnotaurus to the small and fast Noasaurids. 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratosauria

Neoceratosaurs were relatively medium-sized predators or smaller during the Jurassic; however, the later Abelisaurids that would inhabit mostly the Southern Hemisphere got very large and often were at the top of the food chain in their environments. 

By Jack Wood on @thewoodparable

The beginning members of this group would probably have had some feathers, though as Abelisauroids evolved, the derived Abelisaurids primarily lost their fluffy covering. Furthermore, Ceratosaurids probably had osteoderms along their back, though this says nothing about the Noasaurid group, which were primarily small and thus probably retained their feathers. 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eoabelisaurus

Biogeography: It is very uncertain where Neocreatosauria originated, given that Ceratosaurs were very widespread and Neoceratosaurs were also; early members of Abelisauroidea are not helpful, either, as they are fairly widespread. As such, it is unlikely it will ever be determined where this group first evolved. 

Posts about Ceratosauridae and Abelisauroidea to come soon.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abelisaur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratosaurus

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratosauria

Shout out goes to @vikingstar!

[mesozoicmarket]

A dinosaur tooth of an indeterminate ceratosaurid from the Irhazer Group in the Agadez Region of Niger. This Middle Jurassic theropod morphology is similar to those described from the Upper Jurassic Ceratosaurus sp. While Spinostropheus gautieri is a described ceratosaurian, it may not have had ceratosaurid-like teeth.

[paleonativeart]

Day 26: Ceratosaurus nasicornis (a sub adult)

On the side note, this is a sub adult was name in Morrison formation as it hasn’t been mature just yet. But the other hand, C. dentisulcatus is possibly the largest specimen which is turned out to be fully mature and perhaps it must be a same species as the latter.

Based on skeletal design by Scott Hartman, but add lips is very one point “The lip post” from his website. http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/the-lip-post1 And also the latter was based on wetland pattern Ceratosaurus from Jurassic World Evolution as this specie is referred to ancient floodplains and other wetland environment.